How To Create The Life You Want - Miami Real Estate Professional: Irene Gonzalez - OnePath Realty

SPEAKER_02 0:04

This is the Beyond the Story Podcast, a show that goes way beyond the story. Irene, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

Hi, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_02 0:27

Thanks for taking some time out of your busy day too. And it is busy because I follow you on socials and you are literally nonstop, which makes me feel lazy sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

No, listen, you know what? It's only social media. I do have my downtime at four in the morning when you're getting those devotions in.

SPEAKER_02 0:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 0:45

My favorite, absolute favorite time of the day.

SPEAKER_02 0:48

You don't miss. You literally, you literally don't. I'm like, I I thought I got up early. I'm like, she gets she's got me beat every day, I think.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

So yeah, except for Saturday and Sunday, I allow my body to wake up on its own. It's usually up by six.

SPEAKER_02 1:02

Yeah, me too. Same sometimes. If I'm if I'm getting really crazy, it'll be like seven o'clock, I'll sleep in.

SPEAKER_00 1:08

But other than that, right, depending on what the night before looks like. Yeah. Correct. Totally.

SPEAKER_02 1:12

Absolutely. Well, you and Ike met probably uh 10 years ago, which is wild. Probably longer than that. Right when I had first started my first company, uh Social Buzz TV, you had uh you owned a swimwear company and we met at a networking event, and those were my bowtie days. And uh you had later transitioned into becoming a real estate professional. But let's back up a little bit just for context for for our listeners a little bit. How did the beginning of that story start? And did you have a job and then became an entrepreneur? Where did it all kind of begin?

SPEAKER_00 1:45

Yeah, well, um, let's see, because that's that's sometime time ago. So let me backtrack because I met you at 10 years ago or so, but prior to that, I started years before um with the swimwear company with my daughter, my firstborn was four. So she's 16. She'll be 16 now. So I don't know how many years is that.

SPEAKER_02 2:06

12. 12.

SPEAKER_00 2:08

Okay, so 12. So I'm terrible at math, but I guess. We didn't prepare for that math equation. Okay, so anyway, so I started 12 years ago. Um, so no, it just, you know, I was always in the fashion world because I graduated from the art school, the art institute, but as a as behind the scenes, working on on fashion shows behind the scenes and magazines. So I've always been in the fashion world. Um, and then it just one day it I just thought about, you know, how cool would it be to have a swimsuit company, but it felt far like a far, far reach for me because it was not a thought in my mind ever until that one day it came, it became a thought. So I was like, ah, no, that's maybe a swimmer design. Like, where would we even start? I don't know anything about that. And um, talking to somebody, they had experience and they were, they volunteered to kind of guide me through the process. And I did, I did this step by step, um, worked on doing that until I actually actually put a line together and uh started doing uh reaching out to small boutiques, did consignments, um, participated in fashion shows, uh, started doing network events where we met. Um, so little by little, that's how I started establishing the 620 brand. And I kind of held strong for for a long time, um, until probably I would say maybe I was in that. So six years, I would say probably like seven or eight years strong. And then um, and then it became a bit overwhelming. Then that's when everything started to turn. And it started to turn because my life was changing. I became a mom of two now. Um, I no longer related with the original uh audience of who I originally, my target audience of who I was creating the swimwear for. Uh the swimwear was for a young girl, a jet setter, you know, bikinis, small bikinis. Um, and then now I'm a mom of two. So why don't I create a swimwear for mommy and me? This I can relate to this audience. So when I transitioned to that, is when I was like, you know what? This is a lot. It's a lot because it's no longer one bathing suit, extra small, small, medium, and large. Now we're talking about infant to adult, like this whole big, you know, range of my demographics as opposed to the small one. Um, and then it was no longer fun. And I was like, I refuse to live this way. I I don't like it. I hated it. Um, and then that was it. And I kind of, I mean, there's a lot of things that happened in between. I mean, this is a you know, uh a short like conversation. I'm just kind of giving you a quick little run through. Sure. Uh, there's things that happened, but just to give you an idea, there was passion in the beginning. My life changed throughout the process. I realized it was no longer something I enjoyed doing. I stopped doing it. And then I just got a regular job.

