From Pro Skier to Chronic Illness to $28 Million in Sales: Athena Brownson on Identity, Adversity, and Serving Through Real Estate

Speaker 0

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode, and I know you will too. This this one is with Athena Brownson. She is a for former professional skier turned top producing real estate agent, and she's also a real estate investor. We we discuss a lot, about her health challenges and a couple of identity crises that she's gone through, some mental health challenges, personal growth, just navigating transitions in life, and a lot about, starting a business. One of the biggest takeaways I got from this episode was that the importance of other people, the importance of long term relationships, you know, in an industry such as real estate where it can feel very transactional. Athena is very much focused on building those long term relationships and serving others for the long term. And you'll hear later on in the episode how that really came back to help her through some hard times. She's dealt with many, many surgeries, chronic chronic Lyme disease, which has really, really been difficult to overcome and and get through both personally and professionally for her. But wait till the end toward the end of the episode, you're gonna hear some of the financial abundance that she's been able to experience. I think she said she did twenty eight million dollars in real estate transactions last year. I think she said two years ago, in one month, she was able to make a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. So, and this is in a difficult difficult, you know, market right now for real estate agents. And she's also getting into real estate development, which is really cool. I just love her energy and her just positive nature. For someone who's been through quite a bit, health wise and otherwise, I mean, she really brings a lot of positive energy and is clearly out to make the world a better place and serve others. So I think you're gonna get a whole lot out of this one. Listen up. 

 

Speaker 1

 

From adversity to abundance, hosted by entrepreneur and seasoned real estate investor, Jamie Bateman, is the ultimate guide for active and passive investors seeking clarity, mental fitness, and the confidence to make inspired decisions in the world of real estate. With a decade plus of investing experience across various niches and a background as a combat veteran, former army officer, and multimillion dollar mortgage note company owner, Jamie brings a wealth of knowledge and inspiring stories to each episode. Through weekly episodes featuring insightful interviews with industry leaders and solo explorations of mindset and strategy, listeners will uncover actionable advice and tips to overcome challenges and build lasting financial success. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting, from adversity to abundance is your road map to turning obstacles into opportunities and achieving financial freedom. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Welcome, everybody, to another episode of the from adversity to abundance podcast. I'm your host, Jamie Bateman. And today, we're joined by Athena Brownson. Athena, how are you doing? 

 

Speaker 2

 

Oh, couldn't be better. It's a beautiful day in Denver, Colorado, Jamie. Thanks for having me. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. Absolutely. I think, you said it's a hundred degrees there, but at least the air, you you don't have the humidity that we have here in Maryland. 

 

Speaker 2

 

You know, grateful for our, no humidity. Maybe not the dry climate aspect, but it has been one hot summer. I will tell you that. And I have a tendency to go show multiple houses wearing all black because I still don't learn. So what can you do? It 

 

Speaker 0

 

could be my day. Exactly. Yeah. So for the listener who may not be familiar with you, talk about your business and what you're up to today. And then after that, we'll jump into your backstory. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Great. Sounds good. So today, I have been in the real estate industry as an active, realtor for eleven years now. Not sure how that happened. I don't know where the exactly. I blinked and it's gone. But, honestly, I've built the most special business that I I could ever imagine. I enjoy more than anything being able to form lifelong relationships with all of my clients and really be able to help them create financial wellness long term and look way past the closing table. So I run a small team here in Denver. We serve, you know, the greater Denver metro area all the way down to Colorado Springs and then up to my hometown Breckenridge, Colorado where it all started. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Nice. 

 

Speaker 2

 

So that's where it is. Do 

 

Speaker 0

 

you work with, kind of retail, buyers or as well as investors, or or how does that work? 

 

Speaker 2

 

Yeah. So I primarily work with retail buyers. I have a handful of investors that primarily were doing off market opportunities. And then I recently followed in my father's footsteps and began developing, residences as well. So Nice. High high end luxury homes, and it's probably my most exciting part of my life right now. It's something that I fell in love with very quickly. 

