Chris Spado Michelle Elliott

Realtor,

MichelleElliott@ CharterOneRealty.com

For nearly seven years, Michelle Elliott has built a true success story of a real estate career. In addition to the many clients she’s helped buy and sell their homes, her work in the community and with the Hilton Head Association of Realtors have earned her five consecutive Realtor Service Awards.

It’s a career she is proud to have built. But if you ask her, the most important things she has built are relationships. “Throughout the process and after closing, the biggest thing for me is building relationships,” she said. “Really, this is one of the biggest transactions that a person or a family will make in their lifetime. You want to be there for them, from the beginning until the end.”

And even clients who are investing in a vacation home or a rental property find themselves enjoying a close friendship long after the closing documents have been signed. It’s a testament not only to her passion for helping clients, but for the care she takes in ensuring each one of them is fully informed and knowledgeable about the entire process. As a born-andbred Southerner from the Queen City of Charlotte, N.C., she’d tell you that’s just how you welcome someone to your home.

“Coming from the city, to the Lowcountry was an adjustment, but it’s so peaceful here,” she said. “Every time I drive over that bridge or look out on the water, I’m quickly reminded of why I love it here.”

It’s a love she’s passed on to all her clients as she’s welcomed them to their new home.

Tell us something you wish you had known when you started on your career path—a bit of advice for other women in business.

My advice to any woman who would like to start their own business is to walk through your fears. Don’t be afraid to approach another successful woman and ask them how they did it.

Did you have a mentor—someone who really helped you along the path to entrepreneurship?

My mentor was my father-in-law Joseph Spado Sr. He gave me wonderful advice on how to run and manage a business. He always said treat your employees with respect and give people a warm welcome when they enter your business. The one thing he said that makes me smile is, “Make sure your windows are always clean because first impressions matter.” typical day in our salon would involve caring for clients. We have many regular clients, and there are always new clients who are moving to this area. Our goal is to make our salon a friendly environment.

Give us three qualities a leader must have.

What drives you/makes you excited to start the day?

What really excites us about this job is that it’s new and different every day. I have been a hairdresser for over 47 years, and it’s never boring. I love this job.

To be a good leader, you must be determined, learn from your mistakes, and have an interest in others.

Guilty pleasure?

When my workday is done, I love listening to audible books and gardening. These are my two favorite things. Someday, when I retire, I wish to visit many great gardens all over the world. I wish I could be an expert gardener.