Bringing the entrepreneurial spirit into a career as a realtor

Episode
Renata Reid, a seasoned Sales Associate and Senior Vice President of Sales with 20+ years in Calgary’s real estate...
Key takeaways
- Setting strong boundaries between work and personal life is essential for maintaining sound judgment and providing better service to clients, even in demanding industries like real estate.
- Staying true to your authentic self and working with clients who align with your values and personality creates more meaningful relationships and sustainable business success.
- Building a solid foundation through detailed processes, questionnaires, and thorough research from the beginning allows you to serve clients more effectively and efficiently.
- Instead of competing with others or comparing yourself to them, focus on developing your unique approach and strengths that will naturally attract the right clients to you.
- Giving back to the community and helping others creates the most rewarding aspect of business success and is a legacy worth passing on to the next generation.
Transcript
Full transcript page · Interactive episode
============================================================ TRANSCRIPTION WITH SPEAKERS ============================================================ [00:00] SPEAKER_02: Welcome to Canada's podcast. [00:05] SPEAKER_02: Hello, I'm Mark, the top easy managing editor of Canada's podcast, [00:10] SPEAKER_02: joining me today on Calgary's podcast is Brinata Reed, [00:14] SPEAKER_02: Sales Associate and Senior Vice President of Sales [00:16] SPEAKER_02: with South Abize International Realty Canada. [00:19] SPEAKER_02: Thanks for joining us today. [00:21] SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much, Mario. [00:23] SPEAKER_02: Let's talk a little bit about being a realtor. [00:26] Speaker UNKNOWN: I'm a realtor and, uh, [00:28] SPEAKER_02: uh, person ball. [00:30] SPEAKER_02: How many years have you done this? [00:31] SPEAKER_01: Well, it has been, um, [00:35] SPEAKER_01: I've been a realtor now for 20 years, [00:37] SPEAKER_01: and, uh, absolutely loving it. [00:40] SPEAKER_02: How did you start? [00:42] SPEAKER_01: How did I start? [00:44] SPEAKER_01: Well, I started, uh, my, [00:45] SPEAKER_01: my background's an interior design. [00:47] SPEAKER_01: So I started out. [00:48] SPEAKER_01: So I have a family, [00:50] SPEAKER_01: my family business, uh, [00:52] SPEAKER_01: is building homes. [00:53] SPEAKER_01: And I started working in terms of design with my dad. [00:57] SPEAKER_01: And, uh, [00:58] SPEAKER_01: and then realized I probably should get my license, [01:00] SPEAKER_01: because this is a good industry to be in. [01:03] SPEAKER_01: And since we, uh, [01:05] SPEAKER_01: buy in self-properties, [01:06] SPEAKER_01: it was, it was a great way to, [01:07] SPEAKER_01: to come into the market. [01:09] SPEAKER_02: Now, what was it about interior design that appealed to you? [01:14] SPEAKER_01: Oh, I loved, uh, [01:16] SPEAKER_01: the aspect of helping people. [01:17] SPEAKER_01: To me, [01:18] SPEAKER_01: I've always loved helping solve, [01:21] SPEAKER_01: uh, problems, uh, [01:23] SPEAKER_01: the spatial problems for people. [01:25] SPEAKER_01: And somehow this was a natural, [01:27] SPEAKER_01: uh, skill that I had. [01:29] SPEAKER_01: And I really wanted to share it with people. [01:31] SPEAKER_01: So when I was an interior design, [01:32] SPEAKER_01: I would help people spatially visualize how they can see [01:36] SPEAKER_01: and change their environment, [01:38] SPEAKER_01: and make it better. [01:39] SPEAKER_01: And, uh, in real estate, [01:40] SPEAKER_01: it became, [01:42] SPEAKER_01: how can I help people find the right house and modify it [01:45] SPEAKER_01: to what they need? [01:46] SPEAKER_01: So it's been a beautiful transition that way. [01:48] SPEAKER_02: Mm-hmm. [01:50] SPEAKER_02: Now, when you, uh, [01:52] SPEAKER_02: