It was important to me - and still is - to work in a field where I could be myself and see people leave happier than they came as a result of their time spent with me.
My real estate adventure started when I bought my first house at the age of 21. A couple years later, my parents bought a farm and I did the opposite of what most people do and moved TO a farm in my 20's. A pheasant farm, of all farms. So, I rented the house out and became a landlord by chance. It went well, so I bought more - learning a ton in the process.
Throughout this time I studied business (economics, accounting, marketing, management, etc) at the U of M and worked full time in hospitality.
In my mid 20's, I was diagnosed with an illness that, had it not been for the support of my family & friends could have left me dead or homeless. It took me years to recover, and now I donate a portion of every sale I make to local mental health initiatives so that those without solid support at home can get it elsewhere.