Q&A with Melissa Kenady

Melissa Kenady
Kenady Group

Melissa Kenady
Kenady Group

What inspired you to start your business or pursue your current career path? How has your initial vision evolved since you started?

I wanted to be able to provide an opportunity for women to have an unlimited earning potential,  work in an uplifting, positive work environment, while supporting each other. Too many work  environments use shame, blame and guilt to drive a competitive wedge between team  members. I wanted to create a business model where everyone prospers and supports each  other.  My initial vision was admittedly a bit altruistic - I would be more clear on my expectations and  the company’s expectations; understanding that not everyone shares the same vision and  mission with their business.

What's the biggest challenge you've faced as a woman in your industry, and how did you overcome it? How do you think these challenges have changed in your industry?

This job can be very demanding and time-cosuming. I think it can be challenging for women (or  anyone) who gets into this industry thinking it can be a part-time job. Balancing a home life,  childcare, and other responsibilities can be difficult and takes being organized.  

Describe a pivotal moment in your career that shaped your leadership style. How would you describe your leadership style now?

I am not a micromanager and I generally am an optimistic leader. I have learned over the years  that people like to be told what to do and generally will do it as long as you’re doing it too.  Sharing my “secrets” to success is what leads a team to greatness. Guilting them into working is  not effective. I like to walk alongside my team and show them what I’m doing that is working and  sharing what I’m doing that is not working. We all fail - it’s failing forward that matters.  

How do you balance your professional responsibilities with your personal life? What strategies or support systems have you found most helpful?

This has been THE single biggest struggle for me. As a single mom; probably the most  important one for me to figure out. I spent the last year juggling way too many responsibilities  and failing at most of them. I quickly learned that when you take too much on and don’t ask for  help, you let other people down. I learned the importance of hiring the right people for the right  positions and took my time to train them and set expectations. Then I quickly released responsibilities that I didn’t enjoy or that I didn’t feel I could balance. Letting go and learning to  pivot have been some of life’s biggest lessons for me.  

What advice would you give young women aspiring to enter your field? What do you wish someone had told you when you were starting?

My biggest piece of advice to women starting out in any field - be hungry and learn whatever  you can. Don’t rely on just one person or company. In this time, you can read or listen to experts  anywhere in the world. My next piece of advice is to be discerning - know who you are and what  you stand for. Do not settle for anything less. Your intuition will guide you if you listen to it - from  how to do business to who to do it with. 

How has mentorship played a role in your career as a mentee or mentor? How do you approach mentoring others in your current position?

Mentorship has been critical to my career. Early on I hired a business coach and it has made all  the difference to me. At one point - I had two coaches and a therapist and belonged to a  Mastermind group. Take all the knowledge you can get. A coach or a mentor is so important  because they get to know you and they hold you accountable. There is no excuse you can tell  them that will be accepted. The lesson I have learned as I’ve grown into a mentor role is to allow  the individual to grow and adapt and hold them accountable. I cannot do the work for someone. 

What strategies have you found most effective for building and maintaining professional networks? How has networking changed with the rise of social media and digital platforms?

Professional networking is so important. It’s a lesson I try to tell my team all the time when  discussing business planning. Leaning into our community and our resources, allows us to be  connectors. I love being able to connect people who are looking for something specific. Making  introductions is so valuable. Social media has changed the landscape of this - but I still try to  connect tagging people in specific “asks” or private messaging an introduction can do wonders.  Sharing and supporting other small business ventures and opportunities is another way we can  provide support through social media. I have found that people are still hungry for ways to  connect, and creating pop-up events and unique marketing ideas helps us create community  and network with our professional and client communities.  

In your experience, what key skills or qualities have contributed most to your success? How do you continue to develop these skills?

The key skills or qualities that have contributed most to my success is my vision for what could  be, my heart for people, and my belief that anything is possible. I truly am a positive,  progressive, forward thinking glass half full kinda girl. This has helped me manifest my  business, my team, and the people who surround me. When you surround yourself with people  who think like you, it is infectious. I’d encourage a “fit check” of your surroundings. Who do you  hang out with? How do you present yourself? How is your attitude? How is your home? Are all  of these reflective of the person you’d like to be? If not, start making changes. It makes a huge  difference. I continually develop these skills by continuing to participate in extra classes,  masterclasses, listen to podcasts, hire coaches, and analyze how my business is operating. Is  what I’m doing and how I’m leading effective? What needs to change? 

How do you stay innovative and adapt to changes in your industry? Share an example of how you've successfully navigated a major industry shift.

The biggest shift recently has been a nationally publicized lawsuit with NAR and commission  structure changes. As Designated Broker, I stayed ahead of the curve by staying up on what  was happening; before most even thought it was going to be an issue. I trained my team on  sales language and contracts before it became a “thing”. Creating and training on buyer  presentations, effectively communicating the changes to my team and training and re-training  and re-training as the forms changed was critical. We are still having conversations as we  navigate what this new normal looks like.  

What initiatives or changes would you like to see to promote gender equality in the business world? How do you personally contribute to advancing these initiatives?

Gender equality in this business is an interesting concept. We are technically all self-employed.  As of 2022, 66% of licensed real estate brokers were female. However the majority of company  owners are men. In my opinion, this has led to expectations of production that is unrealistic.  Why? Because most of that 66% of female brokers are considered “part-time”, possibly due to  their responsibilities in the home. This opens a completely different conversation regarding male  and female work and home life responsibilities and the inequities attached to them. It also can’t  go without saying that as a woman in business, I’ve encountered numerous sexual innuendos  and “jokes”, mansplaining contracts and loans, being called “sweetie and dear” during  negotiations; gender inequality is a real thing.  

I’ve designed my brokerage to be an inclusive brokerage - one where brokers identify their own  goals and work to obtain them. We don’t implement company goals on them. We understand  the need for work-life balance and discuss at length setting schedules, balancing time, asking  for help, the importance of self care, and what it takes to scale. We are also realistic about what  that means and the amount of work it takes. We are clear on expectations and do not over  promise and under deliver. We have set up systems that provide support to our agents; enabling  them to sell more real estate and be better brokers. We make effective use of time and don’t  “meeting” people when they could be doing income producing activities. We teach efficiency and  boundaries and we support them in both.