End of year reflections
Plus January events
Hi y’all—
This year has had some BIG changes for me. I started it working for someone else, struggling against depression and mega burnout. As much as I hated to admit it at the time (stubborn and prideful Leo here), I was having a hard time. I lashed out at friends and coworkers. Client work began to feel like a chore, I felt my work was controlling my creativity and self expression, and my personal life was hanging by a thread. On the heels of a big breakup last year, I was tentatively dating again and that certainly wasn’t helping my depression!
Then my cat, Clementine, passed away. You know when a year is just going to be shit but you don’t know how badly? Yeah. She passed away on February 14, 2024. She was my soul cat and the best thing ever.
Oh, and then I got fired. My attitude was bad and all the things that were going on in my life suddenly overwhelmed me and made it impossible to do what I had been doing for over four years. Something had to change! And it did. Forcefully, but necessarily. The year I thought was going to be outright terrible transformed into something with beautiful possibilities. I opened my own real estate and design firm—Have Your Cake. I could cry how much I love having my own business where I have full control over the creative vision and decision making. It brought me back to the core of my professional identity which is providing utmost care and attention to each of my clients. I remembered why I got into this field—helping people find homes!
Around the same time I found an abandoned pregnant cat and gave her a safe space to give birth and raise her kittens. Looking back it feels pretty serendipitous to have been helping raise new life while beginning a new career journey. I also joined a new brokerage where I have flourished. Everyone at Living Room is SO NICE and supportive of me and my clients. I’m going to be spending a lot more time in the office for soon-to-be-announced Office Hours every week, so I hope you will join me and bring some questions or just come to enjoy the beautiful office.
On top of everything, I helped some really sweet people find their homes this year. Including one with the stunning bathroom below and one with the charming seagull statue above. I’m so grateful for everyone who gave me the opportunity to help them this year and in years past. It’s been really lovely to see people excited to work with me even though my imposter syndrome has been insaaaane lately. It makes me want to go above and beyond for every single client.
I also met the man who is now my fiancé! It feels surreal to have started off the year heartbroken and not only find my person a couple months later, but ending up engaged. Wow. It feels like the perfect example of “when you know, you know”. Seth is SO supportive of me and my work, it was something I didn't know was so important to me but it is. Eventually, our goal is to be busy enough to have him assist me in the day-to-day operations of my business. It would be so fun to have real estate power couple vibes in the future (but certainly a long time from now!). I have been putting out manifestation vibes of bringing someone on under the Have Your Cake brand—real estate is often very lonely and it would be really fun to plan events together and have another person to bounce ideas off of. Currently that person is Seth and he’s certainly not complaining, but I want to foster a community where we self-employed people can survive and thrive together. So maybe that will happen in 2025.
Also, I adopted two more cats, built a greenhouse, installed a wall of bookshelves in my living room and various other home projects. I resumed therapy and reshuffled my medications. I cooked and baked a lot for myself and for friends.
Early in the year, I went on an unemployed vacation with my best friend Eric who helped me vision board what I wanted from my career. Somehow, it’s starting to happen. Being self-employed, of course my work is never finished. I’m constantly gripped by uncertainty about where my next paycheck is coming from. Don’t even talk to me about my taxes (gulp!). But in fact, just having power over my life and career ended up helping me break out of my deep-seated depression and empowered me to make the big changes in my life that I needed.
Overall, it ended up being a really good year.
So here’s cheers to a bigger, better 2025. I have so many plans and dreams for this new year. With your help, I can make it happen.
The first thing that’s happening is my first time homebuyer’s class on January 12th. Please sign up here!
I’m going to be baking a bunch of breakfast pastries and will have a lender come talk about financing options. There’s sooooo many great programs out there right now, it’s time to take advantage of that. Especially in this slower market, I’m seeing buyers get houses for literally $0. If buying a house is on your goal list sometime in the next couple of years, it may make sense to do it now.
And finally…cheers to you!
I hope every single one of you has an amazing holiday season and very happy new year. It doesn’t escape me that I’m very lucky to have so many people supportive of me and my new business. I want to spend 2025 giving back to you as much as you are giving to me. That’s why I’m launching a referral program where you get a lovely gift every time you refer someone to me, as well as an invitation to my year end client party. Here’s some more info:
So that’s all. Don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions!
xoxo Erica
inspiring! So wonderful to watch you flourish from afar - may 2025 be a year full of joy and success!!! Xx