Join Kosta and his guest: Sabrina Brazle, a recognized Commercial and Residential Realtor at The Realty Firm.
In this episode: Sabrina's journey from bartender to top-performing real estate agent while navigating life as a single Mom. Advice to women, especially single Moms who find themselves lost or unsure of what to do next. The grassroots approach to finding clients that launched Sabrina's career and how she finds balance and peace in life as an entrepreneur and parent.
Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is recorded in Cookeville, TN.
Find out more about Sabrina Brazle:
https://www.sabrinabrazle.com/
Find out more about Kosta Yepifantsev:
http://kostayepifantsev.com/
Join Kosta and his guest: Sabrina Brazle, a recognized Commercial and Residential Realtor at The Realty Firm.
In this episode: Sabrina's journey from bartender to top-performing real estate agent while navigating life as a single Mom. Advice to women, especially single Moms who find themselves lost or unsure of what to do next. The grassroots approach to finding clients that launched Sabrina's career and how she finds balance and peace in life as an entrepreneur and parent.
Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is recorded in Cookeville, TN.
Find out more about Sabrina Brazle:
https://www.sabrinabrazle.com/
Find out more about Kosta Yepifantsev:
http://kostayepifantsev.com/
because there's so many things that you want your children to learn from you want them to learn that they, they're in the driver's seat, and you can make your life whatever you want. My mom always told me that she was like Sabrina, you can do anything you set your mind to, she told me that like almost on a daily basis. I think that no matter what your situation is, you can always turn it around and make it better. But you know, it's up to you.
Morgan Franklin:Welcome to Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev, a podcast on parenting business and living life intentionally. We're here every week to bring you thoughtful conversation, making your own path to success,challenging the status quo, and finding all the ways we're better together. Here's your host, Kosta Yepifantsev.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Hey, y'all, this is Kosta and today I'm here with my guest, Sabrina Brazle. Recognized commercial and residential REALTOR at the realty firm. First of all, I want to congratulate you on being featured in this issue of Cookeville. Lifestyles magazine, my favorite part of your story was reading how much you've accomplished in the past five years, listeners might not realize this. But since 2018, you've gone from serving at crawdad ease to becoming one of the highest grossing realtors in the upper Cumberland. were you always interested in real estate?
Sabrina Brazle:Actually, no, I did not know a single thing about real estate before I got started in the industry. It's really funny. It was suggested to me by a friend of mine, who is a broker in Nashville, and he was like, hey, you know, you'd be really great at real estate. I was like, really? I mean, what is what's up with that? Like, what does it entail? And you know, I just never really had an understanding of what it was. So I feel like I was truly led to real estate and it was just like blindly with faith, like, Okay, I'm gonna try this, and I have no idea what I'm getting into. And if I fail, that's fine. At least I tried.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Well, and we're gonna get into the details of how you've made yourself so successful. But like, think about this, okay, when you're buying a house, that is the single largest purchase that you will have in your entire life, right? And so you're working at cry, Daddy's and your server. And then you're like, Guess what I'm going to do, I am going to literally insert myself into the biggest decision that you can make in your entire life. Right?
Sabrina Brazle:So actually, so karate is a part of my story. I served there for many years. But I also have worked in in downtown in Nashville. Nice. Yes, several places. That's kind of how it is in hospitality. You're just switching back and forth from different places. But I was I was bartending downtown Nashville. I was pregnant with my daughter, and then decided to come back to Cookeville. At that point, I was like, I'm not going to continue to Barton. It served a purpose working in hospitality. It was great. But I really wanted to start a new journey with motherhood as well. So I started studying for the real estate class. And like I said, I had no idea what I was getting into or what I was doing. And it just it took off from there.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Yeah, yeah. What's your signature cocktail?
Sabrina Brazle:Oh, gosh, I've already done on Broadway. So those are like turning Burnham like Jayco? Yes, yeah. Yeah. No, kind of like fancy signature, or whatever you call the craft cocktails? No.
Kosta Yepifantsev:You know, what's really interesting is I talk to a lot of people on this podcast that have been bartenders downtown or have worked in hospitality downtown and meeting Jessica, when we first got together, which granted, you weren't there at this time. But we could have bumped into each other at any point, because we still went down to Nashville and hung out. That's true. Isn't it crazy?
