Meet Whitney StClair | Realtor- Mom – Wife

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

Hi Whitney, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
I think nobody really knows that answer but YOU! To be great at what you do there has to be sacrifices and failures along the way. YOU have to know and understand “why” you do what you do. “What” is your goal and “how” are you going to get there. Discipline and consistency in my opinion are the two of the most important aspects needed to achieve a goal. YOU need to know your boundaries. You also need to be brave enough to go outside those guardrails to grow. How many “no’s” are you willing to hear? You, consistently have to ask yourself, “is this the best version of me or can I give more?” Can I learn and grow from my mistakes? When you find a passion and you believe in yourself that you can do it….not much if anything will stop you from getting there. You do not care what people think. There will always be non-believers and haters but what is most important is your mindset. Do you believe in yourself? I can speak to the fact that there will be many times that you will want to quit because it was too hard physically, mentally and/or your were treated poorly. However, you have to go through those tough movements to get you to the next chapter and when you get to that next chapter you will once again be faced with more challenges and most likely harder challenges. You have to get comfortable with not being comfortable. You have to know that sometimes life just isn’t fair and isn’t always easy. Your mindset though is what will keep you disciplined and keep you consistent. Never let anyone tell you that you can NOT do something. If you want something bad enough the only option is to keep going. Give yourself grace. Take a moment or pause if you need it. Reevaluate and reflect what needs to change to get to the next step… You will only give up when the goal is no longer important to you otherwise the only option is to keep going!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started my real state journey in 2003. I was 24 years old and it was tough! Nobody took me serious because of how young i looked. I was used, taken advantage of and cut out of deals. I was put in situations I didn’t want to be in. My first few years really challenging. I worked for an ex–military gentleman so it was a very disciplined and held to high standards which at the time loathed but today I am very grateful those lessons were taught and instilled in me. It was after my first sale that I knew real estate was something that I wanted to do, I got recruited a year later to work for a builder. It was the dream job selling beachfront condos on the beach. My job was to be the hunter and find another old building that he could tear down and rebuild. I found it! After months of door knocking, calls, letters… I got a seller willing to sell. However what the builder had promised and told me hews going to pay panned out different. Rookie move, I took his word and hand shake and didn’t have it in writing! A month later I found out he went behind my back and closed the deal cash without me! It was a 6 figure commission and 8 listings that would come from it once completed with more commissions to be made. He called me in his office after he was aware I knew what he did and told me he give me $5000 for my time… I quit that day. It was also at this point I took a break and went to work in the corporate world which I was reminded again was NOT for me. The market crashed in 2008 and I convinced myself to believe that the corporate route was the safest way to go. I got married and had two awesome boys but something I felt was still missing from my life. My husband knew I was not happy in a corporate job and supported me in trying to start my own business. I shelved my real estate license again and opened up a beauty bar that I slaved at for over for 5 years. It was a ton of work with little reward. I was able to successfully sell it and decided it was time to go back to real estate. My first year back was another rocky ride. Again used, taken advantage of, cut out of deals. I had to set better boundaries. I talked to coaches and counselors about improving my self esteem and standing up for myself. I started viewing selling real estate not just as an opportunity to make money but an opportunity to really help people. I put to use some of the old training military ways in place and started creating my own brand. A brand that was true to me….I loved helping people. In fact II always have. I know that may sound trite but it is the absolute truth. I stopped thinking of it just as a transaction. Fast forward 7 years and I feel I am in a position not only where I can help clients but help younger agents as well. I got an email last month informing me that I had hit the top 1% in the state of real estate agents. I didn’t announce it because if your a realtor everyone tries to claim they are top this or top that but it was a huge accomplishment for myself. More important that email told me that I am helping a lot of people buying or selling their home. I also now understood that your home is such an important place. I want to continue to help people find not just a house but a community that they can call home. If they need to get to the next chapter of their journey, I want to help sell their home in the most effective and non-stressful way as possible. I love all the stories that I collect from this profession. I like to see a first time home buyer accomplish their goal, help a family move to a new home because their’s is growing, relocate to a new state. The most emotional ones are the houses that need to be sold because a loved one passed or need to moved into an assisted living. I don’t want to say I enjoy these but I know I am helping that family. I am helping them navigate through a difficult and sensitive situation. I want to be people’s connection to home. I want to help people get through one of their biggest decisions in their lifetime. I want them to l know I am there for them and that I have their best interests at the forefront of my mind. I want to exemplify that there is still good in this world and that good people find one another. I am a good vibes kind of girl and thats the energy I want to spread!

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.
What I love about Arizona is how diverse it is and all the beauty of nature it has to offer. I would want them to see a beautiful sunset with the cotton candy skies. At the same time I would want them to hike with me early morning to see the sunrise at the top of Tom’s Thumb. I have done many hikes along with a hot air balloon ride to show off Arizona’s topography and sun kissed skies. I would take them to Old town and Cave Creek and show them a sliver of what the wild west was and the history it left. Rusted Spur and Buffalo Chip would be on the list. If they golf I would want them to golf some of the most iconic courses AZ has to offer. I want to take them to my favorite street taco place at Taco Chelo and enjoy a prickly pear margarita, I share with them one of the newest attractions the Global Ambassador. If they wanted to enjoy a spa day I would take them to the Phoenician and be sure to grab a cocktail or two at the canal club! If I had more than one day I take them out to Lake Bartlett and show them a day on the lake in Arizona. I would make sure they saw wild horses and of course take them North to show them a sky full of stars at night! I would want them to fall in love with AZ as much as I have.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am grateful for all of the people in my life that believed in me and loved me for who I am. My husband, kids, family and friends. I am also grateful for the people who didn’t believe in me and made me feel like I was nothing. Those hard times is what actually made me a braver and stronger woman. I work with some of the most fascinating and amazing people. I learn daily from them. But if I had to pick who I want to dedicate my shoutout to it be my Grandmothers… two badass women who never gave up and always put others first.

Website: https://www.stclaircollective.com

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Image Credits
Rob Cordero – RCC Creative