Leaving the Safe Job (Six Figures)… Betting on Yourself While Your Kids Are Watching

A “safe” paycheck can still be a trap when it costs you your time, your peace, and the version of yourself your kids get to see. We’re Colleen Basinski and Kimberly Neill, and we sit down with Jackie Poponi, a former government mission planner who made the call a lot of people daydream about and then talk themselves out of: she walked away from a six-figure government path and went all-in on real estate with three little kids at home.

Jackie takes us through the real fear behind the highlight reel, including the government shutdown scare that exposed how little control “security” can actually provide, and the sudden return-to-office order that turned childcare and family life into a daily scramble. We dig into the emotional whiplash of feeling grateful while also feeling stuck, plus the faith and values check that helped her admit what she was truly called to do.

Then we get practical. Jackie shares how she built her exit ramp by getting her real estate license in the cracks of real life, how she handled imposter syndrome, and what changed when she had no boss and total responsibility for her results. We talk real estate lead generation through Zillow Flex, referrals, repeat business, open houses, and local networks, along with the systems that made it sustainable: CRM follow-up, nurture plans, and accountability you can’t outsource. If you’re thinking about a career change, entrepreneurship, or building true work-life balance as a working parent, this conversation is your roadmap and your gut check.

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Transcript

Welcome And The Big Question

Speaker 0:00

It was high stress, but I liked that kind of aspect of it. I do well under pressure, I think.

Speaker 1 0:05

So well, I think that adrenaline flow from something like that pairs well with real estate. Oh yeah. Yeah. Morning. Hey, good morning. So welcome back to Do Epic Shit. Woo! Real talk, real estate, real life. I'm Colleen Basinski. I'm Kim Neill. And around here, we don't do highlight reels. Yeah, no. We talk about the stuff that actually keeps you up at night. And today we're talking about something that looks really brave on Instagram, but feels absolutely terrifying in real life. Leaving the safe job. Yeah. The study paycheck, the benefits, the predictable path, the one everyone tells you you'd be crazy to walk away from. And we've got our special guest today, Jackie Poponi. Hello. Hi Jackie. Good. Thank you so much for having me. We're so excited to have you. So here's the real question: What happens when staying starts costing more than leaving? How do you bet on yourself when little humans are watching you, depending on you? Uh Jackie didn't just pivot careers. She walked away from a six-figure government secure path with three kids at home. Yes. So, Jackie, before we get to the glow-up, take us back to the version of you who was still playing it safe. Who were you trying to be when you stayed? Like when you were in that role.

Playing It Safe In Government

Speaker 1:35

Yeah. So I was really just trying to be like the steady, consistent caregiver. I did everything I was supposed to. You know, I got went to college, got a job. Um Yeah, I remember you from back in those college days. I know. Yeah. So I did everything right. Um, and then everything kind of shifts your perspective when you have kids. I stayed home for a little bit and then it I just kind of fell into the government job. And it it was really nice. There was nothing wrong with the job. I loved the people I was working with. It just wasn't conducive for like work, like family balance. Um if I asked you then, were you fulfilled, what would you have said? Probably, yes. I didn't know anything different. Um, we had no, and I feel very blessed and privileged to say this, but like financial, we didn't have like financial worries, we didn't have anything. So I recognized that I was in a really good position. And I wasn't actively like, yeah, I need to change this. Like I didn't think there was anything better. I wasn't really, I was a good employee, right? Like I did everything I was supposed to. I was recognized for things. Um, and I was in the job that people go to be set at for life. And I think I recognized that and I was very fortunate. So I was like, every time I kind of was like, you know, this isn't really, this is really hard for our family, but I should be very thankful and I don't want to ruffle any feathers. I don't really know what else is out there, but I just was very content. So did you have kids, Jackie, when you went into the government job? I did. I had two kids already, and then I had my third. And I think when we had my third, that was when things kind of were like, yep, this is not really working. Because my what when I started working there, my middle son was almost two. So he was older. He wasn't a baby, but then when we brought Ruthie in, that was kind of where things were thrown out of that.

Speaker 1 3:36

What do you think that the security of that job guaranteed you?

