Central Mississippi Real Producers - October 2022

Photo by Abe Draper Photography

Rising Star Elissa Yarrow

Partner Spotlight Two Men and A Truck

Decorating Central Mississippi REALTORS® Greens for Dreams Annual Golf Tournament

Carolyn Foley Ad Strategist Susan Marquez Writer

Gingerlyn Wallace Creative Marketing Director

Cindy Raborn Assistant Publisher/ Event Coordinator

Dees Hinton Owner/Publisher Abe Draper Photographer

Kayland Partee Videographer / Photographer

Rising Star

Mississippi

Producer Allison Daniels

PREFERRED PARTNERS

This section has been created to give you easier access when searching for a trusted neigh borhood vendor to use. Take a minute to familiarize yourself with the businesses sponsoring the publication. These local businesses are proud to partner with you and make this magazine possible. Please support these businesses and thank them for supporting the publication!

ALL NATURAL SOAPS

Magnolia Soap and Bath Company (662) 255-2870 www.MagnoliaSoapa ndBath.com

ATHLETIC SPORTS

COMPLEX

FitNetWork (601) 665-8342

CHIMNEY SWEEP

Fireplace Chimney Sweep Solutions (601) 609-5540

CLOSING ATTORNEY Renfroe and Perilloux (601) 932-1011

CLOSING LAW FIRM

Robert E Moorehead, Attorneys at Law, PLLC (601) 672-4790

COUNTERTOPS & FLOORING

Renfrow Decorative Center (601) 373-8408

The Stone Source, Inc (601) 624-7221

ELECTRICAL SERVICE

COMPANY

T and K White Electric Co LLC (601) 456-0803

FLOORING/INSTALLATION

Misita Installations LLC (769) 798-2466

GUTTERS

Dun-Rite Gutters, Inc. (601) 605-0000

HOME INSPECTION

Clear View Property Inspections LLC (601) 624-9137

Magnolia Inspections, LLC (601) 454-4347

Mississippi’s Best Home Inspections (601) 953-4897

Smith Home Inspections (601) 310-3199

HOME WARRANTY

First American Home Warranty (601) 212-4441

Home Warranty Inc. (601) 954-3999 homewarrantyinc.com

Old Republic Home Protection Caren Messina (707) 580-2460 www.ORHP.com

INSURANCE

Adam Ryan State Farm Adam Ryan (662) 251-5106

Andy Eaton Insurance Agency (601) 939-0102

Insurance Protection Specialists Tyler Wiltshire (662) 466-6589

Jeff ZacharyState Farm Insurance (601) 362-4100

Riverside Insurance Agency, Inc (601) 371-8355

Southern Gulf States Insurance (601) 754-4471

The Hobbs Group LLC (601) 540-8613

INSURANCE AGENCY

Goosehead InsuranceKyle Killens (662) 352-8957

INTERIOR DESIGN & HOME STAGING G Design LLC (601) 408-5651

INTERIOR DESIGN & SHOWROOM Summerhouse 405 South Lamar Oxford, MS 38655 (662) 234-8100 www.summerhousestyle.com