Sabrina Brazle:It really is. And I've actually I have friends that live here in Cookeville that I did not know prior to recently that came downtown in Nashville. And they're like, you know, I think that we probably met. So yeah, that's a possibility for sure.
Kosta Yepifantsev:I do have a funny story. Before we keep going. So one night, Jessica and I went to Margaritaville. We were living in Nashville. This is probably 2012 2011 ish. Anyway, we went out dancin, and did the whole nine, stayed out till two o'clock in the morning. And there was this group of kids who were from Cookeville, not just from tech, but they were also from Cookeville. And anytime I met somebody from Cookeville, I would just like light up like a Christmas tree and be like, Oh my God, right? Because my wife's from Cookeville. And I want to get to know the population. And I always wonder to this day, like, are those people that live here now? Do you think that they remember that moment when that guy came up to them and decided that they were going to spend the rest of the night together because they're from Cookeville? Who knows? Right?
Sabrina Brazle:Exactly like the crazy bathroom. Talk.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Yes. So do you think like being a server at Crawdaddy has kind of helped you prepare for the real estate game?
Sabrina Brazle:Absolutely.
Kosta Yepifantsev:How so? Oh, my
Sabrina Brazle:gosh, so many reasons. I really attribute a lot of who I am. To my experience there. It was very tough. You had to be resilient. I mean, there were a lot of people who thought that it was this glamorous job for Cookeville. Right. And you're just socializing with people. And you know, it's a fun atmosphere. But really, I mean, it is hard work. And we made it looked easy. And that's very similar to real estate. So yeah, I mean, it was very difficult. It was very mentally and physically tasking. And you know, you have to multitask. You have to problem solve. I mean, there's just so many so many things.
Kosta Yepifantsev:The first time that you get a client that wants to go look at a house, what was that experience? Like? Oh, my
Sabrina Brazle:gosh, it was exhilarating. Excited, I was like, Oh, my gosh, yes.
Kosta Yepifantsev:What did you guys talk about? Like, were you nervous at all going into this house like to show them? Because I mean, you don't do like any onboarding, right? As a realtor, you might shadow somebody you
Sabrina Brazle:do. But really, yes, you should. But when you get that opportunity to show your first house, then I mean, you have a lot of pressure. But I thrive under pressure. So for me, I was so excited. To me, it's easy to interact with people in any environment on any level. And I think when you're a conscientious person, too, it's really listening to them and their wants and needs and going from there. Yeah,
Kosta Yepifantsev:let's talk about you thriving under pressure. As you look back on this journey, what's your advice to women, especially single moms who find themselves lost or unsure of what to do next?
Sabrina Brazle:Keep going, never give up. Always be resilient. I think that your mentality and your mindset, is everything, always staying positive, no matter what the circumstances are? Yeah. Because everything is temporary. So you know, just continue to be resilient and continue to keep going.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Do you ever have those days where you were just like, This? is
Sabrina Brazle:I give up? Yes, absolutely.
Kosta Yepifantsev:You say like something to yourself? Do you have like a mantra that you kind of repeat? Or do you have a routine that you follow? Because I mean, here's the thing, you're a single mom, you're pregnant with your second child, and you are beyond successful, and you are not the quintessential person that grew up in a position to be successful. And so every day you wake up, and there's just a brick wall in front of you, and you just smash through it over and over and over again? Did your parents teach you that? Did you teach yourself that?
