The Demolition Diva
Demolishing walls and building ramps to business success
Interviewed by. Arkeah Jacobs
AJ: How did you get the name Demo Diva?
DD: Funny you ask that. One of my colleagues named me that because everywhere I went I was super fly. I changed the atmosphere and was able to break down the walls and barriers that often divide us as a people. I was the woman who did exactly what the men did and looked good while doing it.
AJ: What have been some of your own personal struggles that helped you create greater opportunities?
DD: Different pain points and triggers I hadn’t dealt with that were showing up. It was blindsiding me. I was in a relationship and had a baby. The relationship did not work out yet in my mind I thought I had the perfect life. Now that was shattered. I ended up having another child and had to overcome the fairy tale life. That was my wall I had to break down. I had to learn to pivot and open new doors because of someone’s unloyalty to me. I had to create my own legacy for my children. As an educator, I was living paycheck to paycheck. I was unfilled with two degrees. I had to jump to the next level and that’s how I got into real estate and began to help others.
Get Black Authors Matter’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
AJ: What would you say to women who think the struggles of life are a wall instead of seeing them as opportunities to walk into a new level?
DD: I just wrote a book, “Girl Get Your Glam: How to Reno Your Life and Not Look Like What You’ve Been Through”. It is about my childhood. My dad was on drugs, we were homeless, amongst a lot of other things that I suppressed. Different things that I had to truly heal from in order to fully walk in my purpose. Pain pushes you to your purpose so push through, you will survive.
AJ: What is the main strategy you will give to women to help overcome their struggles?
DD: You have to invest in yourself! In order to give your all to others, you have to first give all and be all to yourself. I think, as women, that is the hardest lesson we all have to learn because we spend so much time nurturing other people we forget about ourselves.
AJ: On the real estate side, what are you currently working on?
DD: I actually had to put my real estate ventures on hold. With having a dual career, working in education as well, I paused my renovation projects to focus on the retail side of things in addition to coaching others in realtor. I recently retired from education after 18 years and now I’m willing, ready and able to fully walk in my purpose.
AJ: Congrats on your retirement. I know that’s a great feeling to have. To still be young and have so much life left in you to be able to start something anew. What was your greatest lesson from being in education and how has that shaped your business?
DD: God made me a teacher because He knew I could transform minds and that gift would be essential to my business. Showing people who otherwise didn’t believe that they could acquire wealth through real estate and then turning around and using that wealth to build up your community has been a true blessing. One that I’m teaching my 4 and 5 year old daughters now I will continue to teach people and students on the importance of legacy building through real estate. It’s all about ownership. Like they say, “ You make the money, don’t let the money make you”.
