Meet Cendy Knight | Mortgage Advisor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cendy Knight and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cendy, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I’m on my second career. My first was in the events industry and my work/life balance was about 80/20. Then I had a baby and I stayed in for another 4.5 years. Trying to bring work/life to a more equal balance, but only succeeding to maybe 75/25.

The executives would thank our spouses and loved ones for “sharing” us with them at the annual holiday party. I knew this wasn’t normal, but I thrived in the pressure, the constant challenge of pleasing the clients and company. Reaching for the next “best” and always staying on top.

In my second career I wanted to (and had to) learn how to be a balanced person, to rebalance my self care with family life and give them both more quality time while still building a successful career.

It was really hard to turn off the obsessive need for pressure. It felt wrong, like I didn’t deserve it, especially the self care time. But with the help of friends and family I’ve managed to strike a better balance. It’s not about the amount of time anymore. For me, it’s the quality of time. So spending an entire day and night working on a client’s file isn’t as daunting because during that time (when I’m waiting for a call back or information from an underwriter, etc) I am also spending some quality time with family and on self care.  Striving for quality also means that you care less about the things that don’t really matter.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a Mortgage Advisor, and I started during covid. A very busy time in the Real Estate industry overall. Getting anyone to call a newbie back was almost impossible. First lesson: keep looking and keep praying.  I found an amazing kindred spirit for a boss. She was supportive and encouraging and such a breath of fresh air. Equally amazing is the company that I work for too, Geneva Financial.

My second lesson came shortly after getting licensed: be sure to find a team that is like minded.  Surrounding yourself with humans that are on the same page as you with work goals and community goals makes a transition easier and less daunting. Also when you need someone in your corner, you know exactly who has your back. It also makes it easier to support others. You know no one is wasting time. We are all there to get the job done right and get it done well.

Third goal: it’s not just about “the sale.”  The people who I serve in my job are just as human as I am. They want to get into a home just as badly as any other home buyer. So, my goal is to make the transition as smooth as possible. 1st home, I’ll hold your hand. 1st investment home, I’m still going to hold your hand. The amount of money for the loans is always huge to the person borrowing it. So it doesn’t matter to me. What matters to me is they know that I’m here for them.

Our company has a tag line:  ‘Be A Good Human’.  In business and life, but especially business.  That tag line resonates so deeply in me, so I strive to serve with it in my heart always.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

My first career that I’ve referred to was Corporate Event Planning. So, I have some epic adventures that I can plan out… but if it was a friend, I think I’d suggest something along the lines of this:

(Hopefully my friends are visiting in early April. It’s the best time of year!!)

Day 1:

Land at the airport and let’s just head straight to the spa. Fairmont Princess’s Well & Being is my favorite! We’d be sure to make time before and after the appointment to enjoy the amenities, they are equally as good! Since we’re there in the heart of Scottsdale, we head over to Sushi Brokers for some of the best Sushi!

Day 2:

Let’s go for a hike! Pinnacle Peak is a moderate hike with a couple beautiful Instagram-worthy photo spots!  Because we just worked up an appetite for a delicious breakfast, we deserve a local favorite: Hash Kitchen. The Breakfast Chilqauiles are to die for.

We’d relax through the afternoon because this evening we are heading back to the mountains with Stellar Adventures for a sunset, 4-wheeling adventure: climbing trails, crawling over boulders, and zipping all over the desert… and that ends with dinner at Cien Agaves Tacos & Tequila restaurant! Steller picks us up and drops us off at the hotel! So, we don’t have to worry about anything!

Day 3:

Golf. The Princess is home to 2 TPC and 2 Grayhawk courses!  If my friend doesn’t want to gold we could drive the cart and enjoy the desert beauty! Or let’s go hang out at any of the Princess’s MANY pools!  With this being our last night in Scottsdale, for dinner we’ll head to the heart of town and enjoy an amazing dinner at Maple and Ash and then head to the entertainment district for dancing all night long!

Day 4:

Back to adventure, this time in the East Valley!  Morning paddle boarding trip down the Salt River. This is easily my favorite low-key adventure! We can stop midway down the river on one of the beaches for a breakfast picnic. Maybe we’ll see some wild horses, a variety of birds (including eagles!), mountain goats, river otters, the list of possibilities are endless! It’s incredibly serene and gorgeous!  In the early evening we can head over to Historic Downtown Gilbert. Tonight’s mantra: Shop, Eat, Walk, Repeat. Adorable shops dot the area, so we have to peruse them all. THEN: there is amazing food on each side of the road, you really can’t go wrong. You could easily get appetizers and drinks from Postinos, walk across the street for a main dish at Culinary Dropout and then a quick walk over to Topo’s for unique ice cream. That is only one of the MANY combinations that this area brings.  Head back to sleep early, so we can rise super early!!

Day 5:

Wake up extra early for another sunrise treat! Hot air ballooning! If you’ve never been, it’s an emotional roller coaster!! The rush of adrenaline on your way up and then on your way back down is amazing… but in the midst of the ride, it’s awe inspiring, beautiful and really brings a sense of peace and appreciation for how grand the earth is.  Then we go back and take naps.  Dinner that night is low key, but high flavor at Joe’s Farm Grill, and maybe a quick jump over to Barnone for live music and dessert!

Day 6:

A quick day trip to Picacho, AZ!! We’ll go see the ultimate petting zoo, Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch and Petting Zoo… it’s ridiculous, silly and so much fun! The array of animals is crazy: Ostrich, Ducks, Bunnies, Goats, Sheep, Deer, Donkeys, Lorikeets (my fav), and stingrays!  For lunch we swing by eegee’s, and Arizona Icon! A frozen treat restaurant that happens to also sell subs that are pretty good… but the eegee’s treat is where it’s at!!  To stick with the zoo animal theme, in the evening we’ll head to Goat Yoga!! Specially trained goats, alpacas and the occasional cow or camel all hang out with you while you do yoga is that led by a comical instructor. The photo ops are amazing, and the work out is super easy!  A quick drive through of the famous In-N-Out is perfect for this chill night.

Day 7:

Heading back to the Phoenix airport, we take a quick detour through Tempe for a yummy brunch at Morning Squeeze.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband who has been through it all. 16+ years supporting me while I chased my dreams and crazy ambitions over two different careers. He is my shoulder to cry on, my mentor when I need the motivation, and the loudest cheerleader when I have a win!

Website: cendyknight.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cendyknight/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cendy-knight/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CendyKnight