Speaker 3:40

Just like comfort, like financial comfort. You know, my husband also worked for the government um in the military, so we were very much like were, you know, we have the TSP and all kinds of things, and it was just very secure. I went to work, I knew what to expect, and it was just it was I did something different every day at work, but it I knew that I would be there from this hour to this hour, or I eventually started working from home, which was nicer and kind of alleviated some of that issues that we were having. And so it kind of just allowed me to know what the future looks like, which I think was comforting to me. I'm very much a planner, I'm very much like this, you know, we want to go on vacation. This is the leave idea. Well, you even wrote a book. Do you want to talk about that? I did, yeah. Um Wow. Yeah. So I I like I have a very creative outlet, and you know, the government doesn't really allow for a lot of creativity. So I did. I ended up writing a book. Um, it was during COVID, and it was a way for me to kind of like express myself, but it was something that the government allowed, and I kind of expressed myself in a different avenue. So even doing that, I was fulfilled in that way. I was like, you know, my creative kind of got that itch out and stuff like that.

Speaker 1 4:58

So did you secretly resent people who were taking bigger risks while you were like staying in this?

Speaker 5:06

Yeah, because really, if you think about it, um during COVID, a lot of people kind of came came on to like that's when like the internet kind of exploded and TikTok really became a big thing. And I was like, wow, these people are my age and they're doing like this really cool stuff. And I was like, No, you have it great, you know, there's millions of people who would love to be in your position. You should really just kind of I want to say stay in like your lane, but like there's you're not missing anything, right? You're it is what it is. Sure.

Speaker 1 5:36

Were you also afraid of like what people would say if you left the job? Like, oh my gosh, look at you know, yeah, 100%.

Speaker 5:43

Because like I said, like the government, like people spend their whole military careers and then go and apply for like a government civilian position. And I don't have any military experience. I walked in just kind of randomly, and it just my background fit what they needed, and I kind of bounced around within the government after that. And I so I just kind of walked in to it, especially being this young for the longest time in the first position I worked in. I was the youngest person there. Oh wow, wow. And that's quite an accomplished job. It was, yeah. And it, you know, it was something I recognized, and then I became like a trainer in that position. So then I was training these people who had like 25 years of military experience. And there's me. I'm like, I don't, I don't know. Like just swinging it, you know.

Speaker 1 6:30

Yeah. So what did fear sound like in your head at 2 a.m.? Like when you were making going through the transition to make making the decision?

Speaker 6:38

Yeah.

Shutdown Fear And Losing Control

Speaker 6:39

So it all kind of started, and this is where the fear started kind of coming from. When I worked in one position, when there was talk of a government shutdown, we were paid out of a different pot of money. So when people were like, oh, this is a government shutdown, I'm like, it doesn't really affect me. I don't know. And then I switched positions, and then I remember that they started talking about a government shutdown again, and then they were like, Well, if that happens, like you will be affected. And I was like, Wait, what do you mean? So then it became myself and my husband were then both affected. And I was like, We're a dual-income family. We have no control over what is happening. So it all started. This whole transition started based out of fear. Cause I was like, I did everything right, I did everything I was supposed to. I'm like a model employee. Yet you're telling me that I have to go to work every day and still not get paid. Now I would get back pay, but in the time being, I was like, Yeah, what do you do for money?

Speaker 1 7:38

How do you feed your kids?

Speaker 7:40

Right. And we were in a position, luckily, where I was like, okay, we have savings, we'll be okay. But I was like, how does everybody else do it? You know what I mean? And at some point, the tables are gonna tip. I don't know how long this stuff goes on for. I never really, you know, ignorance is bliss at that point. And I was like, okay. So that's really where the whole thing started. So that kept me up a lot at night because I was like, I can't even really go get like a temporary job because I was expected to be at work every day. I was like, I don't quite understand how this all plays out. Yeah. So that was a lot of the fear.

Speaker 1 8:12

Was there an exact moment where you decided, like, this is it, I can't do this anymore?

Speaker 8:17

Yeah. So I had been working from home for about two years and it was great. And then the whole administration changed, and they, I'll never forget it. My supervisor at the time texted me on Super Bowl Sunday and said, Hey, you did you know you were expected to start coming back in the office tomorrow? And I was like, No, didn't know that. And he was like, Great, well, I'll see you at seven. And I was like, Okay. So were you expected to get child care, get everything? I guess, yeah. Um, so you know, my husband Hey, by the way, you've been working from home for the past uh year and a half. Uh, be in the office tomorrow to notice. Yeah, and so my husband, he was also supposed to be working at 6 a.m. And I was like, uh, okay. So, you know, when I worked before in the office, most of my leave that I got that was supposed to be used for like vacations or things like that, I used for like childcare purposes. And so then when the time comes and we want to go on a trip or something, I only had a very little bit because I was balancing it with mostly childcare issues. So that's exactly what started happening again. I was like, well, I just have to, you know, coordinate and use a couple hours of leave here, take the kids to school and things like that. And this is what we ended up doing at first. But it was in that moment, I kind of looked at my husband and I was like, this isn't really the life that I want anymore. And he goes, I don't want this life anymore either. Like, I don't want you out of the house that long. Like it was still, it was February, so it was still dark. I was like, I will leave before my kids are in like even awake for school, and I will get home and have maybe two hours with them. And that was the life that I was walking back into. And since I had been removed from that, I was just I went kicking and screaming.