uh, were a little kid, [01:53] SPEAKER_02: was there anything else that you wanted to do? [01:56] Speaker UNKNOWN: [01:57] SPEAKER_02: I, [01:57] SPEAKER_02: I, this, I imagine, [01:58] SPEAKER_02: probably came, [02:00] SPEAKER_02: interior design came along later on in, in, in your childhood. [02:03] Speaker UNKNOWN: [02:04] SPEAKER_02: What? [02:05] SPEAKER_01: Well, yes, actually, [02:07] SPEAKER_01: that's interesting that you say that, [02:09] SPEAKER_01: because I've always wanted to be, um, [02:11] SPEAKER_01: a bit of a healer, [02:12] SPEAKER_01: someone that was always helping people. [02:14] SPEAKER_01: And I, I said, [02:15] SPEAKER_01: one day I want to be, [02:16] SPEAKER_01: uh, a neurosurgeon. [02:18] SPEAKER_01: Oh, well. [02:19] SPEAKER_01: That was something I, [02:21] SPEAKER_01: I wanted to be when I was younger. [02:23] SPEAKER_01: And, uh, you know, that, [02:25] SPEAKER_01: obviously that's not falling in my, [02:26] SPEAKER_01: in my cards at this point, [02:27] SPEAKER_01: but it's something that fascinates me even to this day. [02:31] SPEAKER_01: I find it so interesting to understand people's psychology [02:34] SPEAKER_01: and things, [02:34] SPEAKER_01: uh, and, and how they, [02:36] SPEAKER_01: how they function. [02:37] SPEAKER_01: And, and that's kind of translated into, [02:39] SPEAKER_01: into homes and whatnot at this point. [02:41] SPEAKER_01: But, [02:42] SPEAKER_02: really neat. [02:43] SPEAKER_02: What was that background, [02:44] SPEAKER_02: uh, of being an interior designer [02:47] SPEAKER_02: helped you and, [02:49] SPEAKER_02: and shaped your career as a, [02:51] SPEAKER_02: as a, as a realtor? [02:53] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's been, [02:55] SPEAKER_01: uh, a phenomenal background, [02:57] SPEAKER_01: um, combination with real estate, [02:58] SPEAKER_01: because what I find is, [03:01] SPEAKER_01: um, [03:01] SPEAKER_01: it allows me to visualize, [03:03] SPEAKER_01: um, my background allows me to visualize what a home can be [03:07] SPEAKER_01: as I'm touring people through a home. [03:09] SPEAKER_01: Or even understanding, you know, [03:11] SPEAKER_01: they're, they're, [03:12] SPEAKER_01: they're spatial constraints in their current home, [03:14] SPEAKER_01: and going, okay, what will they need going forward? [03:16] SPEAKER_01: And I'm able to kind of, [03:18] SPEAKER_01: visualize that forward, [03:20] SPEAKER_01: forward that with them, [03:21] SPEAKER_01: and, and really bring that, [03:23] SPEAKER_01: um, to the forefront, [03:25] SPEAKER_01: um, when I'm helping someone find their next home, [03:27] SPEAKER_01: or, or, [03:28] SPEAKER_01: or selling their current home, [03:30] SPEAKER_01: and, uh, transitioning. [03:32] SPEAKER_01: So it's been, uh, [03:33] SPEAKER_01: what I love about what I learned in interdesign is, [03:37] SPEAKER_01: I developed a really extensive checklist, [03:40] SPEAKER_01: um, questionnaire, [03:42] SPEAKER_01: that allows people to kind of think, [03:44] SPEAKER_01: what are their future needs that look like? [03:48] SPEAKER_01: And that helps me build my, [03:50] SPEAKER_01: my process as to what I'm looking for them, [03:53] SPEAKER_01: and what we're, [03:55] SPEAKER_01: accomplishing as a whole, [03:57] SPEAKER_01: so whether they're selling and then buying, [03:59] SPEAKER_01: and what, what are their plans? [04:01] SPEAKER_01: So it's a, it's a, [04:02] SPEAKER_01: I love it. [04:03] SPEAKER_01: It actually has, [04:04] SPEAKER_01: it has helped tremendously for my business. [04:07] SPEAKER_02: What do you like about being a realtor? [04:11] SPEAKER_01: Oh, I love the people. [04:14] SPEAKER_01: I really love working with people, [04:16] SPEAKER_01: and when we align, [04:18] SPEAKER_01: I, you know, it's, [04:19] SPEAKER_01: it's interesting, [04:20] SPEAKER_01: I, I talked to people daily about, [04:22] SPEAKER_01: uh, you know, being able