Friday, December 9, 2011

The Entrepreneurial Spirit: Anna Campbell


The Entrepreneurial Spirit in Anna Campbell by Wendy VanHatten
When visiting with Anna Campbell, a residential Realtor, the word entrepreneur surfaces many times. Perhaps that is because she sees someone with that entrepreneurial spirit as someone with drive. According to Anna true entrepreneurs also need to be productive and have purpose.
What does Anna see as her role? “My role is helping people every step of the way throughout their entire home buying and selling process. This can be years from many people as they learn about the market, their own home value, and establishing their credit and finding where they want to live. I want to build a community of homeowners that enjoy their life in their home and community.”
It is apparent Anna loves building that community, helping clients, making friends, and truly helping people make their life better during their home journey.
In fact, Anna tells me it fits right in with her passion about how she lives. “My passion is to fulfill my purpose in life. My purpose in life is to take care of my family, share all of my knowledge, and help make my little piece of this earth a better place. My passion is a driving force that helps me wake up, show up, and keep going!”
To do that an entrepreneur must be driven. What drives Anna? “My biggest driving force has come from working with a new client that is scared or unsure of what their choices are or what they are going to do, and after we have spoken to each other over the phone or in person, and they get to the place where they finally sit back and breathe. They are able to feel safe and sure that they are no longer alone and they are set at ease by knowing that they are now a part of a team. A team that actually cares about them as the amazing and unique person they are.”
Anna has faced risks in all her business, including becoming a Real Estate Agent in this economy and in a completely different state. In fact, she tells me she believes all entrepreneurs face risks.  She goes on to say there is always some fear when you are taking a risk and you should understand your results when you are thinking about those risks. “But, when you have other people and their lives depending on whether you take the risk helps you know if the risk is worth it.”
What risks did she take to start her business? “My family and I had just moved to California and I had closed my printing business in Texas. I love working with people, researching, and solving problems. I decided to become a Realtor, in one of the worst real estate markets, and an area when the majority of the homeowners had lost $400,000 or more in property value. Plus, I didn't know anyone other than my husband and daughter. But, it was a challenge and I was excited! So, I learned the area, joined local groups to make friends, and took every class I could get my hands on. I invested heavily in getting my business started and building a strong foundation. I have lived here for one and a half years and I have now been a Realtor for one and a half years and 2011 has been an amazing year for me and my business!
Making that move from Texas, meant Anna had to grow her business quickly. And she did it in some unique ways.  “Since I need people to recognize me I market and brand my business through my wrapped Dodge Challenger. I also utilize my highly integrated website and blog, sharing information freely with my neighbors, friends, and family.”
When she thinks back on what she would have done differently Anna tells me “ I would have gone straight to a high quality website without wading through companies that only offered basic websites, that are cheaper and don't provide any way to generate leads. Generating leads is how you feed your business and grow your business.”
Joy and happiness play an important factor in success to Anna. “When my family isn't stressed about paying our day to day bills, we are happy. When my family is able to take 1-2 family trips each year, we are happy. When I have met more people than I knew before and their life is better because of us working together, then I am happy.”
Has Anna achieved success? With her outlook on life, it’s hard not to believe Anna will be successful in whatever she chooses. And…yes she does believe she has achieved success.
Does profit play any role in success for Anna? “Profit to me means excess money that I don't know what to do with. I have no need for profit. My only financial need is to pay my bills, take our family trips, and support my favorite groups and charities.”
Anna also sees herself as an expert in certain ways. According to her, “I see myself as an expert yesterday and always educating myself to be an expert for tomorrow.”
If that doesn’t sound like someone who embraces the entrepreneurial spirit, I don’t know what does! And when asked if she thinks she has the entrepreneurial spirit, Anna lights up and soundly says “Yes!”
Does she have advice for young people or those just starting out in business? She does. “Take your time and don't be afraid to change your mind or your direction. When you really put your heart into something and it doesn't work, you didn't fail…you just didn't find what your true purpose is yet. Don't stop, keep trying! You will find your purpose and you will experience your true success... and it will truly change your life!
I’d definitely say the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Anna.

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