Speaker 1 10:11

You already had a taste for what it was like to not have to do it.

Speaker 10:14

Yes, yeah, and then to go back on that, it really just like it was like a sucker punch, and I just couldn't and then I feel like it becomes miserable, yeah.

Speaker 1 10:27

You're just like I don't want to do this, yeah. And I did it, and yeah, and you probably had knowing knowing what I know about you, you probably had some sort of inner conflict of um expressing gratitude and then also being resentful at the same time because you're a very faith-based person, and I know that you like express gratitude and you appreciate things, and at the same time, yeah, that probably created more turmoil.

Speaker 10:51

It did. And the other thing too, I was like, you know, because I am like I do a lot of things like based in my faith. I was like, is this really what I'm called to do? Like, is this the position I'm supposed to be in? Is this where I'm valued most? And at the end of the day, the answer was clearly no, I'm needed most at home. So that made it a little bit easier uh to make the transition. But it was still like it was still hard. Obviously, anytime you do anything with your finances, it's just a lot of people.

Speaker 1 11:20

Was there anyone in particular you're worried about disappointing the most?

Speaker 11:23

Um, I think just overall, like the family aspects, we had gotten really comfortable where we were just in terms of like finances. Like we could take a vacation, and you know, that was okay for us. It wasn't anything that we like struggled to, and I knew we were still very lucky and very blessed to be able to do that. And just in a just over the last couple of years, you know, with so much inflation that's going on, we were able to adjust and not really be affected. So I do recognize that aspect of it. And I think just being afraid of putting ourselves in a bad position, that is where I struggled the most. Did anyone try to talk you out of it? Yes.

Speaker 1 12:07

Oh, yeah. Yeah, we talk about this a lot, right, Kim? Like, yeah, why don't you get a real job?

Speaker 12:14

Yeah, or they were just people at work. Um, you know, it was like split 50-50. There were people like, wow, good for you. Like if I was younger or if I wasn't so close to retirement, like I would absolutely do the same thing. And then there were people on the other side that were like, You're absolutely crazy. Like, well, like hopefully it works out. I was like, it will. I don't know. It will.

Speaker 1 12:37

It has to. Yeah, it just has to. Yeah. Did you ever think in your own mind that you're being reckless?

Speaker 12:43

Oh, yeah. Even like, even after I made the decision and the got the ball rolling, any sort of inconvenience that happened with real estate after that, I was like, did I do the right thing? You know, I had deals fall through. It was like the Lord was like almost testing me, like, how committed are you to this? Or do you trust me completely? Because I remember like I had two deals back to back right after I made the decision, like fall apart. And I was like, okay, I can't take this back, but did I do the right thing? I don't know. And it was sort of just like a huge test of do I trust myself? Do I trust like the processes that I've learned? I had already kind of proven to myself that I could do it. It was more so now you just need to do it. So were you um, and forgive me if we talked about it?

Speaker 1 13:37

You don't know the whole story, neither do the listeners. I'm the one that knows.

Building The Exit Ramp

Speaker 1 13:40

Yeah, so you're asking better questions from doing real estate while you were still in your government shop?

Speaker 13:47

Yeah. So after the government shut down, uh, or like the scare, I don't think the government ended up shutting down, but it was a it was a scare that really kind of woke me up. And I was like, okay, I don't want to be in this position again. I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket, right? So I started, we have a rental um where we live. And my husband and I were kind of like, well, maybe we should start getting another rental or just something. So we have it's a fallback on it. I was like, yeah, good idea. And I had my real estate license in Hawaii and I was a transaction coordinator out there. So I was like, well, it just makes the most sense for me to get my license because I kind of already have that knowledge. So I remember I talked to Colleen a lot and I just did the class online, like in the evening.

Speaker 1 14:31

I was on vacation in Key West. I remember we had like you're texting me and you're like, I need information about this. I don't know what I'm gonna do. And I'm like, whatever time. And I just I sat there and I was like, I'm taking the time to have this conversation with you and help you walk through what would make the most sense for you.

