Obstacles to Opportunities
When faced with life's obstacles, let's channel that negative energy into positivity and forge opportunities. Throughout the nation, business owners will share their experiences of triumphing over daunting challenges in their careers and lives, illustrating how they've harnessed these experiences for growth opportunities.
Obstacles to Opportunities
Heather's Sister Kelly Rodrigue is the Guest
Get ready for an engaging and insightful episode as we sit down with Heather's sister- Kelly Rodrigue of HomeVestors. Join us as Kelly gives us a fun and intimate look into her upbringing alongside her sisters, revealing how their shared experiences have shaped their perspectives on life.
In this candid conversation, Kelly shares her journey of building successful businesses and offers a glimpse into the balancing act of juggling family and personal commitments. Delve into the importance of recognizing when it's time to end chapters in our lives and gracefully move forward, all while navigating the delicate nuances of family dynamics.
This podcast is a treasure trove of wisdom as Kelly imparts valuable insights gained from her experiences. From the challenges of entrepreneurship to the delicate dance of managing personal relationships, Kelly's story is a source of inspiration for anyone seeking to find harmony in the various facets of life.
Join us for a captivating episode filled with laughter, lessons, and a fresh perspective on embracing life's chapters. Tune in and discover the pearls of wisdom shared by Kelly Rodrigue, a dynamic entrepreneur with a unique journey that's sure to leave you inspired.
Welcome to the obstacles opportunities podcast. I'm just pal, your host and I'm your co-host. Heather Kane, and I'm going to let Heather take this one, because this is a personal guest to her and I'm going to let her intro.
Speaker 2:Yes. So I'm going to introduce you guys to my first friend, my best friend, my mentor, my role model, the person I looked up to my entire life that can open a can of whip ass on me at any given part of the day, and I still listen to her because she is my amazing big sister, Kelly Rodrick. Well, now you're going to make me cry before we even get started. But not only is she an amazing sister, but she's an amazing mom. I mean, as far as the role model like I can't even describe the role model she's been to me as a mother. She homeschooled her children. I mean, she wins an award by that, absolutely All. Why? Building an incredible blog? For she's a fantastic cook. So, just so you know Red's reality, check it out. That's my famous sister, right there. Then also, she helped me build out our entire staging company for Style to Sell from the ground up. She also assisted with Style to Design and growing that. She's a fantastic designer. Her and her husband have a amazing business called Home Vestors. Yes, she buys ugly houses. The uglier the better. If you have an ugly house, call Kelly.
Speaker 2:But she you know, I know a lot of the obstacles because I'm her sister, but we're going to dive into them today. I mean I'm going to make her a little uncomfortable and squirmy, already sweating. But Kelly, thank you so much for being here today. I'm so excited to be here. This is going to be fun. Yeah.
Speaker 2:So tell me about one of your biggest obstacles you feel that you've had, maybe growing up, as we were kids. That kind of got you to where you are, because Kelly was always at Leadership Academy. I mean you name it. You know I was the little sister that didn't have the accomplishments of the big sister. Yeah, but you know there's also things if we're being wrong, real that I had to because you were so much better in a lot of the other areas than I was. So it was like academics and that kind of stuff. But I mean, let's be real, you are a better gymnast, the better cheerleader, all that kind of stuff. But we kept it. I feel like through all of that though we have been, we've complimented each other really well with that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would say, in life in general, balance for me and boundaries is very, very hard. So I am an all or nothing kind of girl that is black and white on anything and you can relate. I mean, I am gung ho, whatever it is. So if I'm going to homeschool, I'm going to be the best Degum homeschool mom you could ever possibly imagine. If I'm going to cook, that's what I'm going to do. If I'm going to. Where do you think that came from, though?
Speaker 1:Have you met our parents. Oh my gosh, you guys are both like that. Yes, both of your parents like that? Yes, are both of your parents like you? Had no chance of not being a zero to a hundred person?
Speaker 2:No, I don't think we did. I mean our dad, which I don't know. You know how much everybody knows our background, which my father always shakes his head because he doesn't like to say it, but we usually brag about it but our father was actually a presidential pilot. So only the best of the best get to have that position. I mean, if you think of all the pilots and all the military and all that kind of stuff, they had a lot of people to pick from a lot and so that is narrowed down to the top half a percent in the military.
