Always Lifting

Trust The Pineapple! | Always Lifting Ep. 8

• Karen Norheim • Season 3 • Episode 8

Share episode

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 35:48

Today’s guest is Erica Deuschle, Managing Partner of KW Main Line and the powerhouse behind the unforgettable brand Trust the Pineapple.

From charging groceries on a credit card as a young mom starting in real estate to leading a $250M+ team ranked among the top in Pennsylvania, Erica’s journey is built on grit, faith, and relentless drive. But at the core of her success is something deeper: hospitality, authenticity, and heart.

Erica shares openly about family, resilience, motherhood, and what it really takes to build something meaningful without losing yourself in the process.

Her message is simple and powerful: Don’t quit. Be kind. Trust your instincts. And trust the pineapple.
Subscribe for more conversations about leadership, grit, and lifting others.

SPEAKER_00

Today's guest brings energy, creativity, grit, and one unforgettable brand story. Erica Duchel is the managing partner of KW Mainline and the powerhouse behind Trust the Pineapple, a brand, a vibe, and a story that people love. I was introduced to Erica by my amazing sister who told me, You two have to meet, you'll hit it off instantly. And she was right. Erica has this incredible combination of authenticity, discipline, resilience, and fun. And her personal path to where she is today is full of grit, twists, courage, and heart. Erica, I am so excited that you're here.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you so much. You're so welcome. That's so nice. I'm so excited for you to be here today. We like to pack a punch early. Really, really. Yes.

SPEAKER_00

Thank you for having me. You are so welcome. And you know, before we get started, I feel like you have you have a background where maybe this isn't such a crazy space for you to be, right? I do. A broadcasting degree?

SPEAKER_01

Broadcast degree. Um, some really fun internships, one of which was at the Howard Stern show at K Rock.

SPEAKER_00

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_01

So you could be giving me tips here today. Always thought that's where I'd end up was New York City on the radio. Um so yes, this is pretty comfortable.

SPEAKER_00

For the most for the most part. Okay, great. Well, you know, you can give me pore nurse as we go, so I'm open to open to everything. Um yeah, I I would love to go a little bit into one one of the things that really stood out to me as I was um having met you and talked to you a little bit is the story behind your business. And I think if we start with the name, then we're gonna learn a whole lot about your journey to there. Sure. And this that's this trust the pineapple. What is trust the pineapple?

SPEAKER_01

And what does it mean? Um, so first and foremost, a pineapple is a sign of welcome or a sign of hospitality. So for me, you know, being in the real estate business as a solo agent years ago, I've been in about 18, was by myself for a long time. I always had a pineapple as my, like in my, you know, a logo, just in my signature on an email. The reason why I chose the pineapple is growing up, you know, my parents didn't have much, essentially, financially. We had everything we needed. They always had the most beautiful home. So whether, you know, they were having a large party or um, you know, hosting holidays, they were always bringing people into their space. And that's I think what they were most proud of and what they worked so hard for, obviously to take care of us and provide for us, but also to open up what they did have to everyone else. Um and the silliest little thing was every year at Christmas, my dad would make this um a wooden board. It's like a thing. And you get a wooden board and you put all of this fresh fruit above your front door, and right smack dab in the middle was a fresh pineapple.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, okay. I didn't realize it was like like fresh fruit was fresh. Fresh fruit, yes. Oh, this is so cool. Do you keep this tradition going?

SPEAKER_01

No, I don't. I do a lot of other things that my mom and dad taught me how to do, but no, not that one. But it was like a labor of love. It was a board that my dad built, you know, and every year the fresh fruit would go on, it would go above the door, and then it will come down. For whatever reason, the pineapple for me, and this is before pineapples were popular. I feel like Charleston and um where else down south? Charleston, Savannah. Yes. Very like pineapple-centric now, right? Everyone loves pineapples because of these destinations. But this was, you know, my pineapple affair was long before they became popular.

SPEAKER_00

So translate that then into your website, which is literally Trust the Pineapple sort of you know, branding that you've done and your business. Tell me a little bit about your business and and um, you know, how that led you into there.

