Let's Talk w/ President-Elect Kimberlie Griggs

Join us for an inspiring conversation with ECAR President-Elect Kimberlie Griggs. Kimberlie shares her story, lessons learned throughout her leadership journey, and her passion for serving REALTORS® across the the panhandle. We talk about the challenges and opportunities facing the industry, the importance of member engagement, and what excites her most about the future of the Association. It's an honest, insightful discussion filled with leadership wisdom and practical takeaways.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Keys to the Emerald Coast, the official podcast of the Emerald Coast Association of World Tours. Each episode we unlock market insights, advocacy updates, and member stories to help you thrive one key at a time.

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Welcome back, ECAR. Thanks for joining us for another episode of Keys to the Emerald Coast. I am Chad Nelson, Marketing and Communications Director with ECAR, joined by the ever-amazing Maria Howell.

SPEAKER_01 0:23

Thank you, Chad. How are you today? Good.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

It sounds like a busy day.

SPEAKER_01 0:27

Yes. Yes. We just had a long ECMLS board meeting. But yes. Yeah, it's it's been a long morning.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

Well, now we'll have some fun on the board.

SPEAKER_01 0:37

And now we're gonna have fun.

SPEAKER_00 0:39

Yeah. We're also joined in studio by our our president-elect Kimberly Griggs.

SPEAKER_03 0:44

Thank you guys so much for having me.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

Yeah, we've had you on before, but now we really, I mean, we we've kind of been anticipating bringing you back, but you've been too busy growing humans.

SPEAKER_02 0:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 0:55

Humans. So yeah, we we wanted to give you a chance to recover there and come on back and really, you know, just talk about your role on the board, um, just your leadership throughout throughout the association in general. But uh, for those that that don't know you, for the listeners that maybe just tuning in maybe for the first time, kind of give us your story, a little backstory. How'd you get into the industry? How'd you get into leadership with e-car, all the fun stuff?

SPEAKER_03 1:23

Sure. So I actually started out in uh residential property management with Sundance Rentals here in Fort Walton, and I managed about 150 single-family homes. So that was an interesting um start there. It's definitely a different world than the sales world. Um, did that for several years and then went into community association management, which was which was a time served, and I never want to do that again. So my goodness. Managed HOAs for about uh four or five years in Texas and here. And then my company bought out a company here in Sandestin. So it brought me back home and uh realized I did not love the association management world. So I my sister was working for a brokerage here in town, and she said, come on and you know, get into the sales world. So that was probably about uh 10, 12 years ago. I've been licensed for a little over 15 years, so that got me on the sales journey. And then when Maria was um heading a leadership development and Joe Cappolotti, both of them got me involved in the leadership program, and that kind of pulled me into the e-car world to see what all was involved there.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Always, you know, pulling those strings.

SPEAKER_01 2:38

Always tap tapping the shoulder, right?

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Seems like no one can ever say no to you either.

SPEAKER_01 2:43

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 2:44

A good thing because we have some fantastic leaders throughout.

SPEAKER_01 2:47

But yeah, I'm there to support. And I know who's ready, right? To step into that role.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

That's awesome. I love it. Well, uh I so 15 years, um, you know, maybe 12, 13, kind of really in the fire, we'll say. But what's been a you know defining moment for you in your career where you've realized like this is what I'm supposed to be doing?

SPEAKER_03 3:11

I think it's the um being able to help people, whether it's from a first-time home buyer into um, you know, someone's first commercial investment. A really cool story in our office, and I hate to steal the thunder because it's happening today. Um, one of our agents' mothers is purchasing their first home in her late 80s today. And she used chip funds here in Oklaosa County. So it's really cool to see someone that is going to get that chance, whether you know they're 20 years old or they're 90 years old. It's really neat to see that and see the generational uh wealth that that creates. So it's such a cool opportunity. It's not, you know, an everyday thing to see that situation happen. So that's my favorite thing. Opening up new doors for people as far as you know, commercial income that they can get and just seeing all of those aspects of the business.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

That is so cool.

