We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Vicki Kenyon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Vicki, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

My mission is to provide a Safe Path Home for Queer & Trans folks in Wisconsin. There is SO much negativity, discrimination, harassment and violence aimed at our community these days, with over 500 anti-LGBT+ bills traveling through state and local governments. Buying a home is scary – especially if it’s your first home. My mission is to eliminate that added layer of fear that folx in my community have going into a process like this. I have assembled a team of Queer, Trans and Strongly Allied professionals who shepherd my clients through the home buying process in a way that provides trust, safety, and confidence. My team and I have conducted seminars and recorded podcasts offering guidence and advice about common issues, as well as those unique to the LGBT+ communities. My mantra is “everyone has a home here,” and I aim to make sure that those choose to work with me find THEIR home without fear.

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 am a connector. It brings me great joy to be able to connect people with one another, either because they have a professional need or because it feels like they would fit together as friends. I enjoy connecting people with resources from dog-walking to estate planning and everything in between. Bringing a team of professionals together to accomplish a goal that suits each of us well is exciting for me. And I am doing just that to best serve my Real Estate Clients every day. Whether it is a lender, an attorney, an insurance broker or a cleaning company – the team of professionals along side of me is as important to my clients as it is to me!

My greatest passion is helping folks within the LGBT+ community find a safe path to home buying and selling. In this world of uncertainty, you can be confident that the partners I choose to work with will take care of us all in a way that feels welcoming, and maybe even a little fun! Home buying is scary for anyone and I will always work hard to eliminate the unique (and very real) fears of our community.

Not every sale is easy or obvious. Finding off-market opportunities is important in a market as tight on inventory as ours is. Going the extra mile to be present for city inspections, renovation consultations, and all things in between is something I do without batting an eye. I always work to move at the pace of the client, andvwant to make sure they trust that I have their back every step of the way.

Have you ever had to pivot?

The pandemic made so many people pivot, and I am no exception to that. My last W2 job was working as a sales director for a manufacturing compan who’s clientelle was almost exclusively hotels & stadiums. You can imagine what happened with the global shut down – our business tanked. The company laid off about half of the employees and the rest took a big pay cut. While that was to be expected based on simple economics, the way in which this was carried out really bothered me – no empathy for anyone’s prediciment. In fact, upon reflection I realized that this company really didn’t have empathy or care for employees all along, and this situation just forced all that into a spotlight.

I took gig work and temp jobs for 2 years – totally scrapping to hold it together financially. Then I moved from Chicago to Madison, WI to be with my partner. When I moved, I had to figure out what was next professionally. The first thing I tried was a franchise that just did not work well for me at all. Finally I landed on working as a Realtor. I’d been involved in a real estate education company a handful of years ago – but that education was for prospective investors. I thought about being a Realtor before, but I never met a real estate company who’s values aligned with mine.

FINALLY here in Madsion, I met with the largest independent Real Estate Broker in South Central Wisconsin. This family-owned company has been in business since 19o8 & is fifth-generation run. They have been amazingly supportive of me and my desire to create a mission & brand around the LGBTQIA+ Community. As an extension of this mission, I have a podcast called Safe Path Home and host a Queer Talk Show on the local community radio station.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I am a HUGE reader, with a specific love for personal and professional development books. There are two that I have found important to me ongoing. First – “The Four Agreements” bu Don Miguel Ruiz. I re-read this book every January. Ruiz educates the reader about the four agreements we should make with ourselves. I describe this book as “small but meaty” and recommend EVERYONE read this – especially business leaders. It’s important in that it teaches about self-talk and how to understand the perspective of others. The second book is another that I re-read annually. Paolo Cello’s “The Alchemist” is both a beautiful story and a poignant life lesson. Again – an excellent book for leaders and those who want to lead.

I love reading and have read so many books that have helped me in one form or another. Lately I try to read books written by Women and LGBT+ leaders. Dorie Clark, Marilyn Sherman, and Jo Miller are some of my current favorites. I spend a lot of time in the car also and have found some great podcasts that have served me well also. “Wiser Than Me,” is so good – interviews with women who have incredible life experience and lessons to teach us all.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://vkenyon.starkhomes.com
• Instagram: @vickikenyon608
• Facebook: Vick Kenyon – Stark Company Realtors
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickikenyon
• Other: IG – @SafePathHome
  Spotify – Podcast – Safe Path Home

Image Credits

Headshot: Maureen Cassidy
Logo: Duke Adams
Alliance Board Graphic: Lee Kampa