SPEAKER_01

The the brand um essentially was, you know, it was me, and then I hired my husband in 2015, and then we grew this team um of 15 agents, three administrators, but in building the team, the the brand grew. Um, Trust the Pineapple is really a playoff of Trust the Process, the Sixers. Oh, okay. So we had quite a few people, our the first person to say it was our friend Scott. He's like, Trust the pineapple. And we were like, oh my gosh, that's great. But then other people started saying it because it was at that same time of trust the process. So in building the team and then using it as a tagline, it kind of just grew. So fun. I know it's fun.

SPEAKER_00

And it weaves so well into some things that I think you take very seriously in your business is that this idea around um buying a home, it's one of the most important things that people do. And I really took notice of your care and commitment to helping people through that process. Sure. Trust the pineapple. Sure. You tell me a little bit about your approach to that and why you think you guys you're so successful. I mean, I think I have it in here my notes here. Ranked number three in the state of Pennsylvania. I mean, um, and this is rapid growth, right? I mean, or or Yeah, I mean, yes.

SPEAKER_01

I would say we went, you know, for perspective. I think when I was solo, I was maybe doing 20, 25 million on my own, brought my husband on. We kind of started growing a small team. Um, we transitioned our business from another brokerage, Berkshire Hathaway, um, in 2021. So in 2020, I was the number 20 realtor in the country with Berkshire Hathaway, a pretty well, you know, recognized Warren Buffett brand. Um, made the jump to Keller Williams for a lot of different reasons, just industry changes and wanting to be a little more cutting edge. Um, but we're now, you know, close to a $250 million a year business as a whole, which is awesome. It's amazing. Um, but hospitality for me and just opening up kind of who I am personally and where I came from, I think is one of the reasons why I'm successful, is because I am like an open book. Um, early on in my career, you know, I have three children, but when I was really getting this going, I had two little boys. Um it was a lot of, I always say it's like not a struggle, it's a juggle, but like I would have clients come to our house and sit at our dining room table, and my kids would come down and like kiss me before they went to bed. Um but I think opening myself up in that way to my clientele um probably differentiated me a bit when they were referring me maybe to their family or friends. It was different, like, hey, you should really call our realtor. And I think it became more like you should really call Erica our friend Erica, you know? Yep. Um, so that's always been really, really important to me is my heart is into everything that I touch and everything I do. But also anyone that I've ever brought on my team has that same sentiment and passion and kindness. You're really, really intentional about building that culture with your team. Very much so. Um not always easy. Um some ups and downs, but overall, we've been so blessed with picking the right people that just jive with what our goal is.

SPEAKER_00

Do you when you when you're looking for the right people, you you put that that um idea of what what kind of people you're looking for. I mean, something I thought that you had told me what was just profound was that you're it's not about the commissions, it's about the the match for the people and that um experience that they're having. Can you talk a little bit about that?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I mean, I think in any sales business, when you strip back layers of an onion, what I always tell my people first and foremost is you either have it or you don't for a sales position. Like I can talk to somebody for five minutes, maybe five seconds, and be like they have it or they don't. Meaning they have something within them that they're going to be able to give so much of them, not in a salesy way though, in a giving, loving, compassionate, in a listening way, right? Um so I would say that's the key is bringing on people that that have that. Um as soon as you start thinking about a commission you're gonna make when it comes to a sale, like we're not even having that conversation. Um when you start thinking about commission, you're not essentially putting your client's best interest first. And you ha you have to. People people are very smart. They can see right through something that's maybe not authentic. Um but luckily everyone I've ever brought on, you know, had that authenticity. And people usually come and stay for a very, very long time, which I'm proud of. Wonderful. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Well, I think it you come across super authentic and as well. And I'm not surprised that that is where you're coming from. And thank you. Yeah, you're so welcome. I appreciate the even in our business, culture is so important and investing in your people and helping them grow and I love your business.

SPEAKER_01

I'm like so dumbfounded by the whole thing. It's fun. Everything you guys do, I'm like, oh my gosh. Well, it's beautiful.

SPEAKER_00

It's yeah, it's um it's it's an honor, right? To be able to lead people and to to be able to steward um steward that you would have been a stewardship, which I think we share that as well. Uh in uh, you know, it doesn't come without its struggles.