Sabrina Brazle:A little above, I'm blessed to have amazing parents. And you know, my mom was a single mom as well. So seeing her growing up, she did the same thing. I mean, you get up and you have to do what you have to do to provide for yourself and your child or your children. So there's that. But yeah, I mean, I think it's a lot. It's a mixture of the things that you said, I try to always surround myself with uplifting, supportive people, I have a great support system. And having that positive mindset is huge. And I mean, some days I verbally tell myself, when it's a hard day, I'm like, girl, you are a warrior. I mean, and then I'll have I visualize what I want to happen as well.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Let's get specific. So with your mom being a single mom, with you being a single mom yourself, how has that shaped your views, specifically on business and on parenthood,
Sabrina Brazle:in every way, we struggled growing up, especially financially, and that also, when you're in that position, that creates a lot of emotional stress as well. So we definitely had our challenges growing up, but that shaped my views on my entire life. I said from a really young age, I was like, I'm never going to if I can help it experience these same problems like that is my goal to never experience these problems and never have my child or my children experienced the same same problems. I
Kosta Yepifantsev:resonate with that. Yeah, so like, you know, obviously, I grew up in apartments in metro Atlanta. My parents worked, you know, three, four jobs to visit immigrants. That's just what I had to do, because everybody was paying you$5 An hour 525 Actually. Yep. But what was really interesting is, and I'm curious what you felt at this moment, so there was this day where I was, essentially I had no money and then I worked at RadioShack and it made a lot little bit of money. And then I worked at Landrover. And there was one month where I made like 10 grand in commission. And I was like, oh my god, like, yeah, you know, I'm saying like, right, like to put it into perspective, like I was making 650 plus commission. So I might make $10 an hour at RadioShack. And when I had that big month, like, and I put it in the bank account, and I was like, I'm not only going to be able to pay my bills this month, but I'm going to be able to pay my bills for next month. Yeah. Do you remember that moment? Absolutely. When you got that big commission check? Yes. Did it feel like you finally turn the corner?
Sabrina Brazle:Absolutely. It really did. And I also tried to remind myself, like, my value is not solely in, you know, what I'm worth financially, or what's in my bank account. That is such a huge part of me, I have to stay humble. Yeah. And never forget where I came from. But then also look at it from my perspective, like I am living an abundant life because of the work that I have put in. So it's really a mindset balance. But yes, I mean, I will never forget that feeling in that moment when I made that first huge commission check. And I just fell on top of the world. And I think it's important to celebrate that too.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Absolutely. Yeah. I think what a lot of people like don't realize is because you don't have a safety net, right. Like there's nobody that you can technically rely emotionally on people but like to meet your financial needs. It's probably exactly. And so because you don't have that safety net, you always have a sense of anxiety that you live with. Yes. At least that's and I may be projecting on you. But that's just how I feel. So you'll always be like, I consider myself to be Jenny from the block.
Sabrina Brazle:Yes, yeah. Yes. No, I agree. And, you know, I think sometimes people can allow that to overwhelm and overpower, feeling happy and abundant for what they have achieved. But for me, Yes, I'm very conservative, because of my background and my history. Yeah.
Kosta Yepifantsev:So let's get into the technical details of how you've made yourself Successful in Real Estate. As we've discussed, one of the unique aspects of your journey into real estate was your grassroots approach to finding clients. Can you share more about your initial strategy and how it has evolved over time?
Sabrina Brazle:That is such a good question. And I have a lot of people ask me that, especially new agents are like, how did you get your clients? You know, I'm like, oh, gosh, I don't know. I mean, I really just went to work. put my head down, literally. Yeah, yes. And I think, you know, social media plays a part in gaining some visibility, but you also have to have the knowledge and all the other aspects that go along with being someone that people want to do business with, as well. So, you know, you may get the client, but you have to keep on to Yeah, and be able to prove your worth.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Did you read any sales books? No. Okay, so this is all just natural, like life experience. I love
Sabrina Brazle:that in sales, too. So she sold cars when I was a teenager, and especially, you know, being in that business. It's very male dominated. Yeah. So watching her really become successful in that field was really inspiring. And now as an adult looking back even more so than I realized, because it's so cutthroat Yeah. So I had that example growing up, too.
Kosta Yepifantsev:I love that, and probably even more male dominated back when she was worth absolutely no. When I was selling cars, I had a lady that sat next to me, her name was Carolyn Northup. She was 62.
Sabrina Brazle:She was, like, don't mess with me.
