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Life and Work with Kay Kutwin

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Kay Kutwin.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Kay. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in a small town in Poland. When I was 18, I got an opportunity to come to the USA and attend college at the University of Iowa. I accepted and my new life adventured begins. I came to Midwest knowing just some English I have learned in high school. I studied hard and graduated from the Henry B. Tippie College of Business with a nearly perfect GPA. After graduation, I received a job offer with a company in Newport Beach California and accepted it. In a week, I packed up my life and was on my way. This journey has taken me 5800 miles from the home I have lived in Poland.

I started working in a very strict and unhealthy corporate environment and it made me wonder if this is something I really want to do after I already sacrificed moving away from family and friends and working hard in college on my Business Degree. I figured I already made so much progress in life and this terrible corporate job couldn’t be all there was in life that I have worked so hard for at this point. I decided that life is too short and living in one of the most beautiful places and sunny weather wasn’t enough to keep me happy.

One Saturday evening, one of my friends suggested that I would be good at sales and should do something in that area. I didn’t sleep that night thinking about this new possibility. Soon, I came up with a business plan and started work on building an online store. In the beginning, everything seemed to be going according to plan. I started making some serious sales the very first month and soon, I was finally able to quit my job! The day I quit was one of the most exciting and liberating days ever! Even though I moved from working 40 hours a week to working 95 hours a week. I loved being an entrepreneur it and couldn’t be happier! Soon, I was attended many fashion shows and events in Los Angeles and in New York. What basically started, as a dream has become a successful business! I continued working hard, hired some help, which enabled the business to continue to grow. I was living a dream; travel, events, fashionable clothes, fashion shows. I also created a styling service as a part of expanding the business and increased the inventory from roughly 100 items to over 5,000. It was a wonderful journey.

Following friends recommendation not to put all my eggs in one basket I decided to look for a new additional opportunity. I remembered that right after moving to California I got a new number, which belonged most likely to some real estate agent. I was getting dozens of phone calls a week from people inquiring about some properties. It was very annoying yet surprising that there was such an incredible interest. Although that wasn’t the main reason why I decided to get a real estate license. I got my license and joined Berkshire Hathaway one of the most renowned real estate agencies in America. And so, another life journey begins.

I re structured my entire e-commerce business and hired a manager to run it for me. I refocus on real estate. I enjoyed doing something that had a bigger impact on people’s lives. I decided to utilize all my online marketing experience and developed a solid business plan I was able to achieve my business goals in the first year, which is the most challenging for most new agents.

Has it been a smooth road?
There have been plenty of bumps in my journey. Because my e-commerce business grew very fast I dealt with many major technical issues that lead to delays and lots of sleepless nights. The fast grow was great, however, there were a million things that still needed to be figured out, and taken care of and it was as if there were not enough hours in a day.

One evening, I started feeling sick and I got a very sharp pain in my shoulder and couldn’t breathe! I ended up in the hospital and was diagnosed with advanced Lymphoma. My life fell apart at that moment. After several months of testing and spending almost every single day at the doctor’s office, I was told it actually probably wasn’t cancer but it’s most likely a disease called Sarcoidosis. Apparently, it’s a very rare and mysterious condition hard to diagnose for which there isn’t any cure. I learned to manage this and reduce my stress, which helped minimize many of my symptoms. Today I am feeling better than ever. Although after that experience nothing seems even closely as stressful anymore.

Starting any type of business requires a lot of dedication and patience. I would recommend at least at the beginning having another job or plan no matter what you do. It may be hard to manage but it always leaves you with other option and it will be very comforting in case if one part of the business suffers. Assume the worst but work hard for the best. I also recommend trying to set boundaries and focus on having a balanced healthy life. It’s easy to forget to sleep especially when you work on something you love.

If you are able to have a mentor to guide your professional growth and development it is a big advantage. This is one of the key things I looked for in moving towards real estate. I had to learn everything on my own for my e-commerce business and there were many times I had lots of questions and no one to ask. I do believe in continuous learning and improving your business acumen. Even if you have no experience you can always learn on your own. Learn everything related to your business and develop talents that your clients, bosses, and coworkers will find useful and of value. More knowledge builds more confidence, which attracts opportunities and eventually leads to bigger things.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Kay Kutwin Realtor® – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I work as a Realtor in Orange County I specialize in working with residential buyers and sellers. I have experience with some of the most challenging and difficult transactions, which makes an average sale a piece of cake. I have over 7 years of marketing experience and thank my brokerage access to some of the newest and most advanced technology, which allows me to assist my clients in the best way possible. My previous experiences made me extremely adaptable and confident in everything I do. I do believe in continuous learning and I spend at least one hour a day educating myself on new laws, market trends, new developments and other factors related to real estate such as who is the top rated landscape architect in Newport Beach, so I can surprise my clients and get them connected with the best service providers. The key is to be prepared for everything and anytime as you never know when an opportunity may show itself. I am very persistent and tenacious and in the difficult competitive market, it is probably one of the most useful traits. I require an hour introductory appointment with all clients before we move to view homes. It helps me better understand my clients home needs and if they really want to buy or sell a house, I make sure this happens. Personal contact is an important key to success as opposed to burying a client with emails.

What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
One barrier for many women is a lack of confidence and support in what they do. I was lucky to grow up in a family with strong female role models. I am a self-starter and was never afraid of risk; however, I know a lot of people who either feel scared, lost or lack support and encouragement. I am blessed with the most wonderful friends who have always been there for me and support me in whatever I do. It is important to encourage each other. Sometimes, even the smallest compliment or show of appreciation can make a huge difference.

Specifically in real estate, I think that it is very difficult to start your career and we all have a fear a failure; however, I am a big believer that we always regret things we haven’t at least tried. If you never start you will never finish.

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