We had the good fortune of connecting with Christi Reece and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christi, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think risk taking is essential in differentiating yourself. I grew up with a family that never put any limits on me, and when other people tried to, I made it my mission to show them I could do anything I put my mind to. I backpacked around the world, I flew hang gliders, I climbed mountains. When I really started to build my business, I knew I could outperform other people in my industry and in my town, and was an early adopter of new tech and platforms. When I started my own company, I had been taking calculated risks for so long, it wasn’t that much of a stretch. Having the support of my whole team definitely helped me feel comfortable about the risk as well.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I grew up in Lake City, CO, where my parents owned a sporting goods store, gift shop, and liquor store. In a small town you wear lots of hats! My father became a real estate broker and ranch specialist before too long,, and my mother bought the local title company, so I grew up around the real estate business and earned my real estate license in 1992. My parents had a strong work ethic, and never put limits on me, so I never put any on myself. When I moved to Grand Junction, I looked around and believed I was as capable as any of the agents or brokers in that market. I took the lessons I learned in a small town, of collaboration, hard work, and building a supportive tribe, and began my business.. My clients had two things to say about me: 1. Don’t tell Christi you want to move unless you are serious, as she will make it happen, and 2. Christi makes every client feel as if they were her only client. I became the Top Producer at my company, and was always searching for ways to innovate and differentiate my services. My first step in building my team was to hire an assistant, and in 2014 I hired my first Buyer’s Agent. So I’ve been building my team since, then, and running it like a small company, even though I was based at firms owned by others. In February of 2019, my team and I decided to open our own firm, The Christi Reece Group, and one impetus was The Circle Fund. I was looking for a way to add a giving arm to our team, and I brought this idea to my team members: What if we gave a percentage of every commission back to our community,, donating to local non-profits in need, and we let our clients decide who gets the money every quarter? So instead of paying into a corporate franchise, where the money goes to Chicago or Denver, we pay it forward in our own community. The team was wholly in favor, so we launched CRG and The Circle Fund simultaneously. Since February of 2019, we have given over $160,000 back to local organizations that help the homeless, the disabled, the needy. It is incredibly gratifying and the thing I am most proud of. And as our team grows, and we sell more real estate, we give back even more. I have been very intentional about our growth – I only hire people who have a desire to work hard, succeed, and give back. We have an amazing team culture and we all love going to work every day.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love living in Grand Junction and The Grand Valley because of variety of things you can experience in a single day! It’s so easy to get to the high peaks of the San Juans, or over to SE Utah, but let’s just focus on what you can enjoy right in the valley. Here’s my week itinerary:

Day One: Drive through the stunning Colorado National Monument and view the incredible canyons and red rocks. Eat dinner at Bin 707. Don’t miss the Bin Burger or Crack Pie!

Day Two: Take a winery tour or fruit tour, visiting and tasting at at least 5 of our dozens of wineries, or the amazing peach, apple, and pear orchards. .Eat dinner at Peche in Palisade.

Day Three: If you are an expert mountain biker, ride The Plunge, from the top of the Grand Mesa down to Palisade. Finish with a trip to the Palisade Distillery to calm your nerves then dine at Palisade Cafe! If you are an intermediate rider, head out to Kokopelli trails or North Fruita Desert for some great trails. Finish with an amazing piece of stromboli from The Hot Tomato Pizzeria in Fruita. If you like pavement, you can ride on the Riverfront Trail from Palisade to Loma, all the way across the valley.

Day Four: Breakfast or lunch at Cafe Sol downtown GJ, then an epic trail Run! There are hundreds of trails that are run-able year round. Two of my favorites are Devil’s Canyon and Old Gordon’s Trail. Climbing Mt Garfield is a must also – short but steep! Watch out for collared Lizards, wild horses, and bighorn sheep! You’ll crave a Dirty Hippie from Palisade Brewery. after that one!

Day Five: Spend a day on The Grand Mesa, the world’s largest flat-top mountain, topping out at 10,000 feet. In the winter, cross country ski on top, with miles of world-class groomed trails. Winter or summer, hit Powderhorn Ski Resort for skiing or mountain biking, only 45 minutes from downtown Grand Junction.

Day Six: Float the Colorado or Gunnison River. There’s only a few small rapids on ‘The Town Run”, so it makes for a relaxing day on a paddleboard, ducky, or raft. If you want more excitement, venture over to the Westwater section of the Colorado River, and try not to get sucked in to the Room of Doom below Skull Rapid.

Day Seven: Spend the day in downtown GJ. Tour CMU campus, shop on Main St and enjoy the Art on the Corner. Have a meal at a Main St restaurant (love the Truffle Shuffle sandwich at The Hog and The Hen Deli), a beer at a local brewery, then head down for an outdoor concert at the Las Colonias Amphitheater and enjoy our revitalized riverfront area.

Whew! So much to do!!!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I definitely believe that surrounding yourself with amazing people is the best route to success. I owe a debt of gratitude to 3 groups of people. First, my family, for always saying “Go for it!” after I say, “I have this idea”. Second, my team, for always believing in my vision of a better real estate company, and for working so hard to make good things happen for our business and our community. And third, The Tom Ferry Coaching organization. I wouldn’t be where I am today without Tom Ferry and his amazing coaches, the accountability, guidance, and support they have given me. Having a mentor and coach is something I will continue with throughout my life, whether in business or my personal life. It’s that important to me.

Website: christireece.com

Instagram: @christireecegroup

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christireece

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christireecegroup

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-christi-reece-group-refreshing-real-estate-grand-junction

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ChristiReeceGroup

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@christireecegroup

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