Ziemann Stephanie MAKING AN IMPACT

From being a black belt in tae kwon do to having a self-described horrible obsession with home improvement projects, Stephanie Ziemann knows you gotta crack a few eggs to make an omelet.

For Stephanie Ziemann, life is about finding a way. After graduating high school in 1999, her college experience that began the next fall at Stephan F. Austin State University was short-lived.

“I had some health issues come up in February 2000, and I had to come back home,” Ziemann said. Home was Colleyville, so she tried attending the University of North Texas up in Denton, which was much closer to home, but it just didn’t work. She got sick and needed surgery. As she was completing her post-op road to recovery, Ziemann started focusing on what she would do next. “I needed a job, and I could do secretarial-style work, so I reached out to a RE/MAX office in Colleyville and asked if anyone needed an assistant,” said Ziemann. “I was connected with Beverly Godbey and started working for her. I didn’t know anything about real estate, but she taught me so much, and I fell in love with the industry.” Ziemann earned her real estate agent’s license in 2001 and has never looked back.

When asked what she loves about the real estate industry, Ziemann says that she uses her servant’s heart to help people get the house or offer they want. “I want to help people have the least amount of stress possible while navigating the process,” Ziemann said. “Whether it’s calling a seller and saying, ‘We got an offer’ or calling a buyer and saying, ‘You got the house,’ there is just something about being able to share in those moments that makes all the craziness worth it.”

Being a part of something bigger than herself is something that has propelled Ziemann her entire life. Growing up, she played “a ton of sports” and was part of her high school soccer teams, first at Grapevine High School and then at Harvest Christian Academy in Watauga, where she was the only girl on a coed team. “Participating in team sports really taught me a lot,” she said. “It’s not just about one person getting ahead but winning as a team going for the common goal. Real estate transactions are a lot like that. You have multiple people working for the same common goal, and as long as everyone remembers that, most of the time, it goes smoothly. Playing team sports has really helped me with managing all the different people and personalities involved in the transaction.”

Besides being a soccer phenom, Ziemann was also a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. When she was 15 years old, she was part of a team that traveled to Seoul, South Korea, to compete at an international invitation-only tournament, where she placed second in her age group. “It was so exciting and a bit unnerving,” Ziemann said. “We trained with the South Korean Olympic team and had local escorts that stayed with us all the time.” Ziemann has passed along her athletic ability to her two children. Her 16-year-old son, Mason, plays baseball and her 11-year-old daughter, Jenna, is a gymnast. “They are both my ‘miracle babies’ because due to my health issues when I was younger, I was told I would never have children,” said Ziemann. “We spend the majority of our downtime at one sporting event or another. But I wouldn’t change it for the world. I actually miss being in the stands in off-seasons and can’t wait to get back to it!”

Another aspect of her life that’s rewarding for Ziemann these days is her work with Impact Health, a nonprofit that promotes affordable health care. “I found them as a consumer first and was able to save our family 68% on our monthly premiums and also save on medication costs,” she said. “Many people that work in our industry — roofers, drywall people, even agents — don’t have health insurance because it’s too expensive. As soon as I found Impact Health and got great coverage for my family at an actually affordable price, I wanted to spread the word throughout the real estate industry and beyond.”

Ziemann’s interests have definitely changed over the years. Instead of kicking soccer balls or kicking butt, she’s now more interested in kicking it up a notch when it comes to home improvements. “I have a horrible obsession with home improvement projects. I recently gutted the pantry and renovated it. It was a basic builder’s pantry that really wasn’t working. We buy in bulk, and I needed a pantry that worked better with bigger-sized items,” she said. “Home Depot is my absolute favorite place in the world. I walk around the aisles to decompress and to see what new stuff they have.” Besides the pantry, Ziemann has also gutted their understairs closet and took the master bathroom down to the studs to renovate it. “A busted pipe during ‘Snowmageddon’ a couple of years ago gave me an excuse to redo the kitchen. My husband, Brent, tolerates it. It’s a hazard of being in this business, I guess,” said Ziemann. “But, more than anything, seeing something go from an idea to being finished and being able to say ‘I did that’ is very rewarding.” By asking for forgiveness and not permission from Brent, combined with the feeling she gets after completing each project, Ziemann is reminded of her favorite quote from Mark Twain: “Life is short. Break the rules. Forgive quickly, and kiss slowly. Love truly. Laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that makes you smile.”