to help them, [04:24] SPEAKER_01: what, with their needs, [04:26] SPEAKER_01: and going through, [04:27] SPEAKER_01: and a lot of the, [04:28] SPEAKER_01: the stuff that I was talking about in the questionnaire, [04:31] SPEAKER_01: it's kind of, [04:31] SPEAKER_01: it really opens up, [04:33] SPEAKER_01: and it gives me a really great window [04:35] SPEAKER_01: and to, [04:36] SPEAKER_01: who these people are. [04:38] SPEAKER_01: Um, so much so that, [04:39] SPEAKER_01: um, many of my clients become lifetime friends, [04:43] SPEAKER_01: and, um, [04:44] SPEAKER_01: for, like, [04:45] SPEAKER_01: referrals, even, [04:46] SPEAKER_01: because they just, [04:47] SPEAKER_01: when we connect, [04:48] SPEAKER_01: and we're together for the time that we're together, [04:51] SPEAKER_01: it's very intimate, [04:52] SPEAKER_01: and we have, [04:53] SPEAKER_01: you know, we're searching at properties, [04:55] SPEAKER_01: and we're looking for, [04:56] SPEAKER_01: for the right place, [04:57] SPEAKER_01: and it doesn't take very long. [04:59] SPEAKER_01: It's, it's a, [05:00] SPEAKER_01: it's a short process, [05:01] SPEAKER_01: because I do a lot of research from the very beginning, [05:04] SPEAKER_01: and I love that part of it. [05:06] SPEAKER_01: I really love understanding, [05:08] SPEAKER_01: you know, the depths of where people are coming from, [05:10] SPEAKER_01: when they're moving, [05:11] SPEAKER_01: or selling, [05:12] SPEAKER_01: or whatever they're planning. [05:14] SPEAKER_02: Yeah, what, you know, [05:15] SPEAKER_02: with, you know, [05:16] SPEAKER_02: being a realtor, [05:17] SPEAKER_02: ain't the easiest of jobs. [05:20] SPEAKER_02: No. [05:20] SPEAKER_02: No, you're on call, [05:22] SPEAKER_02: basically 24-7. [05:24] SPEAKER_02: How do you, uh, [05:25] SPEAKER_02: manage that, [05:26] SPEAKER_02: and, you know, [05:27] SPEAKER_02: you're, [05:28] SPEAKER_02: you've got a family, [05:30] Speaker UNKNOWN: and, uh, [05:30] SPEAKER_02: you've got other interests. [05:32] SPEAKER_02: How do you, [05:32] SPEAKER_02: you know, [05:33] SPEAKER_02: always wondered how, [05:34] SPEAKER_02: how realtor has managed that, [05:36] SPEAKER_02: that personal life with, [05:38] SPEAKER_02: that business life. [05:41] SPEAKER_01: So in the past, [05:43] SPEAKER_01: it was, for me, [05:43] SPEAKER_01: it was 24-7. [05:44] SPEAKER_01: And, you know, [05:45] SPEAKER_01: I think once I realized, [05:47] SPEAKER_01: I don't need to work 24-7 as an agent. [05:49] SPEAKER_01: I don't need to be on call all the time. [05:51] SPEAKER_01: I, I really set strong boundaries with my clients, [05:54] SPEAKER_01: and they appreciate it, [05:56] SPEAKER_01: and I appreciate it, [05:57] SPEAKER_01: because I get that downtime. [05:59] SPEAKER_01: I get to travel. [06:00] SPEAKER_01: I travel six times a year, [06:01] SPEAKER_01: if not more. [06:03] SPEAKER_01: And there's, you know, [06:04] SPEAKER_01: and, and my clients are, [06:06] SPEAKER_01: they're, you know, [06:07] SPEAKER_01: what they say, [06:07] SPEAKER_01: they say, [06:08] SPEAKER_01: well, wait for you to get back. [06:10] SPEAKER_01: Take your time off. [06:11] SPEAKER_01: They understand that, you know, [06:13] SPEAKER_01: everyone needs time off. [06:14] SPEAKER_01: And I think in any industry, [06:16] SPEAKER_01: we need to really have that life, [06:18] SPEAKER_01: life, work balance, [06:19] SPEAKER_01: which is really important to keep your, [06:22] SPEAKER_01: your mindset right, [06:25] SPEAKER_01: and to be able to help your clients, [06:27] SPEAKER_01: with a, with a, [06:28] SPEAKER_01: with a sound mind. [06:29] SPEAKER_01: I think it's really important to be able to have that. [06:31] SPEAKER_01: So I've created these boundaries, [06:33] SPEAKER_01: and I don't work 24-7. [06:35] SPEAKER_01: I have, you know, [06:36] SPEAKER_01: if there's an offer coming in, [06:37] SPEAKER_01: certainly I will be on call on