We were lucky to catch up with Erin Hamby recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Erin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?

One of the most important things I would say I took from all of my prior jobs combined is that if you pay attention, they give you the blueprint (and courage) to run your own business. Looking back, I’ve realized that what I’m doing now – both with real estate and RYBS – is everything I’ve been doing for the past 10 years. Apartment leasing gave me so much confidence to jump into the real estate world. I learned the importance of drawing up a proper contract and how to and how to maintain working with multiple people at a time. Luxury retail taught me specifics like how to fulfill and package an order on the back end, and the importance of the small details such as a hand written note to create an experience for the buyer. I learned how to communicate with these customers and what to listen for to understand their needs and keep them coming back. So much of what I do now is exactly in line with my resume, I just have the privilege to be doing all of it on my own now.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

After earning my degree in Fashion Merchandising with a minor in Business from University of North Texas, I decided to shift my attention towards becoming a business owner and reflecting on what that looks like for me. It was difficult deciding on what the brand would be, but I was sure I wanted to share a bit of myself and for the product to reflect my growth.

RYBS is a sock line I launched in December 2021, which was birthed in the middle of the pandemic – when I had a lot of idle time and a little money saved up. RYBS is my way of contributing to the environment and leisure fashion with the product being made from 85% recycled materials, hand dyed with hand sewn details for the final touch. During my reflection process I realized how much I value the idea of Authenticity, which is the driving force for my work ethic and the energy I put into any job I pursue. RYBS, in so many ways, is my way of stepping into my own lane as a business owner and an individual.

While getting my feet wet with becoming a business owner, I was offered a leasing position at a luxury high rise in Downtown Dallas. Despite me never working in this industry, it felt very right to accept this offer. The building was so rare, and in many ways reminded me of RYBS, authentic and comfortable. About a month into the job, I felt called to embrace real estate as the next path in my journey. After many months of studying and exams – I finally received my Texas Real Estate license.

Currently, I work with clients of all backgrounds and price points in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. As a Dallas native, I’m familiar with different areas all over the metroplex; pairing this with my natural ability to connect with people. There’s a lot of gratification in this process and the energy that goes into finding the perfect home for my clients.

As a mom, a business owner and an advocate for people; finding a home within myself and understanding my own authenticity in a work that’s forever changing, has become my main priority.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Authenticity. As our lives continuously become more and more virtual, the more people appreciate an authentic experience. I feel the most important step in becoming successful is understanding who you are and what your purpose is so you can be confident in what you do. I’ve always heard that a client will turn into a friend quicker than a friend will turn into a client, and I have so many clients- now friends; to prove this to be true. For me, it’s vital that I build a relationship with a potential customer as the first step, I think that establishes a certain level of trust that will ensure them that helping and understanding their needs is more important to me than closing another sale.

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

I’ve always believed that word of mouth is the most valuable strategy when growing clientele but again, in an ever-changing world that has shifted to a virtual reality, I’ve found the importance in using social media to reach new potential clients. Not only posting consistent content, but also using it as a tool to help inform. No matter what your career is, you hold knowledge that other people probably don’t know – share that!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rybs.shop
• Instagram: @erinfbaaby
• Facebook: Erin Hamby
• Twitter: @erinfbaaby
• Other: RYBS: @rybs.shop Real Estate: @erinhambyhomes

Image Credits
Personal photo by Joelle Hernandez (@joelleshootsfilm) – image 1 RYBS photos by Demetri Sheffield (@90pts_) – images 2-5