Jessica Elkins

I attribute my success to the mentors I've had throughout my journey in property management. When I first started in the industry, my property manager played a big role in my growth and professionalism. As someone who had no experience, she taught me a lot, and because of her guidance and teaching, I've been able to become a property director at 25. My previous manager at my current property was also such a great mentor because she was pushing for me to keep on growing and not be scared of growth. I'm also grateful to my dad, who owns a construction company and helped me get my foot in the door by giving me that first opportunity cleaning apartments, which allowed me to work my way up from there on my own.

Do it. If you are wanting to come into this industry, I say do it. It is such a rewarding field, and when you're looking at the financial aspect of it, definitely pursue it. But if you're going to come into this industry, you need to have heart. You need to be able to problem solve, and there's going to be days where you feel like everything you do is not good enough, there's always some new problem, there's always something happening. But you need to be able to persevere through it and understand that you are making an impact. You are going to be the main face when people come in, and always remember that you drive the bus.

In my professional life, I'm most proud of getting a lease-up property completely occupied in less than two years. But personally, one of my biggest achievements that reflects who I am is opening my own business in 2024. I own a small boutique pet store called The Pet Barn in Mount Dora, Florida, where I sell birds, amphibians, reptiles, and other pet supplies. I am actually a third generation pet store owner - my grandfather had a pet store on my mom's side, then my mom had a pet store, and now I have one. Being able to say that I am a businesswoman and an entrepreneur is one of my biggest achievements. While I work my property management job in Orlando during the week, my sister and my dad help me run the store, and I work there on weekends. I'm blessed to have such a supportive family. Through my pet store, I also volunteer with humane societies by donating supplies like crates, beds, food, and leashes that we can't sell anymore because they came damaged or haven't sold. Family presence is also very important to me - I saw my mom struggle to juggle her own education, raising us, and work, and seeing her eventually become a stay-at-home mom when she remarried showed me the importance of being present. That's why I'm working toward my real estate license, so I can put myself in a position where I can be present for my future kids without having to struggle the way she did.