We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Angela Pennella a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Angela, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I live a purpose driven life.

Since my early twenties, I’ve been on a relentless journey to inspire, educate, challenge, and motivate others on the way they live their life. That mission was stamped in my brain after surviving a nearly fatal car accident that resulted in severe head trauma, broken ribs, thousands of stitches to my face and body, massive internal injuries, and so much more. I was 23 years old.

Life can change in an instant. It did for me on that Friday afternoon. A reckless driver crossed the double yellow lines and hit me head on going over 55mph in a 35mph zone. He wasn’t paying attention and he almost killed me. I had a very long and hard recovery process physically, emotionally, and mentally. I chose to see the trauma with a new perspective on life and a way to serve and share what I learned to help others. Looking back at it now, maybe it was a blessing in disguise and all part of God’s plan for my life. After several sessions of EMDR therapy, I recalled memories of hearing God speak to me in the car saying “don’t give up, they are coming for you, don’t give up!” From that moment, I know He exists. I live to be a messenger for His love until the day I go to Heaven. As time has passed and I’ve healed through different types of therapy, including neurofeedback, I have fallen in love with studying the brain and the nervous system. It fascinates me! I also love being an advocate for the head injury community and it’s one of my goals to speak nationally for the TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) community.

When I sense someone needs encouragement, I will ask how they are doing and if I can inspire them. I’ll sometimes even introduce myself to them as “The Hope Angel” (Angela means messenger of God). It’s part of my mission to build relationships and encourage, educate, and build hope in the lives of others. I do that in all areas of my life, including my real estate business, a local non-profit (San Diego Brain Injury Foundation) that I’m a board member on, motivational speaking, friends/family, strangers I meet, everyday encounters, etc. I always try to look at life from a different perspective and with more purpose and joy. I’m constantly saying to myself and others “it’s a great day to be alive!”

My real estate business, Angie’s Homes, is simply a mission field where I build relationships with buyers, sellers, and investors to help them build wealth through real estate. I’m the super connector. My motivational talks offer people a chance to see their life through a different lens, as well as learn tips and techniques to become present and grounded when work life and personal life becomes stressful.

Angela, 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?

Currently, I am the founder/real estate professional at Angie’s Homes San Diego. In 2013, I was looking for part-time work while I was building my speaking/coaching business, Achiever Syndrome services. During that time, a real estate broker hired me as an Inside Sales Associate, which was basically making cold calls for appointments. That’s where the journey into real estate began.

It was never my goal to be a Real Estate Professional. It just happened. Fellow agents and brokers encouraged me to get my real estate license because I was dynamic at prospecting and getting appointments from cold calls. Lead generation and prospecting is a good skill to have in any business, especially in real estate. It was 2013 when I began thinking that selling real estate is simply my mission field to help people achieve their (real estate) goals. I made a decision. I changed my mindset on how I saw my work. By seeing my business through a different lens, I could inspire others, educate them, help them see their goals are possible and achievable. The world is my mission field and there is opportunity everywhere. I help people buy, sell, and invest in real estate locally and I connect them with my referral partners throughout the country and world.

When I’m at networking events and parties and others ask me what I do for a living, I respond with “I’m in the business of building relationships, and I do that by selling real estate.” Surviving that car accident has allowed me to walk in the shoes of how many people might feel day to day. It gave me compassion, empathy and boldness. I think “what’s the worst that could happen?!” I use my past experiences to connect on a deeper level with others quickly….that builds trust. I am in the trust business. I ask the questions that touch people and get to the core, sometimes only after knowing someone for a couple minutes. Life is short. Time is precious. I’m not wasting time. Ask!

I founded the name “Angie’s Homes” because almost everyone knows me as Angie and I sell homes, so it sounded familiar and catchy!

Ever since my car accident in 2002, I wanted to be a motivational speaker. I became a life coach in 2011 and eventually started a business and got that trademark registered through the US Patent and Trademark office in 2013 called Achiever Syndrome services. Before my car accident in 2002, I was a Division 1 college volleyball player and succeeded and achieved at most things I set my mind to. After the trauma, I always knew I wanted to inspire others and help them have a purposeful mindset.

I am most proud of my discipline to persist and not give up. I know when to “flip the switch” on and focus. When I got hurt, I never thought “why me?” Instead, I thought “what am I going to do about this now?!” It’s the same thing in business or my personal life, I don’t say/think “why me or why did this happen … .BUT…what can I/we do about this now?”

