Chapter One
Before Real Estate,
There Was Life.
I didn't grow up with a blueprint. I grew up watching my mom do everything she could to raise three kids while dealing with ongoing health struggles and still finding a way to keep us moving forward. By the time I was 12, I was already trying to help however I could — cutting grass, pulling weeds, washing cars, whatever it took.
At 14, I got my first real jobs working at Publix and setting appointments for an alarm company. That's where I first learned sales, people skills, rejection, and resilience. Over the years, I worked everywhere from daycares to Walgreens, where I became a beauty consultant and even started a small couponing business on the side.
Everything changed when someone in a leasing office told me I'd be great in property management. They were right. I spent years helping people find apartments, working lease-ups for new construction high-rises, and learning what "home" really means to people. That experience eventually led me into real estate — not because I loved houses, but because I genuinely loved helping people feel like they belonged somewhere.


