Editor's note: Ace is blogging about being a dad trying to rebound from the coronaivrus pandemic at My Rebound by FOX 17. He desired for his son to feel both pride in and connection to his Filipino heritage, so he founded the Grand Rapids Asian-Pacific Festival in 2016. Also a banker, he recently resigned from his position – now staying full-time with his 6-year-old son. He and his wife, son and dog live in Plainfield Township.
My son Redd turns 7 this month. He will miss out on a birthday party like so many others in this year of pandemic, and I feel sorry for him.
The other day I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, and he proceeded to describe a particular toy collection in detail. He then looked at me seriously and said, “But Dad, it might cost you your life savings.”
I laughed at the irony of his statement. We haven’t dipped into our life savings yet, but we have to continue to closely watch and adjust our budget as I launch my new real estate career. I LOVE staying home with Redd, but I can’t help but feel the pressure.
After interviewing with several agencies, I sat puzzling over how to intertwine being a real estate agent with the rest of my life. I know this is the career that will help me realize my potential, invest in our community, provide the independence I need, and more time to spend with our growing boy. But where to start learning the in’s and out’s of the industry?
First things first, I made a spreadsheet and juggled all the numbers that had been given to me. I charted and I highlighted and I eventually came to a conclusion. All of the companies seemed to intersect near the same point in quality, compensation, and support.
As weird as it felt, I decided instead to use my gut instinct and not look at the numbers presented to me. I decided to go with a company that I think will help nurture my free spirit. With one of these companies, I felt like I could be very independent and work on my own terms instead of being devoted solely to a quota-mentality. Long ago I went to work at a place that set high expectations to sell, and I made Jackie miserable as I tried to deal with the pressure.
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Even knowing that there is an army of real estate professionals out there, I believe I only have to compete with myself. I want to do my best for my clients, and develop relationships that I can be proud of. While driving around town with Redd on our "private tour of homes including hugs", I developed a basic game plan. I pictured myself showing homes as if I am helping my son Redd buy or sell his home. I like this exercise, and I think it will keep me true to my desire to conduct business as a reflection of my character.
There is plenty of money to be had by those that trade their time, but making millions is not my goal. My family and I are proud to call West Michigan our home. We want more people to know about our beautiful state and the amazing people in our community. So I am excited to launch the next step in my home adventures, because I feel like I really am investing in my life savings.