Speaker 2:So our dad obviously was that. And then our mom she was home, she raised, she was stay at home mom. Oh my gosh, structured discipline. Before Heather and I could leave the house, our beds had to be made the floors had to be mobs. The windows, I mean the mirrors, I mean the hardcore.
Speaker 2:So we were raised with structure and discipline and all of that. Do you want to hear how we went to bed at night, every night? Yeah, you want to hear what we get. Let's say it Ready One, two, three, sleep. Really, I thought so my dad would do.
Speaker 1:Not like a fifth time still.
Speaker 2:Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no it was joking because, I mean, our parents are like the most loving people, but it was always a joke. My dad would come in it was like at the barracks. He would take our sheets and tuck it right underneath, hard from us, from head to toe, and then we'd be like, all right, we're in, and then he would go to the lights and we might go at the same time, because that's like the Marine Corps One, two, three sleep.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yep, I'm so fascinated by this I was not raised. I was raised by a creative musician that was traveling the world. I had none of that, so I'm literally like this is out of my element and I but, I love. It's like I love the people. You guys became, though, so zero to it. You're all out, you're all in, you're doing the cooking, you're homeschooling, and then you thought, oh, and, I'll build a business and I'll well oh my gosh, so technically.
Speaker 2:So, Heather, this is kind of a funny story. She's always said I want you to do real estate with me. And I'm like, oh my gosh, don't do real estate, why are you stop with the whole real estate thing? And so then, when we moved to Florida, my husband actually had a job scare, right, I mean legit. We had put all the boxes away. His company got bought out, and then it was you're in the fight to the end to whoever's gonna run the sales. And so my husband was like I'm just letting you know, and I thought you have got to be kidding me. So then, of course, Heather comes knocking on the door. Guess what you can do real estate with me.
Speaker 1:And I was like, oh my gosh, that was such a good impression. By the way, that is scary. Okay, keep going.
Speaker 2:So and I was like I'm not doing real estate. And so it was kind of funny. She was talking with one of her business warrantiers at the time and they were like Heather, you're only one person again a common thing here you can't do this, you can't do that. The ideas are great, but you need two of you. And all of a sudden Heather went oh, I can do that. So she called, she's like okay, so hear me out. And I'm like oh, fred, they'll laugh. She's like I need two of me, right. And I'm like what now? And she's like okay, so what if you help me start a staging and design business? And I was like oh, I can get behind that.
Speaker 2:Because we were also raised that way. So actually, if you want to rewind about I don't know 15 years, heather and I worked together when we were in Texas. So I had a business at the time and we did it works with Firewater and Moldon, texas, and so we dealt with the insurance companies building them back, tearing them out, building them back. Hence the design right. So she and I have done that for a gazillion years. So now you fast forward and I'm like, oh, this, I can get down with that. But of course she, in her sneaky little way, was like, well, but could you're gonna be dealing with homeowners, because I with real estate, so you need to get your real estate license. And I'm like you have got. I'm like, all right, you win.
Speaker 1:And she's like.
Speaker 2:I won. Sorry, I had to just say that I know. So she won, so that's kind of okay, kelly, oh my gosh, I knew she was gonna do this.
Speaker 2:Does having your real estate license benefit you in your home vester business? Oh my gosh, you have to do this. So the funny thing is okay? The short answer yes, it does. The funny thing was is that I never used the real estate license for all the time Heather and I were working together, so almost three years, you know, after we moved here. And then once we transitioned which we can get into that and so I was working with my husband full time.
Speaker 2:I put my first house on the market because he's like listen, we're investors. You have your real estate license. Why are we having somebody else list our properties? You need to list them. And so I was like okay, so I was like listing houses. And then this one, of course, the typical little sister, calls me and says na na, na, na, na, na na. I'm like what she's like? You just used your real estate license. I was like, oh good, I actually know all I did was text her. Oh yeah, I did. I sent a text winning, that's what it was. I was like what are you talking about? I'm winning, right, I had some choice words, but you know.
Speaker 1:But okay, so let's all right.
Speaker 2:So you've owned multiple businesses. Yes, you have crushed the businesses that you've done. Oh, you're sweet. But like, what is it in you that gave you that entrepreneurial spirit? You think? Oh, that's easy, our uncle, you see. We were raised with entrepreneurial parents and, quite frankly, the whole entrepreneurial world scares the ever-living life out of me. You're not a risk taker.