Kosta Yepifantsev:It was just so nice. Like to have somebody experienced, you know. And also, you know, I grew up without a mom, essentially, my dad was a single parent from the time that I was 10. I don't know I've always been looking for, like female figures. Yeah, exactly. And Carolyn was definitely one of those people. So I totally get it. Yeah. All right. So when you started in real estate, you use social media, right? But as you're describing your journey, you know what I'm thinking of? I'm thinking of ABC, so you're always closing always be closing. Exactly. And so when you go and you convert somebody from social media to actually meet them in person, you can close them there and then use the word of mouth to continue to gain more and more clients that way, right? Yep. When you talk to other realtors, do you feel like okay, they're gonna be able to do it, or do you ever think to yourself like, this can be a tough go of things.
Sabrina Brazle:I I think that different personality types resonate with different people. Like, I'm self aware enough to know I'm not everyone's cup of tea, and that's okay. Sure. Some people, they they like other personality types that I don't have. And so I think that's the beauty of working with people in real estate. There's someone for everyone, and other people have strengths that I don't have. So I think, you know, looking at it from that perspective, anybody is able to succeed if they put their mind to it.
Kosta Yepifantsev:How important is it to find the right place to be an agent? So like, you know, what, you're at the realty. There's the real estate collective. Yeah, there's
Sabrina Brazle:amazing, absolutely.
Kosta Yepifantsev:How important is it to find the right place,
Sabrina Brazle:I think it's very important to find, you know, even further than finding the right place, finding the right person to mentor you in a way that is going to teach you the way that you need to learn. Also, more importantly than anything, you have to be self motivated. Yeah. Nobody is going to hold your hand in this industry and just hand you over this client base and hands you the keys to your success. You really have to go get it yourself. And I think that's oftentimes the hardest part.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Who was your mentor? Amber Flynn, Jared? Nice. Yes. Like, Oh, yes.
Sabrina Brazle:She's amazing. I love her more than anything, being a
Kosta Yepifantsev:single parent with real estate. I mean, you're gone Sunday, sometimes you get a call. It's like, I want to go see this house right now drop everything and go. Did you lean on your family? Yes. What was what was the process?
Sabrina Brazle:Yes. And I think also, when you're building a rapport with people in your community, as I have, everybody knows, I'm a single mom. Right? So that's a requirement, you have to be understanding that I'm a single mom. However, you know, work is very important. So there are some circumstances that I can't bring my daughter with me. So typically, you would, yes, I would. A lot. Like even when she was a tiny baby, I would be on a showing, and she would be like, in her baby carrier, or, you know, I'd be holding her showing the house. But my mom, she lives like two blocks away from me, her and her husband, and they are just phenomenal angels in my life.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Do you think that why you're so successful, because your mom kind of showed you what it was like to be in that environment. And now you're showing your daughter what it's like to be in that environment, you're essentially breeding success? Yes, by having them engaged. And some people may look at that as a negative, but I personally feel like that's a huge,
Sabrina Brazle:a huge positive. Absolutely. And my mom really laid the groundwork for my success, and still continues to do so and to be supportive to me throughout this entire journey. And so it's like a full circle for even her as well. She's just so incredibly proud of everything that our family has accomplished. You know,
Kosta Yepifantsev:do you have a niche client, you know how like, when you get like super successful, you're usually working with a specific population, or a specific type of client is there like a niche client that you excel at working with?
Sabrina Brazle:So I'm a little bit different, because I think that as Realtors gain success, they have a tendency to want to work with, you know, your higher end client, which is great. You know, I love working with everyone. But for me, more than the financial reward, it's like the intrinsic reward of working with people who really have absolutely no knowledge about the process, or they're in a difficult position, or are first time homebuyers, those type of people who really need direction. That, for me is more rewarding than anything. So I truly enjoy that.
Kosta Yepifantsev:I love that. Would you recommend this profession to other single parents? Yeah,
Sabrina Brazle:yeah, I would. It's not easy, for sure. But nothing comes easy. That's worth it.
Kosta Yepifantsev:What are some of the major tenants that they have to have before because everybody wants to be a realtor right now? Right? Yeah. What are some of the major tenants that they have to have before they actually take the leap?
