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

Hi Zule, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Before I started my business, I worked as an Executive Assistant for a prestigious fitness company and prior to that, a Paralegal for law firms that specialized in real estate and worker’s compensation. While I worked for great companies and learned so much, there was always something inside of me that wanted to go off and start my own business. I knew deep down that I am a creative person and felt working for corporate/office jobs was hindering my creativity. I researched different business ideas and started a couple of side businesses to see if I could do it or not. While those side businesses didn’t last long, it did give me a taste of what it was like to be a business owner and call my own shots. I knew I didn’t want to give up on my dream.

I had to regroup and sit down with myself to really think about me and my personality. What was I good at naturally? What kind of work made me feel good about myself and be of service to others? What was I lacking that I could improve on? After much thought, I knew in order to fully pursue being my own boss, I had to take a leap of faith and just do it. With encouragement from friends and family, that’s exactly what I did. I took the leap of faith, put it my notice with my employer, and got to work on marketing and providing my services within my market. Those services included my hobbies which were fitness classes and DJ bookings for special events. Once I gained more confidence, I added real estate to the mix and the rest is history. Was it risky? Yes. Was it worth it? Definitely!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am full-time real estate agent servicing South Florida which includes Miami, Fort Lauderdale and the Palm Beaches. I also teach group-fitness classes and provide DJ services for special events. People always wonder how all three services blend together, but it’s all about combining your talents together as one.

As a child, I would watch my mother do Solid Gold fitness videos at home and I would copy her and the instructors in the video. My parents placed me in dance classes when I was only 4 years old! I studied ballet, tap & jazz, danced for my high school danceline, and got my first paid job with a dance company who booked dancers for nightclubs in Miami. It wasn’t until I started working for Zumba Fitness, LLC that introduced me to the world of Zumba and Strong Nation, two fitness formats that I fell in love with and now teach on the side.

As far as being a DJ, my father always played music at home and had a collection of records that I always admired. Growing up in Miami, I was exposed to friends who would DJ at parties and nightclubs. It wasn’t until I was working as a Paralegal for an attorney who used to be a DJ in the 90s. He had a pair of Technic 1200s (record players) that were collecting dust in his garage. He sold them to me and I spent my free time practicing and practicing over and over again. I was determined to learn. I recorded music mixes and posted them online. Before you know it, I started getting DJ bookings for nightclubs and bars throughout South Florida. Eventually DJing for corporate & special events was another service I began offering to my market.

To top off the services I was already providing, I decided to get my real estate license in 2016 to start helping people invest in real estate. What most people don’t know is when I was 24 years old, I purchased my first property which was a 2/2 condo in Kendall, FL. I held on to it for 3 years and sold it before the recession that hit the economy in 2007. Selling the condo ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made at such a young age. I bought my current home after the recession when prices for a 3/2 single family home was less than $200,000. Investing in real estate came natural to me, so might as well help others do the same. Recently, in December of 2021 to be exact, I was selected to be part of the exclusive Keller Williams Sports & Entertainment (KWSE) division, a professional network of top agents dedicated in servicing athletes, musicians and artists with luxury homes for relocation & investment purposes. This has really taken my business to the next level and so thankful for the opportunity to work with so many great agents and celebrities.

Overall, I provide all 3 services to my clients and receive referrals based out of trust and first-hand experience. I’m not your typical realtor, but that is what makes my business stand out from the rest.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think what helped me build my reputation within my market is my genuineness in helping others without expectations. I believe my clients know that they can contact me with any questions they may have, whether their inquiry is within real estate or not. They can always reach out to me and I will try my best to help them even if they decide to work with me or not. I believe the more you care about helping others, the more they will naturally sense your authenticity which has caused my business to grow organically by client referrals and word-of-mouth.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

So far, social media has been the best way to stay in touch with my clients. I use Facebook, Instagram and now Tik Tok strictly for marketing and I make sure to connect online with my clients. Also, I don’t market only my real estate work. I am a creative person so I do post fun stuff that shows my personality such as me dancing, working out and the events that I’ve had the pleasure to DJ at. People tend to connect with me in a personal level other than just a professional service and that has created loyalty between my clients and my brand.

Contact Info:

• Website: Real Estate: SouthFloridaBeautiful.com, Brand: ZuleSouthFlorida.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zulesouthflorida
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zulesouthflorida
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/zzevallos
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/zulesouthfl
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUL9dzL5uKolR4rL7S6gFWg

Image Credits
Images by Zule Zevallos