Connect
To Top

Meet Trailblazer Angel Collins

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Angel Collins.

Angel, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Since I was a little girl, I knew that I was meant for a life greater than the life I was born into. I grew up in Cleveland with my biological mother who was an alcoholic, a drug addict, and a woman who always put all men before my sister and me. And a father who was nonexistent.

When I was 11 years old, child protective services took me away from my biological mother. By the grace of God, my sister and I were given to my aunt (who I now call my mother) and my Grandmother who adopted us years later. But the abuse, neglect, and sexual traumas I have experienced from childhood into adulthood had me spinning out of control and fast.

I remember knowing that if I wanted any chance at breaking these cycles, I had to leave my environment. At 17 years old, I joined the U.S. Army. To this day, this was the best decision I have ever made. The military gave me everything I had missed throughout my upbringing. It taught me discipline, structure, hard work, and most importantly- it exposed me to life outside what I knew. I found myself learning who I was. For the first time, I had goals. I had dreams. It was the start to a new beginning for me.

After spending eight years in the military, I made the decision to move on with my life. I was honorably discharged as a Sergeant. It was impossible to stay in an organization that was filled with sexism and racism. That’s a topic that I’ve never truly spoken out about until now.

My military experiences are what fueled me to become a proud feminist. My life experiences are what fueled my passion for humans. Throughout my entire life, I’ve learned to persevere through the pain to allow it to transform into purpose and passion. I strive to help others do the same.

Since leaving the military in 2016, I have graduated from Pepperdine University and found my love for real estate. As someone who was forced to move, time and time again, I am so passionate about helping others find a place to call home. There’s nothing more fulfilling to me than to be able to give someone the keys to their home where they are able to create their foundation for lifelong memories and the start to generational wealth through real estate.

But my proudest accomplishment has been becoming a mother. I have two baby boys, Valentino and GianCarlo, who are two years old and nine months. Motherhood is something that I cherish more than ever. I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to create a new legacy within my own family and break the generational dysfunction and chaos that I was once emerged in, but I’ve realized that in order to do this it’s up to me to build a new foundation.

I’ll be the first to admit that stepping into motherhood hasn’t been easy. I quickly felt the societal pressures of balancing a perfect home while launching my career as a realtor. It’s taken endless effort to fight for my own identity outside being a mother.

My goal is to help empower mothers to ignite their light within themselves and follow their dreams as well. I truly believe the way to live without any limitations in our minds and hearts is through community. I am a firm believer that it takes a village. I strive to build community through different mommy and my events. All of my events share a common goal which is creating a village of mamas who want to share, learn, and grow from each other.

Overall, I’m a strong spiritual woman who is also a mother, entrepreneur, and wants to spread the light I have with others.

Has it been a smooth road?
My biggest challenge (and at the same time my biggest motivation) has been becoming a mother before establishing my career. I’ve always dreamt of having a career, success, and a strong foundation before creating a family, but God had other plans. Both of our children were surprises. I wouldn’t change it for the world, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t hard as heck!

Let’s be real. IT’S HARD!

As a mother, I wear more hats than I thought I could ever manage. And the moment I stepped into motherhood, I felt the societal pressures and judgement that I know my male counterparts don’t face as fathers. Everyone has an opinion on what kind of mother you should be and how you should raise your children.

And let’s not forget the constant, “your life is over once you have kids” that I have heard too many times. It seems that this has been engraved into mothers by society that once you become a mother- your dreams and identity go away. I found myself trapped in this way of thinking too. It wasn’t until I had a shift in my mindset and broke away from this type of thinking that I stopped letting others project their fears onto me which led me to pursue my career as a realtor full-time. I want to be able to show other mothers that you can have it all.

But becoming a career-driven mother definitely comes with its own set of challenges.

There’s not a day that goes by that I am trying to find a balance between career and family. Like is there even such a thing? On the days that I am spending more time with my family and at home, I feel the guilt of not building my career fast enough. On the other hand, when I’m meeting the high demands of entrepreneurship, I have extreme guilt of missing time with my family.

I’m a work from everywhere mama. Work doesn’t stop when I leave the office. I work from home, the office, cafes, open houses, on family vacations, etc. This has forced our entire family to jump on board because it impacts their lives too. Everything from last minute schedule changes that are unavoidable in my field and living off of coffee because sleepless nights have become the new normal due to having kids so young and working late hours once the kids are in bed has definitely creates tension in our home sometimes. I’m often reminded that the price of working comes at the expense of our partners, family, and friends.

The only saving grace to this obstacle for me has been my honey, his mother, and our village. They have stepped up in every way to try and give me the support I need to spend more time focusing on my career. Each new phase of motherhood and entrepreneurship comes with a new learning curve for all of us.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a real estate agent who has branded myself as your favorite mom realtor because I cater to moms. Throughout history, men have been responsible for gaining financial literacy in order to make the best decisions for their family, but there is a shift happening. I truly believe moms are the future of family investments.

My goal is to empower moms with the education, knowledge, and resources they need to be able to start the conversations at home and take the necessary steps toward making better financial decisions for their families and themselves. A home isn’t just a place for making family memories, but a way to open up the future to endless possibilities. As a mother myself who came from humble beginnings, I’ve realized how important these decisions are for the future of our children and our own empowerment.

In today’s age of sales, people are too cautious and find themselves not taking a stance on issues of importance. They shy away from using their voice for positive change. Many people try to separate their voice from their career, but I’ve been able to turn my painful past into power. This power translates into my business. I am not afraid to use my voice and champion my position to serve my clients and ensure they get exactly what they want and are protected.

My military background has also shaped my business. As an entrepreneur you have to be able to take full ownership for all outcomes. The values, discipline, and extreme accountability I’ve learned from my military experience have helped me take full ownership of my business. I provide trust and loyalty that’s beyond business because I know that trust takes time to build, but can be gone in a heartbeat.

I hope by that by openly sharing my story, my clients feel the authenticity of who they are working with and the passion I have to ensure that their real estate investments become the facilitator to all their future dreams.

Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
The Miracle Morning has been a game changer to my career and total mental shift! Also, Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg is a great read for all women in the workforce.

Oh, and before I forget.. the family calendar Cozi has been a lifesaver for our ever-changing schedules.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Vanessa Gonzalez Photography

Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in