We had the good fortune of connecting with Nicole Chambers and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Nicole, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I personally do not believe there is such thing as a work-life balance in today’s world, at least not for entrepreneurs. Boundaries, maybe….but balance is a very fine line. I began working at the age of 16 where I was paid by the hour, which was attached to a set schedule. I then migrated into the corporate world where I was paid an annual salary on the basis of working 40 hours per week, however I was working far more than the 40 hours I was being paid for. It was then I realized that in order to truly have “balance” in life between work and personal life, the two had to coexist. Meaning, leaving a salaried job and doing work that I truly enjoyed regardless of the hours I put into it was what I needed to do. The lesson I have learned about balance is actually very simple: do what you love and it wont feel like work. For me, that is helping people and my career now allows for me to help families while also enjoying a lot more flexibility in my schedule. Given what I do, I can intertwine my career into my personal life and vice versa because I am living and practicing what I preach so to speak. When I was an employee I would only live for the weekends and anytime not being in the office. Now, as a business owner I get to wake up and serve as many people as I can at anytime and from almost anywhere while also maintaining my home life.
What should our readers know about your business?
I have always been very numbers oriented. I believe that numbers do not lie and they can tell many different stories depending on if they make sense or not. No business can run successfully or efficiently without truly understanding the numbers. Having worked for Fortune 50 companies in my prior career I learned a lot about how both large and small businesses measure success, plan for the future, and evaluate what is working and what is not in order to achieve goals. For me, I got to a point where I had put in so much time as an employee helping someone else run their business that I decided it was time for me to run my own. Nobody teaches this in school and there were, and still are, many challenges to overcome and the way to overcome any challenge is to remain consistent, disciplined, and focused on the goals. Failures will happen, and I think that’s where a LOT of peoples dreams die in the pursuit of entrepreneurship because they view failing as a negative when it is actually a positive. It’s how you learn and find out what not to do and how to pivot quickly to stay on track. What sets me apart from most agents is being extremely adaptable. I can adapt to any situation, change, problem, etc and my first thought is how to fix and pivot forward, find solutions, and never fall backward. This is how I am able to serve my clients so well. They are not allowed to ever worry or freak out unless I am, and I rarely am wasting energy on problems – only solutions.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Living in Colorado, we are so blessed to have an overabundance of things to do and places to visit in this beautiful state! Anyone that ever comes to visit me knows they will be shown only the best of times, and of course that varies depending on who it is I am entertaining. For me, some of the must-see things to do here include The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Glenwood Canyon, Devils Thumb Ranch near Fraser/Winter Park Resort, Garden of The Gods, Pikes Peak, any 14’er, and of course the iconic main street in Breckenridge. Drinks and incredible appetizers at The Cooper Lounge in Union Station downtown Denver is an absolute must. Oysters and wine at Angelos Taverna is also an experience talked about long after I have taken friends there. Since I reside south of Denver, and love to support locally, we would have to have Italian cuisine at Scileppi’s in Castle Rock and then lounge at Provision or Sinners & Saints. For those that are more into the craft beer scene I would absolutely take them to 105 West Brewery where they have an amazing selection of freshly crafted beer & their own house wine now as well, but also fun events year round and a rotation of incredible food trucks too. There is too much to name in all honesty so I personally cater to each friend that visits me here and there truly is something for everyone!
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 want to shoutout my significant other, Matthew, who has only been of utmost support to me in anything I do. When I told him I was going to leave my 20+ year career in corporate finance to pursue my dreams of entrepreneurship he didn’t hesitate at all in telling me he believes I can be successful in anything I put my mind to. Not one time has he ever felt doubt, even when I myself have. He is the main reason I keep going and pushing forward no matter how hard the days can get. I am an extremely blessed woman to have him, and also my small family and circle of friends who also all support me. They say that a “lack of discipline is an insult to the people that believe in you” and knowing that is literally my fuel each and everyday. It is all about who is in your corner.
Website: https://nicolechambers.myrealtyonegroup.com/
Instagram: @nicoleknowshomes
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleknowshomes
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicoleknowshomesco/
Other: https://linktr.ee/TheNicoleC