February Check In

As I posted last month this year I have a TO DO list and I am already on it! We are now 7 weeks in and I have some check marks to report!

A recipe a month, January was bread. Yeah, you read that right. I baked. With the help of the hubs we made homemade bread. I was 1. very proud of myself. Yes, I had help, but still, it was something out of my comfort zone and I (we) succeeded. 2. surprised how I just jumped in without fear or anxiety, which I would have done in the past!

A book a month, to better track my books and the dates they were started and completed, I created an account on Good Reads (feel free to connect with me there if you want!) I am actually ahead of schedule!

January I read one – The Knowledge of Angels, Then February I read two books – The Whisper Network (which was a Reese Witherspoon book club selection) and then The Girl He used to Know. This one was really good. I cannot say that I related to any of the main characters, but (without giving anything away) the timeline was September of 2001 in New York and I remember how I felt seeing it on TV. Could not imagine having anyone up close to the situation.

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Hike and 5k’ing – although I have not done these yet (thank you Mother Nature), I have made plans and found locations that this will be happening! So I call that positive yardage!

Although not on the personal list, I thought I would share that in the last 2 weeks I have really been moving and shaking in real estate! There were several times in 2020 that I thought about throwing in the towel. I am so glad I pulled up my big girl pants and kept going because I have done exactly what I have wanted to do – help people find homes and happiness!

Also as an update, Miss Audrey is going to be a big sister and we now know the gender of the new baby:

I realize there is no big lesson learned or moral to the story, but sometimes while the process of #becomingabetterme the small accomplishments have to recognized just as much as the big ones.

Branding and Sales… how Wonder Woman Does It!

This year has been a whole lot of things… some of which are words a person should not use, (My grandma told me that if I couldnt say anything nice then I should keep my trap shut, so that is what I am doing) but there have been some positives that have come out of 2020.

As everyone knows I took another step on the path of #becomingabetterme and decided (with a bit of a nudge from the hubs) to go for my dream career in real estate. So far, although challenging, it has been a wonderful new adventure for me.

After paying my dues – literally my membership dues – my next step was to create a work space that truly felt conducive to work. DONE

 

Next was setting up a Facebook and Istagram business page. ALSO DONE.

Then came finding the clients. So that part is not easy and always a work in progress.

See, for those of you who do not know me personally, I am not a salesperson. I have no desire to try to sell you on who I am. I am me. Like me, loathe me – whatever, I am me… but it was pointed out to me that I have already sold myself. I was me for so long and let my love of Wonder Woman shine  (and a constant display of #wonderwomanfriday) that when you think of Heather, you think of Wonder Woman.

Then came Audrey, my sweet granddaughter who changed my whole life and gave me a new hashtag #mimilife … after numerous posts about her (to my facebook and instagram friends, I will not apologize, but rather tell you that you are welcome. Getting a dose of that sweetness as often as you do is enough to turn any frown upside down!) I now get recognition for being one heck of a MiMi.

After figuring out that I  have set my own stage, and created a presence of Wonder Woman MiMi (no… not looking to make that stick!) I am trying to make my mark on the real estate industry.

My mentor and husband, both, suggested I try to take my brand to the YouTube stage. Talk about real estate there… so I did. Heather Hamm – Realtor.

So for my debut on YouTube, I called in back up… Miss Thang (as I like to call her) helped with this video because cuteness goes a long way!

 

If you would be so kind, following me and liking my pages on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram would be great… you never know what I might say or do, but one thing is for sure, I will be trying to #becomingabetterme on every platform I make my mark on!

Change is Scary, but I Want to Live My Dream

As I mentioned in my end of year recap I had taken the classes and passed the state exams, but that was just on the 23rd of December. Things didnt really get interesting for me until the very last day of the year.

On December 31st at noon I discovered that I was officially welcomed into the fold, as my application for licensed real estate broker was accepted by the state. $700 to take the classes, $150 to take the test(s…. I took it 3 times), but the $60 I paid to apply and become licensed in the great state of Indiana was the key… I was there. Or so I thought.

So a little back story before I get into everything… yes, I know this is how I talk and this is how I write, so bear with me, please.

**I am a person who needs structure – or at least I have had it for my whole working career until now. Although I was not scared to tell upper management what was or was not working, I still “knew” that the only way in life was to work 9 to 5 and bring home a paycheck every other week. I cringe as I typed that because part of me still struggles with that. I have heard a million times “we have always done it, and we arent changing it now” and have even been accused of having that mindset (which in all actuality I am more of a figure out what works BEST and go with that… if it doesnt work, then try something else. Work smarter not harder) but that is not the case, I just thrive within boundaries and rules. At work at 9, check reports, send out letters, lunch at noon-ish, complete needed inspections, return voicemails,  leave at 6… with the more than occasional late hours through the week and then from home work on the weekends, it was just part of the job for me. I knew it and I knew it well. Having no schedule or a flexible schedule was unheard of for me! I stayed within the rules and was a firm believer in the policy and procedure manuals.   See photo evidence here:

 

Anywho, point is, I have lived in the worker bee cage and I was ok with it. Very ok with it even.

Back to the new thing…

Once the license is approved by the state, I wanted to become a member of the Board of Realtors – a REALTOR, by the way, is a real estate broker with a higher level of ethics and values. I realize that most agents are part of MIBOR (the board), but not a requirement exactly… however if you are serious about this as a career it becomes your primary connection to all things real estate. Tech support, seminars, etc. These things are not mandatory, with the exception of MIBOR Orientation. This was my all day class/training where I read the Realtor Oath and sworn in, pinned, and bonafide. I am not just a real estate broker, but a true, honest to goodness, REALTOR.  Yay!

Now, here I am less than two months past getting my license and becoming a Realtor and trying every day to learn more, to attend all of the trainings I can get, and still work on #becomingabetterme.

At 43 years old I have started over. This is new and I am equally scared to death and excited for this new adventure. I wake up each day now trying to figure out my next step. What do I need to do to make my career better? How do I find and help those who are looking to find their starter or in between or forever home? What is my next step? How do I get there? What is my next step? What is the best way to get myself out there????

WHAT IS MY NEXT STEP????

That is the truth, I don’t know the answers…  but everyday I am embracing this change, wanting to succeed, and knowing that when I take off, I will continue to give all that I have to make myself the best REALTOR I can be. As always this is just one step forward in this #becomingabetterme plan.