Where were you in life when you decided to become a Realtor?

I had been a professional model for 10 years, traveling the world, being photographed, and rubbing shoulders with celebrities. But when I turned 30, my agents literally told me that I had one foot in the model "glue factory", so I had to find a new career.

Real estate found me when I was building a home and needed to sell mine. I was intrigued by the sales process, so I studied and took the exam to get my real estate license. I sold new construction for many years, and for the last 14 have been on the resale side of the business. I love what I do and hope to be providing service until I physically can't!

You’re an experienced Realtor. 27 years in fact! Name the biggest overall lesson you’ve learned along the way?

I've learned that nothing takes the place of consistency and hard work; there is no silver bullet, secret handshake, or magic wand. The magic is in the relationships that are built. Watching where each dollar goes, and making sure that I stay in the mindset of a business CEO, not a salesperson, is also very important so that I can stay solvent when business might be slower at times.

What does success mean to you?

Comparing yourself to others is a normal feeling. A little bit can be motivating, but too much is debiliating and impedes your success. I measure my own success by my own yardstick. Success for me means continually growing, always doing my best that I can to serve others. Success, at it's very heart, is that I can give stability to my family, and be known as someone who cares at a high level.

Name a professional challenge that keeps you up at night?

I am a bit of a worrier, and that is fear. I never want to make a mistake or error which will hurt someone. I fear that I'm not doing enough to be a successful as I could be, and that wakes me up often.

Name a woman, past or present, whom you admire or look up to.

I have two inspirational women that come to mind - my mom and my sister. My mom is so incredibly strong, self reliant, and she is constantly learning new skills - nothing slows her down which keeps her sharp, and she is such a kind soul.

My sister is flat-out brilliant and has had tremendous success and was able to semi-retire young. She dreamed of living in the mountains, so she worked and made that a reality and built a beautiful home. She has an innate talent for looking at a problem, flipping it around to see what benefit it could have, and seamlessly solving it with ease. She is incredibly strong and motivated and also strives to grow by learning new things and constantly challenging herself.

I’m inspired by their strength simply by watching them live their lives.

Has learning from a mistake ever led you to success?

All of my mistakes have contributed to my success. Failures are only failures when you don't learn from them. I turn failures around into blessings and new directions in my career. Failures have opened my eyes to a better way of doing something. I also have learned from others' mistakes, and try not to do that in my own business, and life.

Kelly Nichols is an amateur race car driver and a Broker Associate with RE/MAX Professionals. She serves home buyers and sellers in the greater Denver metro and surrounding areas and is "The Agent with Horsepower."

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