What Do You Do?

And so it begins…

I was walking through the amenities center at a Summerville Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours function.

In the past, I have been a regular attendee of networking events like this. I love meeting new people, my extrovert self loves the crowd.

Even so, I’m always hesitant when the networking dance starts.

“Hi Joan! (people wear name tags at these things, I’m not quite mind reading Jedi level yet) I’m Yeadon. What company are you with?”

Or some variation. You know how it goes…asking questions trying to build new business connections.

But when the question comes back to me, I always hesitate.

Because there is a lot going on.

I write. I host a podcast. I run a real estate brokerage. I have partnered with my cousin as we launch a property management company.

And today, I was out at the family farm working on the blueberry field. (ok, 1/4 acre of blueberries, not a huge field)

Part of the hesitation is that I know that most sales industries, especially real estate, have a negative reputation to begin with. It’s a super competitive industry, and agents are getting more and more commoditized as the industry continues to change.

And I have seen the walls go up when I used to introduce myself as an agent. The mental defense of, “Shoot, I hope he doesn’t ask if he can give me one of those free CMA something or others…I have no desire to move ever again!”

You know what I mean.

But more than the negative reputation of the industry (there are amazing agents out there, but for real…the industry as a whole doesn’t have a good rep!) it’s the desire to be more than simply an agent. I want to have impact beyond guiding a client through the process of buying or selling a house.

There is a lot of satisfaction in working with clients, don’t get me wrong. The feeling when a client gets to open a new chapter in life because they trusted our documented approach to work is amazing. But somewhere inside is the drive to become more, to continue growing, to keep inspiring both myself and others.

So I write. And I podcast. And I work to help others grow their audience and increase their impact.

It would be simpler and easier just to focus on the one facet of ‘agenting’.

But when I dive deeper internally to the core, I see that what I do is connecting. I connect sellers with our whole team for our documented approach to sell their house. I connect buyers with our team to help them navigate the complexities of buying a house. I connect guests on the podcast with listeners. I connect with my own self when I write. I connect business friends with others that can help them drive their company forward.

At the core is a drive to connect people.

The next time I meet someone, I’ll have more to say than simply, “I’m in real estate.”

What will you be able to say when someone asks you what you do?