SPEAKER_01

When you live your life and you run a business with a grateful heart from where you came from, um you know, I think that's where it all stems from is just gratitude.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. Very well said. So you you talked a little bit, you mentioned this just a few moments ago. Not the struggle, but a juggle. Did I say that right? Tell me a little bit about what that is, because that I think it's a great mantra.

SPEAKER_01

I think at first in my career I was struggling because you know, my husband and I were just starting out and we had these little babies and a mortgage, and getting into the real estate business is really tough when you don't have a cushion.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, because I think it's important for everybody listening. Like you created this, this whole business and all this success, but you've really you bootstrapped this.

SPEAKER_01

Absolutely nothing. Yeah. Stressful. Um very, very stressful. But I was blessed enough to have a good partner. You know, some people get into this and they do it without a partner and they do it all on their own. So I have to give, you know, credit where credit is due. And I have wonderful parents that I still am blessed to have. Um at the time I had grandparents that were rooting me on, um, you know, two brothers and sister-in-laws. And so I I had a lot of people in my corner, but it didn't really make it much easier. Um, but I think, you know, you start out with like a certain kind of struggle, right? Because you just want to make it in the business. And I always say, just don't quit. I love that. Don't quit. You will make it in the business. Love that.

SPEAKER_00

That's bad enough. Keep going. It's just spy it out.

SPEAKER_01

You know, um, lots of tears, lots of wondering why am I doing this, or should I go in another direction, or should I get a part-time job, you know. Um, so it was the that struggle at first to kind of make it. Then you almost have a struggle once you make it enough to where you can breathe and you're paying your bills, right? You almost start to feel resentful sometimes when you're working so, so, so hard in a client-based industry, um, customer-based, right? I'm working when my clients aren't, which is I'm working on nights and weekends, right? I'm working when I want to be tucking my babies into bed. I'm having to wait for the couple to put their baby to bed together, right? Because you can't just talk to one. If they're millennials, you're not talking to one, you're talking to both. You know, and these are things that I've had to adjust to, but I'm talking to them once they're good, but then I'm kind of so you go through a little bit of a struggle then with kind of that balance. But what I've learned over time is you have to find, again, that gratitude for everything that you have, um, the peace within yourself, the comfort that you've been able to build with the success. You take a deep breath and you just keep doing what you got to do to service the client. Um, you know, we have our place in Ocean City, as you know, and we've had one there for a decade, which is a blessing. You know, people always say, Oh, you know, are you are you working down there? Well, I'm licensed down there. I have amazing team members that service down there every day. They're phenomenal. For me, I'm working down there for PA. Like you'll never catch me sitting on the beach without being on the phone or negotiating or answering a question. Um, but again, it's just, it's just a juggle. It's just become part of my life. Um, you no longer have a chip on your shoulder, you take a deep breath and you realize like the reason why you're so blessed is because you found a place to make it all kind of jive together.

SPEAKER_00

Well, I feel like gratitude brings more gratitude, more abundance. Like it's a if you can get into that space of being being grateful, it just it really is a a mindset that it's a mindset.

SPEAKER_01

You're exactly right. Totally a mindset. Because it's easy to kind of like veer off and definitely feel sorry for yourself or but you don't, right?

SPEAKER_00

Yes. And and as business owner, and you know, sometimes you have to step up and do do these hard things and like you said, do do the juggle. Um it's especially in your industry for sure. I so appreciate that. So do you have any practices, anything you do to help? Like, how do you put boundaries around that so that you can protect because you're high energy, I can tell. And um, yeah, what what do you do you have your your like life reset?

SPEAKER_01

So funny that you that you say that. I'm in like a bad way right now. Oh no. Okay. I always say like I'm either in a good way or a bad way. I'm in a bad way right now because I'm not getting up and like walking my dog the four miles a morning that I used to do and I should be doing because it's so good for my mental health. Um, and it's like the best way to start my day. Uh, we moved this year. We bought a big old fixer-upper in May. Um, so that's been my outlet. I always have to have something that I'm working on, which drives my husband crazy and I'm sure it exhausts everyone around me. But like I always need a another big thing. Yep. So I'm buying an investment and renovating that. I'm doing this or do throwing a huge fundraiser for 300 people, whatever it looks like. My brain always has to have that extra. You're a creatrix.