LANDSCAPING MGC Landscapes (601) 906-2593

MOLD TESTING & REMEDIATION

Green Home Solutions (601) 988-7840

MORTGAGE LENDER BancorpSouth (228) 897-3399

Citizens National Bank (601) 607-3708 Www.yourcnb.com

Mississippi Mortgage (601) 316-7326 www.mississippi mortgage.com

NOLA Lending (985) 612-2132

Planet Home Lending (601) 421-9667

MOVERS/RELOCATION

Armstrong Relocation, United Van Lines (601) 856-8504

Two Men and a Truck (601) 853-9644

REAL ESTATE TITLE/ ATTORNEY

Covenant Title LLC (601) 898-4420 Www.covtitle.com

Luckett Land Title (601) 622-8191

REAL ESTATE/ TITLE/MORTGAGE Jernigan Copeland Title, LLC (601) 427-0021

ROOFING & CONSTRUCTION Pro - Shield Roofing and Construction (601) 559-1758

Watkins Construction & Roofing (601) 966-8233 www.watkinsconstruction inc.com

ROOFING AND CONSTRUCTION Halo Roofing & Restoration (601) 717-0236

ROOFING CONTRACTOR Complete Exteriors (601) 624-3574

Josh Neal Roofing & Restoration (601) 573-1364

TERMITE & PEST CONTROL

Family Termite and Environmental Inc. (601) 933-1014

TITLE COMPANY Fleur de Lis Law and Title Company (985) 601-2686

Central Mississippi Real Producers

@realproducers realproducersmag.com

publisher’s note: dees hinton

ROUTINES LEAD TO

SUCCESS

Fall has arrived, and with it comes cooler weather, football, back to school and routines. We all have our own routines and tradi tions, whether or not we want to admit it! Some daily routines are established without even being consciously aware of them, like your workout routine, morning routine, bedtime routine or your family routines. Once these are set up around important daily events, they are super helpful because they give life struc ture, and that structure helps us live more fully.

Routines are also important for success. Everywhere you look, you find articles and posts about successful people’s routines. Routines help busy people succeed by giving a standard structure

to every single day. Especially when things are con stantly changing, structure reduces your feelings of overwhelm because your routine helps you know what to expect.

We at Central Mississippi Real Producers have our routines and structure also. Continually meeting new REALTORS® and preferred partners, putting together a monthly magazine, hosting monthly and quarterly events, promoting businesses on social media and connecting businesses takes structure and routine! And we enjoy it! We are thankful to have the opportunity to do it!

The point is that daily routine is beneficial the majority of the time because it builds structure and helps better manage time to accomplish the goals we each set.

We hope your routines bring you much success this fall!

Dees

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO:

Oct. 2 Tony Bahou

Oct. 2 Rachael Boyer

Oct. 5 Drew Evans

Oct. 12 Cody Bellipanni

Oct. 14 Jake Clarke

Oct. 15 Barbara Richardson

Oct. 20 Anna Kathryn Stewart

Oct. 23 Wendy Hutchins

Oct. 25 Cindy Johnston

Oct. 27 Stephanie Williams

SAVE THE DATE!

Holiday Social Night Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022

More information coming soon!

Team Magnolia Is Ready to

Standard Home Inspections

New Construction Inspections

Commercial Property Inspections

Foundation Elevation Surveys

Certified Mold Inspections

24/7 Online Appointment Scheduling

Allison Daniels always wanted to be in the medical field. After graduating, the Monticello native enrolled in the X-ray program at Copiah Lincoln Community College. “I worked in X-ray for seven or eight years,” says Allison. During that time, she met her husband and got married. After having her second child, she decided to leave her 9-to-5 job to stay home with her children for a while. “When my second daughter went to kinder garten, I was looking for something I could do to contribute to the family financially. I wanted to find something that would still give me time with the girls when they weren’t in school.”

As their family grew, Allison and her husband, Reese, tried to sell their home in Byram so they could move to Clinton. The home didn’t sell, and they ended up renting it out. “We also rented a home in Clinton, so we

were both tenants and landlords.”

Allison called a friend who was in real estate, Jenny Winstead. “She was there for me, and she introduced me to Tena Myers, the principal broker at Three Rivers Real Estate in Flowood.

During the process of being a landlord and in the attempt to sell our home, God continually put it on my heart to look into a career in real estate.”

On a whim one day, Allison began taking the online real estate courses.

“I finished the courses in one month,” she says. “I took the test in 2018 and was led to Three Rivers Real Estate and introduced to Principal Broker Tena Myers. The same day I found out I passed my test, I also found out I was pregnant with my fourth child.”