Speaker 14:48

Yeah, so I mean it did take me a while. Um, I think I started it that whole government shutdown thing started maybe, I don't know, October, we'll say before Thanksgiving. I made the decision. I just signed up for the class online and was like, I'll just get it done, you know, when I can. So I spent evenings and weekends just doing it. And then I was licensed almost two years to the date. Yeah. And then I kind of just was like, well, I'm gonna do it part-time, just kind of fit in our schedule. And it's just something I'm gonna have in my back pocket. And then so I did it for, let's see, all of 24. And then they called us back in the office February of 2025. And that's when I was like, Well, bye. Here we are. Yeah, see ya. Yeah, yeah. So it's not something I just like woke up and was like, you know, I think I'll just do real estate. I will say, like, the ball was kind of in motion for a long time before that. So I was I was doing both jobs for a while. And the job, the government job you had was not a low stress job, it was a high stress job. Are you allowed to talk about it at all when you did? Yeah. Um, so for a while I did like flight planning for the government. So anytime there was like a mission that went around the world with the Air Force, I did the flight package for the crews and it just gave it to the pilots before. And then I actually went into when I started working from home, I became like a medical mission planner. So anytime there was like a medical movement, I planned the missions like from point A to point B. Cool. Yeah, that's cool. It is, it was cool. It was always different, it was fun. Um, I really enjoyed it. It was high stress, but I liked that kind of aspect of it. I do well under pressure, I think.

Speaker 1 16:24

So well, I think that adrenaline flow from something like that pairs well with real estate. Oh, yeah. Yeah, but yeah. Did being a mom make this decision any harder or was it clearer?

Speaker 16:37

A little bit of both. So I will say it was harder just because I had people who relied on me, but it was also more clear because I was like, I have to be there for my kids, not just financially, but also like physically. Yeah, I have to, this is what I have to do. So it was a little bit of both. Were you afraid your kids would see you fail?

Speaker 1 16:59

Yes.

Speaker 17:01

Yeah, I tried not to let that really get to me. I have really big imposter syndrome, I feel like. And this was the first time I was kind of like, I don't have time to listen to this. So I would kind of like acknowledge it and be like, I have no reason to think that I can't do it. Like I had a really good first year in real estate that I was basing kind of all of this off of. I was like, we'll just if we could do that again, but a little bit more full time, which I fully believed I could, then I was like, then we'll be in good shape. So I didn't, I don't want to say I set the bar really high for myself, but I set it realistically. I was like, this is all we really need. And I was okay with that. What does providing actually mean to you? You know, it's so interesting because for the longest time providing just made like the financial aspect of it because I was like, you know, well, if we have, you know, it's what everyone kind of thinks. Like, if we have money, we can do whatever, we're set. But as I've kind of had kids and have just grown up, I think it means more about like, you know, you get a call on Tuesday morning and your kid is sick at school, and there's a last-minute doctor's appointment or the dentist's appointment. Like being there, not just financially, but like for their emotional needs as well. Like that is more of where I see like the motherly provider. There's a really shortage of that in this country right now.

Speaker 1 18:32

Like and I and I don't blame people, I just think that the financial stress and the and the structure of what we've created has put people in an impossible situation.

Speaker 18:43

Yeah, 100% agree. And I think that was something I recognized too. I was because so many things had to go right for me to leave the government in a way that I did, and it all kind of just lined up. Um, and I recognized that, and I was like, you know, my husband's in a really good, good, secure job, right? And if that wasn't a thing for him, I don't know that I necessarily would have been completely comfortable, even though I wasn't completely comfortable. Like it allowed me to still take the chance. I mean, you walked away from a six-finger job.

Speaker 1 19:16

Yeah. Yeah. And it's not like this was like a little part-time.

Speaker 19:20

No, it was like a job that most people would like, you know, the government had the high had the hiring freeze and all that. And I know people personally that were trying to get positions, and I walked away from mine.

Speaker 1 19:34

Were you modeling courage or fear when you stayed in that other job?

Speaker 19:39

You know, when I stayed in the other job, that was more on the fear side of things for sure. You know, I had a lot of, I tried not to let it get to me because there was a position, like there was a time. So I made the decision to leave in early February, and I didn't stop working there actually until the end of March. So there was a big gap where there was just fluctuations in our schedule. We didn't really know what was going on with the kids. A lot of it, I was waiting for like information and things like that. So I think the kids saw me emotionally kind of just break down little by little every time I left the house to go because I was like, I don't know how much longer I could do this. Like, and I was also in that position where people were people at work knew that I was leaving. So everyone had their opinions, and I was like, I'm walking in. It was the environment there just wasn't the best. And then I was there for nine hours, and then I'd come home and I would just be like defeated and not quite like know how to bring myself back up. And I was still trying to do real estate part-time, so then I'd, you know, go out for some showings or talk to clients when I got home. And it was just the balance was very off.

