From Small Town to San Antonio Real Estate Hustle

She never planned on getting into real estate… but life had other plans. From getting pregnant at 19 to moving to a new city with no support system, this is a raw and real conversation about risk, growth, and how one decision can change everything.

🎙️ In this episode:
• Moving from a small town to San Antonio
• Culture shock and starting from scratch
• Becoming a young mom at 19
• Struggling to find work in a new city
• Craigslist job hunting stories
• First job as a chiropractor assistant
• The unexpected push into real estate
• Starting as a receptionist in real estate
• Taking the leap to get licensed
• How mindset shaped her success

🧠 What you'll learn:
• Why life detours can become your biggest opportunities
• How to start over in a new city with no connections
• The importance of betting on yourself
• Why discomfort is often the path to growth
• How small decisions lead to big life changes

⏱️ CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:04 Why she didn’t move overseas
00:10 Getting pregnant at 19
01:00 Moving to San Antonio
02:00 First impressions & culture shock
02:30 Taco story (funny moment)
04:00 Struggles finding a job
06:00 Craigslist job search
06:30 First job as chiropractor assistant
07:00 Introduction to real estate idea
08:30 Doubting herself (Ticketmaster story)
10:00 First real estate interview
11:00 Becoming a receptionist
11:45 Getting her real estate license
12:30 Meeting Matt & early connection

📢 About the Podcast
Anything & Everything Podcast is where real conversations happen — covering life lessons, business, personal growth, and the experiences that shape who we are.

📌 Connect With Matt Reyna
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattreyna2023/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matt.reyna.12
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mattreynaspodcast

#podcast #realestate #mattreyna #entrepreneur #successstory #realestateagent #sanantonio #motivation #careergrowth #lifejourney

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:00

Anyway, tell me about coming to San Antonio. When when did that finally happen?

SPEAKER_00 0:04

So, okay, so I didn't end up going right overseas or to Europe.

SPEAKER_03 0:09

Why?

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Because I got pregnant.

SPEAKER_03 0:11

Whoa, okay, cool.

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Very young and 19. So I was printing with Mariel, and um, you know, we were thinking her dad at the time was going to school. He was going to trade school.

SPEAKER_04 0:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 0:25

Or yeah. And um he graduated as soon as he graduated, they offered him a job. They offered him a job here in San Antonio and they offered him a job there in Bronzeville.

SPEAKER_04 0:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

And um, they were really not gonna pay him a lot, a whole lot in the valley. And um, I believe at the time here in San Antonio as a carpenter, okay. He graduated at um, I think it was called construction science.

SPEAKER_04 0:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 0:52

So that company, it's a commercial company, I believe it's called Joris here in San Antonio, and they they offered him a job, and I believe he was gonna start like at $18 an hour. This was back in 2009.

SPEAKER_03 1:06

I was about to ask that. Which is good, which is great.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

My thing was like, oh, that's an opportunity to leave. I was like, take it, yeah, go. He goes, We have no family, Marisol. Like, we haven't, and I'm like, it's only four hours, we can go every weekend. If you're homesick, we can go every weekend. He was more like, I don't want to leave, you know. It was funny because he never wanted to travel either. Like he was more like homebody, want to stay home.

SPEAKER_03 1:33

Um remember we were having that conversation the other day about me staying in San Antonio?

SPEAKER_00 1:38

So I was like, no, no. Um, but yeah, so that's the reason. So I told him to take the job and um they moved us out here. The company moved us out here. Um, we got an apartment by Vance Jackson and Hebner. Wow, that area. And to me, I remember I was like, oh my god, such a bigger city. Like it felt so big to me, you know. And I remember um I needed to go to H E B, and it was really right around the corner. It was like I-10 and Hebner, no, Hebner, no, Worspach.

SPEAKER_02 2:13

Okay, oh yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:14

So H B right there. Oh yeah, yeah. No, um, so I lived really close by, so I would tell him, hey, I'm gonna go to H E B. He's like, Don't get lost. I was like, oh my god. But let me tell you, I really had a culture shock, believe it or not.