While others told Allison to inter view with other brokers, she felt an

felt spiritually fed by Tena’s words. I like how she built people up, and I felt that her business and her agents were constantly covered in prayer. I didn’t feel the need to go anywhere else after meeting her. I knew that’s where the Lord wanted me to be.”

Three Rivers is a long drive from Clinton, but Allison says it gives her an opportunity to branch out into Rankin County while also staying close to home in Clinton and Hinds County. With her mother-in-law stepping in to help with the children, Allison says her first few years in real estate were great. In her second year in the industry, Allison was one of the top-selling agents at Three Rivers, and she was also awarded the “Rising Star” award in 2020. In 2021, she was awarded as second top list agent and won the award of second top selling agent in the entire brokerage. She

also received the award for “Agent’s Choice,” chosen by her fellow agents at Three Rivers, and has been a multi million-dollar producer since her first year in real estate.

“I have always loved to look at houses, but as I got into this, I began to realize that showing houses is only a small part of the whole picture. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes. While showing houses is an important part of the job, I think my favorite part is advocating for my clients. Every transaction is differ ent. Every day is different. I like that. I learn something new with each

transaction, and the more knowledge able I become, the more confidence I gain. My goal is to make sure my cli ents’ goals are met.” Allison says that if her clients think it has all been easy, she has done her job. “I want to take the stress out of the process for them.”

I have always loved to look at houses, but as I got into this, I began to realize that showing houses is only a small part of the whole picture. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes.

Reese has gravitated toward land sales. “We are both doing what we love.” Allison says her love of people is what drives her in this business. She says that since the majority of her business comes from her social media mar keting, she spends a lot of her time researching ways to stay top of mind, and she is always looking for creative ways to market her business and her brand. “My brand is being family oriented and being a busy mom. It’s something that comes naturally to me. Our business is based around

family, and I think my clients relate to that because they are busy with their families as well.”

When they’re not working, Reese and Allison are busy with their children’s activities. Her oldest son is 18, her girls are 11 and 10, and her youngest son just turned 3. “They are involved with soccer, competitive cheer and dance, church activities, band and show choir,” says Allison. “It keeps us young, and it keeps us busy. We love it!”

I learn something new with each transaction, and the more knowledgeable I become, the more confidence I gain. My goal is to make sure my clients’ goals are met.

rising star

ELISSA

FROM DESPERATION TO DETERMINATION

Written by Susan Marquez Photography by Abe Draper Photography

Elissa Yarrow had an idyllic childhood. “I grew up on a farm in South Dakota with my parents, two brothers and two sisters. My grandparents lived next door.” But Elissa always wanted to see the world. After graduating from high school in Bismark, ND, she went to college at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul, MN, where she got a degree in vocal performance. “I thought I was going to sing for the rest of my career!”

Instead, she got married at 21, and various job opportunities took them all over the country living in Minnesota, Dallas, Chicago, Detroit, Sacramento and finally, his job brought them to the Jackson area. It was here, after nearly 26 years of mar riage, that Elissa found herself as a divorced single mother to three children. That changed the course of her life, and the journey wasn’t an easy one.

Before moving from Sacramento to Jackson, Elissa knew they would need to rent a house in Jackson because their California house had not sold yet. “I asked the Lord to help me find a place. I put my finger on a map of Brandon, MS, and asked God to help me find a house in that map, and it was perfect!

I flew to Jackson to secure the lease agreement and met the owners/landlords. Their names were Phil and Marsha Landers. At the time, I had no idea that he was the operating principal and broker at Keller Williams. And I had no idea that one day I would be in real estate.”

That friendship developed, and soon Elissa realized her life was about to drastically change. She had coffee with Marsha and asked her what she thought she should do. Marcia said she should sell real estate and that she would help her do just that. “I had never thought of doing that,” laughs Elissa, “but it seemed like a good idea. I thought about it for a day and decided I would take the leap and get my real estate license. I had inherited a small amount from my grandmother, and I used that money to purchase a laptop and to take the real estate pre-li censing course offered at Keller Williams at that time. I’m not going to lie, I got into it under duress of the divorce and with very little means. Failure was not an option.”