those days, [06:41] SPEAKER_01: but I'm not on call 24-7. [06:43] SPEAKER_01: I basically have my, [06:45] SPEAKER_01: I guess it would be eight till, [06:47] SPEAKER_01: eight till five, [06:49] SPEAKER_01: or eight till eight, [06:50] SPEAKER_01: depending on the day. [06:51] SPEAKER_01: And, and then that's it. [06:53] SPEAKER_01: It's, it's been great. [06:55] SPEAKER_00: Stay ahead of the game [06:56] SPEAKER_00: with our expert tips and strategies [06:58] SPEAKER_00: that will help your business thrive [06:59] SPEAKER_00: in a digital era. [07:01] SPEAKER_00: Canada's podcast.com subscribe now. [07:04] SPEAKER_02: You know, being a realtor is, [07:06] SPEAKER_02: is more than that. [07:08] SPEAKER_02: It's a, you're a non-terprinurb [07:10] SPEAKER_02: in many ways. [07:13] SPEAKER_02: What's the key that being successful [07:16] SPEAKER_02: and running a business? [07:18] SPEAKER_02: You know, it's, [07:19] SPEAKER_02: it's not just selling the homes. [07:21] SPEAKER_02: It's, it's running a whole business, isn't it? [07:24] SPEAKER_01: It sure is, Mario. [07:25] SPEAKER_01: It's, it's been a, [07:27] SPEAKER_01: you know what? [07:28] SPEAKER_01: It's taken years to kind of figure a lot of that out. [07:30] SPEAKER_01: I've done a lot of coaching in different times [07:32] SPEAKER_01: to make sure that I'm able to kind of, [07:35] SPEAKER_01: you know, manage the business as well as, [07:38] SPEAKER_01: as well as, you know, [07:39] SPEAKER_01: running a family and a household [07:41] SPEAKER_01: and all these other things. [07:42] SPEAKER_01: So, all of it takes time. [07:44] SPEAKER_01: And, you know what, [07:45] SPEAKER_01: the biggest advice, [07:46] SPEAKER_01: I mean, I think is, [07:48] SPEAKER_01: is really, [07:49] SPEAKER_01: don't look at others. [07:51] SPEAKER_01: You've got to do your own thing. [07:53] SPEAKER_01: You know, what works for me [07:54] SPEAKER_01: is not going to work for somebody else. [07:56] SPEAKER_01: And, you know what, [07:57] SPEAKER_01: you've got to decide what kind of, [07:59] SPEAKER_01: like, you want a team? [08:00] SPEAKER_01: Do you want an, [08:01] SPEAKER_01: do I be an individual? [08:02] SPEAKER_01: Do you want to be? [08:03] SPEAKER_01: So, and then, [08:04] SPEAKER_01: and really build on that. [08:06] SPEAKER_01: Like, for me, [08:07] SPEAKER_01: I've really stayed true to who I am through my career. [08:11] SPEAKER_01: And I really felt that has [08:13] SPEAKER_01: helped me tremendously as I grow, [08:16] SPEAKER_01: as I expand my client base and all that. [08:20] SPEAKER_01: There, [08:20] SPEAKER_01: I always go back to, [08:21] SPEAKER_01: okay, does this person fit my, [08:23] SPEAKER_01: fit my business style, right? [08:26] SPEAKER_01: And does it fit my personality even? [08:28] SPEAKER_01: If, if we mesh, [08:29] SPEAKER_01: then we work together. [08:30] SPEAKER_01: But if not, [08:31] SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's, [08:32] SPEAKER_01: there's, there's plenty of other, [08:34] SPEAKER_01: other agents. [08:34] SPEAKER_01: And in, in my time, [08:36] SPEAKER_01: I've actually felt there isn't really [08:38] SPEAKER_01: competition for each of us individual agents. [08:42] SPEAKER_01: Sometimes, agents compete against each other. [08:44] SPEAKER_01: But really, [08:45] SPEAKER_01: at the end of the day, [08:46] SPEAKER_01: that person would have worked with you, [08:48] SPEAKER_01: whether it was you or the other person [08:51] SPEAKER_01: that they really wanted to work with. [08:52] SPEAKER_01: When you have a recommendation, [08:54] SPEAKER_01: Mario, your brother says, [08:55] SPEAKER_01: you need to use Mario because he is the best guy. [08:59] SPEAKER_01: I mean, [08:59] SPEAKER_01: I don't think you're going to go with someone else. [09:02] SPEAKER_01: Because that's just how, [09:04] SPEAKER_01: you know, we, [09:05] SPEAKER_01: we as humans