Speaker 1:No, oh my gosh, I'm the risk taker, she is the, it's OK.
Speaker 2:Why Heather and I work so well. She's the visionary, she like, oh, I joke around because she's the tornado, the whirlwind, this idea, that idea, her ideas are amazing. And she's like and this is how we're going to do it. And I'm like, ok, then she leaves and she's like well, actually that's how I need you to do it, I need you to do it. So I'm the implementer because, again, I work, so really it works very well.
Speaker 2:But so we weren't raised that way. But we had an uncle who was actually very big on the real estate side and developed real estate programs and that kind of stuff, and so we watched him on the real estate side, just on the entrepreneur, and so that, to me, I think, is kind of what sparked it in us, because he was so larger than life and just every thing he was doing, he traveled the world, speaking, he was an incredible public speaker, an incredible entrepreneur, and yeah, no, it was so amazing. So I think that's where we got it from, although it scares me to death, but here I find myself in the entrepreneurial world, so go figure.
Speaker 1:So you guys, though, at a young age, didn't see people beside your uncle, like your parents, they weren't investing in real estate. No, you were raised with that, so you had to learn all of it.
Speaker 2:Absolutely yeah, school of hard knocks, yeah. So I think I mean I started buying real estate young. You did yes, because I'm trying to think of who is instrumental on me buying at young. Can you even remember? I don't know, because mom and dad weren't no.
Speaker 2:Well, they weren't financially able to do that. I mean, nobody's getting rich being in the military and our mom was staying home. Mom, no, that's not going to happen. Yeah, I don't know how you did. I don't know either, but I started. I think there's another podcast we're going to put you in the house.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we need to do this a little bit more.
Speaker 2:Let's see so we'll give you the grit, kelly, the grit. You know he didn't have a choice. So Daniel, which is my husband, he traveled all the time. His job was 24-7 travel, so he only was home a lot of times on the weekends, so for me it was just a matter of survival. You have to figure things out with young kids and he and I have gone through a lot. I mean, we've went through, if being honest and transparent, went through financial ruin at one time, so that was really hard. We've just gone through a lot of hard stuff in almost 20 years of marriage. And so I always say there's two types of people. There are people that crumble and the people that fight to get their way. And you have to pick and choose your path and I just refuse to give up, I refuse Love it and I'm like there's no.
Speaker 2:You know, I found myself one time one of our huge obstacles. So Southwest Florida got hit by a massive hurricane Hurricane. Ian and I had nine feet of water in my house and complete destruction. At the time my two children weren't doing well, just typical teenage stuff and all of that kind of, and I just found myself going through. I mean, I looked at it. I was like 20, almost 20 years of marriage, and I looked at my husband. I'm like this is all we own.
Speaker 2:It was like a few things upstairs, because everything got destroyed, and I was in a dark place for several days and then it finally was like OK, what are you going to do with this? You're either going to wallow in stuff that you can't. I mean, it wasn't the things, it was the memories, it was all of that. So I had a chance to go left or right, and it was very easy to go down. Though what was me? How are we going to do this? I don't have blah, blah, blah.
Speaker 2:But then I also had a friend who was going through the loss of a son who had committed suicide, and I thought that's real problems. She can't replace what I can replace. And actually your brother-in-law, who you lost to cancer, I think, is probably stuck in my head the most is that somebody said if you have money, if money can solve your problems, you don't have problems. And so at that time I had said can money solve my problems? Yes, I can. So, as my sister would say, put your big girl panties on and start cleaning and be done with it. You had, though I mean within hours. I mean I know myself and our entire church family came in as almost a storm in our neighborhood it did, and to see the community and the outpouring of love and support I mean it brings complete change, oh, and I can't.
Speaker 2:We had to talk about it too much because I mean I can't talk about it, but you know, it's just, it's such an emotional time, but it was amazing, like you said, to watch, because we got to the point where we just had to turn people away and send them to our neighbors, cause I was like, yeah, there's only so much help you can get, which we were very blessed.
Speaker 2:But, let's talk about even that journey, kelly, because I saw Ian, which was absolutely devastating and horrific, and you go to that very dark place and I saw it right.
