Nancy Johnson. Moving You Forward...

Nancy Johnson is ranked as one of Dallas’ Top 10 Realtors.

Nancy is known for specializing in East Dallas, Lakewood, Park Cities, Preston Hollow and surrounding areas. She has the best current, past and present market knowledge available. Let Nancy put her high level of expertise, personal service and dedication to work in your favor.

Nancy is known for specializing in East Dallas, Lakewood, Park Cities, Preston Hollow and surrounding areas. She has the best current, past and present market knowledge available. Let Nancy put her high level of expertise, personal service and dedication to work in your favor.

other interests and events in their lives.”

But successful Realtor Nancy Johnson has trouble turning off her professional persona. “Balancing my personal and business life is probably the biggest challenge in my profession,” she says. “It all seems to merge somehow.” But she is philosophical about the way she chooses to spend her time. “I love what I do, and I get to work with nice people; many that become my neighbors and friends through the process of buying or selling their home.”

Vicki White, whose real estate business has grown even during the lean years, says, “Balance is something I’m still working on. I still take real estate calls seven days a week, and I still do real estate every single day of the year.”

To help ease her work load, two years ago White hired a full-time assistant, Karen Peeler.

“She is making my life bearable,” White says. “If I didn’t have her I couldn’t do this.” But the results of having a good assistant has turned out to be a mixed blessing, because together, the two women are two times as successful. “It’s made my business bigger,” White says. ■

214.534.1305 vicki@vickiwhitehomes.com vickiwhitehomes.com

Luxury Service at any Price

Success stories from valued clients:

“We interviewed 3 agents and decided to list with Vicki because she was the most knowledgeable about the market, gave us a realistic expectation of the listing price based on the comparables and knew exactly how to highlight the distinguishing features of our home to market it effectively. She was responsive to our needs and was our trusted advisor and consultant throughout the process.”

– Forest Hills seller

“Vicki gave more personalized attention to our home than previous realtors I have worked with in the past. She actually staged our home with some of her own furnishings resulting in our home presenting a better first impression (it was under contract in 5 days). She quickly rearranged our home with a great eye for detail, design and great taste. She listened to us and made us feel like a priority.”

– Lake Highlands seller

· Consistent Dallas City Center top producer with most listings sold and highest volume

· Named one of the Best Real Estate Agents in D Magazine for 2012 and 2013

· Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist and recognized in the Million Dollar Guild

· Five Star Professionals- Texas Monthly 2013

· Chairman of City Luxury Networking Group

From Passion to Profit

Gurus of inspiration continue to offer sage advice, but finding satisfaction in work still takes creativity and a talent for looking at the workday through a lens of curiosity and enthusiasm. One important key is to identify what motivates you.

Example: One person may want to be a rock star because she’s attracted to the life style, while another has an arsenal of songs and a talent for singing them.

Both are equally valid reasons. If it’s the lifestyle, do you need to be a rock star, or would you rather book tours? If it’s singing, are you willing to quit college and live in a cheap apartment for a year (rent subsidized by parent) and work long and hard to be discovered? That’s how Lady Gaga paid her dues.

Vicki White, who flipped 21 houses before she became a Realtor, noticed she had a talent for staging houses in a way that caught the fancy of buyers. She even ran a business staging homes, including the delivery and arranging of furniture. After years of being in and around home sales from all sides, she took that next step and became a Realtor. She’s had so much success that last year, she hired an assistant, Karen Peeler.

Sometimes people are inspired by their colleagues.

Duke Jimerson, General Manager and Founding Partner of Lakewood’s Allie Beth Allman office, says his passion comes from working with a talented and knowledgeable group of agents. “That makes them unbeatable, and what creates our strong following, and ever-growing client base; they have heart.”

“We are committed, me to my agents, we are a family, and my agents to their clients and prospects,” Jimerson said. “It’s important to have balance. With my agents, it’s their family, their church, community involvement and their work ethic.”

Johnette Taylor of Roundtree Landscaping loves being outside, and she loves sharing that passion with her clients. “I want people to enjoy the outside of their home as much as the inside,” she says. “I had a client (couple) who literally laughed when I told them they would be outside using their yard every day. They said, ‘We don’t go outside, we just want it to look nice.’ Well, it looked great. They called a year later and said, ‘You changed our life, we sit outside every day when we get home and wind down from the day.’”

Taylor finds that kind of positive change rewarding, and she wants to bring that same joy to all her clients. “It’s important to take advantage of all that space you own outside your home,” she says. “Turn it into a room you and your family and friends love being in.”

April McGowan, head of Team McGowan at Keller Williams Urban, says, “I love helping people and I have a passion for homes

I have since I was a little girl.” McGowan has turned that passion into a 12 year- and counting business and her team is as energetic as she is.

“I am very excited about my new app, that’s right, my own app! It will be out this summer.” Apps for smart phones give clients the ability to check on new listings, prices, and pictures of homes from their phones. “Clients can have me with them all the time,” she says.