SPEAKER_03 2:28

What was your welcome to San Antonio moment? Do you remember? Or you can tell me about the culture shock. What was that?

SPEAKER_00 2:33

Well, yeah, well, I was so valley. I was so valley, Matt, that when I wanted to order tacos, uh-huh, oh my god, so embarrassing. Okay, so in the valley, if you know, you know, when you go and order tacos, it's called a combo. The combo is you get your tacos, whether it's three or four tacos, mini tacos, okay? And then a baked potato. What you see what I'm saying? You see, you see what I'm saying? So I assumed, I'm telling you, so close-minded in such a small town and so valley that when I would order, I'd be like, um, does it come with the baked potato?

SPEAKER_02 3:17

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 3:18

Yeah, and they were like, what the hell are you talking about, right? We're like this, like, no, what the yeah, they were looking at me like I was crazy. I'm like, oh my god. So I had a culture shop. I hated the food here. I'm serious. How dare you? I hated the food here, but you love it now, like puffy tacos, like what? So for me, it was like a culture shock. Not only that, I'm so used to my Spanglish. So I'm talking to you in English, my Spanish comes out. That's just that's valley, right? Come from a border town. Here, I would assume your last name is Garcia Hernandez. You would speak Spanish.

SPEAKER_03 4:00

Depends where you're at.

unknown 4:02

I know.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

I'm not on the south side.

SPEAKER_03 4:04

I was gonna say if you're on the west side or the south side, yeah. Well, where where do you think I'm over here at Vance Jackson? No, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_00 4:11

Well, even when I started work, right? When I started working, the girls I thought knew Spanish didn't know Spanish at all.

SPEAKER_03 4:20

Where did you first start working?

SPEAKER_00 4:23

Okay, so I have a background in banking. I'm gonna say that. Okay. So when I was in the Valley, I worked for Wells Fargo for a very long time. I think like six years.

SPEAKER_04 4:33

Cool.

SPEAKER_00 4:34

So then I went to another bank, and I believe at the time I was with uh they had bought, I think it was Compass Bank. Okay, they had just bought out this little little bank. I don't remember, honestly, it was such a long time ago. But I was only there seven months when they did the switch, when they did the buyout. So they told me in order for me to transfer to compass, I had to be um be in the company for at least a year in order for me to transfer to San Antonio. Oh, so I wasn't able to do that. So I said, you know what? Daycare is so expensive. I'd rather just stay home and have you know her dad work.

SPEAKER_04 5:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:12

At the time I already had Christian. And anyway, so I stayed home. But when I wanted to work, for some reason I was having such a hard time finding a job because I felt like maybe they think because I just moved to San Antonio, like I barely have any like you know, history here. Yeah, I don't know. I was just thinking, like, I didn't understand why I wasn't getting I wasn't getting hired. So to the point where I was like, okay, I love my kids, but I'm not a stay-home mom. Like I cannot stay home.

unknown 5:41

They drive me nuts.

SPEAKER_00 5:42

Like, you know, and I was like, I want to miss my kids. I'm I'm so used to working, you know. So anyway, so long story short, I back then you can go to Craigslist and look for jobs. Okay, so that's where I would go and look for jobs. And I found one, and it was as a chiropractor assistant.

SPEAKER_03 6:03

For real?

SPEAKER_00 6:04

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 6:05

Wow, that's cool. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 6:06

Now was my first job here in San Antonio.

SPEAKER_03 6:08

Cool. What did you do?

SPEAKER_00 6:09

Uh I was I would do therapies. So, for example, the doctor that I worked with, he had three locations, and he would do like he would take in people that would get in car accidents.

SPEAKER_04 6:20

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:21

So those were the type of like injuries would be like back or something, like their elbow, their knee, or something, and you would just do like an ultrasound or whatever therapies they would ask you to do. So that's what you would do. I did it maybe, I honestly don't remember how long I did it, but I wasn't very happy doing it. Like it wasn't like something that I'm like, what am I gonna? Yeah, there's no other level that you can go besides becoming a chiropractor. And I'm not gonna go to school for eight years to do that. Yeah, you know what I mean? So that's when I started going. I went back to Craigslist and I started looking for jobs. And I remember one time, my husband at the time, he's like, Why don't you get your real estate license? And I'm like, and he he actually mentioned this to me way before then.