Sabrina Brazle:I would have probably ended up selling real estate in Nashville had I not paid off all my debt prior to starting real estate. Okay, that was the advice given to me by my friend who's a broker up there. But I mean, more than anything, you have to be self motivated and driven and always willing to be resilient. I mean, every day even sometimes from moment to moment, you just have to be resilient. Yeah. So it's very tasking. Are you always like this? Me? Yeah.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Okay, nice. So you graduated high school was it in cocoa?
Sabrina Brazle:I graduated from Jackson County. Oh, nice. Yeah, so my both my mom and my dad, their family is from Jackson County. So I have deep deep roots there. So yeah, I feel like I've always been like this,
Kosta Yepifantsev:you want to tell us your life story?
Sabrina Brazle:I mean, do we have like 10 hours?
Kosta Yepifantsev:So you graduated from Jackson County, you move to Nashville right away or
Sabrina Brazle:No, I went to Tech, I went to Ball State, okay. unsuccessfully. That's where I was reading your story in the magazine. So I feel like we had some similarities. There were, for me personally, at that time, in my life, school was not working right for me. So I was really just like, trying to wade my way through all the different options, I knew that I didn't feel fulfilled in my life, but I didn't really know where to go next. So it was 2015 that I moved to Nashville, okay, and bartender there for a couple years, and then moved back to Cookeville in 2017, when I was pregnant with my daughter,
Kosta Yepifantsev:nice. And the thing about school like not to go into a rabbit hole. But I personally feel like if I'm not learning something that I can apply to earn a living, and when I say earn a living, I don't mean just like I'm gonna go get a job and get a salary. I mean, something that I can actually, like, learn the basic fundamentals of and build on, earn more as unbilled have an actual purpose, correct? Yes. And that's why I took that political science degree because I was so interested and up until doing the internship actually considered maybe politics as a possible route from Yeah, but then I did the internship. So for anybody listening, if you if you really want a career in something, go do an internship first, right. But like, there was moments in my life specifically in my childhood that I pulled from, and playing on a hockey team networking with people. Did you play sports growing up?
Sabrina Brazle:No, I did. Okay. But like, did
Kosta Yepifantsev:you have like a really large group of friends? I mean, growing up in Jackson.
Sabrina Brazle:I was so nerdy, okay. Yes. And I was, I struggled to find my place. Okay. And really, I don't feel like I ever found my place truly, until I started real estate until I became a mother. Yeah, yeah.
Kosta Yepifantsev:You are the steward for every first time homebuyer and you make it comfortable. Yes. I think that's I think that's your gift. I'm just listening to you talk. And I think, Okay, well, what makes her so successful? Because everyone has to have something. Yeah. And I think it's, no matter how many houses you sell, no matter how many clients you encounter, you are always going to be that person who cares more about the first time homebuyer and wants to make sure that they're going to be okay. process than anything else?
Sabrina Brazle:Yeah. You know, I think you get out of life, what you put into it and into relationships with other people. And that to me, is just it's good purpose.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Yep. Absolutely. If you could pick one thing, what do you hope your children learn from you as a parent?
Sabrina Brazle:That is a really hard question. You know, that as a parent. When thing Oh, man, because there's so many things that you want your children to learn from you. You know, I want them. I want them to learn that they are, you know, they're in the driver's seat, and you can make your life whatever you want. My mom always told me that she was like, Sabrina, you can do anything you set your mind to, she told me that like, almost on a daily basis. So I think I'm gonna I'm gonna go with that. Yeah, yeah.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Do you ever consider yourself to be someone that like runs a support group for single parents? You're the shining example of somebody that's a single mom. And with not just one kids, but two. Yeah. I mean, do you ever have people reaching out to you and ask for advice and stuff like that
Sabrina Brazle:all the time? Yes. And I always want to encourage people, no matter your situation, we didn't dive deep into my life and you know, some of the other challenges that I've been through, but you know, I've been through a lot. And I think that no matter what your situation is, you can always turn it around and make it better. But you know, it's up to you,
Kosta Yepifantsev:right? You've proven time and time again, that it's possible to balance a thriving career with motherhood for any parents listening, that are trying to find that same level of balance and peace. What's your advice?
