WOmEn In BUsInEss OUTSTANDING

Steps to Success: How local women turned passions into profit

Let’s face it, Lakewood and East Dallas are pretty hot right now. Home prices are soaring, schools are improving and the economy is thriving. Just last year, CNN Money dubbed Lakewood the 9th “best big-city neighborhood” in the country.

It takes a lot for a business to stand out in this competitive environment.

This month, we’re getting up close and personal with some of the successful businesswomen who stand out in our community. These women have remained dedicated to their craft, prioritized their time and built key partnerships over the years to experience the level of success they now enjoy.

For Realtor Meg Skinner, the first step towards career success was to find a mentor.

“I have a close friend who was in the business a long time, and I called her regularly to walk through ideas with me when I was first starting out,” Skinner says.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Realtor Jill Carpenter says she’s had many mentors and wouldn’t be where she is today without them.

“My integrity, business acumen, communication skills, service levels and doing my best to treat people how I want to be treated, all come from the examples my mentors showed me.”

Stacy Huston, owner of the home repair franchise Handyman Matters, says her mom taught her a good work ethic and instilled a value of philanthropy in her.

“I spend as much time weekly doing volunteer work as I do at my business,” Huston says.

The Jackson Team at Dave Perry Miller — which includes Scott Jackson, Lauren Moore, Ashley Rasmussen and Wendy Nevitt — all say their business thrives as a result of referrals.

“It is important to really connect with each client for success,” Rasmussen says. Realtor Wendy Nevitt adds,

“Our success comes from each Realtor working with and for each other as a team.”

As the first female franchise owner of the home repair service Handyman Matters, Huston says if you are good at what you do, it doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman.

“I was driven to change the home-repair industry into being more customer-service oriented. That passion, plus my excellent staff, have been the keys to my success,” she says.

Realtor Nancy Johnson, Dave Perry-Miller, says she believes that as a woman, she offers a unique perspective, and that is part of what contributes to her success.

“I once had a client that was logically committed to purchasing a home but emotionally he wasn’t sure, and I was able to help him work through that. It’s a huge investment, and women can help smooth out that transition because we are creative, nurturing and businessminded. As a general rule, women look at the bigger picture,” she says.

Johnson has lived in Lakewood since 1983, and now that her daughter is a part of her real estate team, her business will continue for years to come.

Realtor Allie Beth Allman says that establishing those nurturing relationships is vital.

“Women like to establish relationships, and that’s the key to the real estate industry.”

Allman says she learned at a young age that selling requires follow-through and trust.

“My father had a furniture store, and often I would go there and watch him treat customers as friends. I admired him, so I would help customers, too. I still enjoy making friends of clients and the thrill of making a deal work. A typical homeowner may buy three to five houses in a lifetime, so staying in touch with clients on a professional and personal basis is simply beneficial for all.”

Dallas City Center’s Kevin Caskey thinks the women in his office have an edge in the market.

“Many women have the patience that it takes to assist clients with the ups and downs of real estate transactions. You really have to have a sympathetic ear to help them through the process.”

Ebby Halliday Realtors Lakewood office manager Sherryl Wesson says her success has hinged upon her ability to control her calendar when work and family life get hectic.

“My family has always been so loving and supportive. Real estate is not a 9-5 job. You really have to be flexible and have family that understands that.”

Wesson finds it satisfying to help real estate agents start their career at Ebby. “Not only do I help agents find success, but I also get to connect homebuyers with just the right agent that will help them make one of the most important financial decisions in their life.”

Throughout Wesson’s real estate career, she’s found it rewarding to empower other realtors with her expertise. “It is an honor to have been the past president of the MetroTex Association of Realtors and past director for both the Texas Association and the National Association of Realtors in my career,” Wesson says.

For White Rock North principal Amy Adams, balance is great in theory, but it’s a challenge.

“Let’s be honest, having four of my own kids plus 375 kids at White Rock North, I have to work pretty hard at separating my worlds.”

Farmer’s Insurance agent Kelly Harris says sticking whiterocknorthschool.com 214.348.7410

In 1992, Amy Adams brought her Masters degree and her love of children to White Rock North School. Her parents, Mary and John Adams, founded the school in 1964 and Amy attended this unique school, just as her own four children did, through the 6th grade. Amy, a 1987 Lake Highlands High School graduate returned from Baylor and brought with her a unique philosophy of education that values the importance of being a child. “I believe kids should work hard and play hard, but our students are de nitely embracing a progressive education environment. All students, Kindergarten and older have tablets they use daily, blog with their teachers and de nitely love their BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) time! On the ip side, the students work and harvest food from the school’s Outdoor Learning Center that the school chef then prepares for their meals!

“At White Rock North, we believe it is possible to balance working hard for an education with time to breathe.”

Ranked as one of Dallas’ Top 10

Ranked as one of Dallas’ Top 10 Realtors.

Nancy and Alex Johnson are known for specializing in East Dallas, Lakewood, Park Cities, Preston Hollow, and surrounding areas. Our success has been built on a reputation for straight talk, hard work, creative vision, knowledge of the market, and most importantly a caring spirit. We have the experience you need and deserve when it comes to helping you find a place to call a home.

Nancy and Alex Johnson are known for specializing in East Dallas, Lakewood, Park Cities, Preston Hollow, and surrounding areas. Our success has been built on a reputation for straight talk, hard work, creative vision, knowledge of the market, and most importantly a caring spirit. We have the experience you need and deserve when it comes to helping you find a place to call a home.

to helping you find a place to call a home.

to routine at home helps.