function, right? [09:07] SPEAKER_01: We choose to work with people. [09:08] SPEAKER_01: We know like interest. [09:10] SPEAKER_02: True. [09:11] SPEAKER_02: Yeah. [09:12] SPEAKER_02: And I guess in the real estate business, [09:16] SPEAKER_02: the successful realtors are the ones who, [09:19] SPEAKER_02: who have that personality that gets along with people, [09:25] SPEAKER_02: and that people trust, right? [09:28] SPEAKER_02: That's got to be cute. [09:29] SPEAKER_01: Absolutely. [09:30] SPEAKER_02: Us factor. [09:32] SPEAKER_01: Yeah. Trust factor is massive. [09:34] SPEAKER_01: I mean, integrity, trust, all of that. [09:37] SPEAKER_01: People want to know that they are, [09:39] SPEAKER_01: they can lead their business to you, [09:42] SPEAKER_01: or leave their decisions to you, [09:43] SPEAKER_01: and you will take the best care of them that you can. [09:47] SPEAKER_01: And if, even if they're in the most stressful moment, [09:50] SPEAKER_01: sometimes I'll have buyers looking at something, [09:52] SPEAKER_01: and they're like, [09:52] SPEAKER_01: no, I want to buy that, and I'll go, hey, [09:56] SPEAKER_01: do you remember when we talked about this element, [09:57] SPEAKER_01: and you really didn't want that? [10:00] SPEAKER_01: Well, that's in here. [10:01] SPEAKER_01: So are you sure? [10:02] SPEAKER_01: And if they still say, yes, I'll be fine. [10:04] SPEAKER_01: I, at least I did my job in protecting them. [10:06] SPEAKER_01: Because when you're in the heat of the moment, [10:08] SPEAKER_01: when you're buying or selling, you know, [10:10] SPEAKER_01: sometimes you kind of have, [10:12] SPEAKER_01: you drop your guard where you shouldn't. [10:14] SPEAKER_01: And so my job is to protect you, [10:17] SPEAKER_01: make sure that you're at your best, [10:19] SPEAKER_01: you're making your decision with a sound mind. [10:21] SPEAKER_01: Sometimes, you know, that can't be done when you're in the middle of that. [10:25] SPEAKER_01: So I've always told people, [10:27] SPEAKER_01: I'm here to put you in the power position [10:29] SPEAKER_01: by the knowledge I have, [10:31] SPEAKER_01: and the information I provide. [10:34] SPEAKER_02: Mm-hmm. [10:35] SPEAKER_02: What do you think it takes to be a realtor, [10:38] SPEAKER_02: from a personality point of view? [10:40] SPEAKER_02: Like, what type of person makes a good realtor? [10:45] SPEAKER_01: Someone that's determined, patient, [10:48] SPEAKER_01: and that has, you know, [10:53] SPEAKER_01: really it's someone that you have to have an entrepreneurial spirit [10:57] SPEAKER_01: because it's something that, you know, [11:01] SPEAKER_01: bootstrapping is a really good way to describe someone that has made it [11:05] SPEAKER_01: in the very beginning. [11:07] SPEAKER_01: You have to do all those elements to kind of build up your business [11:11] SPEAKER_01: because it's not something that you can instantly just walk into. [11:14] SPEAKER_01: And okay, I'm running my business now. [11:17] SPEAKER_01: That's not how it is, right? [11:19] SPEAKER_01: You're basically, you're running a business from the ground up [11:22] SPEAKER_01: and you have to build every component [11:24] SPEAKER_01: because people come to see you, [11:26] SPEAKER_01: and they want to see that you've got things organized [11:30] SPEAKER_01: and you're really, you know, [11:32] SPEAKER_01: running things smoothly. [11:34] SPEAKER_01: And the ones that do well [11:35] SPEAKER_01: or the ones that have all the processes in place [11:38] SPEAKER_01: have all those things that they've built up from the very beginning. [11:41] SPEAKER_02: Yeah, how do you deal, you know, obviously, [11:43] SPEAKER_02: you know, the housing market goes in cycles [11:47] SPEAKER_02: and we've had booze and a bust. [11:50] SPEAKER_02: As a realtor, how do you deal with that? [11:52] SPEAKER_02: Because obviously, you know, during bust times, [11:56] SPEAKER_02: homes aren't selling, you're