SPEAKER_00

Do you find you know, I I hey it takes one to takes one to know exactly. Wait, there's a point. I don't know if you if you feel this, there's a point where that is bring brings you such joy that it doesn't actually. I don't think people understand it. It's not work. It just happens to be it's therapy. Yes. Yes, crazy. And then it's as soon as it shifts and it starts to feel like work, then you know, like it's time to either let it go or move on or do whatever. So I totally I totally appreciate it.

SPEAKER_01

No, so I'm in a bad way right now because I've been the project managing this huge reno of this house. Um worked on it all summer when my family was not here. And now that everybody's back, it's a little more stressful managing all the moving parts, but we're we're in a great place now. So I need to get back. I need to get back to my four mile walks. You a little bit of meditation.

SPEAKER_00

At least you've recognized it.

SPEAKER_01

I do.

SPEAKER_00

You know, so sometimes I feel like at least me in my you know, previous years, I would just keep going despite knowing and feeling that it was time to like, okay, I need to give myself a little love here. What am I gonna do to bring myself back aligned versus just like grind, grind, grind, grind. Yes.

SPEAKER_01

Um yeah, something's gotta give here and there. Right. Um, I'm always looking for a new maybe exercise. Last year it was bar, and I was really into bar. Um, I kind of fizzled out of the bar in the spring because I bought this house and you know, couldn't make it in the morning because I was meeting contractors at 7 a.m. and you know. But it's it's hard to do. I'll get back. I'll find you'll figure it out. I'll find it out you're figuring it out.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, it's hard because we put that word should on ourselves all the time. And and it sometimes it just takes a little, give ourselves a little grace to say uh it's okay. Like take a pause to figure it out, right?

SPEAKER_01

And having three kids, you know, a 17-year-old, a 15-year-old, and my youngest is now 10, your priorities kind of change, right? Yeah. So another thing is is I kind of don't want to leave early in the morning because I love getting my daughter on the bus, right? Oh, and my boys out the door. Um so my time now is definitely more any kind of free time is more spent kind of going to my son's basketball game or watching my daughter dance, whatever that looks like. So that's certainly a a huge priority too.

SPEAKER_00

Sounds to me like a good reason to spending the mornings with them as you're as you're figuring that all out. Um you know, I I really feel like your your parents and your family, I mean, you talked about it with your parents and your grandparents supporting you and your family supporting you, that there's this deep sense of values that you've you have gotten from them that also, again, translate into this trust the pineapple uh branding that you have, this storytelling. Is there anything else in there that you want to comment on? As soon as it comes to talking about my parents or my grandparents, I get emotional.

SPEAKER_01

I love it. I can see you tearing up. Um which is crazy.

SPEAKER_00

Oh no, it's means beautiful. Has anyone ever cried on your podcast?

SPEAKER_01

No, I think you're my first. Oh my of course I'm your first. You know, I think I just grew up with so much love and hard work. Um you know, the most humblest of means. So I think achieving what I've achieved, like when I started out, again, it was just like pay the bills, pay off your student loans, right? Put a little money away. I think achieving what I've achieved and being able to use that gift essentially to help other people now, it's just it goes so far back in my lineage. Yeah. So I almost wish my grandparents were here.

SPEAKER_00

Um but yeah. I your authenticity is shining through. Um thank you. You know, you thank you. You were I can tell you live this gratitude and I really do every day. It's beautiful. Thank you. And I feel like that's what you're giving your your customers and the people you're working with, right? Absolutely. You're giving them the helping them love because uh buying a home is the biggest purchase of most people's lives, right?

SPEAKER_01

Besides that, I actually, you know, kind of scaled the business a few years ago and I work with only sellers personally. Um but like one of the biggest gifts is to sit down at someone's kitchen table and hear their life story. Yeah. You know, and why, like I'll say to people, why have you loved it here so much? Like, tell me what you've loved so much about it. You know, like can you imagine sitting down with a woman that raised her children that's been in a home for 50 years? Yeah. There's so much she has to say, and maybe not too many people that are around to listen, you know?

SPEAKER_00

You're almost providing like therapy through the process.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, I've been a therapist for for years. I always say the only thing I can't do is prescribe meds. I mean, that's it.