 

Speaker 0

 

That's really cool. And we'll we'll we'll talk in a little bit later in more detail about, exactly what you're up to and how that how your business works and how you've built your business. But for now, let's jump back. I know you've had a good amount of adversity that you've overcome. I know everyone deals with different types of adversity. We're all thrown curve balls with with life, and and I know we're gonna be able to pull out principles and lessons from your story that we can apply, for our stories, either now or in the future. But jump back. You were a professional skier. Talk to us about that. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Yeah. That's not a sentence you hear very often. 

 

Speaker 0

 

I know. 

 

Speaker 2

 

So, yes, like I said, I grew up in Breckenridge, Colorado. For those of you who who have heard of Breckenridge, it's a great little mountain resort in in Colorado and very small community. My father was a real estate developer and a professional skier. So as much as, you know, you grow up thinking you're not gonna be like your parents, I'm a pretty spitting image of what my what my parents have done, and I couldn't be more grateful for that. But it has come, you know, up until today with its fair share of challenges. And I I think the the thing that is has become most apparent to me has been when we look back at our lives, you never look at the easy, comfortable moments and think about how much you grew as a human. You look at the times that were the most trying, the most challenging, and, you know, overcoming adversity because that's who really what forms you into the person that you are. So Sure. Going to my professional skiing career, obviously, that was a dream come true, but it was also, it was a job. I mean, I I was taught from a very young age the principles of showing up and resilience and grit and really just, accountability and discipline. I had some of the most elite level coaches in the world. And if I was not two minutes early, then I was late, and I was most likely gonna be doing burpees before every run that I did. So I I like to say it it really was the best business school I could ever ask for, and it allowed me the opportunity to travel the world for about eleven years. I skied three hundred days a year unless I was, you know, I was probably rehabbing an injury 

 

Speaker 0

 

Mhmm. 

 

Speaker 2

 

If I wasn't on snow. And I got this mindset from a very young age that okay. You know? Say, I blew nine ACLs, for example, broke my neck twice. The list goes on. But these were all things that if you did a, b, c, and d, you are gonna get better. And if you did them diligently and stuck stuck to those basics, really, because I think we all over try to overcomplicate Right. Solutions to our issues, then I would get better. And and, eventually, it did come to a point where my doctor looked at me and he said, Athena, you're gonna need two knee replacements before you're thirty years old. I you know, it might be time to hang up the boots, so to speak. Mhmm. So as much, as much as it pained me to do so, it was a really good opportunity for reinvention. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Mhmm. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And I think that's what adversity does. You know? It creates opportunities in our lives to assess what we're doing, you know, what we enjoy 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And what what we're struggling with and then adapt and and more metamorphosize ourself into the next phase of life. Sure. I love that. Did I think that would be real estate? No. But we'll get to that. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. Yeah. Well, we know doing all we don't always know what the next chapter is gonna look like. Right? Exactly. And I do completely agree that I mean, sports were a huge part of my background as well. And just whether it's team sports or individual, I just think sports have a really unique way of of teaching lessons and really kinda preparing for business or life in general. We're just it it really does require so much discipline, hard work. If you wanna be good, you've gotta be consistently showing up, putting in the work. There's so much work behind the scenes that people don't see, you know, when they turn on the TV and see a professional athlete. You know? 

