We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Majesti Smith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Majesti below.

Alright, Majesti thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career

While there are foundational principles demonstrated, there is also a major gap in learning life skills. Of course we needed to learn math, english, history, etc, however that alone doesn’t truly equip students to embrace adulthood. The educators of my generation, and those before me, placed emphasis on furthering education beyond high school. If we’re honest, that is only necessary for a small number of professions. There was very little discussion around trade schools and becoming entrepreneurs. It seemed to be “college, the military or else’.” There wasn’t the same amount of excitement involved if a student said he or she wanted to be an electrician, mechanic or even a construction worker. If it wasn’t a job of prestige, there was a brief mention of community college and the conversation was over.

The way(s) to prepare students for fulfilling lives and careers are to shift the curriculums and/or extracurricular activities to ones of substance – regardless of the chosen path. Hosting one or two career days a year severely misses the mark if all possible options are not represented. Active workshops on how to file your taxes would prove even more vital than your core four subjects. Interactive presenters that can speak to their successes, but also tailor that time to the interests of the students. Granted, not every student will gravitate and the value won’t always sink in immediately. The seeds have to be planted early!

I own my decision to pursue higher education because it was my decision and it beared fruit! The route I took required an undergraduate degree, and it gave me all the foundational knowledge I needed to understand Marketing on a broader scale. There are things that I have learned outside of the classroom that are equally beneficial to what I do. College taught me what marketing is, but being a lifelong learner taught me how to do it well.

Majesti, 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?

My real estate journey started over a year ago with the goal of impact in mind. Each client will understand that I serve in their best interest and no one else’s. When someone entrusts you with one of their biggest investments, you’re immediately tasked with being their advisor, confidant, resource coordinator, and oftentimes, their therapist. There are so many emotions and questions tied to the buying or selling process. My job is to provide them with key information and help them navigate it all. The same applies to my rental clients. Anyone on the outside looking in would believe that all Realtors do is show and sell homes. Little do they know we’re the ones carrying the transaction from beginning to end; making sure every intricate detail is accounted for. Market analysis, negotiations, leveraging partnerships, etc., all play a pivotal role and I do it because i’ve been handed the responsibility of advocating for them at every turn. I do not take it lightly; it’s me and my clients versus everyone else!

Clients appreciate my honesty, persistence and expertise which allows them to enjoy the ride. What I am most proud of is when my clients acknowledge specific things i’ve done to make their process run smoothly. I operate off of instinct and what i’ve been trained to do, so I do what is necessary to streamline their experience. Despite roadblocks and disappointments that may arise, they knew my sole mission was for them to feel confident in their decision making to the keys.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

It started with a seed planted by Realtor-turned-Mentor. During the construction of my home, I remember telling her that my home will eventually become an investment property. She gave me this look of “oh you know what you’re talking about!” By that time she had gotten to know me pretty well, so she told me I had the ‘goods’ to launch a career in Real Estate. I then gave her a look of “huh?”. Little did she know, at the time, that it crossed my mind, but I didn’t know where to start and the interest wasn’t yet strong enough for me to research it. She told me to give it some thought and to come to her if I decided to move forward. Well fast forward a year and a half later, she brings it up again. This time she had my full attention. I had already been praying that God show me what my “next” is. He, and others close to me, made it clear that entrepreneurship was a major part of it. I took the leap of faith, began my classes, and never looked back! I thoroughly enjoyed what I was learning and couldn’t wait to apply the knowledge wherever I could.

Real Estate absolutely became my second full time job! By definition, it would be considered a side hustle because I still have a 9-5. Thankfully i’ve always operated in full capacity with anything I attach myself to or it would’ve been a struggle otherwise. Working from home allows me the flexibility to seamlessly juggle both. There have been plenty of days where i’m creating or scheduling content on my lunch break. Responding to texts and emails from clients in between meetings. The level of multitasking and attention necessary makes it difficult for me to even breath the words ‘side hustle’. It gets the same 100% I give to my corporate role.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I announced my business on my personal pages, so the first wave of followers came from that. All other followers come from events I attend and posting regularly. Some tips i’ve learned along the way are knowing what kind of posts to use on which platform, how to find trending audio, hashtag use, etc. Social media, much like everything else, is a numbers game. The more you put yourself out there, the more your name circulates. Making connections at networking events or getting referred by those you know also makes a difference. Positioning yourself as an expert in your field allows people to make a mental note and say “hmmm, I need to talk to him/her.” Or if they don’t personally need your services, they know people that do. My advice is to start with the following you already have because those same people will repost you and now their followers will know of you. Second thing is to place yourself in rooms where people need to know what you do! Last, but never least, offer value on your social media. Whether in the form of educational posts, fun facts, showcasing your interactions in the community, etc. All of it matters and, with consistency, will continue to build your brand.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thequeenofkeys/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556827611041
• Other: Tiktok: @the.queenofkeys