SPEAKER_03 7:07

What year was that?

SPEAKER_00 7:09

Um 2012. 2012.

SPEAKER_03 7:15

It's crazy because the real estate like it hadn't hit that boom yet.

SPEAKER_00 7:20

Right.

SPEAKER_03 7:21

So that's crazy that you had the foresight to see that. What did you think?

SPEAKER_00 7:26

I was like, you're crazy. I rem Oh I used to work at Ticketmaster, by the way, back in back home in the Valley. Cool. Um, and I would tell him, What? I can't even sell tickets. What makes you think I'm gonna sell homes?

SPEAKER_04 7:36

Like I wouldn't.

SPEAKER_00 7:38

Like they would make you try to sell like group tickets and stuff at Ticketmaster.

unknown 7:42

I sucked.

SPEAKER_04 7:43

Really?

SPEAKER_00 7:44

Really sucked. Yes. I especially people that would call from New York, rude. They would be so rude. Anyway, but so we'd he would mention like you should you should be you should get into real estate, blah blah blah. I'm like, you're crazy, I can't even sell tickets anyway. So when he put that in my head again, I was like, okay, well, let me look for like I guess I don't know how what do you do to get into that, right?

SPEAKER_04 8:08

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_00 8:09

And I kitchen out when I was just looking for jobs, it said there, um, looking for a receptionist for a real estate company. And I was like, maybe I can start there. My interview with my broker, my first broker, hilarious. It I kitchen on it, it looked like like a movie, like a comedy movie. It was hilarious.

SPEAKER_03 8:32

So it looked like Arrowtime. Uh it was have you seen the Wolf of Wall Street? Um, you go to like that small broker and it's like in a sh in a strip strip mall. No, yeah. So anyway, it's like a rinky ding place, but anyway, so how did I go? Well, what was why was it like a movie?

SPEAKER_00 8:53

Because okay, I I don't trust anyone, and he kind of sounded sketchy. I'm not gonna lie, when I called. Really? Because he it my broker love him, Dan Kabinsky at the time. He's hilarious. He's funny, funny guy. And um, well, when I first called, I really thought it was a joke. Like he was just it didn't seem real. So um he's what was he saying? Because he was just being silly, like I didn't understand, like I don't know if it was for real or it wasn't, you know. He said, Are you good at phone with phones like that? Like uh yeah, kind of like animated, like it would, it was so funny. So, anyway, so I was like, Okay, he's like, using he gives me the address, I Google it, and I'm like, this doesn't look like an office, it looks like apartments or something. What? Mind you, I wasn't very familiar with San Antonio, and I'm looking and looking at the map. I go, you know what? The day before my interview, I went and checked it out, and sure enough, it was an office space. And I was like, okay, I feel better. So I go in early in the morning and I kitchen out. I go into his office, and it was him and Alex Manitza's. Shout out to everybody, Dan and Alex. Um, and they were shooting, they were like doing this number. They were shooting Oh yeah, football. Yes, while they were interviewing me, I still remember. And I'm like, is this for real right now? And they're like, Well, what can you start? And I'm like, Oh, I can start tomorrow. Okay, be here at eight. I'm like, for real? They're like, Yep.

SPEAKER_03 10:28

And to be the receptionist.

SPEAKER_00 10:30

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 10:30

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 10:32

Yep. And then I remember him telling me, Do you ever would you ever consider getting uh your license? And I'm like, maybe, maybe, but yep, I ended up at the end.

SPEAKER_03 10:41

Well, how long were you a receptionist?

SPEAKER_00 10:44

Oh, I think a year.

SPEAKER_03 10:46

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_00 10:47

Or less. I honestly don't remember. It's such a long time, but um, I was able to just get my license, even though my broker offered to pay it for me to pay for my license. I told him no, that I was gonna pay for it.