not making money, right? [11:59] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so I'm a little bit, I'm going to say, [12:03] SPEAKER_01: it's going to sound kind of funny, [12:05] SPEAKER_01: but I'm a little bit like Warren Buffett. [12:07] SPEAKER_01: I don't really pay attention to the ups and downs. [12:10] SPEAKER_01: But clients stick with me when, you know, [12:13] SPEAKER_01: it doesn't matter what's happening with the market. [12:15] SPEAKER_01: I coach people based on, [12:17] SPEAKER_01: here's what is going on for you in this moment. [12:20] SPEAKER_01: Who cares if the world's falling apart? [12:22] SPEAKER_01: Because it's like the sky is falling, [12:24] SPEAKER_01: the sky is falling, sure. [12:26] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, but you know what? [12:27] SPEAKER_01: People still need to buy, they need to sell, [12:29] SPEAKER_01: they need to do stuff. [12:30] SPEAKER_01: So even in the down markets, I've been busy. [12:33] SPEAKER_01: Yeah. [12:33] SPEAKER_01: So to me, it's not about what's happening out there. [12:37] SPEAKER_01: Sure, we don't want to ignore the fact [12:38] SPEAKER_01: that there's, you know, there's these changes that are happening. [12:42] SPEAKER_01: But if you still need to sell, [12:44] SPEAKER_01: here's the strategy we're going to use. [12:46] SPEAKER_01: We're not going to go higher on price [12:47] SPEAKER_01: because we think we can go a little bit higher. [12:50] SPEAKER_01: We're going to be more conservative. [12:51] SPEAKER_01: And we're going to take a more conservative approach [12:53] SPEAKER_01: to the whole aspect of selling or buying. [12:56] SPEAKER_01: And we look at, you know, it doesn't matter. [12:58] SPEAKER_01: So my clients are protective based on the knowledge [13:02] SPEAKER_01: I bring to the table, [13:04] SPEAKER_01: not because it's something that's happening out there in the economy. [13:08] SPEAKER_02: Now, all your career as a realtor has been in Calgary, has it? [13:12] SPEAKER_01: It has. [13:14] SPEAKER_01: Yeah. [13:14] SPEAKER_01: The whole 20 years. [13:16] SPEAKER_02: What do you like about doing business in Calgary? [13:20] SPEAKER_01: So I've lived in several different cities. [13:23] SPEAKER_01: And by far, Calgary has the most genuine kind people. [13:30] SPEAKER_01: And they're really down to earth and the farming community. [13:35] SPEAKER_01: Like, it's, it really comes down to kindness. [13:39] SPEAKER_01: Here, people are open and they're communicative. [13:42] SPEAKER_01: Like, I found in Vancouver people are nice too. [13:45] SPEAKER_01: But it really is like the very like on a mission. [13:48] SPEAKER_01: And they, you know, and I think they're, [13:50] SPEAKER_01: because you have so much time and traffic, [13:52] SPEAKER_01: maybe that affects people, same in Toronto, you know. [13:55] SPEAKER_01: And somehow Calgary has this kind of like relaxed side of it. [13:59] SPEAKER_01: But yet, it's still a business side. [14:01] SPEAKER_01: And it's just like a really, really cool combination. [14:04] SPEAKER_01: I love it here. [14:06] SPEAKER_01: I really love Calgary. [14:08] Speaker UNKNOWN: Yeah. [14:09] SPEAKER_02: So juggling, you know, as I said, juggling the business and juggling family. [14:14] SPEAKER_02: Does it leave you any time to do anything else? [14:17] SPEAKER_02: Do something for Renata? [14:20] SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I do actually. [14:22] SPEAKER_01: I do dancing. [14:24] SPEAKER_01: I do. [14:25] SPEAKER_01: I do. [14:26] SPEAKER_01: I love traveling. [14:27] SPEAKER_01: So this year I was lucky to go to Brazil and Portugal. [14:32] SPEAKER_01: And I'm actually going in Asheville coming up. [14:34] SPEAKER_01: And there's a few different trips I could take. [14:38] SPEAKER_01: And I'm also going into writing a book recently. [14:43] SPEAKER_01: So that's something that will probably be