SPEAKER_02 5:19

So it's kind of like a relationship.

SPEAKER_00 5:23

Realized that this regular job wasn't gonna get me anywhere. It was, I was gonna just get to where I got to, and that's it. I'm a mother of two. And uh a friend of mine approached me. She's like, Hey, how do you feel about like real estate? And I'm like, nope, me, real estate, are you crazy? I go, real estate man. I don't even like those people, you know. Like, this is all like, you know, all they care about is money, and you know, I'm not like a shark type of person. There's just no way. And she's like, I mean, you'll do really good at it. I'm like, I don't know. And I didn't think about it, but I was always in sales, I was always in sales, but I just saw the two products different. It's the same thing, you know, it's just houses and swimwear. I still had to talk to people, I still had to approach and go to these stores and and sell them, right? So um, so after that conversation, I would say like a year or so after that, um, I started thinking about it. I'm like, you know what? Hmm, I thought about it. And um, I met some other agents, and I'm like, you know what? I think I can do this. And then I reached out, um, I looked into Gold Coast, got my license. I started following one path where I currently am at. Um, and their culture just did it for me. That mindset that I had was not, it wasn't it. It wasn't my whole thing now with with real estate is a place of service, right? It's I'm not out there trying to sell you anything. I'm not trying to do anything. What I'm trying to do is help you reach a goal, an accomplishment that you work so hard for. And I understand the importance of being a homeowner. Um, now, right? Before, I guess I wasn't as I was ignorant and um I grew up, you know, and then I learned what it's about. And now I'm so passionate about it. I absolutely love it. I love the joy in that in the family's home that on their face when we give them their house key, when you have the kids running around picking where they're gonna go, um, or talking about like the kitchen. So yeah, so that's my journey from swimwear to real estate.

SPEAKER_02 7:29

Love it. So, what was the biggest lesson in in the transition of all that?

SPEAKER_00 7:34

I would say the biggest lesson is do what makes you happy. If you're in something that you're not happy with and you're staying there for the sake of fear because you don't know what's gonna come after that, the uncertainty of what the unfamiliar um don't worry about that. Like really just focus on finding what you truly enjoy. I mean, our life, we just get one.

SPEAKER_01 7:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:59

So my my thing is being old, an old little lady on a rocking chair, just regretting that I never made better decisions and directing my life in the path where I would have been happier. Um, so yeah, like if you're I didn't want to be stuck somewhere that I wasn't, I knew I had control of the direction. And um, I had to change it and I did. And was it scary? Yes, it was. Um, because I didn't know it was all new to me. Um and I did it and I love it, and I just keep on growing from it. So because I'm motivated, because I'm excited, because I'm on the path that I feel like I should be on, that now I'm able to like grow from it.

SPEAKER_02 8:46

Yeah. Well, you know, this this doesn't always, this isn't always a natural inclination. Like you're built this way. Um you've got that, you've got that grind in you. You've got that desire to be.

SPEAKER_01 8:59

I've aided myself this way.

SPEAKER_02 9:01

Correct. Correct. My boy E. T says it's got that dog in her, and and it, and it is. It's that, it's that it's that innate God-given desire to constantly want to improve ourselves. Um, and then by default, those around us start to shift and change too. So if you're listening to this right now and you're like, I'm really stuck, you're not stuck. Stuck is a is a is a mindset that you're choosing. It is there's there's there's some area that you have not yet addressed about you that could be holding you back. Some would say keeping you in your own way.

SPEAKER_01 9:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:38

And there is a way out, but no one can help you figure out the only way out is through. And no one can help you do that. You've got to make that decision. That's what I keep hearing from you, Irene, is that it was a constant, ongoing decision-making process. We were talking about this before the episode of what was you know, a constant uh ongoing decision-making process of what's next and what's going to be that next step, and what's that next you know, uncomfortable space to be able to step. Because that's where the growth happens. As cliche as it is, nothing grows in a comfort zone. It doesn't. Comfort does nothing for us. I have friends that are that are in the healing space that constantly seek out uncomfortable. Like they just they'll go on a had a friend do a 10-day water retreat, silent water retreat, no talking, no food, just water for 10 days. Um I don't know that I've grown to that space yet. But um, you know, it's that constant desire to want to continue to evolve and not be comfortable.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