SPEAKER_04 11:03

Why?

SPEAKER_00 11:04

Because I don't like to owe anybody anything, you know, because I just maybe it was putting too much pressure too.

SPEAKER_03 11:12

We were just talking about that, me and Xavier. Um, oh, that you did a job, right? For somebody, and he was uh, so my brother does the junk hauling, right? And um somebody was asking him, he was saying this job's gonna cost 300. And he says, Well, I only have 200, so can you just do 200's worth of or or what how was it? Yeah, that was it. Okay, so um, but you were saying that you didn't want like to anybody to owe anybody, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 11:43

Yeah, just like the way you were saying, it's it's all subjective, too. So I don't want to like not do enough and him be all like, oh man, can you do it?

SPEAKER_00 11:51

Right, exactly. Right. Yeah, gotcha.

SPEAKER_03 11:53

Like, where's the I always kind of see that type of um thought process that you have, things like that. Um, I think that that's what makes you really good in real estate. So when we finally met, which was say that say the story from your account because I remember a version of it. But my but my uh my memory is always off.

SPEAKER_00 12:16

So mine too. What are you talking about?

SPEAKER_03 12:18

Sometimes I'm like, I this okay, this is what I remember. So I was already kind of um on my way out from Armadillo. Well, I was already get thinking what I want to do is I want to become a real estate agent. So I was like, which which broker should I go with?

unknown 12:34

Right.

SPEAKER_03 12:34

Right? And I had just switched, that's what it was. And um, I remember me and Zach, we do everything together, right? So he was with Scott, yeah, that's why my BFF. Uh it's a package deal, me, me and Zach.

SPEAKER_00 12:49

Right.

SPEAKER_03 12:49

Yeah. So he was with Scott and he was like, this is the best team in Keller Williams, this and that. And I was like, okay, cool. Um, but at the same time, I kind of wanted to just survey the field, you know? And I was like, who else is out there or whatever? And I saw that you had made that transition.

SPEAKER_00 13:08

But we didn't um we didn't like we've only known each other at the time, only through Facebook, right? Like it was never did we ever like do a deal before that I just don't remember sometimes how I how people end up on my Facebook.

SPEAKER_03 13:23

No, no, I think um I would add everybody when I was with Armadillo. I don't know if you remember, I used to tag everybody on all of my posts. He still does. Oh, yeah, yeah. I actually still do. Um, but uh actually I stopped doing that because um I figured out that the algorithm like like like I don't even know it chokes up your uh your post or whatever. But anyway, um I used to tag everybody so I would get as many realtors as I possibly could on my pages or whatever, and then I would send out the inventory. There's some old um post that I have, it's like 3%, all closing costs, you know, and it says all of the features that we have in the house, and it's like man, for like uh 230,000 or something like that, and it's like a four-bedroom, 2,500 square foot. Anyway, so um I remember you had just made uh your jump to EXP. And I was like, I'm gonna give this a couple of things.

SPEAKER_00 14:15

So that was what's 2016. That was 2016.

SPEAKER_03 14:19

Okay, cool. So then 10 years. So we've known each other for 10 years then.

unknown 14:22

Oh shoot.

SPEAKER_03 14:24

Yeah, time's flying, man. Dude, I give her a code, uh I give her a code call out of nowhere. I'm just like, I'm just gonna call her to see what exp is all about. And I remember we had a conversation.

SPEAKER_00 14:38

I remember that conversation because I had just gone out of do, uh, I think I was at the nail salon, and I had just finished getting my nails done. And yeah, I was in the parking lot talking to you because the nail salon was really close by my house.

SPEAKER_03 14:52

Gotcha. So I remember we stayed on the phone for a good amount of time, and you were telling me kind of like the the do's and don'ts, kind of, and then telling me about general real estate. And it felt like we knew each other for like right, like if we were friends like forever or or whatnot. And um, I've always thought that that was like really weird. Um that you right, that it was just like kind of just like if if we've known each other.

SPEAKER_00 15:19

Yeah, it was very, yeah. Yeah, yeah, it was weird. It was