“Living close to my parents and my husband’s parents has helped a great deal with the kids.”

For Handyman Matters’ Huston, work and home life have always been intertwined.

“My daughter was born in 2009, the same year I opened my business. It’s been amazing,” she says.

Skinner says it’s important to take care of yourself while working and raising a family. “You need to feed your soul with family time and spiritual nurturing.”

Realtor Jill Carpenter makes it a priority to take time for herself daily — even if it’s only for 30 minutes.

“Real estate is 24/7, so you have to be picky with your time. Luckily, my background in technology has helped me considerably to find ways to work smarter.”

Realtor Ashley Rasmussen also finds it difficult to balance home and work life, so she makes sure the time she spends with family is quality time.

“Volunteering at church also helps me to stay balanced.”

For dentist Dena Robinson, dentistry, home and work life constantly overlap.

“It can be frustrating, and you can experience some ‘mommy guilt’ a lot. But I think my children enjoy having me as a working mother, and I am a better mother for it.”

Success isn’t just all work and no play, though. For many of these women, the rewards of their careers far surpass what they sacrifice.

White Rock North’s Adams knew she wanted to be a principal ever since she was five years old. Her current position is the fulfillment of that dream.

“I attended White Rock North as a child. At the time, both of my parents were the principals, and I am so thankful for their example. One of the most rewarding parts about my job is getting visits from students, both past and present.”

Realtor Allie Beth Allman says that working with colleagues who share values and work ethic is stimulating for her.

“Industry surveys note that clients look for integrity above all other traits — more so than technical skills. Successful women in our industry know how to listen, how to care, how to go above and beyond,” Allman says.

She says that the relationships not only with clients, but other professionals in the real estate industry are also energizing.

“Many of us are mentors to younger professionals and have friends of many years who still love what they do,” Allman says.

Dena Robinson says she knew early on that her dream was to be a dentist. Now that Robinson is living her dream, she says being able to detect oral cancer in her patients is one of the most rewarding aspects for her.

“I found oral cancer in a 50-year-old man in its very early stages. He received treatment and is doing very well today. I love to rebuild smiles, too. Simply changing out a discolored old crown or straightening teeth with Invisalign can make a big impact on a person’s self esteem.”

Kelly Harris says that the most rewarding part of her work with Farmer’s Insurance is using her knowledge to help people through difficult situations.

“Once, a client called to tell me that her husband has passed away several months before, and she was just getting around to removing his name off their home and auto insurance. When I pulled up her name, I saw that he also had a life insurance policy that she had not known about. It was nice to be able to tell her the good news during such a hard time, and it was really going to help her.”

Dallas City Center’s director Kevin Caskey says he’s proud that his business is constantly attracting new agents who want to build their business under the Dallas City Center umbrella. And many of these agents happen to be successful women.

“Our female brokers at Dallas City Center are not only market-savvy, but exceptional communicators,” Caskey says. “They have attracted customer loyalty, and that’s a huge part of what it takes to succeed in this industry.”

Realtor Lauren Moore finds her contentment from working in the community that she lives in.

“The homes in Lakewood are historical and unique, not cookie cutter, and the people match that aspect. You can’t find this anywhere else.

“It is rewarding to be given such a huge role in a client’s future, helping families choose the schools that their children will go to and the communities that they will be a part of.”

Dee Moore, owner of Dee’s Doggie Den, says customers have become close friends, and there’s even been a few love connections among her customers.

“Since I have been open so long, I now have the pleasure of getting to know the children of long-time Dee’s Doggie Den customers; it has truly created a neighborhood, family atmosphere that I treasure!”

For some women, work achievements have been a pleasant surprise — “an encore” of success in a completely different industry.

In 2004, Realtor Jill Carpenter had taken a severance package and left a 19-year career in sales and operations management for a global electronic components company.

“I was interviewing for a similar position at a competitor and had contacted the Realtor who sold me my home. I was going to sell and move to Ft. Worth for the new job.

“He said he needed a part-time office manager, and I volunteered to help for a month or so before starting my new job. My first day, I decided the owner of the firm needed an assistant, and that was the day I decided to get my license. We did $13 million in sales in seven months, and that was it.”

Kelly Harris says she didn’t plan to be an insurance agent.

“I went to school to study anthropology!” she says. “But my Dad got into insurance later in life and thought it would be neat if I joined him to get it off of the ground. We became partners in 2011, so it became a family business. Now I love it so much that I want to have my daughter join the business when she grows up.”

Dee Moore of Dee’s Doggie Den worked long hours in hotel and restaurant management before she discovered a business that was her true passion.

“While I was at work, my dogs were home alone for long periods of time. It occurred to me that they needed a sitter or a day care. After some research, it turned out that Dallas had no such thing as daycare for dogs in 1990, so I had to create it on my own.”

Realtor Lauren Moore left a career in marketing and advertising and found success in a completely different industry. “I was so impressed by my real estate experience with Scott Jackson as my Realtor that I followed in his footsteps and joined his team, and haven’t looked back since.” ◆

For the love of art

During the Retail as Art Exhibition, United Commercial Reality announced the 12 winners of its sixth annual retail as art photography scholarship competition. Uriel Paulin, who lives in East Dallas, received the Teresa Gubbins award for his photo, “Peppermint.” Left to right: Mickey Ashmore , Uriel Paulin and Teresa Gubbins. SUBMIT