Today we’d like to introduce you to Serena Gerbrandt.
Hi Serena, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I think my friend referred me to you because I’ve always been willing to take big, unconventional risks — and over time, those leaps have paid off.
I married my husband at 21, and to our surprise, we became parents quickly. Once we had one, we figured we may as well have three — so we did! We made the decision that I would stay home with our kids so they could grow up with a parent present, and eventually we chose to homeschool.
I’ve read over a hundred books on education at this point. The first seven years of a child’s life are undeniably formative — not just academically but spiritually and emotionally. As Christians, that was deeply important to us. Those years were some of the most fulfilling of my life. We learned together, explored together, and I even started and led a local nature group where families would meet to explore different preserves every week.
But after my oldest finished fifth grade, my middle child finished third, and my youngest finished kindergarten, I knew it was time for a new chapter. We were living in Santa Cruz, where my husband is from — a beautiful but very expensive place. Many of our close friends were moving away, and I started to feel burned out. I hadn’t yet built a career, and I didn’t know what would come next.
One day at the library I stumbled across Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. That book completely changed my life. I read it in a day, made my husband read it next, and immediately bought copies for half a dozen friends. My brain exploded — I needed to learn how to invest. The book talked about entrepreneurship and real estate, and I thought of a few of my brother’s childhood friends who had gone on to build a thriving real estate investment firm in my hometown of San Diego.
I sent one of them a message asking for advice — and to my surprise, he replied right away and offered to mentor me. I jumped at the opportunity. I didn’t know a thing about the industry, but I was hungry to learn. A month later, I had a trip planned to San Diego for my sister’s birthday, and I asked if I could visit their office. He agreed. Then I asked if I could come for a week instead of a day — and he agreed again.
That week changed everything. I loved the people, the pace, and the purpose. At the end of the week, I nervously said that I was thinking of moving to San Diego. He didn’t say yes, but he didn’t say no either — and that was enough for me. A few days later, I called to say, “I’m moving to San Diego next week and can’t wait to start.” He said “…okay.”
That’s how I unofficially hired myself at one of the most competitive companies in town — a place that regularly gets over 100 applicants per position.
It wasn’t easy. My husband lost his job shortly after we moved, during COVID of all times, and suddenly the pressure was on me to make it work. I was terrified, unqualified, and wildly underconfident. I lost so much weight from stress that I was back to my high school size. But I had something to prove — to myself, to the people who thought I only got in because I knew the owner, and to my family.
So I worked. Harder than I’ve ever worked in my life.
I cold-called sellers from 8 AM to 8 PM every day. I lost my voice more than once. I was terrible at first — and people told me so. But volume can beat talent when you care enough to learn. Eventually, skill caught up to effort. Within my first year, I generated millions in company revenue and became one of the top performers.
Over four years, I advanced from a cold caller to a deal closer and became one of the company’s most consistent in acquisitions. Along the way, I started investing for myself — buying multiple investment properties whilst acquiring for the company.
And now, I’ve made another leap — from agent to acquisition entrepreneur. With the guidance of my local mentor, Kyle Mallien, my husband and I are now pursuing the purchase of an established small business in Southern California with $1–5M in revenue, 10+ years in business, and 20+% profit margins. Our goal is to step into a great company, preserve its legacy, and help it grow into its next phase.
Southern California is full of incredible small businesses built by baby boomers ready to retire, and there’s a real opportunity for a new generation of owners to carry those businesses forward.
If you know of a business that might be a fit, I’d love to hear from you.
619-530-8423
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Massive imperfect action is my motto!
And major credit goes to my biggest fan and supporter, my husband, Riley.
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100065209516455
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serena-gerbrandt-573b6ab/
