How I Got Started

It all started with my love of office supplies!!!  Once upon a time, I wanted to be in real estate.  Back in 1990-1991, my parents were in the process of building a home (The one they’re still in today).  I was 8 years old & LOVED meeting with the Realtor & interior designer. I remember meeting the agent, Dodie White, in her office, which was in the white Summit building in Daphne.  I thought….man, I want some file folders, contracts, pens, paper clips, you name it!  

Back then, my Dad would pick up the thrifty nickel on the weekends. After he was done looking at it, I would save them in my room & pretend they were contracts.  I was in love with playing office!!!

Then around 1993-1994, the television show ER came out.  I immediately changed career paths at like 10 years old.  Haha!  I knew right then, I wanted to be a nurse.  I truly thought I was going to become an ER Nurse.  I stayed on this track for a long time. I chose not to go away to college, because I already knew I wanted to go to USA College of Nursing.  I have always been an A/B student; NEVER struggled in school.  I went to Faulkner for my first 2 years (13^th & 14^th grade is what I liked to call it). I got into the Nursing program, the first try. I was finally getting to do what I dreamed of……AND I was not prepared AT ALL!  I thought moving out of my parents’ house, working 3 jobs & going to Nursing School was gonna be a breeze.  Boy was I wrong!  Over the next couple of years, I ended up quitting some jobs, moving back home with mom & dad & ultimately failing out ONE semester before graduation.  Ugh!

To be honest, I was miserable in Nursing School. I was not mentally, emotionally or educationally prepared for those 2.5 years.  I can still see the faces of my patients, their deaths, their recoveries, etc.  I could NOT shake the things that I saw.  For most of my life, I knew that I wanted to help people.  I just realized that I wanted to help healthy people. Lol!  

So as you can imagine, Mom & Dad weren’t too happy with me.  Mom asked me, “Well, what are you gonna do?”  I thought about it for like 2.2 seconds & then blurted out, SELL REAL ESTATE! You know what her response was??  “OK. I might do it with you!”  Ummm…..what?!?!  I was not expecting that response.  So in 2004-2005, we decided to take real estate classes (Good Ol’ Avery Yarbrough if anyone remembers that) & the rest is history! 

I am thrilled with where my life has taken me!  I still get just as excited when I walk into a Staples or Office Depot, as that little 9 year old girl did, back in '91.  Now, my 9 & 10 year old girls ask me to bring home blank contracts so they can play real estate & it just warms my heart!

www.KristySellsTheSouth.com