Last week I had the honor and the privilege to spend a few hours in Felicia Reed’s studio to work on legacy photos for my kids AND fresh real estate branding photos. She shot a beautiful mix of fun and business photos!

The photos are stunningly beautiful, and frankly, I’ve never looked at myself that way. I am very comfortable with my physical appearance, and I don’t really think about it much beyond looking professional. I know there’s a lot of privilege in those statements, as I am aware that my physical appearance has always mostly conformed to our cultural norms.

When I was a teenager, I understood keenly that I only wanted attention because of my intelligence, wit, and kindness. To me, that meant that I shouldn’t be overwhelmingly pretty and definitely not “sexy.” Being photographed makes me very uncomfortable. But Felicia pulled that shy hesitance away, and I leaned into the energy that she shared with me.

The energy that she captured in this photo is incredibly and authentically ME. And I love it.

But there’s more in this picture.

I am wearing a black swan Swarovski necklace that I had literally found in duty-free shopping in a Candian airport the day before the photoshoot last week. In 2012, when I first got licensed as a REALTOR, I was at Barton Creek Mall with my sisters, and I saw this same necklace. At that point, I was freshly licensed and had not yet sold a home. I told my sisters that I would buy myself that necklace after selling my first home. But I didn’t. It felt odd to reward myself with what was at that time an extravagance. We just didn’t have extra money for things like that, as I had left my career in 2009 to stay home with the kids. So I forgot about the necklace.

But as I passed through the duty-free shop last week, I saw it there! I have, at this point, sold hundreds of homes! This year I reached the local pinnacle of volunteering in the real estate industry. When the necklace appeared, I knew it was the universe telling me to recognize the significance of what I have done with the past 11 years of my life. The work that I have put into helping my clients achieve their real estate dreams and growing into a leader in the industry is profoundly rewarding. It was not an expensive piece of jewelry, but it is heavy with significance. And I thank everyone that has walked with me on this journey ❤.