SPEAKER_03 4:04

I know, that gave me goosebumps. I know. I said, I know I'm not involved in the transaction in any way, but I want to come to closing. That's fun. That is very cool. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:14

We I was just talking, I can't remember who I was talking to, but somebody just the other day just about some of these kind of things that the the brokerages, and I think I might plug this at the board meeting this week, but I really want to be able to promote stuff like that. I know we have to, you know, kind of hug that line of we don't want to show favoritism, we don't want anybody to kind of take advantage of that. But there are so many amazing stories out there that need to be heard, that need to be, you know, highlighted through eCar of what our members are doing, you know, some life-changing instances that happen.

SPEAKER_01 4:52

So yeah, I'm gonna hopefully I wonder if we can um do some kind of contest or or message, like send us your stories and then maybe use yours, your brokerage story as the first one. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:05

Yeah, that's a that's actually something um that I want to do in my year as presidency is get involved in some of those stories. There's so many people that are part of eCar that have these wild stories or have such a huge past that we don't know. And it's, you know, we always are uh spouting, you know, that we want our members in the in the spotlight. But there's really so many stories to be told. Um, there's a real estate agent that owns her own brokerage um here in Fort Walton, and she has an office in Crestview, but she has her PhD, she has um an MBA, she was a police officer, she was a single mother that started out with um a ship funds to use a home. And it's every time I meet with her, I'm like, there's another cool story to find out that you would have no idea because you, you know, you meet her and she seems like this spectacular businesswoman and well dressed and trendy and everything else, and then she'll tell a story. I'm like, what? That's amazing. Like I never knew all of these different aspects of you. So that's something I really want to focus on just to learn all of these extras about everyone. And and there's so many stories to be told about our members.

SPEAKER_01 6:12

There is, because a lot of the uh this, you know, real estate is like their second or third career, and they yeah, they have a robust life before this. Or even after. Yeah. Or during all of the above. All the above.

SPEAKER_00 6:27

I guess on that note, I mean, we uh we've all got stories, we've all got something. What what's outside of real estate, who is Kimberly Griggs personally? What what makes you tick?

SPEAKER_03 6:38

So funny enough, I would have never guessed this um growing up, but I grew up here in Fort Walton, went to Fort Walton Beach High School. Um, married my husband, and he had always lived on land. So we looked and I said, you know, I don't want any more than like five or ten acres, definitely nothing bigger than that. I've always grown up on like a tenth of an acre. And we were driving one day, and I just saw this listing, and it happened to be one of the first realtors I worked for had the listing, and I knew he was uh not a morning person, so I knew he wouldn't answer his phone for me to see it. And so I jumped the fence of the listing and uh looked at this acreage and we ended up purchasing it and um built our house on there several years later. But we live on 60 acres, so we have a working farm and keeps us very busy, and we have a llama and a pony and a donkey and anything else I can buy while my husband's at work and can't tell me now.

SPEAKER_01 7:38

We should have a member meeting at your 60 acres.

SPEAKER_03 7:42

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 7:43

That would be fun.

SPEAKER_03 7:44

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 7:45

Get the mower out and find some find some food. Put us to work.

SPEAKER_03 7:49

Yes. So we we have all kinds of stuff out there. We it's fun to have the family and everything out there. We laugh because my uh family's from Boca, and so they'll come up from Boca and it's like they're on this, you know, nature field trip at our house with fishing and everything else, but it's really cool just to to kind of wind down and be out there out in the nature and do all kinds of fun stuff out there.

SPEAKER_00 8:10

So that's cool. Yeah. I love it. Yeah. But you you alluded a little bit of you know your leadership that you're doing now, but also kind of what you're looking forward to your year as as president. Uh I guess when you think about your leadership style, what has really shaped that and molded who you are as a leader?

SPEAKER_03 8:32

Sure. So I think um honestly, I think property management was the um was the biggest lesson I learned um in business and in leadership is just to take a step back for a second and everything doesn't have to be a fire. Um, you know, you don't have to answer every single question right then, get a little bit of background for it. Um be able to listen and see different perspectives. Even even on committees now, when I sit on a committee, I'll have something on my mind that I want to discuss. And then when we open up the conversation, someone's first comment will kind of just flash where I was going with it. And you'll sit back and kind of think, okay, well, I didn't even think about that perspective. Um, so I think it's it's very good to get the feedback. Um, you don't always have to be the number one, you know, say-so of something. Get get some feedback, get some guidance. And then definitely with Maria and Joe and so many other people on the board, I've had so many people that I can look up to that I can ask questions and that I know have the same type of leadership style, you know, level-headed. Once what's best for the whole organization, it's not just what's best for us.