SPEAKER_00

If I could, chef's kiss, right? Is there a theme for people when they love their home? Is there something like like a like a universal human? I know you've talked about having human insights because being with people in this journey. Is there any sort of, you know, what is what is the old woman telling you about the the the house when she's selling or the young f family, depending on who they are, is there any or any any story that you've had that is just like heartwarming?

SPEAKER_01

There's so many. Okay. I mean, there's people that have hosted weddings in their backyards, you know? Yeah. Um just the parties in the old like 70s basements, you know, with the leather sofas and the bars. You know, if it's in South Philly, probably the best party ever. It just dep depends on what it is, what kind of home it is. Sometimes those stories follow suit location-wise, right? If it's a big mainline estate, yeah, of course. There's probably been six weddings on the property. Um just hearing the stories is awesome and just being that listener. You know, I always say the most successful people in sales, again, across the board, any industry in sales are the ones that can listen.

SPEAKER_00

Is there something about working with sellers that you love the most versus just like just a part of the process that we enjoy?

SPEAKER_01

Um yes. Um I'm very detailed, I'm creative, so it gives me kind of this outlet. I can walk in somewhere and be able to paint a picture in my head right away of exactly how it should look before we go to market and then managing, you know, managing all of the things that have to happen to to make it look that way. So you have like a vision of if you go in, you can have the vision to help. Very strategic, but I'm not frazzled by dealing with contractors or you know, picking up colors or management. I thrive in a management, you know, when it comes to managing.

SPEAKER_00

So I would and I would imagine even from my own home home selling ex experience, it's just like we accumulate a lot of things in our homes. And so many things. Yeah, I think there's some coaching on how to just, you know, help people get ready to to to have the next person vision being there.

SPEAKER_01

I'm lucky because I've built such a great kind of team of resources too. That's great. People that are I mean, they'll be over in a half an hour if I need them to, whatever the need is, whether it's an electrician, a contractor, a organizer, a packer. Um you know, you name it. So that's been great. Love that.

SPEAKER_00

So you know my sister fairly well. And now and and now me. And um, you know our our family heritage is um, you know, my father's from Norway. My mom is uh I think she's an Irish. German language, mi mixed uh descent. And anyway, you were telling me that your family is Irish, German, Greek, and Italian. Yes. That sounds like a really fun combination. And since we're talking about family and family values, like tell me something fun that comes out where the tears came together.

SPEAKER_01

All this passion. Yeah, no, my my um maternal grandmother was Greek and my maternal grandfather was Italian. Um his best one-liner was he always thought he was marrying a Greek goddess, and she ended up being a goddamn Greek. So, you know, um, but they had, you know, you know, the these little things that I remember from childhood. But they were just passionate and loving, you know, the best people. And then on the other side, um, you know, my grandfather unfortunately passed away before I ever met him. My dad's dad, he was 45. Um, I feel connected to him. Well, I'll get to that. And then my my paternal grandmother lived till her 90s, um, and I knew her very, very well, my dad's mom. But she was widowed. She was only 42 when he passed. Wow. Um, but the irony is we're in a home right up the street from where they lived and where my dad grew up. So I'd like to think that my grandmother Kitty is kind of looking down. Yeah. Because we bought pretty much like one of the largest homes in the neighborhood that she loved so much and widowed at 42. They were business owners. Um, they were kind of like steam fitter HBAC business. Um, she ended up having to sell it, um, but she was able to stay in her home. So that's great. Yeah. I'm sure she she was probably a great example of resilience and so graceful. Yeah. Love very quiet, better listen, you know, always listening. I don't want to say better listen listener than talker, but just the best listener, always the best sound, calm advice. Oh, great, great role model. Yes. Yeah. I love that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Is there any, you know, I like we're talking about talking about your family, talking about all these like super interesting things. Is there any like hard and chapter? And I know you've shared a little bit of your struggles, but anything else that stands out, like a chapter or a lesson that you you've learned from your journey?

