WHAT THE FIRST

What the First Thing You Do After Work Says About You

We all have our routines. From that morning cup of coffee to a jog at the gym, it’s common to establish touchstones for our daily lives. But have you ever considered what these habits tell us about ourselves? Our actions reveal much about our motivations and emotional life, so taking a second look at your first move at the end of the day can be telling. With that in mind, see how you fare when it comes to post-workday habits...

Break a Sweat

After a long day of work, is your first instinct to strap on your sneakers and take off on a run? Do you stop off at the local yoga studio for an extended stretch? Maybe you head to the weight room to pump some iron. Whatever your exercise pick, if you’re inclined to sweat it out at the end of a long day, you’re likely a routine-oriented profes-

sional who internalizes work-related stress. Of course, you’ve chosen a healthy release for all that pent-up tension, and you’ve discovered the power of endorphins. Once work hours are over, not everyone finds the motivation to stay active. This means you’re driven by routine, conscious of your emotional and physical health, and prefer to leave your cares at the gym, rather than bring them into your home oasis. However, it’s important to give your body a rest now and again, as recuperation time is not only beneficial for physical health, but can help prevent burnout for the long haul. Flexibility is a skill, and one just as important to cultivate as rigid commitment. If you find yourself out of sorts if you miss just one day of working out, you might want to pay some attention to your routines and motivations, and rebalance your commitments and fitness routine accordingly.

Round-the-Clock Hustle

If you’re the type to bring work home with you, you aren’t alone. While your motivation to work nonstop is admirable, it’s also important to make the mental transition from workplace to home, establishing the time to hustle and the time to relax. Just like those that hit the gym without fail after a long day, sometimes you’ll need to practice saying no. If your work life is indistinguishable from your personal life, it’ll be hard to catch a break and recharge. This means burnout, frayed nerves, and missed details will soon be on the horizon. Of course, round-the-clock hustle is a strength, too. You’re passionate about your work, care deeply about doing things right, and failure is not an option. Just make sure that you establish some foundational boundaries so that you maintain an appropriate, healthy balance between your time at work and your time at home with the loved ones and hobbies you cherish. If making way for downtime isn’t easy, try penciling it in the way you would a work engagement. Dinner with a friend, a date night with a significant other, or a solo movie fest can be readily added to your calendar, and thus built in to your regimented schedule.

Turn to Food

If your first instinct after work is to eat, it can say a few different things about your routine. Perhaps you’ve been so on-the-go all the day that you haven’t had time for lunch. In this case, you might need to regiment your schedule with more purpose aimed towards downtime and self-care; food is fuel, after all. If you head home and gorge after an average day, you may be turning to food as a way to relieve stress. In this case, you may need to reassess some of your post-work habits and find a healthier balance and outlet for your tension. Taking a walk, grabbing fresh ingredients for dinner, hitting the gym, or decompressing by catching up with a friend or a good book—all are healthier, more balanced ways of executing the transition from the office to the home. Pay attention to your consumption post-work. Determine how hungry or satiated you really are before making a grab for the nearest sustenance.

People decompress in all different ways after getting home from the office, but always remember that routines are telling. Don’t take your daily actions and impulses for granted. Examine the root behind your well-worn practices, and you may detect nuances at play beneath the surface that can you help you recalibrate for the better.

MEGHAN RITCHIE

For Meghan Ritchie, real estate runs in the family. Her mother and her aunt, Holly Ritchie, were both Realtors, and she grew up learning the ins and outs of the industry from them. After graduating from Kent State with a degree in business, Meghan decided to follow in their footsteps and joined Holly’s team.

Today, Meghan is a member of the Holly Ritchie Team through Keller Williams, where she serves clients all throughout the Northeastern Ohio Valley. Alongside her aunt, she possesses the negotiation skills, attention to detail and business acumen to navigate even the toughest transactions. “My aunt and I have been able to apply our education in business and marketing to set a high standard of customer service,” she says. “Together with our team, there’s nothing we can’t do.”