Speaker 1 20:53

Your daughter was watching you, obviously. Yeah, as all this happened. What do you think that she I know she was little and and still I think little kids absorb way more than we realize. Yeah. What do you think she learned about risk by watching you?

Speaker 21:08

I think that she learned to trust yourself. I hope that's what she saw out of all of it. And that really, if you want to do something and you do the work, put in the effort and all of that, you and bet on yourself that will pay off more than anything else. I agree with that, right?

Speaker 1 21:29

Yep. I think so many times, you know, we're put in a position where we're told to be safe. And yeah, it leaves us being smaller than we can potentially be in the world because we're taking the safe route or the secure route. And really, you know, you're not really shining.

Speaker 21:48

I wasn't, no. Especially when you know, we had come back in the office. I wasn't, I was, I was this big. Yeah.

Speaker 1 21:57

So let's transition now. You take

Going All In Without A Net

Speaker 1 21:59

the jump. It's the free fall, you're going all in. Yeah. What were the first 60 days like?

Speaker 22:04

Crazy. I just told myself, I said, you know, you did it. There's no going back. Like failing is not an option. So I just kind of put my head down, blocked out the noise, and I just went all in. Like I'm talking, I've always been kind of uncomfortable. You know, I don't like to like, I don't want to say push people, but usually when people have like a hesitation about buying or anything in real estate, I mean, I just was having conversations that I had never had before, and I was just putting myself out there way more than before. I was accepting like new challenges, like things that I didn't quite know. I was like, yeah, I'll learn how to do that. Like I'd love to watch you, I'd love to shadow you, like things like that. So I just anything that I could kind of dip my hands into, I did without question. Like, no was not on the table at all.

Speaker 1 22:55

Tell me about the oh my God, what did I just do moment.

Speaker 22:58

Yeah. So I took the deferred resignation program. So for me, I had that security of getting paid still till the end of September. So I told myself, I said, I want to take this money and I want to put it away that I'm still getting paid with and not touch it and act like real estate is my only income because that's the only way this is really gonna set in for me that you don't have the steady every two weeks, this is hitting your bank account type type deal. So I did it. It was like out of sight, out of mind. It went somewhere and I never really looked at it. So we had gone, we had planned a trip and we had gone to Hawaii and it was great, you know. But we were gone 10 days. And if you know real estate and taking vacations and 10 days, I came back and I was like, that was the worst time. Timing-wise, I had just quit my job. I had things, you know, in the pipeline and closing, but when I came back, I was like, wow, so this is what it really feels like when you have to like start over. And that was the first time it really hit me. I was like, okay, that can't happen again. Like, obviously, we still want to go on vacation, but I need to figure out a better system, or like that's the biggest thing I need to solve right now. So that was the first time I was like, oh, okay.

Speaker 1 24:23

So what was the first small win that you had then?

Speaker 24:26

Gosh, the first small win.

Speaker 1 24:27

I think that made you breathe again.

Speaker 24:29

Yeah. Like I think just so after my first year in real estate, you learned so much that you kind of don't really get to do anything because you're kind of just like figuring it out. You're like, okay, that's the process of everything. And then when I came into year two, I was like, I really need to get better at XYZ. So I had started putting systems in place and like nurture follow-up plans and really like digging into like my CRM and making it work for me more. So I had been like nurturing people and figuring out like different emails to send and things like that. And it was really when someone just called me and was like, hey, you've been sending me some emails for the last couple weeks, and you know, this is what we want to do. And I was like, It works. And I was like, okay, yeah. Like it was just a big light bulb moment for me.

Speaker 1 25:19

Was there anything you had to unlearn from your government job mindset?

Speaker 25:23

Yeah, so this is really weird, but I felt so weird not having like a boss because I was like, who do I like? I don't check in with anybody any day. Like, nobody cares what time I sit down and write emails. Nobody cares. And it was very weird for me. So for the longest time, I was just like, this is this is weird. Like, nobody needs to know that I'm like running some errands and then I'm gonna like respond to emails. So it was all kind of up to me. But on the flip side, I quickly realized that like nobody else is checking on me. So, like, you know, there's no accountability. There is not, and I had to be accountable for myself. So even on the days that I don't feel like being on the phone for hours, you just have to wake up and you just have to do it because nobody's checking on you.

