Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to River Bonds. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, River thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
When I first began my career in real estate, I had no true direction or understanding of what would be the outcome. The pandemic caused me to be laid off from my corporate job and with so many uncertainties in the world, becoming a full time entrepreneur did not feel like the safest choice. On the other hand, I know that with great risk comes great reward and that was a chance I was willing to take. I turned down the opportunity to be reassigned to another role within the company because I knew that if I would ever give up stability for entrepreneurship, I had to be given an out and this was my moment. A lot of things and people depend on me being successful so this was a risk that I knew would not only affect my life but those around me. I was scared, terrified to be completely honest, but I knew that if I put my all into this career change, success was the only option. I took this opportunity to start and grow my real estate business from scratch. I had to create a strategic plan, build my clientele, and establish myself in an industry that was already over saturated. Today, going into year 3 of my real estate career, I have beat every odd one can name and have collected a handful of accolades including top 5% in units sold by an individual agent and top 10% in sales volume by an individual from the Atlanta Realtors Association. My journey and its outcome is living proof that you can control your fate and that no risk goes unrewarded when accompanied by grit and perseverance.
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
I was born and raised on the south side of Chicago and that truly is the basis for who I am and how I live my life. I went to public school my entire life but matriculated through a rigorous program called the international baccalaureate program which established my love for education early on. I was a double major in Interpersonal Communication and Sociology at the University of Missouri and graduated in only 2 years and 9 months. I later went on to get my masters in Sport Administration from Georgia State University and found myself in Atlanta, at 23 years old, with 3 degrees and no clear career path. It was a confusing time for me and I forced myself to sit down and figure out what I was actually passionate about. For some reason, real estate kept coming up. During the pandemic, I went and got my real estate license and started my business in January of 2021. The rest, honestly just happened on its own. I am a top producing realtor dedicated to the education of real estate and serving those who have long felt like ownership was not attainable. I feel obligated to teach and educate those who may not otherwise get the knowledge i have gained and I feel honored to do that.
Any advice for managing a team?
One thing that keeps my business running is having a team of strong professionals to step in wherever they are needed. I have a 4 person team that keeps me and my business afloat and maintaining high morale is at the forefront of things most important to me. In order to ensure I am properly managing my team, I ask questions, avidly listen and make changes based on my teams needs. I have created an environment where honesty, transparency and dedication are at the forefront of everything we do and we move in lockstep with each other to achieve all of our goals. My biggest advice to someone managing a team is to focus less on running the team and more on being a part of it. People respond better when they feel the camaraderie in the workplace and they are more inclined to follow behind someone that they feel a strong sense of connectivity to. Kaela, Kiana and Janae are the reason I am able to maintain success in my business and I am dedicated to creating an environment where we can all win together.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
2021 was truly the most trying time in my professional career. I was laid off from my corporate job in December of 2020 as a result of the pandemic and that was when I transitioned into being a full time realtor. The pivot from being a corporate employee to a full time entrepreneur is probably one of the biggest leaps you can take. You go from guaranteed money and set hours to the possibility of working overtime and making nothing. It is not for the weak or faint hearted but I have always been one to bet on myself when I believe I am going to put my best foot forward. It was a major shift for me that affected not only my professional life but my personal life. You lose the security you are used to and many times you have to sacrifice a lot in order to get to where you’re going. It takes a lot of long days and sleepless nights but all in all, it is the most rewarding win you can ever walk away with. I am grateful for the loss that pushed me into my purpose and urge anyone interested in taking that leap to beat on themselves and press the gas until they reach their destination.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rivertherealtor.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rivertherealtor/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/river.bonds.3
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RealTalkAtlantaPodcast/videos
Image Credits
Photos by TheRealKPhotoz (https://www.instagram.com/therealkphotoz/)