So Much Is New
The truth about time…It flies.
The team grew to include another realtor, a property manager and a handyman.
We had family moves, losses, fun and important moments to share.
Clients made major moves that Adam and I were fortunate to be major part of.
I made a serious decision about what this phase of life is all about for me.
I am approaching the four year anniversary of my near death experience. I’m not the same woman I was before that day and my understanding of time has an insistency now. For better or worse. For the last three months, Adam and I have been working as a team creating an instructional yoga book for publishing this fall. It has been a joyful learning experience, albeit, physically draining. The process involved photographing every yoga pose I know. Turns out, I know a lot of poses. Capturing thousands of images over a hundred hours of yoga practice was a labor of love and a testament to our relationship. Having Adam as my photographer and creative director is a dream come true, a dream I didn’t even know I had.
We are in the final editing phase for publishing the first edition (I will inevitably add more poses and instruction) and finishing up the corresponding projects: A website with video and subscription capacity and a journal/planner eleven years in the making. It will be its first publishing but its 10 edition.
The yoga and wellness industry is a 6.8 billion dollar industry full of gate keeping, cults and insincerity. I loathe all three things and avoid them at all costs in my daily life. The Bathed Hippie Project has been a labor of love to empower people outside of the standard yoga machine. I’m inviting people to become their own yoga teacher and enjoy the benefits of a balanced mind and body. It has taken me years to get the project here and I’m so proud to share the plans with you first, friends.
The yoga and wellness industry is a 6.8 billion dollar industry full of gate keeping, cults and insincerity. I loathe all three things and avoid them at all costs in my daily life. The Bathed Hippie Project has been a labor of love to empower people outside of the standard yoga machine. I’m inviting people to become their own yoga teacher and enjoy the benefits of a balanced mind and body. It has taken me years to get the project here and I’m so proud to share the plans with you first, friends.
The Birth of Bathed Hippie
I lay on my side, staring through the open kitchen door into the garage, following the 911 operator’s instructions on how to position my body to conserve my breath until the ambulance arrived. No longer on the phone, her calm voice still echoed in my head. Instinctively, my body and breath shifted into ujjayi, the yogic breath.
Something happened in those moments before the ambulance arrived. I surrendered. The calming nature of the breathing put me in a meditative state and saved my life.
I came back from the hospital different. Friends said I didn’t look the same. It wasn’t just the weight loss from the trauma and physical strain of a near-death experience. I was lighter.
Coming that close to death rips away every excuse for why you aren’t living the life you know you should be living. It strips away the veneer and armor you wear every day, along with the limiting beliefs that have quietly become rules. Rules you never realized you created, followed and were enforcing.
My goal with is to take the lessons and gifts of mind and body wellness I learned through disciplined yoga practice and share them writ large. Making yoga accessible regardless of where someone is on their journey. While my journey was a necessity to survive Stage 5 Complex PTSD, no one else’s needs to be. It is preferable to choose to live the life you want without trauma serving as the impetus. I wish that for everyone.
Embracing Transitions
It is the beginning of the best of Iowa weather and the season of festivals and celebrations of all kinds. In between all the fun and celebrating there is that moment where you take stock of time, and how fast and slow it is all at once.
I know I can’t be the only one to have a full mental math breakdown upon reading a graduation party invite.
It starts with remembering they were 8 when I met them. A flood of memories and a feeling of when did that happen? Sometimes i count the years physically on my hands to make it real and the moment coalesces in the understanding that the scarcest resource is time. How we choose to spend our scarcest resource matters-A lot.
Changes
I’m investing my time wisely with the full knowledge of its scarcity and its value. My own transition is happening as I expand services for my clients by investing in my people and their needs. I have been in the real estate and housing industry for more than 20 years, beginning on the mortgage side. The journey has been a wild one. Running my own real estate business has been the life changing portion of the journey. It continues to be fulfilling and equally full of missteps and overachievement.
Knowing the truth of what being a realtor is, I’m cagey about recommending it to anyone. I’m even cagier about who I personally mentor and champion. Until the last few years, a small group of trusted friends came into the periphery to assist and grow my business. A few you may have met, Lacey, Adrian, Amanda and Maddie were all dear friends who kept me functioning. Regrettably, it was never a formalized and functioning system until now. With the addition of Adam and Amy, my partner in all things and my right hand woman, respectively, I have a stable foundation. None of this glorious iteration of my life would be possible without the two of them.
Having multiple businesses going, I’m still selling real estate, I’m just doing it better and more efficiently thanks to the people around me.
New Team Member: Kristen Giudicessi
Which brings me to fun team transition news: another past client has joined the team! Kristen Giudicessi is joining the team as a full time realtor and design consultant. When I first met her I was struck by her kindness and generosity of spirit, values I want more of in the real estate world.
She has renovated and designed multiple homes, including her own flip property. Her experiences and knowledge are going to add to our ability to advise and execute winning strategies for our clients!
When she isn’t working, you can find her thrifting or taking care of people, animals or houseplants. She loves unique homes with stories to tell.
We are all excited to introduce you to Kristen! Design tips and secret thrifting tips are sure to follow.
Honorary Team Members - Resources You Need
Candice Oleson
SITUS DSM, Residential
Property Management
515-554-2832
Candice literally manages the 515. Her daily focus is elite commercial property management for an exclusive company. She brings a tremendous amount of experience to help our clients with their residential property management needs on an a la carte basis.
She thoroughly understands local laws, safety codes and legal rules to keep your investment safe. She is an investor’s best ally.
Allan Scott
Allan Makes it Happen
Handyman Services
515-681-8576
Allan has saved the lives of multiple homes and investment properties. He really does “Make it Happen.”
Whether you are a homeowner needing projects done or an investor, Allan also does almost everything. He shows up on time, works until the job is done and takes pride in his work. He’s the best.
Life Moves People
Revisiting the graduation theme, as a team we are seeing parents becoming empty nesters as their youngest kids graduate. There are two types of people in this camp:
The Hooray, let’s move immediately and downsize contingent.
They will always want to come back here, we have to stay in this home forever contingent.
The truth is graduations prompt a lot of real estate activity. Many parents buy investment properties where their kids go to college, using the properties to give their kids a head start. First renting to them or using as a second home all while building a real estate portfolio with financial advantages.
Other clients of mine, finding themselves with time to invest in their own dreams and goals, downsize and invest in destination airbnbs or investments where they want to travel to.
Adam and I are moving between these two worlds ourselves. We own our dream home and spend as much time as we can in it. We have our family convenience home for now, knowing its days our numbered. We spend a lot of time pondering the possibilities for a future real estate portfolio that doesn’t involve school districts as the prime determinant.
Transitions may be difficult but they always create opportunities for joy. The theme of this month is time is short, chase joy.
