Do you think your learning ability and business sense is more like Elon Musk or Richard Branson?
Marshall Smith
Definitely Richard Branson. He wasn’t college educated but he has big ideas and he he starts his companies around his values. He doesn’t know everything about the industries he starts, but he figures it out and just goes for it as a very free spirit. I love Elon Musk and I cannot wait to meet him some day, but my learning ability and business sense is much more like Richard’s.
What is your approach to handling the pressures and challenges that accompany your position as CEO of such an innovative and impactful company?
Molly Braswell @Molly.Braswell
@molly_braswell 
God will let you go through hard things early on, so that you can look back at them and have the faith that you can get through the harder things later on. As long as you are living up to your values, and keep in mind the reason you’re in business, you will realize those pressures and challenges are just to help prepare you for the next level.
When you started in the real estate business, did you have a mentor that helped and guided you in the direction that you needed to go?
Ignacio Trimco @IgnacioTrimco
You need to find people that you want to be like. You don’t have to want to be like them in every area of their life, but specifically in business. Who do you want to emulate, and who can teach you? For me, I had not money, so the only thing I could offer was working for free, and my mentors took me up on it. I worked 18-20 hours a day and it was awesome. I learned so much, these guys really pushed me. Paulie, you guys are great. They let me work for them for 9 months, I learned everything..how to find houses, manage a crew, talk to investors, design and sell the homes in the worst market in the history of real estate in the US. So, it was awesome, and finding a mentor is key. There’s no way I could’ve done the things I did so fast because I read every book I could read, (which you always want to do or else you’re just an annoying person to teach). So work, read, serve– those are the best ways to get a mentor.
Were there people that doubted you and your success in real estate?
Uh, yes. I think there was only one person who didn’t doubt me. But that’s when you find your identity in the Lord. You can learn so much during those seasons of everyone doubting you. I didn’t start this business to prove anybody wrong, it’s been about making a difference. So to me, it didn’t really matter if anyone believed in me.
It does hurt your feelings, but it make you strong. So remember, you’re probably going through something like that just because you’re training for something bigger and better.
What did you do to discard comments that would bring negativity?
You’ve got to remember what your source is, and negative people are not my source. A lot of people will become successful just to prove people wrong, but I wouldn’t recommend it because you’re going to arrive at the top unfulfilled.
This has never been about other people’s opinions of me, it’s been about helping people. That is what drives me.. not the negativity, not proving anybody wrong. God is my source, so who cares what these people think? They weren’t there when I decided to start my company, so why does it matter?
What advice would you give to your 18 year old self?
18 year old Britnie, don’t be so afraid, because whatever happens, you’re going to figure it out. What else are you going to do, roll over and die? No. You have one life. It is always going to work out. And if it hasn’t worked out, it’s not over. So if you believe in yourself, at all, you know you will figure it out because you’re a fighter. Most people, when they’re afraid, they stop. When I’m afraid, I push harder.
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