Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Copeland.
Christine, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My story probably started in 2013, when I said goodbye to the 9-to-5 lifestyle. I left the consulting and advertising agency world to start something on my own terms. As much as I respect people who have built working environments that fit into that standard mold, I didn’t feel like I could force a long-term fit there for myself. In hindsight, starting a company on my own at 23 with just a business degree and a few years of experience was probably biting off more than I should try to chew, but I made it work.
Today’s technology made it possible to reach clients like generations before us never could and I found myself working for clients as far as Australia. I played a part in a few dozen different startups and small businesses during those years. I celebrated some small wins, like helping numerous brands surpass their marketing goals, growing a brand from 1k to >100k in six months, shooting a creative campaign that ended up as a tiny (and I mean tiny!) feature in Glamour Magazine, and overall was running lean and in the green.
At a certain point, I came to the realization that output in this manner will always be limited to your input – you can only work so many billable hours and raise your rate so many times. If I wanted to scale more effectively, I needed to shift my focus. I joined a nomadic team as the Head of Marketing in the health and beauty e-commerce space. For a few years, I developed these products into a handful of unique, global brands, scaled the department from just myself to a team of 20+, and played a role in growing sales that surpassed $1M per month. But while the experience was great, I felt like something was lacking.
The digital nomad/remote lifestyle gave way to a lot of freedom – I was able to travel and work all over the world, come and go as I pleased, and it enabled a fluid lifestyle without compromising workflow, which I took advantage of. But the day-to-day environment slowly gave way to me recognizing that I craved connection. There would be days at a time where I wouldn’t speak a word to another human until I went to the gym or ran an errand – all my work was virtual and my team lived in completely different time zones. As a social person, working in this manner for years started to drain me. So a couple of years ago, I started working on something I’ve always been personally in love with and curious about professionally – real estate.
Fast forward a few years to today, where all day, every day is real estate. I love everything about what makes a house a home and fall more in love with San Diego each and every day. When you’ve lived somewhere for 14 years and can say that, I consider that a major win. We are so fortunate to live in such a diverse, gorgeous city that is growing, thriving and full of happy people. It makes my work even more enjoyable because let’s face it – who wouldn’t want to live in San Diego?!
I’m a core agent of the Middleton Group and feel so fortunate to have found such a tight-knit group of absolute rockstars who are so knowledgeable, passionate about the work, and supportive as a team. I have learned and been a part of so much more success than I anticipated in these first few years and I can’t wait to see what’s to come.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Has it been a smooth road? Honestly, no. I don’t think any authentic entrepreneur could answer “yes” to this question. For every win you celebrate, there are a dozen glorious failures looming in the background. And that’s ok!
Working in a small business and startup space, it almost goes without saying that most ideas will fail. Some are too far ahead of their time, some are not focused on the core of what will scale, and some are outright led by the wrong people where no amount of amazing support will change that.
My advice to anyone starting their own journey is to step confidently and trust in yourself. Understand that cash is king in that environment and be creative with utilizing debt effectively while you startup. Be as humble with your wins as you are with your failures. Don’t be embarrassed to feel completely lost and need a little help sometimes. Learn when to put your head down and work harder vs. when to walk away from what doesn’t serve your greater purpose and/or respect your work ethic.
Alright – so let’s talk business. What else should we know about your work?
There’s a reason that I branded the Middleton Group’s slogan as “A different kind of a real estate.” While I am a residential real estate agent who absolutely loves to help my clients buy and sell homes in the traditional manner, I do so much more. As a team, we put a lot of intentional energy into education about San Diego and everything surrounding real estate so we can know more, do more, and be able to help more.
Our knowledge of local requirements, zoning, development, investments, renovations, short sales, and even basic things, like all of the paperwork required in a transaction, are things that a lot of agents don’t actually know. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve heard an agent say something is “zoned R2, which makes it a duplex” (be warned, that statement is not accurate).
We are known for our access to off-market properties, putting the most money in our sellers’ pockets, helping our buyers create their dream homes, generating the highest ROI for our investors, and for finding creative ways to tackle trouble areas. My team is so well-versed in renovations that it’s a commonplace to coordinate any updates/renovations a buyer wants so the work can start right after the close of escrow. For our sellers, we will actually manage a renovation before listing the property while we cover the cost upfront so our clients’ can truly get the most out of selling their home.
I’m really proud of what we do and what I’m able to offer my clients. It’s been really rewarding to transfer my skillset so seamlessly into the real estate world and connect with people daily on something that is so meaningful – a place we all call home.
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
Someone once told me that you should take what you love and amplify it – I couldn’t agree more with that outlook on networking. So many people think you have to cold call or go to every networking event in town, that you have to be pushy about what you do for people to listen. Sure, you can do that, but if you love going out on the weekends and meeting new people, do more of that. If you love to play sports, get involved with a team to meet new people. If you aren’t the most outgoing, consider what you do to connect with people naturally and think of how to extend that to the second circle of people already in your immediate network.
Getting out there with authenticity and taking a “people first and networking second” approach has worked best for me. I set the intention of making those connections and do mention what I do when it fits the conversation, but I feel like in any setting, forcing a fit can only work for so long.
I recently took something I love (content, creative, design, and aesthetics) and started a passion project out of it called Heels & Reals. Coming from a background in marketing, it felt right to start a brand of my own that shares the core of what I love – real estate, lifestyle, and the stunning backdrop we all enjoy called San Diego. Heels & Reals is still in its infancy, but getting creative in a manner like this is not only an enjoyable outlet for myself but a way to connect with people around me. In my experience, finding ways to share a message that pulls people in is instantly interpreted as 10x more approachable than trying to constantly push someone towards something.
I think mentors are great (I’m a part of the mentorship program for seniors at my alma mater, SDSU), but I wouldn’t want someone who doesn’t have a mentor to feel like they are off “the right track.” Having people in your circle who you respect and trust their feedback can be just as helpful as one individual who is older and more experienced than you. Go by your gut and keep pushing towards your dream – you will get there someday, regardless of who else is there to cheer you on.
Contact Info:
- Website: heelsandreals.com
- Phone: (858) 218-6458
- Email: christine@middletongroupsd.com
- Instagram: /heelsandreals
- Facebook: /heelsandreals
Image Credit:
Lauren Marie, Christian Pleco, Kreativ Haus
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