coming up in further discussions and down the line. [14:49] SPEAKER_02: Talk a little bit about your dancing. [14:52] SPEAKER_02: And I know and hot the preferences by saying, [14:56] SPEAKER_02: I don't know when this is going to be aired. [15:01] SPEAKER_02: You have a special event this fall. [15:06] SPEAKER_02: You talk a little bit about what that is in terms of dancing. [15:10] SPEAKER_01: Yeah. [15:11] SPEAKER_01: So I was I was called by dancing with the stars, Easterseal stars, Calgary. [15:19] SPEAKER_01: And I am a celebrity on there on their in their group there. [15:24] SPEAKER_01: And we're doing a big fundraiser to help the Easterseals, which is a fabulous fundraiser that we're looking to raise money for. [15:33] SPEAKER_01: And so I've been dancing every week training for that. [15:37] SPEAKER_01: And it's been really fun. [15:40] SPEAKER_01: And I've been getting donations coming in every week now. [15:43] SPEAKER_01: It's really fun. [15:44] SPEAKER_01: And I get to practice my my my chacha. [15:48] SPEAKER_01: And that is airing where we have a big event on the October 5th. [15:53] SPEAKER_01: So that's very exciting. [15:56] SPEAKER_01: And so it's all leading up to that day. [15:59] SPEAKER_00: Canada's podcast is your gateway to success in the world of entrepreneurship. [16:04] SPEAKER_00: Start listening today. [16:06] SPEAKER_00: Canada's podcast dot com subscribe now. [16:09] SPEAKER_02: Toby, you know, your background in dancing. [16:14] SPEAKER_02: Did you have any before this? [16:17] SPEAKER_02: Yeah. [16:18] SPEAKER_02: I'm in the house type thing. [16:20] Speaker UNKNOWN: I'm in the house type thing. [16:20] Speaker UNKNOWN: [16:20] Speaker UNKNOWN: I'm in the house type thing. [16:21] SPEAKER_01: We grew up in an amazing family, Polish family with a sore background. [16:29] SPEAKER_01: Very much was a lot of dancing. [16:31] SPEAKER_01: Yeah. [16:32] SPEAKER_01: In our house, we would have parents, the kids, the, you know, grandparents, everybody over. [16:38] SPEAKER_01: We would always have dance parties and things. [16:40] SPEAKER_01: And I also grew up in the Polish folk dancing. [16:43] SPEAKER_01: I danced for 16 years and traveled to Europe on on tour and performed there. [16:50] SPEAKER_01: And it was it was a fabulous fabulous time. [16:53] SPEAKER_01: And actually, in fact, my daughter, she just recently joined Prakwus, [16:58] SPEAKER_01: which is a dance Polish dance group here in in Calgary. [17:02] SPEAKER_01: And she went to Poland last year. [17:05] SPEAKER_01: And it marks the 30 year anniversary when I was there. [17:08] SPEAKER_02: Oh, wow. [17:09] SPEAKER_02: Yeah. [17:10] SPEAKER_02: How do you feel? [17:11] SPEAKER_02: How do you feel when you dance? [17:14] SPEAKER_01: Oh, it's like the world is gone. [17:18] SPEAKER_01: I love it. [17:19] SPEAKER_01: I love it so much. [17:20] SPEAKER_01: It's just amazing. [17:22] Speaker UNKNOWN: [17:23] SPEAKER_01: What do you think? [17:24] SPEAKER_02: You talked about Polish background. [17:26] SPEAKER_02: What do you think you learned from your parents? [17:29] SPEAKER_01: Oh, everything. [17:32] SPEAKER_01: Everything. [17:32] SPEAKER_01: My dad is the most hardworking person. [17:35] SPEAKER_01: And my mom, both, both my parents are the most hardworking people I've ever met. [17:40] SPEAKER_01: And I learned from them every single day, still to this day. [17:45] SPEAKER_01: I was at my dad's 75th birthday a couple weeks ago and celebrated him. [17:49] SPEAKER_01: And he is the most incredible human being. [17:53] SPEAKER_01: He's been through a lot. [17:55] SPEAKER_01: And you know, I think it's fantastic to see that they're strong and going and just love life. [18:01] SPEAKER_01: And, you know, I, you know, work ethic. [18:05] SPEAKER_01: I learned all of that from my dad. [18:07] SPEAKER_01: And my mom, so really very, very lucky to be. [18:11] SPEAKER_01: And we