"The companies we dream of and build from scratch are part of us and intensely personal. They are our families, our lives." Howard Schultz, CEO Starbucks I first became a licensed Realtor in 1995. I never imagined that owning my own brokerage was something that I would later want to do. Through the years, I saw many twists and turns in the economy, all of which affected my business and my clients. I moved to Wisconsin in 2008. At that time, the economy was at the "top of the bottom," as I like to call it. My first few transactions were heartbreaking. I had a few clients going through a divorce, a few looking to job transfer out of the area and a few more who were just beginning to discover that they were in over their heads. My clients all needed help, and as I later learned, I could give them that help with the sale process but would ultimately leave them financially devastated. Not only were home prices starting to dip, but those who didn't have a whole lot of equity ended up bringing a whole lot of cash to the table in order to close a sale. Looking at the numbers, it was obvious to me that I took more out of the transaction than I should have. I made a personal decision to scrap everything I knew about selling real estate. I went on a quest for total reinvention of the real estate profession, while working within the confines of traditional methods. It was then that Madison Flat Fee Homes was bornI set out to build a great company, which would strike a balance between profit and social conscience. At the time, my daughters were in pre-school and kindergarten. I knew that I had to support my family, but I had to do it in a way that I could achieve profitability without sacrificing humanity. I simply refused to compromise my ethics and integrity in the name of profit. I determined that the bulk of my time and marketing efforts were wasted on seeking new clients. I thought that if I could just find a way to make the phone ring without all that effort, I could really help some folks. By making my services available for a reasonable flat fee versus a 6% commission, I guessed (correctly) that a bunch of smart people would catch on quickly and my business would grow all by itself. My business model was set up with the intention that we would change the public perception of Realtors by operating with a high level of integrity, performance, ethics and value, which in turn would earn us the respect and loyalty of our clients and fellow Realtors. I decided to "promise a little and deliver a lot." By exceeding my clients' expectations, I could establish and maintain their trust, ultimately creating a sustainable business model by focusing on my clients and core values, one client and one transaction at a time. Over the years, I have expanded my team so every client feels connection, respect and dignity throughout their relationship with my company. I meet new people every day, and every situation is different. Pricing a home is only partially about comps and numbersIt requires me to really listen, to ask the right questions to get to the truth behind the sale. Hundreds of listing appointments in, I realized that my business has changed me. I let it change me, and I like it. I meet the dying, the divorcing, the triplets, the grandkids, the heartbroken and the up and coming. I love them all. I love their stories, and I am honored every day that they chose me. I place enormous value on loyalty and trust in my life. It is intrinsic to my personal relationships and to the integrity of my company, and absolutely essential to how I conduct my business. So now, not only do I get to meet amazing people who inspire me, I get to help them by keeping my services affordable and taking as little as possible out of every transaction. We are now able to expand our presence as a company, while maintaining a local feel and we're giving back in individual communities by reaching out to help the homeless, supporting food banks and fund raising for local causes while keeping our collective values of community, connection, respect, dignity, humor, humanity and accountability close to our hearts and infusing our work with purpose and meaning. Welcome to the future of real estate. I can't wait to meet you!