About
As a child, I only knew who I was in relation to others. As an adult, I was determined to discover who I was on my own. A serious accident set back my initial efforts. But once I recovered, I was excited to explore the world and learn just how much I was capable of!
Growing up everyone thought of me as Tim and David’s little sister. That was even how I saw myself. My entire identity seemed to be tied to other people—the daughter of a Texan pastor with modest means and the sister of the handsome, talented, smart boys that pastor had raised. That is not to say my childhood was not great or that my family loved me any less. I have a lot of fond memories growing up, and my parents were always there for me. My parents always saw the potential in me, I just never saw myself as anyone remarkable. On occasion, my brothers would let me hang out with them and their friends in a customized van one of them owned, and I felt like the luckiest girl in town.
When I got older, I wanted an identity of my own. I wanted to see the world. I figured a good first step was to go to an out-of-state university. I was accepted to a school in Arkansas and was excited about the new experiences!
Unfortunately, after only a couple of weeks, I was in a very serious car accident. My car was struck by a drunk driver. I woke up in the hospital with no memory of who I was. I scared my poor mom half to death after I did not recognize her when she came to visit me. It turned out I had a bruised brain and two different types of amnesia. I couldn’t recite the alphabet or count backward from 100, so continuing my schooling at that time was out of the question.
It took me two years to fully recover from the more long-term amnesia, and I decided to attend a state school in Texas after all. I wanted to be close to home until I was sure I would be okay. Still, it could have been much worse. I am ultimately grateful for how everything turned out.
I still had wanderlust, though, and was finally well enough to act on it and discover who I was meant to be. I worked on a ranch in Colorado for almost a year, then got a job in Nashville before taking a three-month-long backpacking trip across Europe. I asked everyone I knew to come with me, but everyone turned me down. They thought it was a mad plan. They wanted to know why I wasn’t focusing on getting a job and starting a career. Truth be told, I didn’t know what I even wanted to do. Everything sounded interesting. But if I didn’t travel now, then when?
I ended up going by myself. This was before the European Union. I had to substitute my currency every time I entered a new country. But it was great! And I realized I was more resilient than I may have given myself credit for.
When I started working, I had a variety of jobs. I worked in hospitality a lot and learned a ton from those positions that I still use today. Another standout was teaching. I felt that was a big part of who I was. I still wanted to travel, so I taught in Ukraine before joining the public school system back in the states.
One of my other employers had encouraged me to get a real estate license. After I got it, I realized that real estate would provide me with the chance to educate and use my skills in hospitality! It was the ideal fit for me. I know who I am now. I discovered I have a passion for sharing knowledge. I look forward to having the opportunity to share it with you!
I know what it’s like to feel to have real estate woes. In 2010, I lost my house. I was absolutely crushed. But since then, I have learned how to grow my wealth. Now I own three B&Bs with the possibility of having more in the future. A lot of real estate is about making wise investments. I do not just help my clients buy or sell a house; I educate clients how to build generational wealth through real estate. I truly want what IS best for them.
I am very active in helping the military community. I know a lot of my students joined the military after school. It’s good to know that I am helping others in similar situations. Many of those clients are overseas for most of the process and do not see the house in person until months later. It feels incredible to help them.
I even help my clients with staging and cleaning out their old houses so they can move on to their next adventure. I look forward to joining you on yours!