SPEAKER_01

My biggest thoughts. My biggest um challenge is one of my children who um has quite a few different diagnoses. Um my Wesley is 15 now. He um, you know, he is on the spectrum. He has epilepsy, which is a new diagnosis that we just got in August. He's had needed a heart surgery. Um, he's always had different things. Um, he has an arachnoid cyst on his brain that we discovered when he was two, you know. So I think going through all of Wesley's things has made me so much stronger. Oh, yeah. And given me such a perspective um, you know, on life. I have no time to be S. Uh, very direct with love, everything I do, you know. Um, I think he made me who I am. They all did. Um, but being his mom push has pushed me to a certain level within myself. Um, and it's given me a confidence, uh, because at the end of the day, that's the hardest thing. Right. Right. Um being their mom, you know, is hard, being being anybody's mom. Um, but work is my therapy in a way, right? It's like being their mom is my therapy, because that's the love, and then going to work is therapy, because that's like a different kind of you know, resource for to keep me busy and you keep me going.

SPEAKER_00

Here the passion in what you do aligned with who you are, and and I feel that same way about the work that I do that when you're lined up with what your passion is, um, and it that you just it just doesn't feel like work. It feels it feels like so much more not that we don't have to, you know, there are not times when it's when where it is work, and I believe that you can have such love through hard work, if that makes absolutely sense. Yeah, absolutely. And I sounds like your son Wesley has really shown you and and you've turned something that you know could be devastating into like a like a superpower, a strength.

SPEAKER_01

That's awesome. The cards have always been stacked against him, but he is the most positive, loving, resilient. I mean, he's just he's one of a kind. I'm blessed because all of my children are special in different ways. You know, my oldest is an old soul. He came out of the womb and he was like, you know, an old pop-up. He doesn't say much. He's a listener for sure. He's very bright. Uh, he's taught me a lot because him and I are very, very different, right? I'm completely out there, and Wyatt is the total opposite. But what I've learned is that's okay, right? He's teaching me every day to adjust and adapt. And I can't wait to see what he ends up doing, to be honest. Fun. Um, he's a junior in high school, and then my daughter is just a bright, shiny light in our lives. Sounds wonderful. Yeah. Yeah. Lots of love. Lots of love. Lots of love.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. So if you were to kind of think about like right now, and and actually, so one of the things you share in common with uh some of the work we do at American Crane, we have um something called the hoist up outreach that my sister works on, and we believe about you know giving back to the community, and that's that's such a win, you know, for those that were involved, but all for the community, there's so many great things that come out of it. And you you actually do a ton of uh community outreach as well.

SPEAKER_01

If you want to share a little bit about that and why you do it and um I mean, for me, I feel so blessed again um to be like that yes person. You know, if someone needs something, my answer is yes. And I think most of the people in our community know that. I rarely say no to giving, uh whether it's a charity or sponsoring an event, what whatever it looks like, I'm always gonna say yes if it's a good cause. Um I, you know, created and managed with a nice little team behind me, the May Soiree, which is a great fundraiser we do every spring.

unknown

Nice.

SPEAKER_01

Each year we take a different um foundation. We have the whole event for them, raise as much money as we can. It's really fun. Um so yeah, I'm looking forward to putting another one of those in place. This would be our fourth year we moved, so I'm like, oh, can I do it this year? We fill we just filled in a pool and we don't have a patio, so I'm like torn. Do I skip a year? Um figure it out. But I'm gonna figure it out. Yeah. But it's a huge, huge community event. Everyone is welcome, and it's it's just wonderful to be able to put it all together. Well, and it really enjoy it.

SPEAKER_00

Fills your cup, it sounds like.

SPEAKER_01

It really does. It does.

SPEAKER_00

Is there in in your word, you know, we like to talk about always lifting is the podcast here. Is in your word, what do you think it means to lift people?

SPEAKER_01

To lift people is to I would say listen to where they're at in their life, um, listen to what they have to say, probably, and uh help to elevate them. Like when, you know, if I'm looking at my team and someone that works on my team and I meet with them and I kind of hear what they're going through, whether it's personal or professionally, try to really figure out what the core is, like listen to what they have to say, figure out what the core of the issue might be, and then offer them solutions and advice on maybe how I would go about, you know, changing whatever it is. But I would say uh be a good listener. You know, I think there's just so much information at all of our fingertips, but I still think like that personal connection one-on-one is huge. Yeah. I don't know how much people get that anymore. Well, and you're in such a connection business. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

So I feel like giving that to your people, emulating that, helping them grow. I always like to say be a gardener. Um it it it then is also teaching them how to do that with the people they're working with. I mean, it's it's so many crisscrosses. Total crisscross.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, just listening to what people need and then knowing how to help them.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Is there anything that's lifting you right now? Like what as far as you personally, like are you thinking it could be a book? I don't know. But you said you're looking at new fitness thing. I don't know. What what's what's lifting Erica?