Speaker 2:And you know it was hard as a sister to see your sister in that place and trying to figure out how can I help to pull her out. Then fast forward and we get another one, oh my gosh. But let me just say that, from where you were in your faith journey from when Ian happened until and when that next one hit, it was a completely different Kelly. So share what happened there. Oh my gosh, I don't want to cry. Oh my goodness.
Speaker 2:So, god, yeah, learning that, okay, hold on, complete another trust and faith of just knowing that it just always does work out the way it's supposed to. And so, again, it was the whole thing of how am I going to handle this? How are my kids going to see how I handled this? How are my neighbors going to see how I handle this? How's my family? How are people that are? You know what I mean.
Speaker 2:So, again, I can choose to be darker, I can choose to be light and I just don't. I just choose to be light and I just. You know there's again, there's a couple of different ways that you can approach life on anything, because we're all going to face stuff all the time. Right, absolutely, whether it's small, whether it's big and it's truly depends on how like if you go into something saying it's going to work out and you have this attitude and you are going to be feel like you're an overcomer and all of this and all of that your outcome is so different than if you go into it being like it's just nothing's going to work out, and then you know what it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. It's not going to.
Speaker 1:It is I tell my kids that all the time They'll say I'm going to have a bad day, I'm not going to have fun. And I'll say you're right. Yeah, You're right 100%, Because your attitude is determining, yes, how your day is gonna go and if you're gonna have fun and I said your words are so powerful, yes, Like flip that Absolutely. So my youngest will be like I'm gonna have fun, I'm gonna have a good day. I'm like then maybe you will. And it's amazing when you get into those like dark places where it's like you have nothing right, Like you have nothing. I mean that's where the real like okay, what am I made of? Happens. Yeah, you know Exactly. What do I, what do I stand for, what do I believe in, what's really my foundation? Yep, you know what? What am I?
Speaker 2:standing on. Well, that's exactly. It was kind of like a if I ever, you know, supposed to you know I shouldn't say supposed I am You're being a strong Christian and you believe in the certain things you believe it's like you gotta walk the walk. I mean, how do you it's time, it's game time, Exactly, and I'll tell you what. Through all of that, though, you know, I feel like it's one of those where you go okay, I need help, and then, when you get help, you're like okay, this is good, so you can't. I mean, I don't know, it was just, it was a big defining moment for me, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I kind of opened my eyes to all sorts of stuff and it's like God shows up, like, like you said, I can be dark, I can be. You know, am I gonna be dark? Am I gonna be light? God shows up in the dark.
Speaker 2:Yes, he just does. Well, I was, I'll never forget. I was standing on the steps and my woe is me moment. And you know there's my wedding dress with mud. You know going all down at my kids baby books, everything. My daughter was in the midst of going through stuff, my son was in the midst of going through stuff and I'm looking at my husband and I'm like what is this all about? And he's looking at me and I'm like we're good people. And you know, I don't know I'm not. And he's like, are you done now?
Speaker 2:And I was like I don't know you know and he was like you need to stop, and then he started listing of all the amazing things that were in our life, like blah blah, blah, blah.
Speaker 2:Daniels, you are rock, oh, 100%. He is a man of faith, yes, and he humbles you in this moment, yes, which is what we all need. Yeah, right, I would say the reason I married Andrew is he's the only man I've ever really listened to outside of my father. He can put me in check like nobody's business Everyone else. I try to plow over him. You know what I mean, but he like just for you. You found a partner that in life, and those are that's what's helped you get through that. So let's go down that journey a little bit. So Kelly and I were doing everything we're doing. Daniel started Home Vesters. That's a franchise. We bought a franchise.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we bought a franchise. Ok, I didn't realize that.
Speaker 2:Yes, oh it's a franchise? Yeah, it is, so he's crushing it. Daniel is, but every time I see Daniel love him to death, but he is tired. Yeah, he is working nonstop, yeah, like a beast, right, and all of these properties at the time I think you had like 12 properties, yes, and Kelly and I are on the beach one day and I go, kelly, I love you, but that's your business, and I know I don't want to be the person that is telling you like, help me grow style to design, style to sell. Like if you need to do that, like that's yours. Like how did that? How was that whole process for you? It was hard Because the local business was my baby, you know, like I and that's what you were talking about, boundaries and stuff like that Like I mean I worked 20, I mean, not 24, 7, I mean, but I would take calls from clients till 10 o'clock at night, like it was just, it was truly my baby and so but it's helping my sister build, you know, a business, and so it was probably a really, and I it was funny because we were on the beach and I got home and I cried and my husband was like what's wrong?
