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Photo credit: Amelia Kowalisyn Photography Makeup credit: Michelle Higgins Artistry
Jaclyn Rodriguez
Jaclyn Rodriguez story
“Don’t underestimate him; he will do amazing things with his life.”
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Saving for college or retirement?
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“...both goals are worthy — after all, retirement can last a long time and college is expensive. ”
You know what’s scary?
Hype
WITH KELLI BERGGREN
Name: Kelli Berggren
Age: 33
Job title / company: Broker/owner at Homes & Specialt at Specialty Proper ty Solutions and staging at Enhanced Staging
Town / city you’re from: Omaha, Neb.
Town / city you live in now: Sheridan Beach, Ind.
Describe your family. Significant other? Children? and business par tner He is a real estate attorney and daughter Swayzee, named after Patrick Swayze and identical twin daughters, Bradley Penelope and Blakely Piper. While they are identical, they look like two dif ferent children to me. They have completely dif ferent personalities. They will be a year old in October We almost lost them to Stage 3 twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome and had to have an emergenc y three hour surger y on my placenta at 18 weeks. My pregnanc y was not an easy one. I was ver y high risk and required multiple trips weekly to South Bend and Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, but we made it through.
Do you have a license or degree? If so, in what, from where? I have a real estate license in Indiana.
professional background / histor y? I am actively working on getting managing broker ’ s license to open a Coldwell Banker franchise in Lake County still waiting on approval, but ever ything has been set in motion for this ful oppor tunity. We also own a real estate school in Mokena, Ill. We love teaching and have a really great Instructor Tim Hardy who is also our managing in Illinois. A little over a year ago I star ted a staging business. It is thriving. I currently have ten homes wor th of staging. I love to be creative and per fect creative outlet for me. We also flip around zen homes at a time all over Nor thwest Indiana and ounding areas from Illinois to South Bend and ywhere in between. I general contract them and der all of the materials as well as take careful thought into each design.
How did you discover your passion? I discovered my passion for real estate with the push from my late father Sean Graham. My dad was my ver y best friend and confidant. He was incredibly suppor tive, and always believed in me. He sparked the idea of getting my real estate license during casual conversation in 2014. He said I had the per fect personality for this profession and boy was he right. I was a single, young mom in 2015 so I had to put my dreams and aspirations on the back burner until Swayzee was old enough to star t school. I got my real estate license during the COVID lockdown when I unexpectedly lost my fine-dining ser ving job. I knew it was the per fect time to pursue my dreams. When I passed my test, I hit the ground running. I sold over $1 Million my first year in real estate on a top team and shor tly got of fered to be the marketing director of one of the largest brokerages in the area. I accepted that position and continued to sell real estate full-time.
What mark do you hope to leave on your industr y? I live, eat and breathe real estate. A few years ago, my husband and I star ted a non for profit “Help a Homeowner Program" where we donate appliances, air conditioning units and furnaces for home owners in dire need. It's been so rewarding.
How do you find balance in your life? I’m not going to lie, I do not have any balance in my life; far from it. I have such a passion for my career, they all go hand-in-hand and I absolutely love being a mom. I wake up at 6 am and work from home while taking care of my children. I have never been busier, but I feel as if this was the path God has always had for me. I am exhausted but I can't imagine my life being any dif ferent. Each day's a new experience and each day is filled with passion and love for ever y day I get to experience life in the real estate industr y and as a mom of three. I don't take a moment for granted.
What are you most proud of in your life personally and/or professionally? I am most proud of the successes I've achieved with a tenth grade education, a GED, and running three businesses all while being a twin mom. Two babies are a whole other ball game. It is so challenging, but incredibly rewarding.
What advice would you give your younger self? Another woman on the path to finding her calling? I would tell my younger self to go for ever y dream you have and don't ever hold back. You can do anything you put your mind to as long as you 're doing it for the right reasons and you work hard.
Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing? I enjoy learning, I read ever ything. I love reading my bible and growing my relationship with God. I also love to go out to eat and tr y new foods. I don't have much time for any hobbies, but when I do get down time, my plans will be to learn how to do more hands-on designs like installing wallpaper, refinishing furniture and painting canvas for my staging projects.
“ You can do anything you put your mind to as long as you're doing it for the right reasons and you work hard.”
Kids
Kids
you should know
you should know
with Lexi, age 16
Jasmine Jafferali, MPH, holds a BS in Exercise Physiology and a Master's in Public Health. As a Functional Nutritionist and Holistic Lifestyle and Wellness expert, she is a seasoned wellness and fitness professional with over two decades of experience. Her goal is to offer her clients evidence-based holistic and conventional medicine. She aims to empower, motivate, and educate individuals to achieve optimal health through sustainable lifestyle changes. She is passionate about helping people solve health challenges with herbs and food. Her passion for health and wellness extends beyond her professional work. She is also an accomplished public relations professional, working with various media outlets, including Chicago NBC5, ABC Chicago, the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago CBS, The Healthy Living Chicago Show, and WGN Chicago. When she is not busy with her kids, you can find her enjoying the sunsets of Lake Michigan, hiking the Indiana Dunes, and exploring the coast of Lake Michigan.
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