Growing up, Stephanie Bellanova saw first hand what it was like to run a business. More than 25 years ago, her mother, Ann Davis, bought an ERA Real Estate franchise. At the time, she was really a trailblazer because real estate was a male dominated industry.
Stephanie now also works as a broker at ERA Central. Her goal is to educate a younger generation about real estate. She strongly believes that it’s important for Gen Y to feel they have support and as a result, she and her mother make it clear to their staff that if they have questions, they don’t just have tech tools – they also have tons of experience to offer any time an agent is looking for guidance.
When Ann opened in 1986, she had only four agents who were all new to the business. The company now has three offices and approximately 100 agents!
See what Stephanie has to say about the lessons she has learned along the way:
That I could be more than a “working” mom: When I think back to my 20’s I can clearly see how torn I was between raising my kids and building my career. I tended to put my career on the back burner out of guilt over being away from my kids. Truth is that I still had to work and spend time away from them, but instead of writhing in guilt I could have just been more focused on taking my career forward at a manageable, calculated pace. Instead I sort of just survived! I guess that’s why they say hindsight is 20/20.
Patience: Ah, patience…. I still struggle with that one! However, in my 20’s if I had known how to be patient in business I would have had a lot less stress. Patience isn’t just the ability to wait for something, it is defined as the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. That last part is the key! Letting ourselves get angry or upset over things we can’t control can eat us alive.
That as a business owner, I can define my role: In my 20’s, I resisted the thought of owning and running my own real estate company later in my life. I had a specific image of what that role meant to me, and it wasn’t what I wanted to do everyday. Now, I have realized that running ERA Central Realty was a gift! I am able to define everything about myself in the role of leader. Because of the tools that ERA offers, I can focus on the parts of the business that I naturally gravitate towards – motivator, mentor, trainer – and at the same time nurture my creative side through new ideas and innovations for our company and the industry. As for the pieces I don’t enjoy, I have the privilege of working with an amazing team that fills in those gaps! Each member of our team brings an amazing skill set and viewpoint to our daily workings.
Stephanie,
It was very interesting to read your comments. I learned a few things I did not know about you. Thanks for sharing.