Celebrating Our Leading Ladies | BHHS California Properties

March 8th, 2018 at 12:00 pm

At Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties we have some pretty amazing individuals who make a huge impact on the work we do for our agents and clients every single day.

In honor of International Women’s Day, we are celebrating some of the ladies who contribute to our everyday success, who continue to inspire others, and who just plain rule.

We asked them questions like why they love what they do, which women have inspired them the most, and what advice they would give to their younger self or another young woman.

Mary Lee Blaylock | President & CEO

The people! They are hands down the kindest and most well-intentioned people ever. Great people make a great company.

I am crazy fun! I like to work hard and play hard. It’s important to remember it’s okay to laugh along the way.

Imagine the future you. Do you like her? If yes, fix the things in your life accordingly so that you can reach her.

Nicki Marcellino | Regional Vice President, San Diego

I continually have the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives by holding them to standards bigger than they can imagine themselves being, both professionally and personally.

There are so many women who inspire me that I haven’t met, however, if I was to pick one that I have worked with, it would be Mary Lee Blaylock. She is equal parts personal and business and has enough charisma and personality to lead an army. She is down to earth and very funny, while all the time driving her business agenda.

My passion and my ability to recruit extremely successful people to a highly productive community that helps each other create world-class results.

Dream big and work hard one step at a time until you make your dream come true. Then create another dream. Keep creating.

Allison Jones | Vice President, Marketing

I take great pride in helping people succeed and love that I can do that at such an amazing company.

My mom was an incredible woman who demonstrated strength, love, compassion, and an undying commitment to her personal and professional life. She was the perfect role model and guided me to become the woman I am today.

I bring my enthusiasm, competitive spirit, passion, and drive to succeed into the office every day.

The world is at your feet. Work hard, give to others, and take time to smell the roses.

Amber Bonasoro | Director of Marketing, Orange County

When you are told “NO” it doesn’t mean stop. If you believe in what you are doing it just means you have to find an alternate path to get that “YES.” Don’t listen to those that may slow you down.

Claire Clark | Sr. Vice President, Relocation Services

There were two women in my life who truly inspired me, my grandmother and my mother. They were strong women in a period of time when women were supposed to be docile and compliant.

My grandmother immigrated to America in 1910 when she was 17 years old. She had my mother in 1913 with 3 more children to quickly follow. She divorced her abusive husband, raised four children and did it all on her own, without welfare. She ran a boarding house, bought, rented, and sold homes for many years, making her the first person in our family to enter the real estate industry.

My mother was the first woman in New Jersey to become an active real estate agent and was a very successful one. She overcame discrimination, resentment, and retaliation. She loved what she did and had the strength of character to overcome the difficulties.

Both my mother and my father taught me to be independent and strong. The most important thing they taught me was to believe in myself because that is what I saw in my grandmother, my mother, and my father.

My philosophy on life is to keep moving forward. Don’t be bogged down with anger, criticism, gossip, pain, or self-doubt. Let it go and keep moving forward. Life goes by so quickly that you must enjoy the time you have, every moment! Put whatever it is behind you, think it over, talk it out, let it go and move forward.

Jen Gaffney | Director of Digital Marketing Services

One of the reasons why I love working at California Properties is that we have such strong female leadership. Good leadership is good leadership, of course, but for me, if you can see it you can do it.

The skill I bring to the job is kind of three rolled into one – listening, empathy, and keeping calm in stressful situations. All of these things go together to allow me to better understand my coworkers, agents, and our clients.

Svetlana Larkin | Branch Manager, Rancho Bernardo & Escondido

I like helping agents with ideas on how to build their business, reach their goals, and put transactions together. I help my agents learn something new every day.

Don’t set any limits on what you think you can achieve. It’s ok to try something that scares you a little bit.

Lisa Wevley | Licensing Manager

I have discovered that I love to be challenged and my position is just that, challenging and always changing. I also have a great manager who encourages and empowers me, as well as a fantastic team who every day works hard through challenges in our department.

My best friend Liz. She is a wise, strong, and loyal woman who has walked beside me through the good and the bad without judgment. We laugh and cry together, sometimes all at the same time!

Well, I have a few but I do have several years of experience in both the legal and real estate fields. All those years of experience have prepared me for my current position. I do not believe I could do my current position without all that experience.

Love yourself by being your own best friend! Communication is important, so slow down and listen. And when you speak, choose your words very carefully!

Cher Duron | HR Generalist

The people! They are my inspiration, motivation and challenge me every day. I’m humbled by their trust in me. It’s the people who are the heart of every organization.

Follow us on Instagram for more inspiration from our leading ladies today and all month long.