We recently connected with Ali WEnzke and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Ali thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started sooner or later?
My husband, Dan, and I moved ten times in eleven years, and I’ve lived in seven U.S. states. Our many moves inspired me to start my blog, www.artofhappymoving.com, and write my book, The Art of Happy Moving. It wasn’t until after my book came out that I decided to become a real estate agent.
If I could go back in time, I would have started my career in real estate sooner, because I love what I do. My blog and book were about helping people through one of the most stressful periods of their lives. Now I get to be intimately involved in the process, as I guide my clients through the logistics and the emotions of buying or selling a home. When a client tells me, “You made this less stressful for me,” I know I’m doing exactly what I’m meant to be doing.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I am the author of The Art of Happy Moving: How to Declutter, Pack, and Start Over While Maintaining Your Sanity and Finding Happiness. My husband and I moved ten times in eleven years throughout the country, and we made several of those moves with our three children. I believe that moving can be a happy experience as it’s an opportunity for a fresh start, and we don’t get too many of those in life. I provide decluttering and organizational guidance, because early preparation can make a big difference in whether a move is a happy one or not.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
My life has been one pivot after another, often defined by which city we were living in at the time. After graduating from law school in California, we settled in Chicago and started our family. I loved being a stay-at-home mom in our Lincoln Park neighborhood. Then, we moved to Knoxville, TN, and for the first time in my life, I found it difficult to make friends in a new community. The loneliness I felt inspired me to create a company. It was like match.com, but for people who were new to a city and looking for platonic relationships. Since I didn’t have the capital to fund the company to the level it required for success, I decided to write instead. I started my blog and wrote my book, The Art of Happy Moving. Starting a career in real estate felt like a major pivot, but it turned out to be a happy and natural progression from all the steps that came before it.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I built my reputation in my market by being honest and having a positive outlook. I laid out all my moving mistakes in my book, The Art of Happy Moving, so that others could learn what not to do. My core belief is to put relationships first and the business will follow from that. In the end, it’s about the people in your life. So, that’s where I put my focus.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aliwenzke.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/aliwenzke
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AliWenzkeAuthor
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliwenzke/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliwenzke
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM4mDffvLiKMqWBrZF8r8ZQ
Image Credits
Scott Edwards | EFG Image