Speaker 1 26:16

Did you lose any relationships when you changed directions?

Speaker 26:20

I don't think so. Nothing that was really, I don't want to say not meaningful, but the people that I directly worked with at the government, I was in a very small group. There were only four of us. So the two that I had really gotten close to, I will say they're probably one of my biggest supporters. So fast forward to

Freedom Income And New Confidence

Speaker 26:39

today. Yeah. What's your life look like now? It's crazy.

Speaker 1 26:42

Look at the smile on your face. We don't change. Like it was, she was a very serious, and now, like you say now, and it and you can feel that glow come off of it. It is.

Speaker 26:50

It's it's crazy. It's I when I quit last year, because it's been about a year, I never would have imagined this is what my life looked like now. Just we have freedom. Like we took the kids to the water park this weekend, and I didn't have to ask anybody. I didn't have to say, well, I have 18 hours of leave. Let's make it work. Um, it was it's just very freeing. There's no limit to really what real estate can do for you. And I absolutely love that. And I think that's so so untapped in this market, you know, and it's just it's unbelievable.

Speaker 1 27:25

Has your income ceiling changed? You say untapped. Tell me about that.

Speaker 27:29

Yeah, it it has. I almost matched what I made with the government last year when I decided to go in full time, so we didn't really get a big beat. I know, yeah. I had tripled my production and my volume from the year prior. So from part time to full time, you tripled your production. Yeah.

Speaker 1 27:48

And you matched what you're doing.

Speaker 27:50

Just about yeah. Nice. Yeah, so it was awesome. So this year going into part time with your kids. All the time in the world. Yeah. I didn't miss baseball games, their practices, dance for Ruthie. Yeah.

Speaker 1 28:03

That's awesome. Yeah. Okay, I gave it to you. So, what have you built that old security could never have given you?

Speaker 28:08

Gosh, it's really like real estate has really kind of like lit something in me. I feel like I have a servant's heart, and that's kind of my spiritual gift, I want to say. So I don't look at real estate like, oh, how much money can I make off of this person? It's like this person, people come to you really for help. And I think when you have that desire to really help somebody, it changes the game completely. Like the commissions just follow naturally. But when you're invested in someone's life and livelihood, because you think about it, what does a home represent? It's their their whole world. Like it's the American dream, it's their safety net. And if you can help someone achieve that, like there's no greater gift. And I don't, I never had that with the government. Like I thought it was cool what I was doing, but I mean, I left and they're fine, you know, like planes still moved, cargo got delivered, people got home safe. Like, but this kind of job, it satisfies me in a way that I don't think the government could have. And it also allows me to have that creative side in different ways, like through marketing or through branding or through your social media. I think you can really express yourself. Whereas in like a corporate job, you're a reflection of the company and you don't really have that ability, really. They kind of close that door and say, you know, be careful.

Speaker 1 29:40

Tell me about your confidence level. What's different about you when you like how do you walk into a room today?

Speaker 29:45

Yeah, it differently. Like I would before, I wasn't very a big like small talk person. I'd never really liked to just ask hard questions. Now I love to know about people. Like, what makes you want to buy a house? What like tell me your story? Like, where do you come from? And I just love asking those questions to people that I've never met because and everyone has their own sort of gift, right? And you don't know what that is about someone until you really start talking to them. And then it's just so funny because you'll at some point in your life, you'll need something. And you're like, wait, I know this person who could either help me, help my mom, help my brother, help somebody. And it's just crazy how everybody intertwines and all that kind of stuff. So I have definitely seen a lot of confidence in myself just grow and and just having hard conversations like real estate. It's it's not easy. And conversations that you have, especially around like inspections or finances or things like that, it is very hard and it is very delicate. And before it was something I really struggled with internally because I was like, wow, I'm supposed to be the person helping and I'm delivering this bad news. How do you kind of juggle that? But just through experiences, you figure that out and you still are able to be that sounding board for those families.

Speaker 1 31:14

If we compared you now to you then, what would shock people the most?

Speaker 31:19

Oh my gosh, I think how people how shy I was. Yeah, I could go to work and like not talk to anybody and be totally fine with it, which you can't do.

Speaker 1 31:28

No, you can't.