SPEAKER_01

I think what's lifting me right at this moment is finally feeling like the home that we moved into is ours. Um, feeling proud of where I got it, and just so excited to have the holidays and time with my kids and my husband. Um, you know, and just friends and family hosting. I can imagine you have great family gatherings. We do. We do. It's the moments for for me. My aunt said it best this summer. I was like mourning our old home because we we I loved it so much. Is that a thing? Do people people probably mourn? Well, I don't know. Like my husband isn't mourning our old home, and I love our new home. Okay, okay. I was shocked that I had this sadness. Oh, interesting. Yes. And we, I mean, the people we sold our old home to, they're just the most lovely. Like this woman had to have my home. It was her home. Right. I built it for her. Basically, is how I feel. Um, she texted me a week ago. She was putting up all of her garlands, and she's like, Thank you so much for having the hooks. Exactly. I'm like, honey, like, of course the hooks. They're uh I it was I got it down to a science. But no, I think this the process of us moving really it really humbled me and made me appreciate my clients that much more. Because I'm just like, come on, you're doing great, let's keep pushing forward. Uh, but there is a little sadness, I think, when you leave one place and go to another.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah. Yeah. It's interesting because you're you're doing this process for other people, but yet then you were just in this process yourself, right? Exactly. So exactly. Any other great human insights that you've learned from the your time working with people and real estate? Anything else that stands out in your mind?

SPEAKER_01

Human insights.

SPEAKER_00

Or any advice. Somebody's getting ready to, let's say you're you're working with sellers, but like getting ready to sell their home, things to think about.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. I think uh my best insight is uh something that I had to, you know, t t tell myself the last few months. It's not the house, it's not the walls, it's it's the people. It's the people, it's the moments. I was gonna uh you know, gonna say that before this summer my aunt said it's not the house, it's the moments. It's all the moments within the house. So I think, and that probably goes for everything, is just the connection that you have with other people um, you know, and letting that kind of drive you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00

Fun. So fun. Well, so many things that we share and um perspectives. Uh is there any other thoughts you'd like to leave anyone tuning in today with and or advice, fellow fellow business owners, or just people leading in life or having kids or dealing with you know difficulties?

SPEAKER_01

You always have to trust your instincts. Um, you have to have a drive within yourself, right? Depending on what your goals are. Sometimes you get into something and you don't even know what your goals are, but your goal should be to be better tomorrow than you were today, for sure. Um and I always say in a competitive business like real estate, compete with yourself. Try to keep, you know, you you have to know what's going on in the peripheral, but you want to stay very focused on what your goals are. Um, and that will drive you every day. Um, and just be kind, you know. The the kinder you are to other people and the more giving you are, uh, don't hold your knowledge and your experience within yourself, share it with other people. It literally will come back to you, you know, a hundredfold, really. Um so that's what I would say. And don't give up. That's you know, such great work. There's a reason why you started, right?

SPEAKER_00

Don't give up before you finish. There's so many great quotes that success is just, you know, trying one more time, right? It goes comes to the person who just doesn't give up and keeps going despite all the obstacles that might show up. So exactly. So fun. Thank you for sharing your story with us today. Thank you. Um, such grit authenticity, creativity. I mean, everything you said really deeply resonates with me. And, you know, you really remind us as well that you can have connection, community, heart, you can be kind, and and that can be part of your success as a business. Absolutely. And you do a wonderful job of storytelling that. I think it's so important for um storytelling our families, our values, but also storytelling your cut customers and employees, um, building that culture really, really beautiful. So you're you're lifting people with your energy, your courage, and your pineapple magic. Thank you. It's incredible to witness. Thank you so much. You're welcome. Thank you. Thank you. Selling a home can be stressful for anyone, but it's easy to see why so many trust the pineapple and Erica's team. Her dedication and care shines in her work, and her passion for her family is inspiring. For a link to Erica's team, see the show notes below. Please hit the subscribe button if you haven't yet, and be sure to always lift.