Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alexa Conomos. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alexa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us a bit about who your hero is and the influence they’ve had on you?

My grandmother is my forever hero. Penelope Conomos, my Yiayia, was born in the tiny village of Agia Anastasia on the island of Kythera in Greece in 1910. From her infancy, her father left Greece to find work in Australia and send money home to the family – a practice that was somewhat standard for many Greek families in that day. She never met her father and grew up living in a two-room stone structure with her mother, two sisters, and brother. The family slept on the floor in one room and her donkeys and a few other animals slept in the other room. Her family was so poor that she sometimes did not own shoes to carry her on the three mile walk to the village school. She never surpassed a third grade education and ultimately took care of her ailing grandparents and worked the olive fields. At the age of 15, her father was finally reunited with the family. She was beyond thrilled to travel to the port and meet his ship – and him – for the first time, only to learn that he had passed away on the voyage back to Greece. It was one of many heartbreaks for my grandmother. At the age of 18, she reluctantly entered into an arranged marriage with my grandfather, John Conomos. That marriage did become a love story. To the heartbreak of her loving mother, my Yiayia and “Papou” emigrated to the United States three years later, and my grandmother would not see her mother for almost 20 years. Yiayia learned to speak English and adapt to American life while growing her family. She managed to thrive during the Depression and World War II, not knowing what had become of her family in occupied Greece until after the war. She built a beautiful life in this country based on her determination, hard work, sacrifice, and grit. She worked at our family diner and then later at a cannery across the street from where I would later attend college. And despite outliving three of her four children – she always relied on her faith and belief in God. Yiayia also loved to dance – whether it was the traditional Greek dances of her village or the American ballroom dancing she learned on Saturday nights – she believed that to dance was to celebrate life, and that life must always be celebrated. When I used to ask her how she faced the many trials and tribulations of her life journey, she would simply answer, “such is the life.” When I would marvel at all she had accomplished, she would only say, “Who me? I’m nothing. I’m no one.” I know that my grandmother regretted her lack of a formal education. I think in many ways, she felt “less than”. But I always wanted to scream from a mountain top that she was the most special, incredible village girl turned modern woman that I had ever met. She was and always will be my hero.

Alexa, 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?

My career path is like a book that has two chapters! I enjoyed a career as a broadcast journalist for two decades working for legacy station WFAA-TV Channel 8/ABC in Dallas-Fort Worth, sister station Texas Cable News, and the NBC affiliate in Palm Springs, CA. For 19 of those 20 years, I awoke at 3 am to be a part of the morning news team. As a mother of three children and the wife of a busy restauranteur (who’s also a lawyer!), it was time to hang up the alarm clock and seek a more forgiving schedule, while doing work I found stimulating and fulfilling. Ultimately, like so many others, I sought a second wind. A “Chapter 2” that would allow me to be my own boss, to run my own schedule, and to ultimately be a more rested, mentally present mom and wife. So, as I was finishing my final year in the local TV news business I got my real estate license and created my own residential real estate boutique brand: Anderson Conomos Team. Brokered through Keller Williams Urban Dallas, I serve a special group of select clients throughout the Metroplex and utilize my broadcast skills to produce video vignettes that tell the story of the homes I sell. It’s been an awesome way to blend my former career with my new one. And along the way, I discovered that there’s still time to flex my multimedia muscles.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

I think the most effective strategy for growing my special group of clientele is my ability to connect with people on a personal level. Like delivering the news every morning, real estate relationships are built on trust, credibility, connection. The ability to connect with someone on a very human level is the foundation for any relationship – whether it be personal or professional. Everything else unfolds organically and beautifully after a true connection has been established.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Unlike many other professionals, I’m honestly not hunting for new clients because my first priority is maintaining my own work-life balance. However, my existing clients – who are very special to me – do serve as best source of new clientele. If they recommend someone to me, I know most likely I’ve got the foundation to build another special client relationship.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.achomestexas.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexaconomos/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexaconomos/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexaconomos
• Other: www.alexaconomos.com