We were lucky to catch up with Dylan Green recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dylan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

I was born with a sweet tooth for calculated risk. It’s been a particularly ongoing theme for my 20s, and as I close in on 30 I’ve spent some time reflecting on those choices and the incredible places they’ve taken me.

In the past year, I made some big changes – I moved to Dallas and added real estate into my repertoire. I was previously situated in Portland, Oregon where I spent my time working as a freelance creative director, leading brand design and campaign projects for all sorts of industries. A very real reality was beginning to set in, which was the constantly rising cost of rent vs the constant decline of quality of life. This encouraged me to look outside of the community that I was rooted in and it just so happened that the real estate market in Dallas was in a uniquely exciting position.

Long story short, I bought my first home, moved halfway across the country, and dove headfirst into a new community. Within 7 months my real estate agent convinced me to get my license and within 36 days I had my license and joined the ranks of the exemplary Rogers Healy and Associates. There were a lot of risks involved in getting to that point, and they’ve all resulted in massive personal growth and a much deeper injection into a place that I’ve come to love in a special way.

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

My first love was music. I completed a two-year program in Seattle, Washington focused on composition and audio engineering, and tested the waters touring with a band and working at a venue. As it turns out, living in a van with 5 guys wasn’t a lifestyle that worked for me.

I took my minimal Photoshop skills honed on band merch and posters and evolved them into brand design. While I developed these skills I spent some time working as a commercial asset manager, opened a hotel, and a restaurant. This was a pretty wild couple of years that I will always be proud of. I wouldn’t say that it all worked out the way that I’d hoped, but I proved my mettle during these years.

I made a full commitment to design in 2017 and by 2019 felt ready to join the design-centric community of Portland, Oregon. I moved with a small book of business and launched myself into connecting with folks and generating more work. Right when things started to bubble up COVID-19 struck planet Earth. The next moment of pride for me was that I was able to keep my business going with zero government assistance and doubled my book of business in both 2020 and 2021.

Finally, the Texas chapter. Buying my first home and joining the ranks of Rogers Healy and Associates were both incredibly difficult experiences but both rendered a deep feeling of pride and accomplishment. Dallas is one of the most vibrant and lovely communities I’ve ever been a part of, and real estate has been an incredible bridge into the fray.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Getting my real estate license was a massive pivot. My entire professional career has been deeply steeped in creative services (graphic design, logo design, photography, video, creative direction, etc.) and it was a huge ego shift to separate myself from that. Even though I felt a significant amount of fear in making this shift it has been the most freeing experience of my adult life and has given me a completely different perspective on creativity.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Culture and Scale. These two things are deeply and intrinsically connected and must be considered together. As you grow your business (scale) you must find ways to maintain brand integrity (culture). The experience of both your customers and employees reflects the quality of your culture. I’ve worked with many companies that succeed in their revenue goals but struggle with employee retention and customer feedback, and it’s always an issue of growing without capacity planning. Prioritizing quality, realizing your brand’s value, and growing with those in mind will guarantee high morale and make team management easy.

Contact Info:

• Website: dylansellsdallas.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/dylansantosgreen
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dylansgreen