We recently connected with Christopher Ken Macon and have shared our conversation below.
Christopher Ken, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?
I personally think that taking children through 12 years of school thinking that spending thousands of dollars on more school is the only way to be successful, is not only untrue but a hindrance to their growth. The world is about growth and change and everyone doesn’t need college to be successful. Trade schools are a better fit in my honest opinion. Going through 4-6 years of college where you only work in your field the last 1-2 years of college is a money gimmick.
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’m a Millennial, African American, LGBT Real Estate Professional from the historic Tuskegee, Al. Growing up in the “Deep South” we honestly did not learn much about entrepreneurship and the limitless ways to change the world by doing something that you actually love. I do believe that my school did well in teaching us about school, but I feel like it lacked in teaching us about the real world. After living in the Deep South for a while, I decided to Branch out and found myself in the FL, TX, and finally the DMV, where I was able to see the world through a whole new lens. My very first job was Burger King and from there I worked in several different customer service, as well as collection positions. Through all those changes, I always felt like something wasn’t right. From seeing how companies didn’t care about your well-being to things as small as having to ask or tell someone when you need to use the restroom, that just wasn’t the life that I wanted to live and I started to explore ways that I could become my own boss, make my own schedule, and live life how I wanted to. Being a young queer man I saw how things such as my sexuality hindered me when my education should have promoted me. One thing I will say I learned from the south, as well as from my upbringing, is that you can complain about it or you can do something about it. So, that’s just what I did! From making T shirts, owning an LGBT beauty pageant, driving ride-share, entertainment, and other side gigs, I found that being in control of my schedule (my life) and having no limits on the results, progress, and income I could make, was the way to truly live the life I wanted. I feel like every career path I took lead me to my real estate career. From customer service and knowing how to comfort my clients, to my collection background and knowing how to stand up and negotiate on behalf of my clients, it all became a full circle moment. I love that my career keeps me going, keeps me striving, keeps me motivated, and most importantly keeps me reminded why I do what I do. I’m super proud to see my family name MACON becoming a household name and being posted by my clients and supporters all around. Just to think that this young, African American, queer man has made a change in so many families is beyond anything I could have imagined. Funny story my dad likes to remind me of is being in grade school constantly saying I wanted to be the first black president lol….. Obama did that and did it well and though I may not have become the president of the U.S., I did become president of MACONITHAPPEN LLC.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Yes! The story that made me pivot in my business career and life, all at once, is the story of my process going into the real estate Field. After taking the classes I needed, it immediately made me see how renting was such a waste of my time and money and motivated me to purchase. Immediately after passing my first real estate exam for Washington DC, I started the journey of buying a home. Because I had been doing rideshare for the last 3 years and writing off any and everything I could think of, I was not qualified for the next two years to buy a home. It was then that I realized how uninformed I was about a lot of things. I always handled my business when it came to the day-to-day things but I never truly understood how some other things that we use for temporary relief could be detrimental in the future. After the two years of accurately filing my taxes I knew I was ready to go. To make a long story short, it took me five lenders and 8 months to close on a house that I loved. The part that a lot of people don’t know is I moved into the house before I closed on the house because I was assured that everything with my deal was good. Rewinding a little, at the age of 16 I found myself homeless because I didn’t feel understood by my family and decided to move out on my own. When I first moved to the DMV area for the first year I had that same scare to come about until I got myself situated. When I finally did moved into this house, that I knew was mine, I was told by my current lender that they would not be able to process my deal and I once again found myself possibly facing homelessness. Little to no one knew what I was going through with this situation but I thought through it and 8 months later I closed on the home I wanted and loved. It changed my business because I had to align myself with a different set of people, created a new meaning for how I would operate my life and business, and it truly gave me the strength to fight for my clients in every situation. Though I hated the situation when I was in it, it made me stronger for any and every situation I’ve faced with my clients. There is no testimony without a test.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
The biggest thing that I think helped me build my reputation within the market is being true to who I am. Moving to the DMV you’re pressured to become someone else, if you want to fit in. Because I had years of grooming and loving who I was, I opted not to do this. Sticking to my Southern Roots, keeping my “accent”, giving the southern hospitality I was raised on, and always dressing to the nines I can truly say I’ve solidified my space as the Fashion Realtor of the DDMV (DE, DC, MD, VA).
Contact Info:
- Website: maconithappenllc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maconithappenrealtor/tagged/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christopher.macon.9655
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-macon-633463255
- Twitter: SS_
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UChaNeBfYN5mGqtStO1QMr-Q
- Other: NAGLREP https://naglrep.com/agent-rating-form/