Elissa’s license went active with Keller Williams on April 1, 2017. “I had no one in my database. I moved

20 • October 2022 @realproducers yarrow

here knowing no one. I had no fam ily anywhere near here.” She had to get creative, and that required Elissa to be brave. “I put on my Keller Williams shirt and name tag, carried my clipboard and went to every community event I could find. It was so awkward for me, but after I got the first couple of people out of the way, it got better. After 10 people, I got the hang of it.” She asked the question over and over, “Who do you know who needs my help to buy, sell or invest in real estate?”

Elissa enrolled in the BOLD class at Keller Williams, an intense goal-setting course that challenged her to talk to 100 people a day.

“I learned that you get a lot of nos before you get a yes. I would introduce myself to people in coffee shops or anywhere else I went. I just knew I had to make it work.”

That first year, Elissa only closed two deals. The next year she knew she had to do better, so she joined

a team, and that helped her. “It taught me the business. I got daily coaching. I loved it.” But the next year, the team split up, and Elissa was on her own again. “I was lonely and depressed. It was a dark season for me. I struggled in real estate because I struggled as a person.” At that point in her business, Elissa was still living closing to closing. At one point in that year, she had six deals and every one of them fell apart. She was devastated and thought she could not stay in the business. It was a desperate season. “I was very blessed during that time that my family stepped in to help me and they got me through until I could figure things out.”

Elissa says she was so discouraged, she almost went into insurance. “Sadly, the reason I even considered that is because it would pay me a base salary of $1,000 a month. My limited thinking at that time caused me to rationalize that at least I could feed the kids on that. Then I realized that I would have to get licensed in a whole new field. I felt so insecure and unstable.” Then she got a real estate coach. “The personalized real estate coaching really helped me more than anything else I had experienced. As it turns out, my coach was a former counselor, and he was able to coach me in a way that helped me over come my limiting beliefs and negative outlook due to my life circumstances. That helped me regain my confidence as a real estate professional and as a person capable of succeed ing in business.” Elissa finished out 2019 with six closings. “I finally had an influx of cash, and that meant I could breathe.”

As the pandemic unfolded in 2020, Elissa began to panic, but her business

continued to grow. By 2021, she was doing great. “All the networking I had done in previous years really started to pay off. People knew me, and I had developed a reputation for myself. I had enough closings under my belt that I felt like I knew what I was doing, and that added to my confidence.”

In that short time, Elissa says she was able to pay off all her debt, increase her credit score and, most signifi cantly, buy a home all on her own. “I finally felt independent. When Phil and Marsha helped me get into real estate, they gave me the greatest gift. They taught me how to fish for myself. The gift of being introduced to real estate put me on my own two feet, and then they celebrated all my wins with me. It’s amazing how when you are down so low, you can discover something you’re good at. I have a deep love for people, and I love to talk to people, and I found I have a good mind for business, despite training to be a singer! So, it turns out that real estate is an ideal business for me.”

Elissa’s favorite part of her job is the closings. Making it to the finish line. “I love the connections I make with my clients. So many have become good friends.” Her children are now 12, 14 and 19. Whittaker (Witt) is her young est, and he is in the seventh grade and loves gaming and writing. Delaney is the middle child, in the eighth grade, and plays volleyball at school and for Infinity. Makenna is the oldest, a sophomore at Jones Community College, where she is on a full scholar ship for both soccer and academics.

Elissa is athletic as well and enjoys training at the gym and running. “I’ve completed two marathons, and I’d like to train for a third. But finding time to run is getting harder and harder.”