 

Speaker 2

 

And it pair that parallels with real estate really well. For sure. You know? And and all aspects of real estate because there are so many complexities, and you really do have to be a self driven, motivated individual that holds yourself accountable if you wanna be successful. And when the market is more challenging, it becomes a lot more difficult to actually show up that way. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Oh, for sure. So and I know you've dealt with I I know, like, the with the injuries, you obviously have dealt with a lot of physical pain and then just the mental pain of rebuilding every time and just starting from scratch, essentially. I mean, it's such a I mean, all your probably your competitors are competitors are out there, you know, doing what they're they're you know, and getting better, and you're you're now you're injured. I mean, there there's a lot mentally to deal with there. Talk about, though, when you had your career ending injury. We've had a I had a guest on the on the show who was a professional baseball player for a brief period of time, actually, for the Colorado Rockies now that I'm thinking about. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Oh, no way. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. And, Josh Kalinowski, but he was a pitcher, and he I mean, I think the big, the takeaway from him his episode was it was all about his identity and, you know, he was so wrapped up in his identity. His identity was wrapped up in his in his professional sports, which is completely understandable. I mean, I was Hundred percent. I was a collegiate, lacrosse player, and that that's who I was. You know? That's like that was really who I was. I mean, yeah, I had other wore other hats, of course. But and once that ended, it was like, who who am I now? And that's a big deal. I mean, that's a huge deal. So talk to us before we move on to to how you transitioned into real estate 

 

Speaker 2

 

Yeah. 

 

Speaker 0

 

About the kind of probably, you know, what that what you were going through mentally with regard to your identity when you when your doctor essentially told you your career is over. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Absolutely. And that also foreshadows. I I think I've had two two major identity crisises and crises in my life so far. Okay. The second of which being, you know, battling some really severe chronic health issues that I'm still dealing with. Mhmm. But just like you said, I mean, my entire identity was wrapped into what I was doing. It was the accomplishments, the accolades. It was how hard I was working Yeah. How I was performing. That was how I was, really getting fulfillment. And Sure. And it was all from external sources. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Right. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And not to say that, you know, it it wasn't an amazing you know, skiing was absolutely pivotal in creating who I am today. Yeah. But I also think that in as much as I would hate to admit it at the time that retiring was also the one of the most pivotal experiences in helping me to, really find an identity within myself that didn't rely on something external. And that's a really difficult, especially for a young adult. That's a really difficult transformation, and it took me it took me years. You know? I I decided to finish college, and I definitely felt like I was floundering. I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do in life. Yeah. At the time yeah. Like, I had a very you know, my my family was in real estate, but I had this view of real estate as, you know, corny car salesman, like, a very transactional, something that was not not a personal experience. And there there was more real estate offices in Breckenridge than there were t shirt shops. So I just thought of it as a dime a dozen. So real estate never crossed my mind, but I knew that I loved design. I loved homes, and I needed to be in that space in some capacity. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Mhmm. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And that that was my first attempt at at at grabbing for what was next in my life. And it took took many iterations, but I I went into the world of interior design. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Okay. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And I I quickly realized, and I think, anyone in athletics or anyone that's been extremely passionate about one thing for most of their life understands that you most likely need to be an entrepreneur. You need to be in charge of your own success. So when I was going and just clocking in nine to five, working for someone else 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

There was there was a very short ceiling on how how high I could take this. And I realized very quickly that, you know, especially being a one person sport and an only child, like, I like to do things to a detriment sometimes the way that I like to do things. But I, you know, I wanted my 

 

Speaker 0

 

rely on yourself. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Yeah. Exactly. I wanted my input to show with my output. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Sure. Sure. 

 

Speaker 2

 

So I was really I was lost in trying to understand what my place was because I always envisioned myself as an athlete. I, you know, I had plans of going to the Olympics the next year. It and it really it it really challenged my, my mental state. And it was it was something that now looking back was probably one of the most formative times in my life because it really forced me to just uncover the layers and figure out who the heck Athena was. Yeah. 

 

Speaker 0

 

So Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Yeah. That's a lifelong journey. But Yeah. Yeah. 