Speaker 31:30

Yeah, I used I could go the whole shift, and I mean that's nine hours, right? My phone would ring once or twice. Now that's a slow day in real estate if your phone rings twice. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 31:43

What would you say to the woman sitting in her car right now crying because she wants

The Grind Mentors And Lead Sources

Speaker 1 31:47

more?

Speaker 31:47

There's another way. Yeah, there's another way. And I think everybody who longs for something like that, they know it in their stomach and they just don't know how to connect A to B. And so I think if you have that desire for something, you can, and it's not gonna be overnight, it's not gonna be immediate.

Speaker 1 32:12

Well, let's talk about that for a minute because I don't think we we really dug into that. Tell me about like the work that you put in and the mentors that you had and how you poured into yourself and how others poured into you and and what that looked like because I think you know, we glaze over, oh, you can jump in and make this work, but there was such there was some hard work that you had to do in order to make that happen.

Speaker 32:35

There was. So, I mean, even just taking the class, like Illinois getting your real estate license, it's 75 hours. And so if you think, like, how where am I gonna find 75 hours? Well, it's 30 minutes here after the kids go down, it's an hour here on a Saturday morning. Um, I was waking up early and doing it. I was staying up late, and it's not, I mean, the real estate course, as we know, it's not exciting stuff, it's very dry reading. And so to do it at the end of a very long day. Yeah. And I'm just like, I had to tell myself, like, just keep going. If you just do another chapter, you'll be okay. You're further than you were yesterday. Um, so there was a lot of mental talking going on to myself and my husband, he was so great because he was like, Well, I'll just take the kids, grocery shopping, so you can have a couple quiet hours. And I was like, Okay, but you gotta just sit there and you just gotta do it and truck along. So, yeah, so I um working doing it part-time was a lot too because I was trying to learn all this, but I only had certain hours that I was doing it, so I was like, okay, this is hard. So I definitely made a lot of sacrifices for the first year. So from like March to December of 24, I, you know, would close my laptop, give my kids a kiss, and be like, I'll be back in a couple hours. I I knew going into that, that's what it would kind of look like. Uh, but the beautiful thing about real estate is that you can do it when you want. And so I would block off things for the kids and say, you know, I just that's my family time or that's I'm unavailable at that time. So it was great, but I knew long term that it wasn't sustainable to do, even part-time, that there would come a decision or a point where I had to make a decision and say, I either have to pull back and just do it for like friends, family, or do it for our family and kind of get more rentals. That was the whole idea. And it kind of just snowballed from there, or I would eventually be faced with, do you want to do this full time? And the fork in the road, I was thinking it was five years down the line, and in reality, it was a lot closer. So, what does a typical day look like for you then? Yeah, so I get up, I get the kids ready for school, you know, we have breakfast, do that whole thing. And then once they're young, aren't they? Yeah, they're nine, seven, and four. Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 1 35:04

Sound familiar? Yeah. I mean, it's what you started. Absolutely.

Speaker 35:08

Yeah. Yeah. So the kids go to school. I do like client work, business development, personal development. I kind of have those time blocks out, and it just kind of depends on the day, you know, what's heavier and what's not. And then I just make sure I'm there when the kids are home from school. And, you know, then clients and things, their schedules come. But we have our days in which, like, I have Bible studies Monday night, so that's kind of blocked out for me and things like that. Where do you find clients? Gosh. So in the first year, we are a Zillow flex team. So a lot of my leads came from Zillow. I think it was a really good learning experience because it allowed me to do a lot more quicker. So now I finished 2025, and I would say that like my Zillow leads and my personal leads, it was almost 50-50. So going into this year, I have a lot of clients who I've talked to since like the end of 25 that we're now finding homes for. But I have done a lot on the personal side already this year. So repeat business from those other clients and referrals from people. Uh, the real network is huge that I've gotten leads off of. Uh, we live near the military base, so everyone kind of knows somebody who's coming and going from Sky Force Base. So that's two already this year, and it's February. Yeah. That's nice. Yeah.

Speaker 1 36:29

Open houses.

Speaker 36:30

Yep.

unknown 36:32

Yeah.

Speaker 36:32

So Jackie, are you on a team then? Yeah. Oh, you are. Okay. Yeah. So that first year, I will say the team dynamic we have is really great because there's people on that team who have been in business like six years or 10 years. Yeah. Or people who we have like one gentleman on our team, he's an appraiser part-time. So if I ever have like appraiser questions, like I know that I can pick up the phone and call any one of them and they would answer or get right back to me, or things like that. So I'm like, hey, I have this kind of weird situation. I don't really know what to do. Or hey, I saw you do this on social media. Like, is it returning any results? And without a doubt, none of them have ever been like, oh, like, are you gonna copy me or things like that? They're willing to tell me anything that they have going on, what's working, what's not working, and vice versa. Like, yeah, they've even come to me and said, like, wow, that's really cool. And I'm like, oh, thanks.