SPEAKER_00 9:37

So you don't have to be the smartest person in the room. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 9:41

You don't want to be the smartest person in the room in a lot of cases, you know. Yeah, you don't. It's just listen and and look at all the perspectives and yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:51

We've got a fantastic team now. I think obviously as as you continue to build out and people move into new roles, I think you know, the the association and the future of e-car, I think is extremely bright. So it's it's exciting to be a part of at a at a time where I think growth and again that that future is a poet. I you know, we're we talked, I think, maybe last week a little bit about celebrating our 75th anniversary. I know, yeah. And it's amazing to think I mean 75, that's a huge milestone. And we've got all these books in my office right now that we're going through in pictures from back in the 60s, and it's crazy to think about. But uh again, it's just a minute in time that it flashes and we're so focused on you know what's ahead. Um it's a great milestone, but I want to think about where can we go from here and and what's ahead. So it's it's cool to be a part of. But um I how did how did your journey uh with eCar begin? I know you talked a little bit about that, but uh what really made, you know, being a part of committees or being a part of this board, um why was that so important to you?

SPEAKER_03 11:07

So at first I joined eCar and I did my orientation and I don't think I came back to the building for like 10 years. Um, you know, we take our education classes and things like that, and then you really don't know the whole world that lies behind that door. Um and so when I did leadership development, that's when they started to encourage us to to do uh not only committees to serve on committees, but also see the uh political side of real estate. I've always said, like, I, you know, I don't want to be involved in all the politics, I don't want to see all of it, but um, but they're really you're you are involved in it, whether you're, you know, you know it or not. And so that side of it really came to light after leadership. And that's what's really pushed me to get involved. Um, there's so many things too with um with real estate, people I think get a warped sense of um, you know, they make so much money and they do this. Um, but there's so much that realtors give back to the community. And so that was one of the very first um committees I joined was um building homes for heroes and to see that house presentation at the end is just that just changes your heart for everything. So um getting involved in that and then um getting involved in our realtor political action committee, that's something that if you asked me um 10 years ago, I'd be like, definitely not. Um but it's so important, and I see the importance now that I'm actually involved, and it makes you want to bring more people in and make sure they are involved and that they understand all of that as well.

unknown 12:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:40

Yeah. What has maybe been the most surprising thing that you've learned about the association or about our members since being a part?

SPEAKER_03 12:51

Hmm. Um, I think just in in general, how much goes into running the association and how much happens kind of behind the scenes? Because I know I would sit in some of those uh meetings and people would say, like, oh, you know, let's do this, this, and this activity. And it's like, okay, like who cares? It's, you know, once a month. Well, when you have 13 committees and they're all doing once a month, and then you add on, you know, all of the board meetings that we have and and all the different aspects of it, it really gives you a full picture of it. And I will say, um, especially this year being president-elect, I my eyes were open to not only, you know, the budgeting process, but just the everyday aspect of it as well. Um, and then I also sit on the board not only for eCar, but for ECMLS and for eCar's foundation. And so um, you really realize like how valuable the staff is and how valuable the members are as well, because all of those committees are are um you know volunteer members, so they're not getting paid, they don't have to come. So to get people involved um and be passionate about a cause too is really important.

unknown 14:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:03

Can fully attest to the never-ending committees and uh flyers needed or yeah. I think working right now, currently working on soldiers on the water, building homes for heroes, um, some stuff obviously we're Kimberly and I are getting ready to meet for installation. Um so yeah, there's a there's a lot of things.

SPEAKER_01 14:25

It's a work in progress of trying to, yeah, try to get committees to combine you know, events and and things. So, but you know, we're getting there slowly but surely.

