Sabrina West Helping Others Attain Their Dreams, One Mortgage At A Time. By Natasha Kubis
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abrina West’s ambition has been stirring in her since she was just a child. The story of where she came from, and where she ended up, with the twists and turns along the way, has helped cultivate the savvy business woman she is today. As a wife, a mother of 5 wonderful children (one of whom has special needs), a caregiver to her elderly parents, a fitness guru, and a lioness in the mortgage industry, this powerhouse of a woman is truly a self-made success. Sabrina’s roots run deep in these mountains and her relatives have been in the Asheville area for generations. She comes from a good hearted, salt of the earth, working class family. Her father, a disabled veteran, did his best to provide for his family, despite experiencing tremendous financial hardships. As a child, there were times when they went without heat, and would gather in the living room with sleeping bags to keep warm by the fire. The financial challenges during her upbringing were offset by her family’s perseverance and strong bond. Their struggles also served as the fuel she needed to trailblaze her own success story.
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thesofiamagazine.com | November 2020
Photos by Bren Photography Sabrina’s mother has been a huge influence on her life. She’s been a devoted wife for 58 years and is the epitome of a saint. Her strength, nonjudgmental attitude, and enduring patience has been a guide for Sabrina throughout her life. “I was a rebel, so I challenged her, but she has always accepted me for who I am. She knows the right words to say all the time, and her enduring positivity and kindness comes from her faith in God.” Her mom has taught her to stay motivated, and stay true to her path, even when things get tough. At age 12, Sabrina began assisting her mother with bookkeeping at her fathers’ garage, and then at age 15, she started a job in accounting at Paty’s Building Company. Numbers became easy to her, out of necessity. If she wanted something for herself, she had to know exactly how much money was required and how hard she needed to work for it. As a teen, she would write herself notes with positive affirmations, and stick them all around her room. She would read these reminders daily, until she believed her own truth - that anything is possible if you live your life with dedication and intention. This mindset
would help guide her throughout her career, especially when helping others actualize their own financial goals. She graduated from AC Reynolds High School and was the first in her family to go to college. She went to East Tennessee State University, where she studied physical therapy, a path that was inspired by her father’s disabilities, but decided to shift gears. She came back to her home town and did course work at the University of North Carolina and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Institute. Sabrina became a single mom at age 25, and was waiting on tables, while working on a plan to provide the ideal life for her baby girl. She found herself taking the first steps toward her 18-year career in the mortgage industry, first as a receptionist, and then moving onto accounting and loan processing. She received her mortgage broker license to diversify her stream of income, but in addition to sales, continued to work on the operations side of the business for several years. During the financial crash of 2008, Sabrina temporarily got out of the business, and was inspired to teach fitness by her close friend and men-
