RESILIENCE AT WORK

It doesn’t take long when you look at the world around you to see examples of positivity, strength, and resolve.

One of those who exemplifies those traits is Michelle Johnson.

As Broker/Owner of Modern Edge Real Estate, Michelle provides a powerful example of resilience at work.

Overcoming

Michelle moved to Oklahoma City from Tulsa with her husband, Rocky, and their three children, to attend Oklahoma University for Interior Design.

“We got the wonderful news that our family was going to grow by two more! However, the twins were diagnosed with Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome early on, creating a difficult, high risk pregnancy, so unfortunately school was no longer an option at that point in time,” she remembers.

They faced a very difficult chapter in life when their identical twins, Vaughn and Vincent, were born at 25 weeks. And, after eight long days, they lost Vincent.

“They were born with fire-red hair! The NICU stay was four months and Vaughn came home with a feeding tube and on oxygen. He stayed on oxygen until his first birthday,” Michelle remembers.

“That’s around the time when I got my real estate license in 2007. We had three other girls at the time.

Because of our son’s disabilities, we thought he was going to have another brain surgery. My husband joined the military, so we had access to good medical benefits. While he was deployed to Afghanistan, we got the news that Vaughn was actually not going to need the second surgery after all, which was wonderful to hear!”

Moving Forward

It wasn’t long before Michelle and her family moved to Virginia while her husband went through training for the summer. From there, they moved to Texas when he was stationed at Fort Hood.

“I got my license in Texas and worked with military families. He got out in 2012, and we moved to Fort Worth and made it our permanent home. We still love it here,” she remembers.

“At that point, I started over again. Each time we moved, I needed to start my real estate business over by creating a new sphere of people in each area. I got really good at starting over.”

Tracking Down Her Goals

Michelle is goal-oriented. Through time, she remained focused on becoming a Broker. In February 2019, she earned her Broker’s license and started Modern Edge Real Estate.

“In the process, my goal was to help other agents get what they wanted out of this business. My vision was to have an office that had a coffeehouse feel. I wanted it to be inviting and not filled with cubicles. I wanted it to be a place where we could entertain and gather … a place where our team members wanted to bring their clients,” Michelle remembers.

“We bought a building in 2020. It was a 1940s home that was zoned commercial. We gutted it, ripped out walls, opened it up, and gave it a cottage cozy feel where we could do all types of events throughout the year. We finished it in 2021 and kicked everything off in September 2021.”

Team Pride

Today, Michelle is proud to lead her team of seven agents.

“We don’t chase leads. We focus on activities that attract business to us. That’s what I teach,” Michelle says. “I love teaching other agents about real estate and also seeing the joy on our clients’ faces.”

Family Foundation

Family is at the heart of life for Michelle. She cherishes time with her husband, Rocky, and their children — Hailey, Cambry, Vaughn, Vinny, and Ashlynn.

In her free time, Michelle enjoys her 220-gallon saltwater aquarium. Her and her family also raise Holland Lops, help place rescue rabbits in new homes, and enjoy taking the bunnies to senior citizen centers for some Snuggle Therapy. Recently, they added two Rottweiler puppies who are now eight months old that she enjoys working with and training.

Game nights are big at the Johnson household, as are times spent hosting friends and family.

Trusted Resource

When you talk with Michelle, you feel like you’ve known her for a long time. As a result, the connections she builds with her clients and team members are very strong.

“I always want to be a positive force for people … to listen to them, motivate them, and give them suggestions they can use in their lives,” she says with a smile.

While every life is reflected by the challenges and triumphs a person faces along the way, one of the true measures of success is having the strength to move forward for yourself and those around you. That’s something that Michelle Johnson definitely has … a driving force to help others succeed.