SPEAKER_00 14:37

Yeah, I think I'm just maybe it's some PTSD for myself or for other staff members, but yeah, I think sitting in a board meeting and or sitting in a committee meeting, we've got you know liaisons for each, but uh the comment of yeah, let's do this and let's do this and just seeing the staff members start sweating. Okay, how do we pull this off? But but it's also I mean that's what we love to do. It's it's serving our members, it's serving the board, it's how can we be the boots on the ground or the feet that get that vision to task? How do we close out some of those loops? So um while it's stressful, it's it's fun. It's how do we how do we get what's in the head of our members out to uh it's uh it's a journey for sure, but it's it's fun. But um, you know, as president elect, we're almost halfway through the year. What's what's maybe one or two things that you're looking forward to and kind of finishing out this year before your year as president?

SPEAKER_03 15:42

Sure. So I really want to um to be able to visit. We I kind of put it on my personal list to be able to visit all the areas. Um obviously I sell up in Crestview and I serve here in Fort Walton. Um, but I want to make sure that you know I'm a face that members recognize over in Walton County and um in some of those areas as well. So I've made it kind of my priority to list or to visit some of those um MLS tours um and go to different areas, kind of learn different um aspects of their business because of course selling condos is different than selling um, you know, rural residential. So I definitely want to um finish that out. I have been tasked. Um I think this is like my second year of doing bylaws and some of the governance stuff. And so I definitely want to see that chapter um come to a close and get that um get that voted on. But those are all very important things to make sure that you know we're running efficiently and and have a good beacon to run by. So I'm looking forward to to finishing those and then doing a little fresh start for next year.

SPEAKER_00 16:49

It's good. Add some things to the table, but at the same time, let's for sure we take some like close out some things and then appoint someone else.

SPEAKER_01 16:55

Yeah. That's what you get to do next year. It's like yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:59

The fun stuff. Someone else continue on. Again, as we look ahead to your presidency, what are you most excited about? What what's uh again, we haven't necessarily talked really about vision or tagline or any of that kind of stuff. What what are you most excited about when you look at um leaders that have come before you um and how that shapes what your year is gonna be like?

SPEAKER_03 17:21

Sure. So definitely um the aspect of the legacy, you know, 75 years is an amazing task. And so I want to be able to celebrate all of those, but really tell the members' story. Um that's something that's just so passionate for me is to make sure that this association is about the members. And so we need to let their stories be told, not necessarily um, you know, ours as an association, you know, but we want to we want to tell what makes up this association. There's so many different um, you know, personalities and backgrounds and everything like that. And so I really want to make sure that we're telling that story um, you know, with the respect that it deserves.

SPEAKER_01 18:01

I love it. Yeah, it's gonna be great.

SPEAKER_00 18:03

Yeah, I think we've got some we've been hopefully I'm not ruining it or but uh we've got some things in mind for even kind of sprucing up the office a little bit and kind of doing exactly what you're talking about, kind of maybe telling the story of some of our members and the legacy and history of e-car. So um yeah, e car's it it is our members. It's the stories that you know have have shaped and and made us who we are.

SPEAKER_01 18:28

So yeah, we wouldn't be here without our members. So yeah, definitely. But we'll have to have Kimrilly on after she comes up with her theme and tagline and all the fun stuff.

SPEAKER_00 18:40

We'll sneak peek to everybody before it's out and about. That'll be fun.

SPEAKER_01 18:43

Absolutely. Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 18:44

Well, thanks so much for joining us. Thanks for coming in. I know you guys have had a really busy day. Um, so we'll we'll we'll let you get some rest and get back to those kiddos.

SPEAKER_03 18:54

And I was gonna say, I don't know if I'm gonna get rest, but I'll I'll uh clock out in my real estate e-car world and clock in to mom.

SPEAKER_00 19:02

The the important stuff.

SPEAKER_03 19:04

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 19:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:05

Awesome. Well, thanks so much again. Uh thanks everybody for joining us. Thanks for listening in. Um, as always, that this podcast is for you. Let us know who you want to hear from. Let us know if there's a topic or somebody that you really want to bring in. Uh, we'd love to bring that to you. So you can check us out on Spotify, Apple, wherever you're listening to podcasts. And until next time, we'll talk to you later.

unknown 19:29

Bye-bye.