And I think and I what I know and what I've learned from it is that I mean, yeah, the swimwear I've already, but talking about like myself just a couple of years ago, um it's what I learned, what I found, what I saw was um, I think it's Tony Robbins, the wheel of life, that really changed everything for me. That right there, the wheel of life, like categorizing your life. You feel overwhelmed, right? So it's like, but why do I feel overwhelmed? You know, it could be anything. So it's like categorizing your life into the different categories: relationship, physical, health, parenting, financial, your career, um, and analyzing each one of them, seeing where you're at at each one of them, creating your blueprint of what you would like your life to look like, um, and then seeing if you're on the path to that blueprint, but in each category, not as your life as a whole, because it can feel overwhelming. You can have like a very blur vision uh because you're seeing it as one. But if you dissect it, and that's what I did, I dissected my life. I said, okay, where am I here in my relationship? Where am I here in my parenting? And how can I bring that up a little bit more? Where am I in my physical and where am I in all these different categories? And once you can break it down like that, you can really kind of hone down to what category needs your help. Which one is it that's asking for help? Where the where you feel, I was talking to my brother the other day. I'm like, you know what? Now that I think about it, overwhelming feeling and anxiety are your friends. You know, we were trying to name them. We I think uh overly we thought uh over, what was it? Overly was uh um wait, wait, overly. Um I'm getting stuck. Um feeling overwhelmed. So whelm was the first name. I don't know. We were trying to name them because if you look at it, they are they are your friends, you know, they're knocking on your door and saying, hey, you feel this way because something needs to be adjusted, you know. So not to see it as a bad thing, you know, but see it as, hey, hold on a second, you know, why am I feeling this way? You're right, buddy. You're right. Overly, I am feeling a little overwhelmed because it's because I have a lot on my plate right now. But what part of the category is overflowing? Which one is it? So then you go to your categories and you kind of check in and see what uh, you know, um so yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:11

Choice has a lot to do with that too. You know, I'm overwhelmed. Well, cool. What did you choose? I hate my relationship. Cool, you chose them. So I hate my job. Well, you've signed you've applied and took the job. So choice has a huge, you know, it is very, very powerful and a huge um aspect of you know, just mitigating, managing stress, decisions that we're making, you know, etc. etc. So how long have you been doing real estate now?

SPEAKER_00 13:35

I've been doing real estate now, it's gonna go on four years.

SPEAKER_02 13:39

Nice. And how are things going?

SPEAKER_00 13:42

Um, I started right before the pandemic. Um, so I am um I am a pandemic realtor. That's where I really like learned how to be a realtor. That's where all my exercises happened. So this is a different market for me. This is a newer market. Um, just because when I started as an agent during the pandemic, um we had we were busy. It was like buyers everywhere. It was very challenging because we had to deal, the only ones that can buy property at the time were people that had the extra money to go above appraised value. So it was challenging. Now it's just a different challenge. Now it's interest rates are higher. Um, you know, so we still have low inventory, but there are families out there that still need to buy a home. And we can't compare interest rates to what they were because that was not realistic. Um, so how are things going? They're a little slower than what they were just because of how things were then. Um, but I still have um a very active and working and helping families find homes and listing property as well. Because it all depends on like their lifestyle and what they're going through. People go through things all the time. Um, so it's just being available for when they do have to go through those transitions and they don't have a choice but to either buy or sell.

SPEAKER_02 15:04

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, and you're you're beating on doors these days, literally. How's that going?

