We recently connected with Raquel Knoell and have shared our conversation below.
Raquel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about the best boss, mentor, or leader you’ve ever worked with.
The best boss I ever had was Guy Hubbard. As a 23 year old working on Wall Street, he taught me so much about business and life. It began with the interview process where he asked me to sell him the pen he was holding. He said, “I know it writes, sell me on what else it can do” I remember that being the first time I was really pushed to think creatively about how products and services were sold. Sales was much more than simply selling a product. It was about how the product would make them feel, grow, the overall impact it would make on their lives. I thought about how a pen could sign a multi million dollar contract that would help the company double in size. It could express love in wedding vows. It could write a college thesis to help someone graduate. Provide someone with life saving medication. Yes, a pen could write ink on paper, but it really did so much more. From that day on, Guy continued to challenge me and open my mind to creative thinking and problem solving. After all sales was problem solving.
One vivid memory was when I was with the company for a while, making what I thought was a good salary. I remember he asked me, “what’s the most amount of money you think you will ever make?” I nervously answered $50,000. Granted this was approximately 1996. He said “ok, what made you say that?” I told him that my father made $50,000 so if I could earn as much as he did, I felt that I was successful. He then said, “what if I told you that you would be making $100,000?” I remember feeling so uncomfortable and almost unworthy. We spoke for a while and he explained that the right answer was actually an unlimited amount of money. He told me never to put a cap on my success because once I reached it, I would stop growing. From that day on, every time I get comfortable, I remember Guy and push myself to new levels.
Raquel, 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?
At 5 years old I can remember making the decision to be a homeowner one day. Staring out of my 6 floor apartment window, I admired the kids playing in their backyards. I thought, one day that will be me.
As the first person in my family to go to college, I felt I was on my way to being successful.. I got my Bachelors degree in psychology and minor in Art from Fordham University.
When I met my husband, he was an HVAC mechanic. I was working on Wall Street for Standard & Poor’s while studying jewelry arts. I learned about Tom’s family and how they became successful. They came from Germany, didn’t speak English, worked hard and invested in real estate. Wow, I thought. If they can do it, so can I.
For our wedding, we decided not to spend the money on my headpiece and make it instead. We combined Tom’s knowledge of soldering and my artistic flair and made my tiara by hand. Everyone loved it. Friends and family asked him to make tiaras for their weddings. Soon thereafter, Thomas Knoell Designs was born. Tom decided to quit his job to focus on our new small business. We sold our custom made headpieces to couture bridal salons all over the world.
Meanwhile, at S&P, I was excelling in sales. I became a National Accounts Manager. I developed relationships within the companies I worked with. My clients were our top tiered accounts such as Morgan Stanley, Chase and Goldman Sachs. I worked with attorneys, high level executives and the folks on the trading floors. I loved the part of my job that involved helping people. The 2 hour commute, not so much. The corporate world was taking a toll on my quality of life, and I wanted more time with my family.
September 11th, 2001 was our 1 year wedding anniversary. Our son Kyle was 8 months old. On that day, Tom had an appointment with a big store in Manhattan and my mom was sick and couldn’t watch Kyle. I didn’t want Tom to have to cancel his appointment. I considered bringing Kyle to our company’s backup babysitting service in the World Trade Center. After some thought, I had a last minute change of heart. Tom would not be happy if I brought Kyle to Manhattan so I decided to leave Kyle sleeping in his crib.
Needless to say, that day was an experience that will never leave me. I was one of the lucky ones to make it home alive that day. For that, and my son’s life, I am grateful.
It was that day that I decided I would leave NYC for good. About a year later, I left Wall Street and focused on growing our business and our family.
Fast forward 15 years. I had spent all this time caring for our kids and growing our small business. During that time, we’d faced much adversity in pursuing homeownership.
Finally at age 36, I bought my first home. Life was good, but I was ready for something more. So when I was looking for a new career, real estate made sense.
I was able to combine my love of helping people with my passion for real estate. After going through the ups and downs of home purchasing, I felt compelled to help others do the same. In 2016, I got my real estate license and formed a team with my husband Tom.
My North Shore NaviGuide, is how my team (which now consists of my husband Tom and our son Kyle) helps our clients. This is how we help people achieve their real estate goals. Relocating can be challenging. Whether you are moving in your own neighborhood or across the country, we are there to help. Buying and selling requires a great amount of attention to detail all in a harmonious way. From start to finish, our family is looking forward to helping you!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
We have always had to pivot whether it was to raise our babies, or go through a challenging time. Usually we have the greatest growth when we are at our lowest points. Challenges have always created the greatest opportunity for creativity. When we had 4 babies at home and didn’t want anyone to babysit them but family, we figured out a way to bring them with us, restructure our workspace. When we needed to make more money, we figured out a way to cut expenses.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
I am a big reader and learner. I consistently take classes in real estate, technology and ethics. I am on the Sea Cliff library board and believe that education is the key to staying ahead in any business. Here are some of my favorites: Books:
Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive: Outsell, Outmanage, Outmotivate, and Outnegotiate Your Competition by Harvey B Mackay
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
Rich Dad Poor Dad
How to Win Friends and Influence People
Podcasts:
Bigger Pockets
Build Your Tribe
Contact Info:
- Website: https://teamknoell.elliman.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamknoell/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamKnoellOfficial/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raquelknoell/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaquelKnoell
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC83ao4WAJOvNGSaHIS49mmg
- TikTok: @teamknoell
Image Credits
Ashleigh Malangone Brand Photography