Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kadija Taylor. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Kadija, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

On August 5, 2016 I took one of the biggest risk of my professional career and left the affordable housing industry after nearly twelve years in the field. I was terrified but not more than I was miserable. Eleven years prior I had started taking real estate classes but quickly let that dream fall the wayside for the promise of a promotion and pay increase with my current employer at the time. This time I was willing to place all bets on me. I had only done that once before and it didn’t end up well but I didn’t care. I figured even it all goes to hell again I can always come back to the work I know. On August 8, 2016 I started classes again. I was motivated to get done quickly in a way that I hadn’t been before. This time around I was a homeowner, married, with real responsibilities. So I laser focused and finished my coursework and exams in 6 weeks. I closed my first deal in November 2016, just sixty days after passing my broker’s license exam. I was off to the races and haven’t looked back since.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Kadija Taylor. I am a native of Denver, Colorado. I graduated from Manual High school and finished my undergraduate from the University of Colorado at Denver in 2004. In 2005 I began my career in property management, where I spent over eleven years in affordable housing serving many disadvantaged and marginalized populations in the city.

During this tenure, not only did I have the opportunity to help house individuals and families, I also had the pleasure of serving on various project committees for rehabs, renovations, and new builds. I fell in love with the everything related to the construction side of the commercial real estate development and design. I thought to myself if I ever left the industry I would become a broker and help my clients design their homes. And in 2016 I decided to do just that.

The first almost three years in business I worked with a small boutique brokerage and in 2019 launched Home and Sanctuary. Home and Sanctuary is a full-service boutique real estate and interior design firm with a deep commitment to building thoughtful and caring relationships with our clients. We believe that space is sacred, land is spiritual, and home is your sanctuary. We value the importance that land and space play in the overall wellness of a person, and we make it our business to help you discover how homeownership and thoughtful design can be a practice of self-care and self-love.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The first effective strategy for growing my clientele has been word of mouth. I would argue that few things have as much influence someone’s decision making process than a great referral. I never underestimate the power of a positive experience that someone is now eager to share. I consider myself a relationship broker and curator of sacred spaces. When I work with someone the energy is never transactional. My goal is to always create genuine relationship with clients. They should never have to question if I have their best interest at heart.

My second strategy is never going against my gut. At this point in my life I listen closely to my intuition. I know when something is off and the times I have pushed passed that knowing has been crappy to say the least. Some people would argue that I am missing out on a whole lot of money approaching business this way. I argue that they are missing out on a whole lot of divine peace and joy.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I am still unlearning as my business grows is identifying self-sabotaging practices. My self-sabotage usually shows up in extreme caretaking. I learned this from my overly kind mother who has always given to a fault and has regularly caught the short end of the stick. I’ve watched her work extremely hard and seldom reap the rewards of the energy she has put into something.

To help combat this kind of self-sabotage in my own life I keep accountability partners close. They show up in the form of therapist, life coaches, business coaches, and very close friends. People who can be honest with me and tell me the truth even when it doesn’t feel good. What I now know is the fastest way to kill progress in your business is to keep keep throwing trip hazards out in front of the work you just completed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hosahomes.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeandsanctuaryllc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HomeandSanctuary
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kadija-taylor-a18b04132/
• Other: Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/homeandsanctuary

Image Credits
Headshot by Casey Raser Interior Design Photos by Kadija Taylor