A Crossroads I Didn’t See Coming

In 2001, I found myself at a personal and professional crossroads. Life had thrown me into the fog of change, and I wasn’t sure what came next.

A friend—watching from the sidelines—offered a suggestion:

“You should go into real estate.”

I laughed out loud.

At the time, I was thriving in nonprofit fundraising at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, creating high-energy, high-impact events with the Miami Dolphins and other major sports teams. One of my proudest moments was launching a fishing tournament in 1995 that raised $50,000 in its first year—despite countless “experts” telling me it would never work. They said, “People don’t pay to enter tournaments. They fish to win prize money.” I trusted my gut, flipped the model, and proved them wrong. That tournament still runs today.

So when real estate came up, my first thought was: Absolutely not. I pictured chauffeuring strangers around, hoping for a sale—not exactly the path I imagined after two postgraduate degrees and a career in luxury fundraising.

The Suggestion That Changed Everything

Then came a second suggestion, this time with nuance:

“What about new development sales for a luxury condo project? You’d be incredible at it.”

That caught my attention. I had luxury retail experience, understood high-touch service, and knew the psychology of discerning buyers. I slept on it.

The next day, I signed up for the real estate course. A few months later, I was in a boutique condo hotel sales office in Miami Beach—launching a real estate career I never saw coming.

The Boom Before the Bust in Miami Real Estate

In the early 2000s, Miami was electric. My mentor invited me to join her team for a major project on Brickell: The Four Seasons. But then 9/11 happened.

The market froze. Projects stalled. So I hustled—balancing freelance contracts in sports marketing and boutique new development sales. Eventually, I joined Premier Sales Group, led by powerhouse women Carolyn Block Ellert and Laurie Engber. They had trained under Louise Sunshine in NYC and built a luxury real estate sales machine.

From late 2002 to mid-2006, Miami’s condo market was a frenzy—projects sold out in hours, buyers camped for days, and 400+ units would move in a single weekend. I managed teams, oversaw launches, and negotiated contracts. It was exhilarating.

But cracks were forming. By mid-2006, South Florida was ground zero for the subprime mortgage crisis. Risky loans, mortgage fraud, and defaults were everywhere. The boom was about to end.

The Pivot That Changed My Career

In September 2006, the project I’d been pouring my energy into abruptly shut down—officially “due to lack of funding,” but in truth, we’d been in limbo for six months. The news wasn’t a shock, but it was a sign.

I turned down an offer in quiet Pompano Beach. Friends in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York were thriving. I had no reason to stay put. Three calls, a few meetings, and one week later, I landed in Manhattan.

Becoming an Accidental New Yorker

I never dreamed of New York. I’d grown up in the Midwest, skipped the high school art trip to SoHo, and visited only a handful of times. But sometimes life doesn’t ask what you want—it asks what you’re ready for.

My first NYC assignment? Managing a hybrid team from Miami and New York on a 300+ unit Financial District development. Operations, contracts, client negotiations, sales floor—everything. I clocked 70-hour weeks, relying on instincts, hustle, and a growing capacity for pressure.

I missed my car. I missed Florida’s skies. But I made a choice: accept every part of it.

Nineteen Years Later…

I thought I’d stay for two years. It’s been nineteen.

That Midwest-turned-Florida girl who swore she’d never live in New York now leads a top-producing Manhattan real estate team. I’ve weathered three market cycles, sold some of the city’s most beautiful homes, and built a business rooted in truth, strategy, and high-touch service.

Here’s what I know: Sometimes the best journeys are the ones you never plan. Sometimes the wildest pivots lead to the most aligned work of your life.

And if you embrace change with open eyes and a clear heart, you might just end up exactly where you were meant to be all along.

If you’re navigating a life change, mid-life transition, or simply standing at your own crossroads, know this: you don’t have to do it alone. Whether it’s real estate or the next chapter of your journey, I’d love to be a resource and sounding board. Feel free to reach out—I’m always just a conversation away.