Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christina Chang. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Christina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?
I’m THRILLED to be a business owner! It’s empowHering and exciting everyday! I get to wake up, connect and network with people, utilize my creativity, empower others to believe in themselves, and elevate a business to their full potential. When I launched The Sticky Advisor almost 2 years ago, my vision for other’s to have the confidence and courage to grow was my platform. Exiting out of 2020, where I was furloughed from my ‘regular’ job which I loved so much was heart breaking. I was leaving behind a luxury hospitality network that I connected with globally and seeing my peers lose sight of ‘who they were’ was disheartening. The year long furlough helped me dig deep and decide that my corporate days were over, this was a sign from the universe to create something I LOVED.
I’ve always helped my friends with solo marketing campaigns and kitschy literature to use towards their business…why not create a business doing what I love? That’s how ‘The Sticky Advisor – Making Ideas Stick’ was formed.
Reflecting back on pretty much my entire life, (I started working for someone else at age 14)…sharing my energy and passion with businesses and corporations who really didn’t get to know their employees, only the bottom line was not “it”, it wasn’t fulfilling at the end of the day and the feeling of appreciation was genuinely not there for me.
Running my own business and capitalizing on my freedom with limitless income is the new “it” way to go!
Christina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Growing up, my parents possessed admirable work ethic. At a young age, I was taught respect, discipline, a routine, working hard towards a goal to achieve it, and how to give and receive love. They worked SO hard to give me a life that was better than their childhood. When my dad passed away when I was 9 years old, my mom focused on her hair salon business and did everything she could to continue to show me that women are powHERful and can create a life of independence.
After graduation, I moved around in my 20’s…alot. I had nothing holding me back living financially independently. I traveled the world, lived in Boston, Miami, Austin, Houston…and eventually landed in NYC. This city filled with ambition, drive, and hustle made me into who I am today. I got into real estate in Manhattan and hit the ground running. I realized quickly, that I enjoyed networking and fostering relationships with my clientele to offer an elevated experience that no other agent could offer. The kitschy marketing campaigns and wittiness to be unique showcased naturally. Over the years, I saw my referral business directly impacted in a beneficial way towards my business.
Fast forward to my life here in Las Vegas, yes, I totally moved from one city that never sleeps to another. Moving out here, I left my NYC real estate career behind or so I thought. Initially working in a hotel as a Lead Concierge and VIP Services. I found myself connecting with guests and learning about who they were, why they were visiting, what they enjoyed doing, etc. and providing an unforgettable stay. While this role was short lived, I received an opportunity to move into a role training and selling luxury hotels around the world. Again, finding myself connecting with hotel vendors and companies, fostering relationships, traveling, and coming back to our office to showcase everything that a hotel group had to offer a guest and my agent’s selling the experience to luxury travelers going on vacation. What a great time, truly.
March 2020 deeply impacted this job. We were the first group furloughed right out of there and I found myself at home, quarantined, and on unemployment. It was ODD to me to go to the bank every week and magically see $1,000 sitting in this account that was created by our government. While the funds were appreciated, it did not make me feel great knowing that there were other’s who needed it more than I. This lasted until December 2020, where our group was called back and released for good with a severance and a pat on the back. I knew in my mind that would be LAST job I would take with the corporate world. I was not going to let my work ethic and value be determined by someone else, to meet their bottom line and not mine.
Rolling into 2021, a close friend of mine in Florida was talking about opening her own real estate group. Our history goes back to our teenage years and I was elated for her success in real estate, this was her vision to expand and I was all about it. I freelanced a fair compensation to assist her building this from the ground up and eventually, I became her Director of Development. Bringing my real estate knowledge and experience to pour into her and her team to elevate, grow, and believe in their success. While this was happening pretty quickly, we found ourselves creating our own marketing campaigns to showcase her personality on social media and this…was the gateway to launching my own marketing and branding company.
The Sticky Advisor – Making Ideas Stick debuted on 1.2.21. I haven’t looked back and only forward since opening my business. Speaking with hundreds of people, learning about how I can help with their business venture to grow organically, bringing outside ideas on how to elevate their vision, teaching them how to retain referral business by touching on their clients with a personal touch like a hand written card for their home anniversary, a birthday, the holidays, etc. It truly is about the little gestures that client’s appreciate and remember. I found my niche and I love every minute of it. I get to wake up and design the day I am going to have. Being a business owner has opened doors that I would never have had the opportunity to if I was capped in a corporate role, no more waiting for a final sign off, I am the final sign off!
I started seeing a return on my business last summer in 2022, amidst a divorce, I found myself connected with a local real estate team, The Najarro Group. The team lead has been in the business for 7+ years and needed assistance in marketing and developing a team of agents that were fairly new to the industry on their business and building confidence in stepping into their vision and making it their own. Still working with my Florida based real estate group virtually, The Cossette Group, where the team lead has been in the business 6+ years and needing assistance on retaining and growing referral business, and recently acquiring a local Hospitality Group, Breakfast Junkies, (a hip food and beverage concept), my biggest account to date. Lastly, a local luxury vehicle rental group, Las Vegas Midnight Rental, to assist with their social media presence.
Risking everything to follow my passion has landed me here today and blocking out the noise of doubt from others.
I’m grateful, thankful, and humbly blessed. I’m determined to continue to make an impact on others where they believe that they can have success, if they want it, it’s right there.
“I believe in you, do you believe in you”
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
My divorce!
I found myself very unhappy after a couple years and the lack of respect and appreciation I felt with my partner became very prevalent in 2020. I knew deep down in my soul this was not the end of my story for me. I had too much love to offer and give in a relationship. I developed severe anxiety and depression, praying, crying daily, etc. talking to my close friends and I just knew.
On my birthday in 2022, (which I celebrated alone), I said one last prayer to God to ‘show me a sign, I’m ready to listen, and whenever He would give it, I would leave this situation’….32 days later, He answered my prayer. One last argument and I filed for divorce the next day. 6 weeks later, I was divorced. No kids only splitting assets and the sale of the home.
As a woman in society, we are conditioned from generational history to stay. Stay if you’re unhappy, stay to hold and keep face, stay to make your family happy, etc. Waking up and breaking that generational stigma has empowered me to live freely without explanation. To love myself first, if I’m not receiving it the way I deserve.
Being a business owner has kept me busy but in the moments of silence, I am still alive, I have made it to the other side during this time where I had everything thrown my way to flatten me out.
My biggest piece of advice ladies is that if you are not respected, valued, shown consistent love and admiration and appreciation. Your time is up and there is something so much better waiting for you. God is building strength within you to trust His process and believe in yourself.
Life is amazing when you decide to put yourself first and make room for those that deserve your presence.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The most effective way is to stay in touch!
“Close a client and Keep a client” is my motto in real estate and marketing, or any business for that matter. Why abandon them after you collect a check? That’s not genuine!
Stay in touch, place calendar reminders in your phone to send an email or text , ‘how are you? how have you been doing?’ etc. Take note of their birthday while you’re working with them, send them a hand written card, etc.
Support them on their social media, Kids birthday? Comment and like their posts! Holiday’s are coming? Send them a Starbuck’s gift card and a holiday card, etc.
Do not ever be too busy to follow up and stay in touch, they were there for you when you needed the business, be there for them through their next chapters too!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thestickyadvisor.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestickyadvisor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100074987364628