Road To Redemption
Road To Redemption
From Anxiety To Purpose: A Realtor’s Road To Redemption
What if the place you work could become the place you heal? We sit down with Nathan Abbott, a top-producing realtor on Florida’s Emerald Coast, to unpack how prayer, community, and a clear sense of calling can turn a high-pressure business into a life-giving mission. Nathan opens up about growing up as a redhead who never quite fit, drifting into wild years, and finding peace in the rhythms of nature he calls God’s paintbrush. That peace didn’t stay on the shoreline—it followed him into the office, the team huddles, and the toughest client moments.
The turning point comes with a story of anxiety undone by a simple prayer over the phone. From there, Nathan explains the habits that now anchor his leadership: closing meetings in prayer, asking “Are you okay?” when someone looks off, and letting faith guide how deals are done and people are treated. We talk about launching a company with prayer over the building, mentors who modeled faith at work, and how partnership deepens when truth and grace are on the table. There’s a powerful thread about meeting people where they are—sometimes in the darkest places—and choosing to be the saint in the chaos.
You’ll hear practical steps to bring this home: read Scripture daily with a Bible app, commit to a Christ-centered church even if it’s imperfect, and join a small group where honesty is normal and support is real. We also spotlight the healing power of nature through Nathan’s sister, Amanda's Gulf Therapy nonprofit, and how a few brave words can change a life. If you’re carrying quiet panic beneath a calm face, or if you’re hungry to see your work matter beyond the numbers, this conversation offers a map. Listen, share with a friend who needs hope, and if this resonates, subscribe and leave a review to help others find the show.
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Well, welcome to Road to Redemption. I'm John Martin, and I'm excited to be here today with my buddy Nathan. How are you, good friend? Pleasure to be here, Matt. Nathan Abbott, the realtor, the rock star. We all love Nathan. Oh man. Gotta be humble. Yeah, exactly. No, I just love. I'm so excited you've become a good friend, and just really wanted to have you on because I know you have a faith journey, and a lot of people know you from your real estate practice. And you know, you're out there selling a lot of real estate and helping a lot of people. You have a big real estate team and you have a lot of a lot going on, you know. So I I just wanted to people, a lot of people might not know this side of you that you know you have faith and you believe in Jesus. And um, you know, so I just want to talk a little bit about that. But first off, for anybody that doesn't know you, give a little background.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I'm um you're born and raised in Dustin, Florida. Oh well, Fort Walton Beach is my hometown. There's no one lived in Dustin, and just uh was such a blessing to see this area grow and vision our family had when there was nothing here. And I grew up in this beautiful environment and so fortunate to be able to share that with my kid today, and also just customers. My my favorite customer is the one that finds this place for the first time, and I've told everybody, and you know it when you live here, that it's a truly a healing place. A lot of people that come down here trying to escape from something that was tormenting them in a different area, or they just had a dream to live by the beach, and when you get to walk on the beach, like we talk often over at Topps Hill State Park, the you you just feel a level of peace that this area brings you that is hard to find anywhere in the world. And it's uh just grateful to be able to sell real estate here and connect with people and build a team and hopefully have some positive influence with people uh as well in my journey.
SPEAKER_02:You do. I mean, you affect a lot of people, and I've seen from working around you and your team just how much you care. You you care about your team members, you care about your your customers, um and that that means a lot to people. People see that. Um and and I've been so impressed just being on some of your your calls and things with your team that you know you you close every meeting in prayer. Um and I I was just really uh blown away by that. I was like, wow, you know, every every uh Abbott Martin group meeting y'all have, you close that in prayer. So you want to talk a little bit about your your faith journey?
SPEAKER_00:Well, it's just uh it's my own personal therapy. You know, I think that we all have mistakes and sin and you know need forgiveness, but we also need to pray for the good things and encouragement. And um, you know, I really think it's important to have uh spiritual uh connection to God and Jesus in your business. And um, I'll never forget when we did our uh grand launch, we had people pray over our building and um you know it just really hit home. It was like, you know, we can do this. I you know, taking that leap of faith of launching our own company is is scary. I was at a great company for 18 years prior to that, and um, I'll just uh I'll never forget it was actually uh Mel Ponder who was um uh came um to just give us uh a token of good faith um in the launch of our business, and he prayed at our business. Um wasn't afraid to do so, didn't know what people's um thoughts were or what their spiritual background was, but it doesn't matter. And um and he was I just never felt so more confident and warm about our business when he prayed for us that day and um just remember how that felt and wanted to carry that on um with our own meetings um to understand that we're all in this for a bigger purpose.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Well, tell us a little bit about your your journey, your road to redemption, because we were talking a little bit about you coming in. You know, you were you were kind of labeled a ginger, you know. I know you did a Facebook post about that, and we're just talking a little bit about that. And you want to share a little bit about your journey.
