Rising Star Dec. 2022 ~ Leah Maieski

From Suffering to Goal-Getting

By Lorelei Ball

Everyone has dealt with loss at some point in life, and most people receive a wake-up call after it happens. For Leah Maieski, one decision changed everything.

Leah Maieski is a REALTOR® with Slate Real Estate who leads her life by this quote: “You can fail at some thing you don’t love, so you might as well take a chance on something you do love.”

The Hamptons and Heartaches

Leah grew up in a small town in the Hamptons on Long Island, NY, the old est of three girls. She knew she wanted to go to school in Florida and eventu ally settled on Jacksonville University. “Jacksonville had the beach, a city and a football team, so I was sold,” Leah says. At JU, Leah joined Tri Delta, which helped her “gain confidence and leadership skills.” Currently, Leah con tinues to be involved in Tri Delta as the president of the Jacksonville Tri Delta Alumnae chapter.

While Leah met her husband, Jimmy, in 2008 through a mutual friend, they didn’t start dating until 2010. In 2014, they tied the knot, and the two were happy and ready to begin their next chapter when Leah’s childhood best friend committed suicide two months later. This sent Leah spiraling into a depression for a long time.

Four years later, heartache struck again when Leah and her husband began to experience infertility. Leah says she hopes to be a mom sooner than later, but her infertility has slowed down this goal immensely, especially since her insurance has refused to pay for any IVF treat ments. Leah has experienced several miscarriages, and just a few weeks after one of them, in 2019, her father passed away. Two months after that, her father-in-law passed away. After her father passed away, Leah needed a distraction, and that’s when she felt like life is too short to be unhappy in her career. One week later, Leah signed up for real estate school, and that action changed her life.

Leah and her husband, Jimmy, have been married for eight years and they have a dog, Jake.

Ready for Real Estate

Leah graduated from JU with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, then she returned to school in 2015 at Northcentral University to earn a master’s degree in education, special izing in leadership in higher educa tion. She then worked with adults with developmental disabilities as a support coordinator for years.

After Leah had been through the homebuilding and buying process, she met with her agent to discuss what a career in real estate could look like. Leah was intrigued, so she obtained her license. Her agent then introduced her to the leaders at her brokerage. Leah began to work with a team while continuing her job as a support coordinator. “I realized I couldn’t give 100% to both jobs, so I had to decide between the two. It was undoubtedly real estate,” Leah smiles.

Leah loves “helping people and goal setting,” and she knew real estate could give her a chance to become an “instrumental part” of others’ lives. With real estate, Leah can help ensure her clients' dreams and goals are reached simply by remembering how she felt buying her first home. “It’s overwhelming and exciting,” Leah recalls.

Another reason Leah enjoys being a REALTOR® is it allows her to try and reach her No. 1 goal, becoming a mom. Her career has allowed her to do several rounds of IVF, surgeries and procedures, all paid out-of-pocket and all made possible by her hard work.

Work Hard, Play Hard

While Leah puts “100% into every single transaction,” she also believes in making her mental health a priority. “Self-care isn’t selfish, it’s necessary,” says Leah. She loves self-care days when she gets a massage or acupuncture to help her relax and be the best version of herself. She also enjoys heading to the beach with a good book and taking dance classes. Taking care of herself allows Leah to take better care of her clients. Even after she has finished a transaction, Leah never stops building relationships with her clients. Every year, she holds an appreciation event for her neighbors and clients. “I am proud to be a part of a brokerage that gives back to first responders, teachers, crossing guards and veterans.” Currently, Leah is building a house in St. Johns County and working to become a mom. She hopes to start a real estate team soon so she can mentor new agents and help even more people reach their real estate goals. Admittedly, Leah says she still has difficult days retaining a “healthy work/life balance,” but she loves her decision to enter the real estate industry and “wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Congratulations to Leah Maieski for being this month’s Rising Star. With her kind heart and work ethic, her goals are bound to be achieved. Website: slate.realestate/my-team/leah-maieski