The team at Keller Williams Urban maintains their high standards of excellence by listening to their clients and having a passion for helping people. Current members of Keller Williams Urban include: April McGowan, Kim Risner, Britt Lopez, Brenda Kronenberg, Judy Garrett, Jessica Petrosino, Kim Hammond and Cindy Brooks Roberts.

These local business professionals have learned that when they work their passion from the inside out, rewards come in more than one form. They have tapped into their inner rock star. ■

Sources: Wishcraft: How to get what you really want, by Barbara Sher; success.com/articles/160-5-questions-to-help-turnyour-passion-into-profit

50 Questions to turn your passion into profit

By Valorie Burton, author of Rich Minds, Rich Rewards

What di erence are you passionate about making in others’ lives? To turn your passion into profit, you must fulfill a purpose that others need or want. When you find a way to allow your passion to impact others, you have a winning formula.

Master your craft. It isn’t enough to have talent. Allow your passion to fuel a desire to improve your skills and knowledge, and ultimately go above and beyond others in your field.

Are you passion-driven or profit-driven? Those who are most sought-after for their skills are often those whose passion creates results that people need, because their passion for what they do sparks creativity, perseverance and excellence.

Do you understand money? Many people fail to earn more because they haven’t made financial education a priority. Take classes, read financial books, and learn lessons from those who are where you want to be.

Are you willing to take a leap of faith? Many people insist it is a lack of money or time or resources, but it is often a fear of failure, rejection, or even a fear of success. Take baby steps if you have to, but be willing to step out on faith to use the natural gifts and talents.

Baptist

LAKESIDE BAPTIST / 9150 Garland Rd / 214.324.1425

Worship — 8:30 am Classic & 11:00 am Contemporary

Pastor Jeff Donnell / www.lbcdallas.com

PARK CITIES BAPTIST CHURCH / 3933 Northwest Pky / pcbc.org

All services & Bible Study 9:15 & 10:45. Trad. & Blended (Sanctuary),

Contemporary (Great Hall), Amigos de Dios (Gym) / 214.860.1500

RIDGECREST BAPTIST / 5470 Ellsworth / 214.826.2744

Sun. Life Groups 9:30 am, Worship 10:45 am / Wed. Nights 6:00 pm

Pastor Greg Byrd / www.rcbcdallas.org

WILSHIRE BAPTIST / 4316 Abrams / 214.452.3100

Pastor George A. Mason Ph.D. / Worship 8:30 & 11:00am

Bible Study 9:40 am / www.wilshirebc.org

Disciples Of C Hrist

CENTRAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH / 4711 Westside Drive / 214.526.7291

Sunday Worship 11:00 am ./ Sunday School 9:45am

Wed. Bible Study 5:00 pm./ www.cccdt.org / ALL are welcome

E AST DALLAS CHRISTIAN CHURCH / 629 N. Peak Street / 214.824.8185

Sunday School 9:30 am / THE TABLE Worship Gathering 9:30 am

Worship 8:30 & 10:50 am / Rev. Deborah Morgan / www.edcc.org

HIGHLANDS CHRISTIAN CHURCH (Lake Highlands) 9949 McCree Rd. 214-348-2805 / www.highlandschristianchurch.com

Sundays: School 9:45 am / Worship 11:00 am / Rev. Paul Carpenter

Eckankar

HU CHANT CLASS / A Love Song to God / expand awareness, experience divine love, bring peace and calm / July 11, 7:15 pm Lakewood Library / 972-820-0530 / meetup.com/Eckankar-Dallas

L Utheran

CENTRAL LUTHERAN CHURCH, ELCA / 1000 Easton Road

Sunday School for all ages 9:00 am / Worship Service 10:30 am

Pastor Rich Pounds / CentralLutheran.org / 214.327.2222

FIRST UNITED LUTHERAN CHURCH / 6202 E Mockingbird Lane

Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am / Call for class schedule.

214.821.5929 / www.dallaslutheran.org

M Ethodist

L AKE HIGHLANDS UMC / 9015 Plano Rd. / 214.348.6600 / lhumc.com

Sunday Morning: 9:30 am Sunday School / 10:30 am Coffee

Worship: 8:30 am & 10:50 am Traditional / 10:50 am Contemporary

MUNGER PLACE CHURCH / Expect Great Things.

Worship Sundays, 9:30 and 11:00 am / 5200 Bryan Street

214.823.9929 / www.mungerplacechurch.org

WHITE ROCK UNITED METHODIST / www.wrumc.org

1450 Oldgate Lane / 214.324.3661

Sunday Worship 10:50 am / Rev. George Fisk

P Resb Y Terian

NORTHPARK PRESBY TERIAN CHURCH / 214.363.5457

9555 N. Central Expwy. / www.northparkpres.org

Pastor: Rev. Brent Barry / 8:30 & 11:00 am Sunday Services

NORTHRIDGE PRESBY TERIAN CHURCH / 6920 Bob-O-Link Dr.

214.827.5521 / www.northridgepc.org / Welcomes you to Worship

Summer Worship: May 26 - Aug. 18 / 10:00 am / Childcare provided.