SPEAKER_00:Uh people don't realize, you know, growing up, especially in elementary school, junior high school, having red hair was extremely difficult. Uh there was very few of us. I think we're like two percent of the population, so I dealt with a lot of teasing and picking and all these things, and just felt like an outsider a lot of the times. And I think sometimes when you feel alone, you you also turn to things that are not as positive, right? I kind of a wild child, you know, dappled, you know, experimented with different drugs and different things when I was younger, almost like my escape. And I um I really kind of found myself uh through nature first, which is God's paintbrush. Um, it was kind of a healing spot, and you and I have talked too, like everyone has uh a past, but it doesn't define your future. And I think that you can always change your journey um and influence people in the most impactful way that you can, and um, having uh God connected to that is is the biggest piece. Uh, I grew up Methodist um with my family, uh but there's a lot of times in church that I would leave and it felt like the right thing to do, but I didn't really know what was being spoken about, right? Sometimes you feel kind of lost in the sermon. And um, as I started growing in my faith, there was just certain times in my life that that truly uh touched me that uh made me realize um how real uh Jesus and God is. Um, one of the examples, John, um you you have incredible faith was the day I called you and I was like having an anxiety attack. I've battled anxiety off and on throughout my life. And um, I think I was just about to leave town, um, was just feeling really anxious that day, and you prayed for my anxiety to go away. And by the time you're done speaking, it was gone. Yes, and I've actually learned to manage it uh a lot better now that when I start getting into those moments, I I stop and pray through that. And um, you know, I I seem very calm on the surface. I deal with a lot of people, um, but you also deal with a lot of pressure, you deal with everyone's emotions in real estate, you deal with emotions of your team, and and you try to always be the calmest one in the room, but a lot of times those emotions of you trying to save people or help people, um, it builds up. And sometimes, you know, you realize how human you are and and have your own moments. And um, I'll never forget that. I mean, you prayed for me that day, and I was like, wow, I came out of that. I was like, no, I don't have anxiety. And so um I've seen it just through friends and family in different places um when you can bring spirituality in their life, how much impact it starts to create for them. And through that it helps it create impact for you too.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Well, and I think a a lot of it is is being bold, you know, and you know, as as believers in Jesus a lot of us, you know, kind of grow up thinking we have to be like a go to seminary or you know, be a pastor or priest to to to to share and to you know do do God's work. And the truth is that's not the truth at all. I mean the Bible you know tells tells us that you know we are to be disciples of Christ and go out in the day and and to do, you know, God's work and to show his love, you know, to to everyone and and connect with him, kind of like we were talking about a little earlier. Um you know, and you do that, you do a good job of that, and that's something that I was excited when you you were having that anxiety because you know, I was like, look, we can go ask Jesus to help you with that anxiety right now. You know, He He has the power to heal us of i anything, you know, and and if we'll just invite him in, you know, so um that's that's things that all of us can do. Uh I was excited to see that that day. That that just got me really excited for you to see that anxiety, you know, be lowered. And and and anxiety is a big thing for a lot of people out there.
SPEAKER_00:We used to have a lot of panic attacks, and different things. I think a lot on the surface, you see people and they seem like their demeanor is calm, but they're like panicked on the inside. And yeah, if you haven't faced anxiety before, like when I I had an anxiety attack, um and I didn't even feel stressed, it was just so weird, it came on me. Uh, I think it was just like I was starting my career, it was right when Erin and I started dating, and um, she was always anxious through her studies. She was a world-class uh student educator, and I'd see how she would just get so overwhelmed with her studies, and I was the calm one, and it somehow through a relationship, I sucked that off of her, so her anxiety went away, and then I had it, I had an anxiety attack. I've never had that in my life. I'm like, what's happened here? Like, I was like the the the the the stone that pulled it all off of you, and now I have it. But I think we all battle it at some time in our life. I think others hide it better than others, but it you know, there's a lot of moving parts, and you can't keep up with how fast things are moving. And I think uh anxiety uh many times comes to to all of us in different ways, and we don't even realize that's what it is. So true. But yeah, you you you really helped me that day.
SPEAKER_02:Well, and and you and your business partners, TJ Martin, and I laugh a lot because I'm I'm I'm obviously John Martin, but I I I thank TJ so much for giving me all the credit out there for all the the great work y'all are doing in the marketplace. But but y'all are doing you know a great job with your business. You're you're selling hundreds of millions of dollars a year of real estate. Um, but but you're you're very humble people and you're really you're sharing your faith out there. And um I just really love that you're doing that. Is there anything else that you could share about that and your your journey?
SPEAKER_00:Well, I mean it's connected to uh my business partner and I too, right? Like he when he was first starting to real estate, um he was at DR Horton, and one of his supervisors would you know always pray with him, encourage him to read the Bible. And uh TJ is also uh very faithful.
