Working For Moore!

Working for

Moore

BY KIRSTEN FLORY

One warm summer day in

1976, when Jimmy Carter appeared during a parade at the airport in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a young parade attendee with big, hazel eyes being held by her Dad eagerly awaited. Carter, the Governor of Pennsylvania at the time, was campaigning for the Presidency. He walked over to her, and she generously offered him a sip of her root beer. The young girl didn’t realize the magnitude of that moment, but a few months later, Jimmy Carter was elected the 39th President of the United States.

That young girl was Allison Vance Moore - the daughter and granddaughter of a military family. She grew up moving every few years and living on military bases, making each temporary

stay her home. Allison lost her biological father at a very young age in a tragic drinking-and-driving car accident. Shortly following the tragedy, she encountered the great fortune of being adopted by her current father, David Vance.

Her family settled in Leavenworth, Kansas, at the beginning of high school,

and Allison went to work paving the way for her future. She learned quickly the art of making friends. Throughout this time period, she worked several fulltime jobs in addition to school, and she was elected Senior Class President. She graduated in the top ten per-

cent of her high school class, garnering funds to help her start her college career.

After graduating, Allison made her way to the University of Kansas to be a Jayhawk. Immediately and unexpectedly, her family relocated back to Germany for a second time. Navigating a large university with

her familial support system halfway around the world proved to be quite challenging. Dorm life, roommates, and college class sizes of several hundred students prompted Allison to look for alternative avenues to identify her strengths.

She supported herself through a variety of jobs in the service industry. One of her favorites took place at a local country club. She drove the beverage cart and worked the 19th Hole during golf season. She became a regular, smiling face to the golfers on the course. Always a connector, she continuously asked

questions to learn more about these professionals. Being the “new kid” so many times in her life, she was very comfortable engaging with people from all walks of life. Many of these golfers happened to be the stakeholders, property owners, and a literal “who’s who” in the community, where she’d eventually plant her roots and launch her professional career. These vital introductions, which started as a young, employed college student, grew and became lasting, career friendships and client relationships.

After college, Allison decided to stay in Lawrence and begin her career in the marketing department of an international travel agency. In 1998, as that company sold for the fifth time, Allison sought new employment. Upon hearing this news, her neighbor at the time made a recommendation. The neighbor had planned

to move out-of-state and wanted to connect Allison with colleagues at a local real estate firm. That fortuitous, first meeting sealed her fate, as Marilyn Bittenbender and Kelvin Heck felt Allison would be an excellent addition to the Commercial Real Estate division at Stephens Real Estate.

A few years later, Allison met and married the love of her life, Jim Moore. Jim operates a commission-based business in the Financial Services Industry, and they’ve been great sounding boards for one other as both of their careers have grown. Allison recalls taking long walks with her husband after work and talking patiently through their days. Starting a commission-based sales career in 1998 proved to be no small feat, but Allison welcomed the challenge. Never afraid to ask for an introduction or talk to a stranger, Allison began growing her businesses by meeting with local business owners, developers, lenders, and attorneys. The work proved to be a rigorous, uphill battle filled with rejection and disappointment, as she sought to get in front of mostly male decision makers, but

she never gave up. She worked tirelessly every day - making calls, sending letters, setting up meetings, and asking for business, complete with the mantra of “under-promising and over-delivering.”

Navigating this business environment as a young female proved to be both intimidating and challenging. Some clients simply did not want to work with a woman. Others actually perceived Allison would be incapable of working while having children. Even fast-forwarding to 2018, only 15% of the commercial real estate agents at Colliers International are females. Women executives excelling in their field tend to do so because of their drive, tenacity, and ability to persevere, in many cases working harder AND smarter than others in their field. Allison remains the epitome of this rule.

As every business person knows, challenges abound around every corner. Case in point for Allison was the fall of 2008 while home on maternity leave with her third and youngest son. She watched news reports in

shock as the economy took a significant nose-dive. The uncertainty of the business climate, combined with scrutinized lending, shook the marketplace. Clients, whose businesses were growing before, now looked at the prospect of shutting their doors. Properties were going into foreclosure, and financial investors were at a standstill. The fear that bubbled up inside was palpable. How was she going to make a living in a career she’d loved for the past decade?

Knowing her family counted on her, she pushed her fears aside and went back to work, building her business from the ground up once again. She looked at the financial recession of 2008-2009 as an opportunity to refocus on what she did best - uncovering her clients’ needs and goals and providing the best service possible to meet those objectives.

Allison recalled 2001 and surviving

the disastrous Dot.com Bubble, when her team had decided to join forces with a national commercial real estate firm, Grubb and Ellis. Persisting with strength and determination through a harsh economic climate, that team would eventually rebound and rebrand by 2010 with Colliers International, one of the top commercial real estate firms in the world.

Through it all, Allison remains clear that her fundamental career path stands truly as a male-dominated industry. The “good old boys club” seems alive and well, and she still feels she must prove herself daily - demonstrating market knowledge, negotiation skills, the willingness to listen, and an ability to read between the lines.

Being accessible and resourceful and, above all, acting with integrity has been her foundation for success.

Allison has absolutely loved getting to work with startup business owners, whether helping with their first lease or purchase or simply continuing to be a resource in helping them address changing needs as their companies grow. Some of the first, single-employee businesses that she helped years ago have multiplied, while adding jobs and benefits to the community. Allison values these ‘homegrown opportunities’ and shares in her clients’ joy when they succeed.

She’s learned throughout her career and her life to take nothing for granted. She’s continually open to

new possibilities, and she puts herself ‘out there’ with a handshake and a smile as often as she can. Allison has built a successful business of her own and a highly regarded network, while creating a platform for others’ success. She remains humble and hard-working, for both her first-time AND her repeat clients. As a fierce advocate for her colleagues, friends, and customers, and most importantly for her family, Allison Vance Moore wears many hats in life - Senior Vice President, Mom, Wife, Mentor, Friend, Advocate, Negotiator, and Community Leader – and it’s safe to say she truly wears them well!