I’m not afraid to work hard. That’s been instilled in me from a young age with a large family and little money. I think that same drive is what led me to join the military. Even when I had to juggle that with raising kids and getting my degree, I never backed down!
My first ever job was working in a tobacco field. Instead of taking a holiday trip or going away to camp, several kids were shipped up to Connecticut for the summer to work in the fields. At the time, it didn’t seem like an odd thing. As I said, there were a number of kids working, many of them from out of state.
I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. I was one of seven siblings, so we weren’t exactly living the high life. But what we lacked financially, I suppose we made up for in character. I learned a lot from my family. My mother was exceptionally empathetic. She cared about people and made me care, too. It rubbed off on all of us kids. Two of my sisters even went on to become nurses.
We learned the golden rule at an early age. You wouldn’t want someone to do that to you? Then don’t do that to someone else! I carry that rule with me to this day, and I use it in every aspect of my business. It was also very important to my mother that the family all remain modest. If any of us ever got too cocky she’d chime, “Don’t let your head get too big!”
Life wasn’t bad. But it wasn’t easy either. When school ended, my high school sweetheart joined the Air Force and was stationed overseas. Meanwhile, I was unable to find work in my tiny home town. I began to really wonder what I should do next.
Then it hit me. If my boyfriend could enlist in the military, then I could too! And that’s how I came to join the Air Force. My boyfriend became my husband during my time there. I had my first son while I was still on active duty and taking night classes to earn my degree! My second son didn’t come along until I was in the reserves, and I was still continuing my education. I studied business and, on several occasions, the idea of becoming a real estate agent occurred to me. I delayed enlisted, got married, and started my AF career in January 1980. Keeping up that intense lifestyle while raising kids was exhausting. It was well worth it, but far from a traditional upbringing.
My husband was still in the service and military pay wasn’t great. I felt it was time for me to get out of the service so I could finish my degree quicker to be able to start a civilian career. But, I had two small kids to provide for. I was reminded of my family’s struggles growing up. I wasn’t going to send my own sons to work in a tobacco field!
When I finished college, I found success in the staffing industry. It was steady and secure, and I loved it. Unfortunately, the market drastically changed after 9/11, and I was eventually laid off.
My husband and I had gotten divorced, and he bought me out of my share of the house, so I had some savings in the bank. I got to revisit the idea of going into real estate, something I had always wanted to do...this was my chance! Now that I’m actually an agent, I never want to do anything else. Other than my two sons, real estate is what I’m most passionate about. It’s a lot of work, but I’m accustomed to that.
If you’ve worked with me recently, chances are you know Jack. Jack’s my Goldendoodle rescue dog, —and I know this is cliche—but he rescued me too. He’s sometimes my open house buddy. Open houses were how I first started to connect with people.
The empathy and the lessons I learned growing up all flooded back to me. I truly do care about my clients and want to help them. Other than showing homes, I love being able to educate my clients. I’m always asking myself what else I can do. If that means helping out a seller by helping them clean or stage their home, then I’m there for them and willing to do that. My own background in the military gives me a lot of empathy for veterans in particular. I’m proud of how many clients I’ve helped to find or sell homes. I’ll stay with any of my clients for as long as they need me and even after! I’m not looking for a quick sale, my goal is to have lifelong clients or even friends. I can hardly wait to do/be the same for you! I look forward to bringing you the same joy I’ve brought others!
Sincerely,
Marlene Weaver
Broker-Associate