She is also active in her Business Networking International chapter. “I’m in the Jackson Referral Connection group in Flowood. I love being in that group because we really trust each other with our referrals.” She is cur rently studying to obtain her broker’s license and aspires to start her own team at Keller Williams. Her mission going forward in life is to finish raising her three amazing kids, keep growing her real estate business, and take every opportunity she can to let other women experiencing life situations know they can overcome their circumstances. “If

I can do it, others certainly can, too! I am excited to help anyone who wants to join me on the real estate journey!”

I LOVE THE CONNECTIONS I MAKE WITH MY CLIENTS. So many have become good friends.

spotlight

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

Written by Susan Marquez Photography by Abe Draper Photography

Jeff Taylor and Jack Christopher were not always in the moving business. Jeff was an engineer, while Jack worked in the insurance industry. They were longtime friends and neighbors and shared an entrepreneurial spirit to open a business in the service sector. A business that could be enhanced, but not phased out, by technology.

A friend of Jeff’s owned a TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchise in Huntsville, AL. “Jack and I started to research the metro Jackson area mar ket in 1998. At the time, the Jackson

market was on the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK corporate radar and was still available. We decided to take a leap, despite there not being much name recognition for the company in the area. I’m glad that we did because two days after we signed the agreement, we learned that two other people wanted the franchise here.”

Jeff and Jack launched the business here in 1999. “We decided early on to establish, and keep, a good name and reputation. This is a service that will always be needed, and we

made the commitment to do all we can to help our customers.”

The top four stressors in a person’s life are the death of a loved one, separation or divorce, the loss of a job and the process of moving. “Often, people are moving because of one of the other major stressors,” says Jeff. “We try not to add to that stress. We strive hard to make moving day go off without a hitch, every time.”

One way the company is able to pull off a stress-free move experience is in

the hiring. “Everyone who works for our company is a full-time employee. We train our crews to be understand ing and know that there is a backstory to every move. It’s not unusual for clients to call us and tell us how much they enjoyed their moving crew. Then they will refer us to their friends, and we love referrals.”

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK is located in Ridgeland, and the company is licensed to do local, intrastate and interstate moves. “We can go any where,” says Jeff. “About 25-30% of our business involves interstate moves. We have driven as far as Seattle and Key West, although most interstate moves are within a 1,000mile radius.” The company has 20 trucks available to make moves near and far.

Jeff is also joined at the company by his daughter, Shelby Taylor. “I worked at Old Waverly Golf Club while I was in college,” says Shelby, who studied marketing and public relations and worked in the hos pitality industry for a time. When

she decided to move back home, Jeff asked Shelby to join him at the company. “That was six years ago,” she says.

“What I have learned is that TWO MEN AND A TRUCK is much more than a moving company. It is a busi ness based on relationships. We work with real estate agents, apartment managers, storage facilities and living facilities. We meet with people and assure them that we will do all we can to take care of them.” Shelby says she enjoys speaking at sales meetings for REALTORS®. “We give $50 gift cards for referrals that the REALTORS® can enjoy or pass on to their clients. We like it when a move is something a client doesn’t have to think about. It’s so much more fun for them to just move in and enjoy their new home.”

Shelby reiterated that the movers who work for the company under stand the stress people are experienc ing when they move. “We try to make it fun. Our repeat customers will often ask for the same crews, many of whom have been with us for over

Shelby Taylor

Jack Christopher

Jeff Taylor

a decade. The crews come back to the office after a move with smiles on their faces.”

People often wonder about the name of the company. “It was started in 1985 by a single mom in Lansing, MI,” Shelby says. “She and her two sons used an old pickup truck to help move a friend. Others found out, and she gained more customers. She drew the logo for the company, the original old truck, on a cocktail napkin.” The com pany’s core values are based on what Shelby calls “The Grandma Rule.” Treat everyone like you would treat your own grandmother.

Shelby is a Madison native. “I’m glad to be back here,” she says. Shelby enjoys coordinating events that the com pany does for area charities. “We do a ‘Movers for Moms’ event near Mother’s Day for mothers in need, followed by a fall event, ‘Movers for Meals,’ where nonperishable and canned items are collected and donated to area shelters.

