Four Octobers ago, I passed the Illinois real estate exam and created Melanie Stone Chicago. I was living in a vintage apartment in Lakeview at the time, and I had just started my senior year at DePaul University. My 21-year-old world was a blur of showings, exams, blogging and textbooks — I fervently built my brand while finishing my journalism degree.
I get teary-eyed when I think about how much my business (and my life!) has changed since October 2014. But it’s not just me that’s grown up — my clients have, too! In four years, I’ve watched my buyers and sellers get married, have babies, decorate (then re-decorate), change careers, and move to new cities. I’ve attended their housewarming parties, run into them around town, served their referrals, and followed along with their lives on Instagram and Facebook. These people are the backbone of MSC, and I am so thankful for each and every one of them.
I have so many MSC memories I want to write about, but for now, here is a little list of the highlights:
— Drinking celebratory beers at Vaughan’s with my then-roommate, Victoria, on the night I passed the test
— Nervously talking on the phone with my first buyer, Bryan, on Christmas Eve 2014
— Teaching So You Want to Buy a Condo with Chris at Old Town Social (I started sweating profusely during the introduction, but somehow calmed down & made it through)
— Becoming Coldwell Banker’s Rookie of the Year in 2015
— Creating MSC MAG & hosting many, many production nights with my girlfriends
— Meeting my business coach, Mike, at a Halloween happy hour
— Winning Realtor Magazine’s 30 Under 30 national title in 2017
— Speaking in front of hundreds of my industry peers (my dad sat front row!)
— Celebrating #MSCTurns3 last year at RL Restaurant with my family & friends
— Opening MSC’s WeWork office
— Having salads & wine at Doc B’s with Courtney (the entire lunch, I was dying to ask her to join MSC but held my tongue until she said something)
— Hiring Courtney & watching her flourish
— Hosting the first MSC Social at Ezza Nails
— Getting my official invitation to Coldwell Banker’s President’s Club (Andrew & I are flying to Florida for the President’s Club retreat in two weeks!)
— Blowing out the candles on this Sweet Mandy B’s cookie ^