When listing a home, Meghan takes a dynamic approach. On top of sharing the property over targeted digital and social media campaigns, she also hosts open houses to generate plenty of buzz in the neighborhood—providing both a local and nationwide reach. Elsewhere, Meghan is just as attentive when assisting her buyers, carefully guiding them through the transaction from start to finish. A hands-on Realtor, Meghan personally sees to all aspects of the deal; that way, she can guarantee that her buyers are making safe and savvy purchasing decisions. “I’m there for my clients each step of the way, from the home inspection to the closing,” she says. “That way, I can be sure to identify and solve any problems that might come up.”

For Meghan, service lasts well after the deals are done. She prefers to keep in touch with her clients well after closing to make sure they are satisfied in their new homes. Moreover, the team’s annual client appreciation Christmas party draws more than a thousand past and present clients from the area. Because of this lasting commitment, Meghan has won an outstanding reputation around Ohio, with the majority of her volume coming from either repeat clients or referrals. However, she cares more about the friendships made along the way. “I love getting people to the closing table,” she says. “There is nothing more fulfilling than showing a first time buyer that they can do it and handing them the keys to their new home.”

Outside of her career, Meghan is tremendously active in her community. Through serving on Keller Williams Red Day, she and her team have volunteered to help local soup kitchens and veterans in need. She has also contributed to renovation efforts in the parks around Salem. When she’s not assisting clients or giving back, Meghan can be found playing a round of golf or enjoying quality time with her husband and family.

Going forward, Meghan has strong plans for the future. As her volume continues to grow, she will be stepping into more of a managerial role at the Holly Ritchie Team and mentoring their staff of up-and-coming agents. But most importantly, she will continue serving clients in the community she calls home. “I love my career,” she says. “For me, the greatest reward comes from getting my clients what they want and knowing that I’ve made a difference in their lives.”

To learn more about Meghan Ritchie email meghanritchie@kw.com, visit http://meghan.thehollyritchieteam.com or call (330) 692-0351

BRYAN TROMBLEY

Having been involved in the residential remodeling and home improvement business for 20+ years in Alaska, Bryan Trombley took the natural step to broadening his industry knowledge and developing a career path. He decided that real estate would be the next best step, and something that he could feel passionate about and eventually get his family involved in. He has been in the business for three years now, and currently works solo serving clients throughout Anchorage, Eagle River and the Valley.

Growing up in Anchorage and knowing the area intimately has certainly been beneficial to Bryan’s business, as clients naturally trust his knowledge and expertise. But that hasn’t been the only trait that makes him stand out as an agent. “I think what separates me from other agents is my great attention to detail. I like knowing every single detail about each particular transaction. I don’t pass things on to others; I personally take care of every step of the transaction. That’s why I prefer to take on a smaller amount of transactions and have the certainty that I’m not going to drop the ball on any of them,” he says.

For Bryan building long lasting relationships with clients is an important part of his business, which is why he works hard to stay in touch long after a transaction is over. “People get so many emails everyday that they tend to gloss over that type of stuff. So I prefer to make personal phone calls. But mostly I meet people where they’re comfortable. If they don’t like phone calls and answer to texts, then I’m happy to do that,” he says. Bryan also likes to utilize technology for marketing. Besides putting all his listings on MLS, he also uses Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms.

Real estate has brought Bryan a sense of excitement and fulfillment that he lacked in his previous work. “I have always seen myself as more of a consultant than a sales person. It sounds cheesy, but it feels very gratifying to be able to help people. And I really enjoy doing research. If a client has a question and I don’t know the answer, I’m happy to find the person that does have the answer. I like solving problems and finding solutions,” he says.

Outside of work Bryan is a big believer in strengthening his community. He dedicates his time to being an advocate for local businesses by supporting them, as well as using the connections he’s made to refer clients to other business owners in the community, and thus helping put people together. “In this way, I believe we build a stronger community and hold each other accountable to high standards of practice and everyone wins.”

In the future, Bryan wants to continue growing his business. He would love to be joined by his wife and kids one day, making it a family business. His advice to junior agents is: “This is an amazing business and it creates great opportunities for income. If you’re just starting out remember to ask a lot of questions, and dig deep. The beauty of working in real estate is that you’re going to identify with a certain population, and you can be successful regardless of your background.”

To learn more about Bryan Trombley email bryan.trombley.ak@gmail.com, visit http://bryantrombley.remax.com or call (907) 952–5861