CELEBRATE, GOOD TIMES! We got an award!

Conversations with my 8-year-old granddaughter:

 “Nana, are you like the ‘Boss, Boss’ of your company?”

“Well, BreBre, I guess I am the ‘Boss, Boss’ of my company. I’m the Founder and Owner.”

“Nana, I mean you are the like Boss over all the Bosses and everyone that works there”

“Yep, I’m like the BIG Boss.”

“So if you are the Boss, Boss of everyone in your company, you should have lots of parties for your company!”

“Ok, why do think I should have lots of parties?”

“Because then everyone will know how much you appreciate them and they will want to work with you forever and be so happy that you are their Boss, Boss and be proud to be on the True Story team!”

“Well, BreBre, as it happens, I am throwing a party today for my company!  We are celebrating because in our very first year as a Real Estate company, we got a BIG surprise: we just rated in the top 1.5% of all Realtors across the country.  We are considered one of America’s Best!”

“Oh Nana, That’s so CRAZY! I’m so proud of you! In your first year as True Story?”

“Yep! it’s kind of a big deal! I didn’t expect it all! When I first thought about starting my own company, I was really scared and thought I was too old and didn’t have what it takes to be a ‘Boss, Boss’.  But I also was tired of working for big real estate companies run by men.  Not that I have anything against men, I just wish more women ran companies. It occurred to me that if that was going to change, I could be the change and start a company myself, and if I was going to do it- I should do it as soon as possible.”

“Well yeah Nana, you are kinda old.”

“Haha! Thanks a lot BreBre!”

But the more I thought about it the more I decided I could do it!

“Pop told me I should go for it! Your mama told me I should go for it. My friends told me I should go for it. I had a lot of people that were encouraging me! BUT…

“There were also a lot of people that told me I was making a mistake, that it would be too hard, that I was too old, that I knew how to be a good Realtor but I didn’t have what it would take to run a business, and I wasn’t ready to be an owner and a leader. They brought me down, but I got back up and realized I had to distance myself from those people. They had their own fears of trying something new and working hard to make it successful. I didn’t have to believe them!

 I’m so grateful that my clients believed in me, supported me, and cheered me on! It has been really fun to do this…and hard, and challenging, but I had a lot of help and I have such a good team of people!”

“So Nana, those people that didn’t think you could do it, must be feeling kinda dumb now! So now you REALLY gotta throw party AND you have to get cupcakes and write True Story Realty on them!! They are gonna love this!...” She paused “…And Nana, could I have one of the cupcakes?”

“Sure BreBre! You can have a cupcake… for all the times you came to my office after school and hung out! Thanks for always believing in me and knowing that we could do it!” 

“It’s a True Story NANA!”

This is one of the many gifts of starting my own company: conversations like this with my 8-year-old granddaughter, realizing she is watching me, and what kind of ‘Boss, Boss’ I will be.  She is headed to be an incredible ‘Boss, Boss’ herself!

So I took BreBre’s advice and we threw a party with cupcakes: ‘True Story Taco Tuesday on a Wednesday’ (‘cause that’s just how we roll!) to celebrate our award from Wall Street Journal, Real Trends, and America’s Best. We also wanted to celebrate our long-time partnership with our lenders, The Krevoy Team, who have supported us every step of the way. In addition to our newer partnership with Revive, our concierge service. 

We want to send a special thanks to our umbrella brokerage: SIDE Real Estate, the power behind us. They have been overwhelmingly supportive in all of the growth we have experienced throughout this last year. Many thanks to Guy Gal, Hilary Saunders, and Ed Wu who started SIDE; our business manager, Amy Hyde; our team recruiter, Zaki Hmaydani; and our ambassadors, Kevin Oliver and Jonathan Rotty. My friends and Realtors, Katie Moe and Kimberly Koll, inspired me to do this with SIDE Real Estate. Their own companies were also recognized in the top 1.5% of Realtors in America! I wish you all could have been there to celebrate with us!

And…. of course, we couldn’t have done it without all of you: our friends, clients, and colleagues who have helped me get there. I am so grateful. You are our True Story Peeps!

We love what we do and after only one year in business we got recognized for our service! What an honor and validation to the choice I made to become the ‘Boss, Boss’ of True Story Realty. Don’t ever believe the naysayers or ‘Negative Nelly’s’!

Thank you to Savannah Moon, Matthew Hayes, Darlene Alonzo, Sarah Purdum, and my Executive Assistant, Darienne Ruiz - who runs everything for all of us!

What a great True Story – and it’s only the 1^st chapter. Stay tuned as we unlock the next chapter.

P.S. My granddaughter is available to provide business coaching to anyone who may need it (batteries not included; parental supervision required).