SPEAKER_00 15:09

Yeah, I'm knocking on doors. Um, it's it's very uncomfortable, but but because I'm really big on challenging myself um with the uncomfortable, I it started as a project on the marketing myself, right? So I've gotten a few calls from it. Um, and then it kind of turned into this whole other thing. Uh, because it's it's not the most comfortable thing. You know, people aren't as they're not very welcoming. And I understand that if somebody knocks on my door, I'm very nice. Depending on what I'm doing, if I'm watching, I don't know, vampire diaries with my daughter and someone is calling knocking on my door, I'm like, ugh, and I gotta get up and go. Like, I get it. So um really my intentions going and knocking on doors are for a few reasons. One, the initial idea of it was to introduce myself as the neighborhood realtor, right? I'm an expert in this area. My daughters go to school in this area. I shop at the same public's. Like, I'm the realtor that you want to work with because I live here. So those are my original intentions and not going out there to sell you anything, it's out there to give you, uh, to um extend a service to you, to be of help when you need it. So those are my intentions. And then when I saw that it was something uncomfortable for me, that I almost wanted to stop doing it, I was like, now more than ever, you're not going to stop. You're going to finish this project because it was an idea that you had. And although you're uncomfortable, you're going to find something that you're comfortable with, and that's service. You're going to find comfort and you're going to finish this project because anything else after this that you say that you're going to do because you didn't complete this, you're not going to follow through. So this is a whole new new thing for me. So I'm almost done. Um, once I'm done door knocking, then they're going to get mailers in the mail. So they've already met me face to face. Um, and then now they get a flyer. So that's it.

SPEAKER_02 17:13

I love that. That takes, I mean, especially this day and age, you're like, why is someone knocking on my door? Uh back in the day, it was totally, you know, like just what you did, because we didn't, or you could call somebody with a phone that was attached to the wall, like some kind of animal. But um, you know, these days it's it's different. So, but that's smart. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 17:30

It's very challenging. It's very challenging, but I think that if we can challenge ourselves with the very most difficult things, then we can do anything that we put our minds to it. So I was like, you know what? This is that challenge that if I overcome, no, not if, but when I'm done overcoming this, then I'm I'm good, man. I can do I'll be able to do anything.

SPEAKER_02 17:51

I love it. I love your uh I love your mindset around that because uh that's really what it takes to be able to shift and and be able to say, hey, listen, how I do one thing is how I do everything. So if I recognize that and own that, then if I can't get this done, then how in the world am I ever going to be able to get that done? So huge uh that that's that's that's life, not just not just business, but uh they kind of work hand in hand together, don't they?

SPEAKER_00 18:16

Yeah. And that's and and to be honest with you, like I've I've built that mindset with the waking up at four, right? So waking up early and going to the gym is no longer about wanting to see results. It's more about the process and showing up for myself and being a challenge to myself, like overcoming my excuses. It's no longer the results because the results are gonna come. It's more about overcoming the excuses, right? Like, oh, I'm tired. Let me sleep in a little bit more. I'm just I'm I'm challenging myself every morning. Like, who's gonna win? My mind or I read or me. I got another point. I get so I'm just constantly this is a battle between me and me.

SPEAKER_02 19:02

Yeah, it is. It's a one-player game. It certainly is. Lyrian, it's so great to catch up with you and to share a little bit of your story. I'm I'm encouraged by uh how you hustle on a daily basis and hustling in a very productive way, not just that out there grinding and hustling because you're doing it all. You're doing all the things that involve a productive life. You're you're you're momming it up, you're involved in their lives, and I see the dance competitions. My gosh, I'm like, how in the world just throwing dance competitions into this whole mix of everything going on? But uh I'm encouraged by your friend, and I I uh appreciate you taking some time to hang out with you for a few minutes. So great to so great to catch up with you too, and just wanted to encourage you to to keep rocking and rolling and uh don't stop running. That's your thing out there. You're you're you're running videos.

SPEAKER_00 19:48

Yeah, thank you. I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_02 19:51

Absolutely. Well, we'll have to have back uh on sometime. I want to get you in the studio uh sometime uh uh in the in the near future. But keep rocking and rolling, and uh thanks again for your time.

SPEAKER_00 20:00

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 20:02

Until next time. Bye. Until next time, friends. Thanks so much for tuning in to this episode of the Beyond the Story Podcast. Sure to appreciate it. If you haven't done so already, make sure you subscribe to the show. This way you'll get updates as new episodes become available. If you feel so inclined, please leave us a review and be sure to appreciate it. Signing off from the podcast, launchlab.com studios at the end of the day.