Speaker 1 37:30

Like, do you think that made a difference in you being able to jump in out of the gate and have success? 100%.

Speaker 37:37

Yeah, because I see these people, and it the one thing I love about real is the work hard be kind, and it's just collaboration over competition. Like, are these people my competition? Well, technically, yeah, but there's enough real estate to go around. Like, I agree. And I've never been like, wow, I really need to like make myself look better like from someone on my team. Like, and there's times when I've referred people to people on my team because I'm like, you know who you would work really well with. Like, yeah, let me introduce you to them. And they're just a better fit, they know the location more, and we're down there, and our team is we're spread out pretty far. So, I mean, there's just it's just so much collaboration, and that's just one thing I love. And I just want, I wish everybody knew that like real estate didn't have to be a lonely business because you thrive better in your corner. Yeah, that's why we love what we're built up.

Speaker 1 38:35

Absolutely. A hundred percent. I came from that. That's how I learned from just everybody being open and collaborating together. Yeah, I think you thrive that way. A hundred percent. Everybody is better, not not a lot of people have that mentality. No, they're you know, a lot of people I've come across like, oh no, that's mine, that's what I do. It's like I think partially though, it's because they've been in a in the wrong environment. I yeah, and so when you get burned in a different environment, then you're a little gun shy. Yeah, yeah. And I get it for sure. For me too, I understand it. If your kids describe you 15 years from now, what do you hope they say?

Worth It And Final Takeaways

Speaker 39:14

I hope that's a good one. I hope they just see how hard of a worker I am, but that I was always there for them. Like the balance. I have that family work-life balance now, and I never even dreamed that that was really possible. Um, so I hope that they always remember and just look back that wow, she was a really hard worker, but she was there anytime I needed her. Was it worth it? 100%. Yeah, I would go back a hundred times and make the same decision, even through all the hard and the uncertainty. 100%.

Speaker 1 39:53

Yeah. Anything that I didn't ask you that you really want to convey to the audience or that you want to hope that they hear from this and take away.

Speaker 40:00

Believe in yourself, I think more than anything. Because if you are determined and you want something, believe in yourself. And it may, it's not gonna work every time. It's not gonna be easy. It's the journey I've been on, and I now that things are coming out from like last year, you know, like awards and just like where you kind of ended and things like that. I obviously didn't really do any of this for the recognition or the awards, but it is nice to kind of see like, oh wow, like if you just put your head down, you're a good person and kind of work and really treat people that the way that they deserve to be treated, like it kind of comes back in numbers and things like that. So yeah, believe in yourself and surround yourself with the right people, and it it's not gonna be easy, and you're gonna have to do it a couple times before you finally get it right.

Speaker 1 40:52

Uh, but yeah, you can do it. Anything you want to ask that I didn't ask? No, her story sounds familiar, right? I mean, well, I think I like surrounding myself with determined, successful, hardworking women. I mean, it just And I think that you know, like you said, with with the kids, it it's it's your family that you know you're constantly thinking about what do you want to do? That's what happened. I was a stay-at-home mom. Um, and we kept saying, you know, let's Kim, maybe you should go back to work, but I didn't want to. Yeah. I mean, I didn't want to. What am I gonna do? How am I gonna make this work where I can still have flexibility and still be present in the kids' lot, you know, be there to go to baseball or, you know, holidays that I think it's really great though, also the courage that you model for the kids in this situation. Like both of you, like coming back into work or changing into something like that you can have what you want if you work hard for it and you put yourself around the right people, and it really shows up and they're watching, and they're absolutely watching and they're modeling it. And I love the fact that you said like you know, you want to be there for the kids, you know, you want to get up in the morning, get them ready, go to school. Like, I think it's so important. People yeah, yeah. So final thoughts are uh this is what I have to say. Yes, if today's episode made you feel uncomfortable, good. Yeah, growth usually does, sure does. If you're sitting in a job that looks safe but feels small, this is your reminder. You're allowed to outgrow a version of your life. Yes. So true, very true. Make sure you subscribe, leave a review, and send this episode to someone who needs a push. Thank you, Jackie, for being here and sharing your story. And we'll see you next time. Bye. Do that like shit. Peace out with us. Woohoo!