Today we’d like to introduce you to Hailey Keller.
Alright, thank you for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
My story began when I was 22 years old. I was a single mother with an infant child, starting over after leaving a bad situation. I felt so much emotional turmoil, knowing I would have to be responsible for my son’s well-being and knowing it was up to me alone to give him the life he deserved.
I decided to work as hard as possible to provide for us, starting anywhere I could – as long as it had a path to progress. Even with my minimal roller-skating carhop and assistant manager experience, I was able to land a job at a call center that offered endless overtime. I had never used a complex phone system before, and my computer experience consisted of countless hours designing homes on the Sims, so it was initially overwhelming. However, I knew my purpose was much bigger than myself, so I faced it head-on and learned as much as possible, growing by leaps and bounds. Within 2 years, I had moved up through the ranks, getting promotion after promotion until I had gotten as far as I could on the phone. It was the perfect time to take what I had learned and turn it into a new career, applying to a major life insurance company. It was another call center position at first, but the potential for growth with the company was endless. It was challenging, but I poured everything I could into my career, never turning down an opportunity for personal development and growth, learning all I could from those around me. If there was ever a chance to try something new, I raised my hand every time and gained experience in claims processing, team leadership, training, and team development, with involvement in several department and company-wide projects at any given time. However, that entire time, I never worked toward a specific goal. My only goal was to provide for my son and take the opportunities in front of me. As my son got older and more independent, and after so many years of doing it all on my own, I was lucky enough to find the love of my life and the father my son always deserved, and we all found a rhythm in our new family unit.
However, I found myself craving more from my career. I had been doing it for so long that I felt like a robot during work hours – just plugged in, working as efficiently as possible to do what I was told to do, then unplugging at the end of the day with no energy or brainpower left to live my life. I began to wonder how I could use all of the skills I had developed over the years to make a change for myself. I wanted to build something for myself that I could be proud of instead of contributing my sweat equity to the benefit of a corporation. I wanted to make something of my own and build connections and relationships again outside of the company’s instant messaging system. For years I had considered getting into the real estate industry, but I never did something halfway, and I knew that if I were going to make the change, it would have to be a complete commitment. I finally got the courage to leap, but this time my driving purpose was myself, a motivator I had never really explored before.
My family has unconditionally supported me. We have all sacrificed to make such a huge change, waving goodbye to stable paychecks and annual bonuses and facing the uncertainty of getting into business for ourselves, but that’s my motivator. Failure is not an option, so I continue with the formula I have always used – learn as much as possible, take advantage of every opportunity to grow, and make myself an asset. The people I work with get all of my attention and all of my care. I want to help people find peace in their own lives, and a lot of that peace starts with the home, where you begin and end each day. Suppose I can help people accomplish their goals. In that case, whether it’s owning a home for the first time or even buying that investment property to give them additional income, I understand that life is filled with curveballs. I want to be a resource for people because nothing is more satisfying than contributing my sweat equity to benefit the people in my life. It was a gamble that has already paid off because I am excited to start each day – embracing the potential life offers.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a challenging road, and a lot of that is the financial strain of becoming a real estate agent. Leaving stable paychecks behind creates financial insecurity, which is also paired with the costs of obtaining education, licensing, and membership dues. It’s a career that requires you to pour a lot in before you can see a return, so keeping a positive mindset can be challenging on the harder days. Luckily, I had done my research, and I knew what to expect getting into it, but that didn’t make it any easier to feel the strain when life happened, and we had to extend ourselves past our budget to make it work. Another obstacle was downsizing our life to keep costs as low as possible. We decided to move across the country to stay with family to cut out housing costs during the transition. We said goodbye to our beautiful home, family, and friends in Florida to start a new life in Texas, all so the career overhaul could have a fighting chance to work. As someone who has always been fiercely independent, it was hard saying goodbye to my own space and accepting help from others, but that challenge is easily overcome by gratefulness. I am unbelievably grateful to have family that cares enough to welcome us into their home to support my dreams. I churn all the challenges into motivation to succeed so that the sacrifices can mean something at the end of each day.
We’ve been impressed with Hailey Keller – San Antonio REALTOR®, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a residential REALTOR® in the San Antonio area with Phillips & Associates Realty. I can help anyone looking to buy or sell residential homes, but I am also excited to be a real estate resource if anyone has questions about real estate. I genuinely love helping first-time home buyers because I’ve met many who don’t know where to start or people intimidated by the process. I love educating people on the benefits of owning a home instead of renting, pulling back the curtain, and showing them a future for themselves they may not have thought possible. I can even help those not quite ready to buy a home yet establish their goals and a realistic game plan to make it happen as soon as possible. My years in the corporate world have made me a professional, organized, and reliable agent, but my compassion for people makes me the type of agent that goes above and beyond – because I truly care about the people I am helping.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important thing I have learned along the way is the value of a strong mindset. Obstacles are inevitable. There is no escaping the struggle. In reality, the struggle is where we find the most growth, but the difference between leaning into it and growing vs. falling back and collapsing is all in the mindset. I have learned to research as much as possible to arm myself for future challenges. Still, the only thing that helps me through the more challenging times is keeping a healthy mindset: turning the failures into lessons and accomplishments into gratitude. It’s the only way up!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hailey.phillipsrealty.co/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.haileykeller/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/the.haileykeller
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thehaileykeller/
Image Credits
Phillips & Associates Realty
