We speak with so many brilliant folks across dozens of industries and when those folks happen to be working for someone else, sometimes we can’t help but wonder why they aren’t working for themselves. How do folks decide between joining a firm or starting their own? We posed the question to the community and have shared some of their responses below.

Shannon Watkins

I originally joined a firm and started at Keller Williams on a team as a buyers agent. I made this choice because I knew I needed training. When in real estate school, I quickly realized that you didn’t learn too much that pertained to the actual business. Looking back I 100% believe I made the right choice. Read more>>

Gino Tozzi

In real estate you must join a brokerage first before you can start your own brokerage. The only way to start your own brokerage is to get a brokers license. Then you can either stay with the brokerage you are at, jump to a new one, or start your own new brokerage. When I got into the business, it was very important for me to learn the landscape as best as possible. In order to do that I studied all of the local brokerages in my area and interviewed at several of them. Read more>>

Diane Littlejohn

When I graduated law school in 2010, the country was still in the middle of the Great Recession. Attorney jobs were very difficult to come by during that time, When I graduated law school I did not have an attorney position lined up. After graduation and while I was waiting on my bar results, I started working document review as a temp. Document review is a job that many attorneys work while they are either still looking for employment or building their law firms. Read more>>

Alex Coffman, Matt Teifke N/A

We started Teifke Real Estate in May 2020, at the start of the pandemic. Our biggest lesson to share here: Take massive action. Have massive outreach, pitching our vision, constant trying to find the right people to work WITH us. It was constantly just building this core group of enTREpreneurs that built the base/foundation of brought us where we are today. People who bought into our vision and willing to go on this journey WITH us. Read more>>