By Joycelyne Fadojutimi

Christy Stone is good at anything she sets her hands on. For the past ten years, she has been a realtor. For the last five of those years, she has worked for Longview’s Trina Griffith and Company. She started off as a home designer, building/renovating in her mid-20s. This was before moving into education, working for nine years as a teacher with the Longview Independent School District. These fields brought income and a certain sense of accomplishment, but she sensed they were not destined to be her life’s work.

“Those were very fulfilling years, but I knew this wasn’t my passion,” she says. “During my school teaching years, I often helped design, build, remodel and decorate my personal homes and for family and friends.”

As her daughters Ali, Macy and Lily grew older, she decided to follow her destiny. Hence, she went resolutely into real estate despite having heard that this field is “unpredictable and not a stable income.” Others said, “Those classes are so hard,” or asked her, “Why would you change careers when you have a college degree in education?” After years of pondering pros and cons she took the plunge. She has never had second thoughts.

I love all aspects of real estate–residential, both new construction and resale, commercial and land. It’s the people, the clients who become friends, that I love most about being a realtor.

Christy Stone, Trina Griffith and Company Real Estate, LLC

Realtors tend to become more than mere business acquaintances to their clients, they evolve into friends, counselors, negotiators and problem solvers. They become, essentially, good and honest family members.

She also loves being her own boss, living up to her personal, expectations via the strong work ethic instilled by her parents. She rarely got anything for free, then or now. She works hard for her keep, and started when she was thirteen at the family business–Video Village. Now, often the first to arrive at Trina Griffith and Company every morning, she returns emails, follows up with clients, solicits new business, schedules showings and does whatever else is needed to insure she, her co-workers and their clients enjoy mutually profitable interaction. Rarely is it merely 8:00 to 5:00.

“The hours are crazy and unpredictable, but I love every minute of it,” she says.

Christy Stone is an untouched example for her daughters and all other women on how to achieve success–being lazy is not an option.

My girls get tired of my speech, but I continue to tell them I do not care what profession or degree they choose, whether it be a lawyer, a teacher or they get a degree in home economics or weed picking, just love what you do and give it 100%.

Christy Stone, Trina Griffith and Company Real Estate, LLC