18 Oct #FireMeUp11: @SuzRoy – Journey From Entrepreneur To Intrapreneur
From Entrepreneur to Intrapreneur –@SuzRoy Shares Her Journey…
Suzanne Roy… who is this mysteriously fabulous woman? I recall hearing about “her”… The “behind the scenes chica” of this cool website called “Tech Savvy Agent” that the then “nearly unknown” Chris Smith and Steve Pacinelli were talking about on stages across the country. Of course, I HAD TO find out more, so I found her online and became “friends”! We immediately connected on many levels… and started plotting our first “in person” meeting at an Inman Connect. After hours of online shenanigans, creating a Power Women #PWe3 community, motivational voxers, G+ hangouts, and goofy holiday video messages, we finally met… and it was magical and memorable.
Since then we have had ooooodles of giggle-filled conversations via voxer, email, Facebook, Twitter, (well, you name the platform – and we’ve been there)… we have encouraged one another to shake it off, laugh it off, embrace our current success, and push through to new levels. In just a 24 months – we are woven into each other’s story. THAT is the power of social media.
A couple of weeks ago Suzanne announced she was leaving the life of an entrepreneur and business owner to join forces with Audie Chamberlain and realtor.com. So, I thought I would reach out to her and ask her a few questions about WHY she did it and WHAT she would share with others who were working through similar decisions. Below are her nuggets of enlightenment:
Q1: How long did you own your own biz?
SR: I started my real estate marketing business back in January 2002. The story behind how I started this is quite amusing! I was working for a Payphone company (yes, I did say PAYPHONE!) and the owner’s wife and I hit it off right away. She was getting her real estate license and passed with flying colors, however, one day soon after she joined her first brokerage, she came flying into my office and threw her shoes at my office wall and proclaimed, “How can I possibly do all of this marketing?! I haven’t a clue how to design a website, create email campaigns, or maintain a CRM!! You have to help me!” And, so it began!
Q2: Have you worked in corporate America before?
SR: I have worked for several corporate companies previously, however, they were in Canada, (where I am originally from), and England (where I went to school and gained my initial work experiences). The largest company I worked for was the Government of Ontario’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Technology where I assisted the director and seven managers with their marketing needs. I also worked for Canada Life Insurance Company, and in Florida I worked for the President of IT at Coldwell Banker’s headquarters.
Q3: What are the biggest lessons you learned as an entrepreneur?
SR: There’s no-one else to blame but yourself! Owning your own business, you are the one who answers to everything – the good, bad and the ugly. You make it or you break it, and breaking it was not an option for me. Being an entrepreneur, you learn very quickly that anything less than your best is not acceptable and that is exactly what I lived by.
I also learned that there’s a time for work and a time for play. I went through a phase where I worked 60-70 hours a week and neglected things that were important outside of work. Like family. Having a balance between the two is one of the most important lessons that I learned, and learned the hard way. Now I ensure that I am 100% focused on work during working hours, and 100% unplugged when I’m done. Nothing compares to the importance of family.
Q4: How will you translate those lessons into being an intrapreneur?
SR: I strive to do my best in everything and will continue to do so within my role with realtor.com. Taking ownership and becoming entrenched in the space I have been given to fulfill will be easy for me to do and achieve.
Continuing with my focus on work and my time with family will be an easy transition since I am already doing it and is the only way of living a satisfying life.
Q5: What advice do you have for entrepreneurs who may be thinking about jumping back into corporate America?
SR: I believe my entrepreneurial experience over the past twelve years has provided me with an excellent base to fill this role to the nth degree! Funneling your passions into what you do will be picked up by the right company – if you are looking to transition back into corporate America, know your passions, live your passions and prove your passions. They (and you) will be rewarded!
Q6: What are you most excited about doing in this new role?
SR: Three things that go hand-in-hand: Deepening connections, bringing value, and being an advocate for realtor.com‘s current and future customers. By meeting these needs, both through online and in-person connections, I believe I can build upon the already existing high level of trust realtor.com has with it’s audience and take it to a brand new level. And having an amazing team of professionals to work with just makes this all the more exciting and fulfilling!
Ooooodles of thanks, to Suzanne, for sharing her story and journey with all of us. If you have a question for her, please ask it in the comments below or tweet her at @SuzRoy!
(L to R: Katie Lance, Suzanne Roy, Debra Trappen, Kelly Mitchell, Lisa Archer, Laurie Davis, Carol Farrar, Laura Monroe)
Taking online relationships OFFLINE is what Suzanne is all about… Look for her at the next real estate conference you attend – and make sure to say HELLO!
Suzanne Roy
Posted at 07:24h, 19 OctoberThank you, Debra, for your never ending support of me and my journeys, not to mention your +11 friendship! 2014 is sure to be an amazing year! See you “out there”!