A Central Texas Hippie Community That Shaped a Future Realtor

Alice was born in a unique place—Greenbrier, a thriving hippie community in central Texas founded in 1969. While most Realtors don’t grow up in communes, Alice’s upbringing turned out to be a competitive advantage.

From an early age, she was surrounded by:

• Entrepreneurs

• Artisans and makers

• Small cottage industries

• Creative, self-sufficient families

Growing up in what she fondly calls a “family forest,” Alice learned adaptability, curiosity, and the willingness to try anything—traits that later fueled her success in the Austin real estate market.

Early Entrepreneurship: The Foundation for Real Estate Success

Before ever selling a home, Alice had already:

• Started her first business at age 7

• Built another by age 17

• Ran a profitable henna body art company across Texas festivals

• Gained hiring, staffing, and customer experience long before becoming a Realtor

Her entrepreneurial foundation made the transition into Austin investment properties and later into real estate sales feel natural.

From Nomadic Real Estate Investing to Surviving the 2008 Crash

In 2005, after reading Rich Dad Poor Dad, Alice and her husband bought their first duplex with only $5,000 down. This launched their journey into:

• Owner-occupied duplexes

• “Nomadic real estate investing”—moving into each property, fixing it, and renting the other side

• Flipping houses as a family business

Two weeks after closing on a flip, Lehman Brothers collapsed, plunging investors into disaster. But despite being “just barely breathing water,” Alice and her husband survived the crash.

This resilience later became her trademark as an agent.

How Alice Became a Top Austin Realtor Without Buying Leads

In 2016, Alice finally took the leap into becoming a licensed Realtor®.
Within a year:

• She joined Keller Williams

• Closed 12 homes

• Earned Rookie of the Year at her office

• Then became Rookie of the Year for the Austin Board of Realtors

Her secret?
She did exactly what her coach told her.

Cold Calling: The A-to-Z Phone Strategy

Without a database ready, her coach said, “Start with the A’s.”
She called every person in her phone—friends, family, old contacts, even strangers she didn’t remember.

This simple but uncomfortable tactic:

• Built her first leads

• Reunited her sphere

• Strengthened relationships

• Launched her career

Alice’s rule:
Get comfortable being uncomfortable. That’s where the money is.

How Wearing a Name Tag Built a Million-Dollar Pipeline

One of Alice’s most powerful—and unexpected—strategies was visibility.

She wore her Realtor name tag everywhere:

• PTA meetings

• School events

• Costco

• Running daily errands

From these everyday interactions, she earned more than $1 million in business, simply because people were reminded she was in real estate.

Her mindset:
“It’s my job to stay top of mind. It’s not their job to remember me.”

Hosting 14 Client Events a Year (and Turning Her Home Into a Tax Strategy)

Alice’s investor background gave her a unique edge: she leverages the Augusta Rule, allowing her business to legally rent her home for events.

She hosts 14 events per year, including:

• Easter egg hunts

• Father’s Day backyard BBQs

• Mother’s Day Sip and Swim

• Thanksgiving gatherings

• Client baby showers

• Neighborhood and community events

These events are:

• Personal

• Tax-deductible

• Relationship-driven

• High lifetime value

Few Texas Realtors are using this strategy—and it sets Alice apart.

Scaling a Texas Real Estate Team for 2025 and Beyond

Alice’s business now includes:

• A residential team

• A commercial team

• Four backend support staff

• Four producing agents

• A strong investor clientele

Her focus for 2025 is crystal clear:

• Strengthened systems

• Stronger marketing for listings

• Specialist agents in each vertical

• Consistent production

• Multi-channel communication (social, email, calls, broker blasts)

Despite her growth, Alice still refuses to buy real estate leads.
She believes in building a business through:

• Calling past clients

• Providing value

• Staying visible

• Staying human

Lessons for Realtors: How to Grow Your Real Estate Business Like Alice

1. Call every person you know. Literally.

Your phone is your first database.

2. Be loud about being a real estate agent.

Wear your name tag. Talk about what you do. Let people remind others for you.

3. Host in-person events.

Face-to-face experiences beat digital tools every time.

4. Use tax strategies to scale.

The Augusta Rule is a game-changer.

5. Double down on consistency, not perfection.

Alice went from good to great by showing up—daily.

6. Real estate is simple, not easy.

But doing the uncomfortable things pays the biggest dividends.