ST. ANDREW’S PRESBY TERIAN / Skillman & Monticello

Rev. Rob Leischner. / www.standrewsdallas.org

214.821.9989 / Sunday School 9:30 am, Worship 10:45 am

Unit Y

UNITY OF DALLAS / A Positive Path For Spiritual Living

6525 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX 75230 / 972.233.7106 / UnityDallas.org

Sunday services: 9:00 am & 11:00 am

Give A Lot

How are you progressing in your plan to become a great philanthropist?

It helps to have a lot of money first, you say. True, but not so fast. Most of us can make more of a difference for good and for good by cultivating a spirit of generosity at any moment and every.

A titan of yesteryear, Andrew Carnegie, modeled that spirit. Carnegie’s portrait by an anonymous artist, circa 1905, hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., and alongside it are these words:

“The individual who amasses great wealth, declared Pittsburgh steelmaker Andrew Carnegie in his 1889 essay Gospel of Wealth, must in the end apply his fortune for the benefit of all. Having built one of the world’s largest fortunes, Carnegie took his mandate seriously. During his lifetime, he turned over a staggering $350 million, or nine-tenths of his total wealth, for benevolent purposes.

“Carnegie’s unprecedented largesse was matched only by its social impact. His Teachers Pension Fund raised instructional standards in colleges; his many library endowments provided Americans with a national system of public libraries; and the Carnegie Corporation, established in 1911, became the prototype for the great philanthropic foundations of the modern day. During the last years of his life, Carnegie devoted his energies to world peace, encouraging the great powers to settle their conflicts through arbitration rather than war.”

Carnegie’s generosity was broad and deep. He promoted the arts (Carnegie Hall) and higher education (Carnegie-Mellon University), which elevated the elite. But he cared about raising the bottom as much as creaming the top. His gifts strengthened teachers, created libraries and funded other social ventures that increased opportunity for people to climb the ladder of achievement.

Dallas could use more such philanthropy. We have a stunning arts district now. Our hospitals and universities continue to build and thrive. A gorgeous bridge and lovely new parks grace the landscape. Donors like to give to things they have confidence in. They like to leave legacies and not waste their money. They have done well and should be thanked and praised.

A few philanthropists, though, are working hard on solving problems of poverty, hunger, homelessness, mental health and public education. These deserve precisely the thanks and praise they don’t seek because it’s not about them.

Carnegie’s giving pointed to three principles all of us can practice, whether we have a lot of money or a little. One, philanthropy is literally love of mankind; it’s not the love of only that part of human society that reflects the winners. Our society continues to find ways to reduce public funding that makes it possible for the disadvantaged to succeed. Philanthropy should model the opposite spirit.

Two, even people with little money often want to use what they give to identify with the upper crust. Great philanthropy is inspirational, not aspirational. It’s not about getting your name on a building; it’s about building up others.

Three, philanthropy is not a risk-averse investment that must assure a positive return. By their philanthropic nature, generous people show that giving is a virtue in itself, regardless of the end result. In fact, good results often result from initial failures. Which is why venture philanthropy can do so much good.

Jesus said, “Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much.” Waiting to have much before you are faithful is to be unfaithful in a little and likely never to have much. Better get started now.

Big plans

Tradition CEO Jonathan Perlman with Robin and Karl Zavitkovsky , Dallas’ Director of Economic Development, at a dinner where Perlman revealed his plans for his new high-end senior living commuity, Tradition at Lovers, set to open in summer 2014.

Run, run, run

Bryan Adams High School runner Abigail Cartwright , who attends Townview TAG magnet, recently placed third in the women’s 1600-meter at the UIL 2013 State Meet in Austin with a time of 4:56. She is pictured in the far right in the photo.

TO ADVERTISE CALL 214.560.4203

CLASSES/TUTORING/ LESSONS

ART: Draw or Paint. All Levels. Lake Highlands N. Rec. Ctr. Jane Cross, 214-534-6829. Linda, 214-808-4919.

ARTISTIC GATHERINGS

Casa Linda Plaza. Art Classes & Drop In Pottery Painting For All Ages. 214-821-8383. Tues-Sat 10am-6pm

DRUM & PIANO LESSONS Your location. UNT Grads, Betty & Bill. View BucherMusicSchool.com or call 214-484-5360

GUITAR OR PIANO Fun/Easy. Your Home. 9 to Adult. Prof Musician. UNT Grad. Larry 469-358-8784

JEWELRY Making Parties at Art Gallery. BYOB & creativity. All else included! jewelrymakingparty.com or 1-855-254-6625

LOCAL TEACHER WHO TUTORS Algebra 2, Pre Cal, Calculus. Your Home/Mine. Melissa-MS. 817-988-0202

TECH-THERAPY.COM Patient & understanding help w/Mac, iPad, iPhone, apps, e-mail, photos, etc. On-site. 214-306-9492

VOICE TEACHER with 38 years experience. MM, NATS www.PatriciaIvey.com 214-769-8560

Childcare

LOVING, CHRIST-CENTERED CARE SINCE 1982 Lake Highlands Christian Child Enrichment Center Ages 2 mo.-12 yrs. 9919 McCree. 214-348-1123.