This won't be another breast-beating rant about how we're all so busy and why there's a huge gap between this and my previous blog. I promise. It's about making promises to oneself and then not keeping them. It's okay though, I'm forgiven. I've checked with myself and it's all good. Heaven knows, if the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, I've probably put a six lane highway through to the Bad Place, complete with rest stops.
So I got busy. I got busy making my life more like what I want it to be. I want to be engaged in my community. I want to have a smaller carbon foot print. I want to get to know my friends better, and build long lasting relationships. I want to be involved in things that I enjoy. When time allows, I want to paint and write. First though, I needed to concentrate on living in my community. I decided I didn't like commuting to Waterloo. I moved to Guelph for a better quality of life, right? With many hugs and promises to stay in touch with my KW friends, I decided to concentrate on building my community in Guelph, rather than just sleeping here.
Next: Get a job in Guelph. I did the usual things: freshened the resume, did a lot of networking, went to a few interviews and quickly realized that the job market was uninspiring. It was time to put my marketing and sales skills to work for me. The only way to get the perfect job is to build it. I researched some ideas - a little like Holly in P.S. I Love You - and finally settled on something I knew I could do well: real estate.
My mom was in real estate for many years. She got her license when she became frustrated with what she felt were unimaginative agents in my home town of St-Bruno, Quebec. We lived in a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired ranch style bungalow that my parents designed and built. My father was transferred to Ottawa, so it was time to sell, but because the house was so different from the typical suburban home, the agents were having trouble selling it. I knew a lot about real estate through conversations at the dinner table. One clear plus is that real estate agents are as busy as they want to be. I can do this until I die, if I want to.
Prior to the marketing gig in Waterloo, I worked in renovations for eight years - six of them in Guelph. I found that my strength lay in helping my clients visualize what was possible, while keeping them firmly within their budget range. Also, I acted as liaison between my clients and the contractors, helping them understand each other. This is a great skill for a real estate agent to have. While I will always insist that my clients get an independent home inspection, I am glad that I can help buyers decide if a house has good bones, and I can help sellers prepare a cost-effective plan to make their homes 'move ready'.
Just recently, I joined the At Home Group Realty brokerage, because I am impressed with their values and their dedication to providing added value in everything they do. It isn't a franchise, so instead of paying franchise fees, I can invest in my clients with great added value items like free staging, photography and moving packages.
So now I'm even busier, working on my business. I'm not making any promises, but I intend to keep writing. Lavidalise is about where I am in the moment. Right now, I like the view. I hope you enjoy it too.
