Welcome to a brand new year! To kick off the beginning of 2024, our host, Teresa Palacios Smith, met with three incredible trailblazing leaders: Jan Baker, Pam O’Connor, and Vicky Silvano. They discuss their journeys, how they overcome obstacles in the industry, and mentorship.
Meet the Leaders
Jan Baker - Senior Vice President & Regional Vice President, Northeast Region, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties
Pam O’Connor - Retired, Past President & CEO, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE)
Vicky Silvano - Broker-Associate, REAL Broker, LLC’ 2016 National Chair & President of the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA)
The Leaders’ Journeys
Vicky’s marketing skills from working with Proctor & Gamble helped her begin her real estate career. She still works as a realtor serving clients, but she also serves agents from the local to the international level.
After a career as a school teacher, her path shifted when she became a mother. Jan fell in love with being a real estate agent the moment she took her first class and has found her passion and many amazing personal connections.
Pam’s career in real estate began when she joined a real estate network. Though she loved the work, she worked in PR for many years. She returned to real estate because she enjoyed it so much!
Overcoming Obstacles in the Industry
Pam: Realtors have a responsibility to educate people on what agents actually do. Help buyers and sellers understand how agents can help them and how they help the community overall.
Vicky: We have to evolve with the times. Skilled, knowledgeable realtors will be successful during this time. Do not stop learning so that you can offer value to clients.
Jan: Being open-minded and willing to make changes is so important, but we also have to ignore some of the noise we hear - we are responsible for being on the ground with an awareness of how the industry is, and continue to defend it and build it up.
Mentorship and Sponsorship
Jan: Take inspiration from others, even if you can’t find a mentor to work with. Jan is inspired by many women. One of her mentors/inspirations is Toni McGowan.
Pam: People like to be asked for help! If there’s someone you respect, just ask them out for coffee and just see what you can learn.
Vicky: She had doors opened for her by Nancy Suvarnamani and Elizabeth Mendel-Hall, to name a couple. She says, “Your network is your net worth.”
Favorite Quote
Jan: “You’re not better than anybody, but you’re as good as anybody.”
Vicky: “She who humbles herself shall be exalted, and she who humbles herself shall be humbled.”
Pam: “I think if the world can be saved, it will be by women,” and, “The woman’s mission is not to enhance the masculine spirit, but to express the feminine. Hers is not to preserve a man-made world, but to create a human world.”
When you help another woman rise, we all shine. And that’s how we make an impact. So, let’s build each other up and shine brighter than the sun. For more great content from Teresa, connect with her on LinkedIn, join her Women Who Lead Series on Facebook, and subscribe to her YouTube channel. You can find more episodes of Women Who Lead on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and anywhere else podcasts can be found.
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