had such a beautiful upbringing. [18:13] SPEAKER_01: I mean, it was just I, I thank them for everything. [18:16] SPEAKER_02: What do you want to leave behind with your children as lessons in life? [18:22] SPEAKER_01: Oh, if I could still work ethic in them, the way that my parents did for me, I, you know, [18:27] SPEAKER_01: I love the fact that I'm at this stage of my life and I can, I love working. [18:31] SPEAKER_01: And to me, it's not work. [18:33] SPEAKER_01: It feels like it just, I, this is who I am. [18:36] SPEAKER_01: And it feels so good to help others. [18:39] SPEAKER_01: And they were very much like that. [18:41] SPEAKER_01: They always did fundraisers and different things and help community. [18:46] SPEAKER_01: And so that is something that I will also want to continue doing fundraisers and different things. [18:51] SPEAKER_01: Because I learned it all from them. [18:52] SPEAKER_01: And I want to instill that in my kids is that giving back at the end of the day is probably the most rewarding part of what we do. [19:00] SPEAKER_02: If I was a young realtor, what would you tell me? [19:05] SPEAKER_02: What is best advice would you give me as a embark on my career? [19:11] SPEAKER_01: Yeah. [19:12] SPEAKER_01: So my biggest advice is, is you do need to shadow somebody? [19:17] SPEAKER_01: It's, it's really good if you can get a mentor or even, you know, try to, you know, [19:25] SPEAKER_01: gain as much knowledge as possible. [19:28] SPEAKER_01: Just being out and, you know, meeting people too, building your network, you know, [19:33] SPEAKER_01: being in a community or being in somewhere where you love to be. [19:37] SPEAKER_01: And when you're surrounded by people, that's where you're going to meet your clients. [19:41] SPEAKER_01: So, and do stuff that you love. [19:44] SPEAKER_01: I mean, you know, be in an area where you, so if you play hockey, go to the, you know, [19:48] SPEAKER_01: go and communicate with people in the hockey industry. [19:51] SPEAKER_01: And talk about it and talk about what you do. [19:56] SPEAKER_01: Yeah. [19:56] SPEAKER_01: I think sometimes people don't talk about what they're doing and they just assume that, you know, [20:02] SPEAKER_01: you, that they know that you're a realtor. [20:04] SPEAKER_01: So it's, it's communicating that. [20:07] SPEAKER_02: Now, you mentioned mentors, you know, throughout your career, who would you have considered your mentors? [20:16] SPEAKER_02: Not in a sense of, of, of people like around you, but maybe examples of business people or leaders out there. [20:26] SPEAKER_02: Who did you learn a lot from? [20:30] SPEAKER_01: Oh, so I did some, some of my training through the Ninja network, [20:36] SPEAKER_01: which is also a very good network for teaching you about real estate. [20:42] SPEAKER_01: My most recent, biggest mentor I've had is Chris Boss with the Black Swan group. [20:49] SPEAKER_01: He wrote the never split the difference. [20:51] SPEAKER_01: He's an incredible human on, you know, speaking about human aspect of everything. [20:59] SPEAKER_01: And negotiation is a big part of it. [21:01] SPEAKER_01: He's had to negotiate a lot of different. [21:04] SPEAKER_01: Chris Boss is a former FBI hostage negotiator. [21:09] SPEAKER_01: He's done that for 24 years. [21:11] SPEAKER_01: And so that is something that has been a really big impact on how I do business, [21:17] SPEAKER_01: bringing the best type of communication styles to any given interaction. [21:24] SPEAKER_02: Excellent. [21:25] SPEAKER_02: Well, thanks so much. [21:26] SPEAKER_02: I ran out of rejoining us today. [21:28] SPEAKER_01: You're welcome. Thank you so much, Mario. [21:31] SPEAKER_02: All right. That was run out of read sales associate and senior vice president of sales with Sothomies International Realty Canada. [21:38] SPEAKER_02: I'm Mario Toneguzi, managing editor of Canada's podcast. Thanks for joining us today.
