Where I’ve Been and What I’ve Been Up To
Well, hello there! Nice to see you again! It’s been a while, huh? Let me tell you, it’s not easy jumping back into blogging after taking 9 months off. I feel suuuper rusty. I procrastinated on writing this post for weeks. Today, I checked everything else off my to-do list. Then I watched every single Instagram story at the top of my feed before finally dedicating my full attention to writing. Wait, hang on, I think I have to go check my email again for the 257th time.
All jokes aside, it’s been kind of nice taking a break from my blog. Even though I’ve been blogging for over 6 years, right now it kind of feels like I’m starting over. When I wrote my very first post, I had no idea what I was doing, or what my focus was going to be. Over time, especially after Brandon and I bought our house, I felt a shift in my writing. Our time was completely consumed with the work of our home (and still is) but on a much lesser scale. Then my real estate business started to grow. So much so, I quit my job and decided to focus on selling homes full-time.
Best decision ever.
Working as a Realtor has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. May 30th officially marked my 3-year anniversary in real estate. While there have been times I wanted to quit over the last 3 years, I stuck with it. (More on that in a future post).
So what the heck have I been up to for the last 9 months, you ask? I started watching motivational videos from some amazing female entrepreneurs. I went to a conference and met Gary Vaynerchuck! I volunteered again in Haiti through Rotary. I started going to therapy. I went on a spontaneous vacation with Brandon to Florida and visited family we hadn’t seen since 2011. I began a morning routine of consistent devotions and prayer. I closed on several properties for different clients. I started bullet journaling. Most of all, I thought a lot about my blog and what the next step would be for Honestly Maggie.
Back in the fall, I realized that in its current state, my blog did not bring me joy. I found myself procrastinating writing my weekly post. I enjoy writing, but didn’t feel like I was blogging for the right purpose. Quitting on my blog wasn’t an option, but something needed to change. I felt it lacked vision and purpose. Honestly Maggie didn’t feel like it served any real purpose except sharing random parts of my life. I want it to be more than just that. After lots of soul searching, conversations with trusted friends and family, I figured it out.
A slightly new, more focused direction for the blog.
The more I thought about my blog, I realized I have a wealth of knowledge and experience in the housing industry to offer my readers. Starting as a Design Studio Specialist in a corporate retail furniture/décor company, to in-house Designer/Selections Coordinator for a builder. From purchasing my own fixer upper, to becoming a Realtor. I actually know a lot about houses! And I want to share that with you.
Over the last 3 years in real estate, my experience is that many women feel insecure when it comes to buying a house. They might rely on their partner for guidance, parents, third-party home searching websites or worse, their great uncle Larry who hasn’t bought or sold a house in over 40 years. When Brandon and I bought our house, I was completely clueless to the whole process. As a result, I felt so unprepared for this HUGE expense we were making a 30-year commitment to. I literally had a panic attack in the grocery store the day we closed.
I sincerely believe deep down that my purpose in life is to help people, more specifically, women. I want you to feel confident and prepared when you are ready to buy a house. When it comes to your career or business, I hope I can inspire you in that area as well.
If you are reading this, and you would like to join this community, then welcome aboard! I can’t wait to get to know you better and share all the insight I have learned so far. I’m also really looking forward to learning from you too.
