Back in the winter of 2007, I was a very new agent with only a year and a half of selling real estate under my belt…
At the time, I was cocky. Heck, I still am cocky. At least a little bit…
Anyway, this was 2007. Before I had discovered Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, or any other social media platform…
I was looking for creative ways to market myself and my budding real estate business, and heard of this website called Active Rain…
It was a blog hosting site, designed for realtors to share their expertise on line, build their brands, and make friends and grow their referral networks with agents around the country…
It was an exciting time for me. Again, before I knew what social media was, and before I had any idea what on line marketing could really look like…
So I put my toe in the water. I wrote my first post, which was just a few lines written more as an introduction than anything else…
And lo and behold, someone commented, welcoming me to the site. Then again. And again. Agents from around the country welcomed me and encouraged me to keep writing…
So write I did. I was hooked. I had not only found my voice, but a platform of real estate agents, industry professionals, potential home buyers and home sellers, all reading my words…
I loved it.
The market was headed south, and with it my showing and listing activity. These were tough times to build my business…
Unprecedented times. The real estate market dropped for the next 6 years. Home prices lost 30-40% of their value, and sales volume was cut in half…
Tough times indeed…
But I persevered. It wasn’t easy. I worked part time jobs. I waited tables. I drove a limousine. I did what I could to survive…
Sometimes I find myself wondering, “Would I go back and do something different?" Would I have changed my career path? Should I have stayed in financial sales or perhaps started some other business?
I don’t think I would. My path hasn't been an easy one. A path less traveled for sure, but one I am proud of. It has made me who I am today, and I am proud of who I am and who I am becoming…
Which brings me to 2019. As you probably know, 2019 has been a reflective year for me. I have looked deep within, examining my life, my thoughts, my business, and my relationships….
I have made changes where necessary. I have also discovered gifts and talents that were within me that I was unaware of. And I am putting those talents to work. And I am happier with myself and my life than I have ever been…
I have learned to love myself…
So I was looking back on my career this afternoon. Going back to some of my earliest posts, reliving those experiences of a younger version of me…
I came across several posts that moved me. Posts written with passion and honesty. Written with pain, but also written with hope…
One post in particular touched me. It gives me the chills to think about it as I type these words…
Titled “Father and Daughter” the post was actually just a picture. A picture of a proud father holding his newborn daughter….
A picture that had been lost in time until today. A picture that makes me smile. A picture that reminds me of my journey, which has not always been an easy one. A picture that reminds me of how precious life is…
And I wanted to share that picture with you…
So I say thank you. Thank you friend old and new. Thank you for reading. For caring. For being inspired...
Thank you for following my story as I take on this crazy adventure called life…
Ken
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