I didn’t fully commit to real estate until 2019, even though I have been working part-time since 2013. I stuck with it. I asked God how He wanted to use me to help others. I wondered why I was in real estate to begin with. Everyone is a realtor! I didn’t wake up one day and say “I want to sell real estate.” It just happened. I remained close to God. Asked for guidance. He has shown me and has opened doors in my business and many areas of my life. He is still opening doors and I’m excited about the future and what that holds.

I have a strong passion to help those who have suffered a head injury and it’s one of my goals to be a voice for that community. I am a survivor and have much to share that could assist or inspire others in their recovery. I have a God given gift to encourage others and it’s part of who I am. My brain has changed for the better since the trauma and I have changed. Part of my purpose is to speak to others on how they can do it too, head injury or not.

Another one of my goals is to speak on local and national panels to help professionals who serve and help those with head injury to better understand them and their everyday challenges.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

When you stay true to yourself and you’re in alignment with who you were created to be, the clients/results will follow.

I think an effective strategy for me has been building connections in the areas that I truly love, which is health, travel, wellness, business (wealth building) and the brain. Meeting people with similar interests and building connections. Having powerful conversations. I embrace the mindset of how can I serve others, do they need something that I might have to offer and if I don’t have it, how can I help put them in touch with someone that does. I always come from a place of service and contribution. Put others before yourself.

Building relationships with others in the industries that you are passionate about is vital. You never know who you can serve, so be bold and get involved. Go to networking events. It’s better if you don’t know anyone else there! Ask powerful questions. Have more conversations with people. At the grocery store, at the bank, coffee shop, on the beach, talk to your neighbors. Make eye contact and say hello.

Susan Scott wrote in her book Fierce Conversations, ‘”the conversation is the relationship.”

Asking powerful open-ended questions brings opportunity for fierce conversations that are deep and connecting. That is where trust is built. I ask people the questions that get to the core of their being/motivation for what they want, what lights them up, how does it serve them/others, what kind of lifestyle do they want, etc.

When you ask people about themselves and their needs, let them talk and listen to hear what’s important to them. Then they feel heard and understood. People want to feel understood.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In July 2010, I was an Account Manager for Stryker Medical selling medical device equipment in northern New Jersey. I was put on a performance plan to sell $900,000 of medical equipment in 3 months or I would be asked to resign. I finished in the top rankings at the end of the third month, but I just missed my sales quota of $900,000. It was now September and I was living in Hoboken NJ. I was out of the job at the end of the month and my apartment lease was up one month later. So, I thought to myself….”are you really happy here in NJ? What do you REALLY want to do with your life?? You almost died at 23 yrs old. What do you really really want?!”

In October 2010, I made a change and packed up my stuff in Hoboken and put almost everything in a 10×10 storage unit and moved home for a couple months. I always dreamed of living by the beach. So, I booked a flight for the end of October and flew to San Diego for 10 days to “test out” and see if it’s a place I would want to move to. I didn’t have family there and I met a couple people from a weekend trip earlier that Summer. I decided to go by myself and explore. Get to know myself more and think about the life I wanted to have.

It was November and my parents picked me up from the airport and my Dad asked “so you think you’re going to do it?” (meaning move there). I said, yes! It was at that moment I made the decision to move to San Diego.

December came and I packed up my Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo and drove cross country to Arizona with my Mom. December 30th I drove the last leg of the trip solo, about 5.5 hours to a furnished room I found for rent in the Marina District downtown. The next day was New Year’s Eve and I was ringing in the new year pretty much solo. I had a new roommate and one friend from high school who lived downtown San Diego. That was it.

What I have learned on my journey…
Don’t let your dreams die! Keep them alive in your mind. Visualize them. Record voice memos to remind yourself of who you are becoming. Be courageous. It’s ok to do things alone. Instead of thinking “why me? or why did this happen?” you ask yourself “what am I going to do about this now? What do I really want? What lights me up?”

Pivot with purpose! Choose to see the pivot or change as a learning opportunity to shift your focus and get you on a new path. Decide who you want to be every day!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.AngiesHomesSD.com
• Instagram: angela_pennella15
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angela.pennella.79
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angieshomessd/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDmdna53jorejHL9IJBm_Pw
• Other: www.AchieverSyndrome.com IG @angieshomessd