Speaker 2:And I was like it was such a hurtful thing. But it was such a real thing and it wasn't hurtful like in a bad way, it was a reality check. To be like what am I like? What do I need to do? What is this crossroad? You know, because it's like you're building something and my sister is so gracious to be like I can see the toll is taking on Daniel, what you need to do for your family. But then I'm like you know, it's the flesh that starts right. It's like, oh, she doesn't want me. Oh, you know it's all of that kind of stuff. But to sit back and be like hell this isn't about you per se, it's, yeah, this situation and all of that. And so it was. It was very, very, very hard but, anyways, but to see you guys now.
Speaker 2:You know Daniel's walked away from his job. Yeah, you're now our full-time home. Vesters Kelly designing all the property, chefs marketing all the properties properties are beautiful In Southwest Florida.
Speaker 1:Jump on them, so they will sell fast one hundred.
Speaker 2:So think about it. So she's helping Daniel in the process. She's staging them all, she's listing them all, she's marketing them all, she's selling them all like there's no what Daniel needs.
Speaker 2:That and there was no way to get a little I could at all I mean it was just yeah, he's asking me to do things and I'm like I've, oh my gosh, I've already worked, you know, eight hours. And then clients are still calling and I got kids. And I'm like, oh, what do you? What do you need me? You want pick up a ceiling fan? Okay, fine, here's one. You know, I mean it wasn't being done effectively, and so for him, you know, I've, like you said, I've taken a lot off his plate, which is awesome and it's fun, and we just kind of laughs away gifts yeah and it's kind of fun to see how you know you, how you turn all of that, you Things that I've learned here and things that I've done, how it just kind of melded all that one thing.
Speaker 1:I love that. I look to see when dots connect in your life. Yeah, like you're, like that's why that happened, that's why I learned that. And then all of a sudden it comes together. Yes, you know it does.
Speaker 2:It's, it's God's plan. Yeah, you know what I mean, like, and I look at like, where, where we all are today, like everything in life that has been a failure or a success has led to where you're sitting right now. Oh, a hundred, and. But we choose Whether or not we move forward.
Speaker 2:So many times people think a failure Means that they have to take a step back instead of they look at as an opportunity To grow, to have more success, and I think so many people just they, they don't take it upon themselves To self-reflect and move in the right direction. Well, it's kind of like I would never want to. I'm grateful they must for the mistakes that I've made, because it's an opportunity to learn. And I think some people like, oh, can you go back? And you know, could you change something? And I'm like, no, actually, even the darkest Hours or times, I wouldn't change anything, because every single opportunity is an opportunity for growth. It's an opportunity to learn from the things you did that were right or wrong, and everybody knows that. But I mean, it's just, it's, it's true.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you know.
Speaker 2:So what is the number one thing our audience can take away from today, kelly? Have balance in life. You know, I just the biggest takeaway that's now, honestly, I think for me I eat that from on the from the women's standpoint is that women can have it all, and I think that is a very big Misconception. Me personally, I think there's some area of your life that will Fall back unless you have full-time helper. You know all of that kind of stuff, but I think that at the end of the day, the, the emails and the calls that I was taking at 10 o'clock at night, do that really affect anything with the business? No, but did it affect my personal life with my kids or missing things? 100%? Yes. So for me it's finding that balance, especially as women, to understand that it's okay to put that phone down at 5 6 o'clock at night and people will respect those boundaries if you put them up, and I did not put up boundaries and so in turn, it created some challenges.
Speaker 1:I'm always says you teach people how to treat you. Yes, you know. Yeah, so you, yeah, you teach them right?
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm, absolutely, you do 100% Well. Kelly, thank you so much for being here today. We are so grateful. It was a treat for me.
Speaker 1:It was so fun to be like in the sister club and like get a behind the scenes like one, two, three.
Speaker 2:All right. Well, thanks for tuning in today and have an awesome day.
