We were lucky to catch up with Debbie Guthery Owen recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Debbie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?

Education is all-encompassing in how we learn to see ourselves in the world. Since children are impressionable at such a young age cultivating their talents is key. Like a thumbprint, each child carries an originality. Unfortunately today, our teachers are not compensated or able to embrace each child individually. Smaller classrooms, more support, and more freedom are necessary to nurture our children. Not only does it allow the child to experience their passions, their confidence is embraced.

I was diagnosed with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) when I was 4. Not much was known about the diagnosis other than it was considered to be an attention deprivation. Today, Drs have since found that ADD is not a deficit, it has in fact, been proven to be an ability to absorb more information than normal to the point it can overwhelm their senses which can present as unattentive behavior.

I had a high school teacher who recognized my abilities and instead of using discipline, she used redirection. She would assign projects that challenged me that were not necessarily in the core curriculum, so when I completed the assignments I was rewarded instead of restricted. I truly believe that this type of validation gave me the ability to use critical thinking when searching for solutions. It gave me the confidence to try things that I would have been fearful of trying and it gave me the ability to realize that my ADD did not define me but instead, it empowered me.

I have owned three businesses, but I did not graduate from college. I learned from trial and error and I learned that anything is possible with hard work, focus, and passion.

Debbie , 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?

Real estate was not a chosen career, instead it was a necessity. I needed a job that was flexible so that I could raise my son. I was a single parent. I was nursing a writing career–which takes time and money to expand and happened to meet my mentor in the industry. He needed help, it was flexible with hours, and I needed a job. Together we relaunched his real estate business, I learned from one of the best mentors in the local industry and I fell in love with the job.

I think what I am most proud of, is that there were a lot of rocky roads that I have been down, but I have never given up on the objections (though there were many times I’ve wanted to do so.) I have learned to face adversity, criticism, and things outside my control.

The company that I co-founded with a dear friend has been open for 5 years. We are slowly beginning to grow, and we have so much support and compassion around us, it inspires us not only to keep going but to be grateful for our clients and customers who have trusted us and supported us for the many years we’ve been around. Our of a vision comes grace out of grace comes blessings. We are truly blessed.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Funding is not available to open real estate offices unless you have investors. I did not want to be indebted to investors because there is so much risk in our industry I self-funded. There were three of us when we started, and with the combination of their sales and my sales, we paved the way to grow our company organically. Take risks only when we have the forecasts to see a conservative benefit. We grew organically, and we brought in Brokers who saw our values and supported our vision.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Not all my businesses have been successful. In fact, my first business was with my husband and it failed, at first. We had no idea what were doing and the challenges that came with that were difficult and not knowing the steps to take such as how to retain employees, how to set up the company, and how to make money was done by trial and error. I think when you start a business, you learn as you eventually can take off the training wheels and fly. I think we spend so much time on the plan and too much energy is wasted and the doors to the business never open. I think being able to learn to fail instead of fail and retreat has been the best lesson of resilience for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pinnaclepoint.net
• Instagram: debbie_guthery_owen
• Facebook: Debbie Guthery-Owen
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/debbie-guthery-owen-8887a86
• Twitter: @NashvilleDebbie

Image Credits
Aaron Mosley