SPEAKER_01:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:Um sometimes you have a heart and shell in the exterior, but when you actually can break down those barriers and have conversations, uh uh God and Jesus was also a major highlight of his life. And um, you know, I think one of the things that we get lost in is that we feel like bringing someone to church is the way, which is kind of the easy way, like you can come to my church or hang out. But I think sometimes it's meeting them where they're at in those dark places sometimes that shows in the light. And uh, one of our sermons at uh Good News, I I really uh love that church. Um it was a gentleman that um sang with uh Chris Tomlin, you know, a uh one of my favorite Christian bands, and there's some amazing Christian music out there um that doesn't sound just like gospel, there's uh all types of from rap to rock and roll, heavy metal to you know, um worship style music, but there's a lot of good Christian artists out there, and um he was sharing a story when he was in Israel and about this pagan holiday um called uh there was a god uh that they worship called Pan, um half uh goat and half human. You've seen probably pictures of of that. And uh at this uh pagan festival, um around a million people would show up, and um he was sharing how um these people were basically sleeping with prostitutes and goats, and then they would sacrifice the prostitutes and goats until the river turned red to honor this god. And um, Jesus and his disciples showed up at this pagan event um and over the years made it one of the most holy places in the in the world that turned met people where they were in this like pagan practice and this really deep sin and transitioned that to being one of the holiest places on earth. And it was just really amazing to hear that because it said, you know, be uh the saint in the chaos. Um and I think my wife did that for me in a lot of ways, right? My Aaron was always just very spiritual, very um, just a very good person, didn't get into all the you know crazy things that I got into when we were younger, and um, in a way saved me from my own chaos and it's helped me with my path uh today. And um, you know, granted I was young when I was wild like I was, we all have a wild streak, but um honestly the um the path with Jesus and God and influencing that other people is truly the the impact that I enjoy, but that doesn't make me perfect either, right? I still sin still today, I make mistakes, but you can ask for forgiveness and and be cleansed from that. And yeah, that's the beauty of of Christianity and spirituality.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00:Well that message hit home to me.
SPEAKER_02:But yeah, that's good.
SPEAKER_00:Everyone has their moments, and if you can meet with them where they're at and and and help them find a better path, and um it really is our purpose, and that's why I pray at our meetings.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, which I love that boldness of yours, and you know, also just really like from that story is just you know, we're we're we're called to do God's ministry out in the marketplace. Yes, we go to church, but the the sick people aren't in church, you know, like those people you were talking about that that Jesus ministered to. Uh but but we can do that, you know, we're out there in real estate and in the marketplace is just when we see people, you know, that maybe aren't where they should be to to connect with them, put our phones down, pray for them, take time to well.
SPEAKER_00:Sometimes it just comes down to asking. You see someone that feels troubled, just pause for a second and say, Are you okay? That's all I mean just saying the simple words, are you okay, could save someone's life. You know, there's a lot of torment, you see and hear a lot of suicide. There people don't feel like they can live up to expectations or seeing all this stuff on social media, um, that they think everyone has this perfect life, and a lot of it's just such a shell of the reality. And I think when you pause and see someone for who they are and just say, listen, are you are you okay? And just to have those words, you see their guard drop, and some of the stories that you hear from that are amazing. Like my sister sees it all the time with her uh golf therapy um charity. Amazing, like um it's golftherapy.org, and she helps she helped herself through a traumatic event and teaches people how to heal themselves through nature, which is truly God's canvas.
SPEAKER_01:Yes.
SPEAKER_00:Um just had her husband uh got baptized. Um, and um, she's had so many people that said, you know, I was going to kill myself today, but I decided to show up to your paddleboard session and it saved my life, and she'll pray with them and helps raise uh income for people's mental health treatments, and um, there's a lot of that out there, right? I think sometimes uh when you can just pause and recognize that um the spirituality can set them free, and that's amazing to see in a real life setting.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, wow. Well, this has been a great talk.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I always enjoy talking to you. We we always have faith talks, yeah. Amongst some of the jokes and goofing off laughter. I think laughter is also a great place to heal your soul. Um but but Jesus is even better.
SPEAKER_02:It is, it is. Wow. Well, as we always like to end the show Road to Redemption, we want you first to uh get into the Word of God, to read the Bible, and and you know you don't have to read the whole thing overnight. Just we just encourage you to even get the Bible app on your phone and just start reading it. We that's how God primarily will speak to you is through the Bible. Uh and we just encourage folks to just start reading it. There's if you get the Holy Bible app, there's tons of plans and things to help you read it. But if you read the Word of God, it will bless your life. And then next is to get into a church, a Christ-centered Bible-believing church, and just go. You're never gonna find the perfect church. Just go. I always say give it at least one year of your life. We we promise it'll change your life. And and and last, get into a small group. Get into a group of guys or gals or couples or whatever life season you're in, and do life with them. It's a place where you can make yourself vulnerable, be accountable, and we promise that'll bless you. So that's it, Nathan. Yeah, it's been a lot of fun. Yeah, wow, thank you for coming and sharing. It's been great.