Sabrina Brazle:That is the hardest thing ever. So don't beat yourself up. It's a sliding scale. In some days, you are going to feel so balanced and then some days, you know, you're going to have to devote more time to your career. Some days you're going to devote more time to your Kids, give yourself grace. I think that's the important takeaway is know that as long as you're doing your best, then that is good enough.
Kosta Yepifantsev:I really needed to hear that today, because I beat myself up a lot. So, you know, we're our own worst critics. Yes, absolutely. And I think probably more than most people, you know, in terms of the gravity of our criticism, it's just like, for example, Louis has been wanting to go play golf and, and I finally signed him up for PGA junior league. And he was at his grandparents house, and I asked Jim to take him to his first practice. And I know that Jim obviously knows golf, and he can probably give him better advice about golf. You know, I'm just his dad and a terrible golfer for that matter. But like, I know, it was uncomfortable for him, but he did it. And he excelled at it. And he enjoyed it. And he wants to keep doing it. And during that moment, I was like, gosh, you know, I feel terrible. Yeah, no, I think the most important thing is to stay in their lives. Yes, throughout their entire life for as long as you can. Yes. Right. You know, I think about my own interactions with my mother who left when I was nine, it's so hard to maintain a relationship with her because I don't know her. Like, I know my dad, I can walk into my dad's house and go straight to the fridge and say, Hey, what you got? Yeah, right. And I can't do that with my mom. And so I think being present, yes, right. That's so important. I told myself that I wouldn't project and tell you what it's like to be single
Sabrina Brazle:parenthood journey in general, we all have our struggles. And I think it's important not to sugarcoat that because we all experienced those challenges. And, you know, being someone who is extremely driven, and you're devoting a lot of time to your career, whether or not you're a single parent, you still you love your children, you want to be there, you want to be present. But oftentimes, like I said, it's a sliding scale. And there are some days that I can't be as present as I would like to be. But I tell myself, I'm teaching her these values and hard work. And that's important too.
Kosta Yepifantsev:Three questions, and then we're gonna wrap up. Okay. Are you working your dream job right now? Yes. Awesome. What do you want to do with your future? Like, what is 10 years down the road? Sabrina?
Sabrina Brazle:Oh, gosh, I don't know. See, I'm terrible at goal setting. Is that so funny that I'm like, very driven. And most people who were highly successful are very goal oriented. And I'm really bad at setting
Kosta Yepifantsev:goals. You just don't want to put a ceiling on yourself. Yeah,
Sabrina Brazle:I think that's it. I think it's it and being open to what life brings to you and not having an expectation, because expectations are the mother of all disappointment. Absolutely. So the sky's the limit.
Kosta Yepifantsev:And necessity is the mother of invention.
Sabrina Brazle:Look at that.
Kosta Yepifantsev:I got it in. Thank you, Sabrina. I appreciate that. I've been wanting to say that the entire episode just opened the door for me. Well, listen, I think it's absolutely fantastic. What you've accomplished up to this point. And I think 10 years from now Sabrina is probably going to have her own firm is probably going to mentor and teach other real estate agents and I think specifically working with single parents. You have locked that mark it down. So super proud of you. We always like to end the show on a high note. Who is someone that makes you better when you're together?
Sabrina Brazle:My daughter, a memory Brazell? Most definitely
Morgan Franklin:Thank you for joining us on this episode of she's my whole world. Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev. If you've enjoyed listening and you want to hear more, make sure you subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts.Leave us a review or better yet,share this episode with a friend. Better Together with Kosta Yepifantsev is a Kosta Yepifantsev Production. Today's episode was written and produced by Morgan Franklin post production mixing and editing by Mike Franklin. Want to know more about Kosta visit us at kostayepifantsev.com We're better together. We'd like to remind our listeners that the views and opinions expressed during this episode are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily represent or reflect the official policy or position of this show its producers or any related entities or advertisers. While our discussions may touch on various topics of interest,please note that the content is intended to inspire thought provoking dialogue and should not be used for a substitute for professional advice.Specifically, nothing heard on this podcast should be construed as financial, legal, medical or any other kind of professional advice. We encourage our listeners to consult with a professional in these areas for guidance tailored to their specific circumstances.