We also do a ‘Toys for Tots’ drive during the holidays. We enjoy giving back to the community.”

In addition to moving and packing services, Jeff says the company is getting into the junk removal business. “That service compliments our moving services, and it has become a real need as people down size. All of the services that we provide involve the personal contents of our clients, so we really strive to make the over all customer experience as smooth and respect ful as we can.”

@realproducers realproducersmag.com

WE DECIDED EARLY ON TO ESTABLISH, AND KEEP, A GOOD NAME AND REPUTATION. THIS IS A SERVICE THAT WILL ALWAYS BE NEEDED, AND WE MADE THE COMMITMENT TO DO ALL WE CAN TO HELP OUR CUSTOMERS.

DECORATING

By Gingerlyn Wallace, Creative Marketing Director Central Mississippi Real Producers, Owner/Designer, G Design

Fall is one of my favorite times of year. It marks the start of the holi day season. As a designer, it is the start of holiday decor for many of my commercial and residential clients. I look forward to getting those pump kins out! We start with fall florals, greenery and pumpkins, of course. In November we add turkeys and “thank ful” to those fall pumpkins. Then it’s time for Christmas!

When I am picking out fall decor, I always try to think about something that fits the surrounding decor. In the old days, everything fall had to be orange and brown. But in the modern design culture, we adapt our holiday decor to blend with our everyday decor. Blush tones? Yes! Turquoise? Sure thing! But one of the easiest ways to blend fall decor is with neutral tones. I love white and gold pumpkins and accents. If you are pre paring a home to sell, it is especially important to keep seasonal decor minimal and neutral. Think entryway and centerpieces. Have fun with it, and keep it simple.

Happy fall, y’all!

Joshua Smith Certified

MHIB #0681 601-310-3199

Greens for Dreams

ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT

Central Mississippi REALTORS®

recently hosted its annual Greens for Dreams Charity Golf Tournament at Lake Caroline Golf Club. The tournament garnered over 65 players consisting of CMR’s dedicated members, sponsors and affiliates. The charity golf tournament raised $12,000, which will go towards the Children’s of Mississippi Hospital.

The event kicked off with registration/ check-in, a tasty lunch and a warm-up session for players. CMR Board President Schneika Stokes, CMR Chief Executive Officer Nita Martin and CMR Community Outreach Chair Michelle Simon presented a check of $11,825 to Suzanne Crell, UMMC’s major gifts officer.

“Our annual Greens for Dreams Golf Tournament was a complete success, and it would not have been possible without the help of countless CMR mem bers, affiliates and sponsors who worked hard to make our goals a reality,” said

The tournament also featured awards, prizes, raffles and swag bags for participants.

THE TOURNAMENT WINNERS WERE:

First place: Team Payne Realty

Second place: Team Watkins Construction

Third place: Team Southern Beverage

Fourth place: Team Two Men and A Truck

“Each year, we join forces with countless community partners, sponsors, staff and volunteers in an effort to raise vital funding for an undertaking which emphasizes and strengthens our commitment towards the beloved community we serve,” said Central Mississippi REALTORS® Board of Directors President Schneika N. Stokes. “We’re beyond grateful for the unwavering dedication of our eager volunteers for making this charitable effort a complete success.”

Central Mississippi REALTORS® Inc. is the largest real estate association in the state of Mississippi. Chartered in 1924, CMR represents over 2,000

REALTOR® members and is one of more than 1,200 local boards and 54 state and territory organizations of REALTORS® nationwide. Central Mississippi REALTORS® serves as “The Voice for Real Estate” in 10 counties of central Mississippi, including Hinds, Madison, Rankin, Yazoo, Holmes, Attala, Leake, Scott, Simpson and Copiah.

central mississippi REALTORS®