ALWAYS MOVING FORWARD

Maryville woman rebounds from challenges, moves forward into home sales

By Suzanne Koziatek, Contributing Writer

It can be hard to regroup when things don’t turn out as expected — let alone overcoming a string of obstacles. But for Cheryl Ridgeway, pivoting to meet a new challenge head on is second nature.

“When something happens like an illness, it affects me, but I don’t want to live there,” Ridgeway said. “I’m always moving forward.” For the 58-year-old Maryville entrepreneur, that means diving into a new career path. Ridgeway has begun selling residential real estate, after earlier careers in retail sales and co-owning a professional portrait studio. That she’s doing so soon after recovering from a cancer scare is another example of her drive and determination. “I thought, ‘I just can’t sit here and do nothing,’” Ridgeway said. And so she didn’t.

Pivoting from photography to wellness Selling in a ‘ridiculous’ housing market

But Ridgeway said she knew that the health products sales would only serve as a sideline, and she was still on the hunt for a more substantial new career.

“Over the last year, there were a lot of little signs that I should think about real estate,” she said. “And then my health and wellness mentor actually said it: ‘You should become a real estate agent.’

Act One of Ridgeway’s career journey began more than 30 years ago, when she married her husband, John. John, a Belleville native, had an artist’s eye for a good photo, and Ridgeway jokes that she “exploited” her husband’s talents, encouraging him to start a photography business. She ran sales and the day-to-day business, which specialized in weddings and later, high-end portraiture. All went well until the technological advances of the 2000s hit with a vengeance. Armed with cell phone cameras, people began drifting away from using professional photographers. “From 2008 to 2016, business began dwindling every year,” Ridgeway said. John refocused on business photography, creating professional photos for websites and other business materials.

“Photography is really important for a business,” she said. “Now days, people choose you online and may judge you on the way you appear. First impressions are everything!” Despite their efforts at seeking out new markets, it became clear that they needed another source of income. At the same time, John had a stroke, and as Ridgeway puts it, “everything stopped for about six months” while he recuperated. Ridgeway soon faced her own health challenge: After years of living with Crohn’s disease, she developed tongue cancer, necessitating multiple surgeries to get to the point where she could speak again. This led her to a new side job, selling natural wellness products. A prescription drug she took for Crohn’s contributed to her cancer, and she said thanks to taking the natural products she sells, she no longer suffers from Crohn’s symptoms.

“That one was the slap that got my attention.”

Ridgeway said she usually moves quickly when she has a plan, and this time was no exception. “The next week, I started talking to brokerage firms, finding out what it takes. That was about Dec. 1 (2020). I learned that I needed to take 76 hours of (instruction) to get a license, so I took a two-week Zoom course online. I took the rest of December to study, and on Jan. 5, I took the test.” Since then, she’s helped sell several homes. Ridgeway has stepped into the profession at an unusual time. Home prices have taken off, thanks to a combination of low interest rates, a post-pandemic influx of home buyers and shortages of the materials needed to build new houses. “This market is ridiculous,” she said. “It’s unreal how fast things are selling.” She noted that buyers are routinely paying more than the asking price, and a home may be on the market for only a few weeks. In an environment like that, brokers such as Ridgeway need to be savvy and decisive. She said it’s the perfect opportunity to shine. “I just want to sell,” she said. “That’s what I’m good at, I’m good at helping people.”

And of course, having the services of a skilled photographer like her husband doesn’t hurt. “I have a little inside help with him,” she said with a laugh.

To reach Cheryl Ridgeway, Realtor with RE/MAX Alliance, for assistance in selling a home, call (618) 799-9700 and email cheryl@livelyliving.net.