 

Speaker 0

 

We're not done with that. But I but I like the the fact that you pointed out a couple different times that this took years, this just this process, at least back then. I mean, because it it would be easy for us to just gloss over that point and say, well, maybe you you quit skiing on Friday, and then on Monday, you went into real estate and you had found your second passion. It's like, well, no. I mean, you you iterated and reiterated like you said. And then Yeah. Probably had some starts and fails and, you know, starts and stops and, multiple turns along the way. Talk to the listener who may be in, you know, some a transition period like that. Maybe they're they're stuck in a job or maybe they something health wise, you know, just happened where they've gotta kind of reinvent themselves. I I personally, I think it it really is it takes some stress off to know that it can take years to go through that transition. You don't have to necessarily figure it out this week. Right? So and also that life can have seasons. Yeah. You don't have to have the answer for the rest of your life today. But talk to the listener that may be going through maybe a professional and identity transition right now. What are one or two things they, you know, that they might be able to employ to navigate that? 

 

Speaker 2

 

That. Yeah. And, you know, I think, like you said, these are these are not thing instant gratification, and we live in a culture right now, but it I mean, it just is moving faster and faster. So Yeah. When something goes wrong in life or when there is a transition that's happening, we have this expectation that we're supposed to have it all figured out. The reality is, a, no one ever has it all figured out. 

 

Speaker 0

 

That's very true. 

 

Speaker 2

 

But you're you're never going to fig find out what your next chapter looks like until you begin trying things and falling on your face and then getting back up and then trying something else. And I think when you're in a place, of difficulty, if you're experiencing challenges and adversity, it's really easy to become stagnant. And it's hard not to get into a cycle of, you know, almost depression and just feeling feeling lost 

 

Speaker 0

 

and lost. Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Like, what is my why? You you lose sight of that while at the same time having this idea that you have to have a plan and that it's, you know, a twenty year plan that's gonna go right as you think it will even if, like, we think on such a big scale. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

So one one of the things that helped me 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

So much was looking at the people in my life that inspired whatever it was that they were doing. And I tried to connect, like, authentically with as many people as I could that were passionate about what they were doing and that were really good at what they were doing. They were Mhmm. They were perfecting their craft. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Mhmm. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Because I wanted that energy, and I wanted that, understanding of their mindset. And that didn't mean that it was the career that I wanted to do necessarily, but that was how I ended up in real estate. You know, I sat down with, a a a friend who I admired greatly, who had built a pretty, successful real estate business at a young age. I mean, we were twenty six at the time and she, she was selling, you know, almost thirty million a year at twenty six. And, and the discipline and the, the heart and care and the, you could tell that was her why. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Mhmm. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And I had I had sat down. I asked her out for lunch. I said, hey. I'd love to just pick your brain. I'm I'm looking, you know, I'm just looking to connect with connect deeper with like minded individuals. Mhmm. And and really, when you're sitting you know, iron sharpens iron. When you're sitting down with people that are putting you on that energetic frequency that is way higher than whatever you're at currently because you're feeling lost and and confused, then it it elevates you. So that's my first thing is Yeah. 

 

Speaker 0

 

That's really good. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Find people in your life, whether it's coaches, mentors, therapists, friends, people you don't know. I mean, I can't tell you how many times I've reached out just on LinkedIn and said, you know, I I really admire what you're doing. I'd love to sit down and pick your brain. And people are so thrilled to be able to share the the the knowledge that they've built. Mhmm. And and that's what ended me up in this chair talking to you today. So it's the ripple effects. My one of one more thing. Yeah. My business coach always says to me, he says, Athena, you never know the day that you're gonna wake up and meet the person or encounter the situation that changes the rest of your life. Whether that's in business, whether that's love, whether that's, you know, meeting the client that changes everything for you. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Right. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And I think when you're lost in in trying to find your next chapter or maybe you're just going through difficulty, it's really difficult to wake up every day feeling, enthusiastic. Right. And Yeah. If we have that mindset of what if today is the day that I meet someone who's gonna change my life? Boom. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Wow. That is 

 

Speaker 2

 

Changes things. Yeah. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Barely recently, I was listening to a podcast about, manifestation and whether you know, there's the the debate. I think it was with Mark Manson. Mhmm. But, anyway, he was talking about whether or not you know, they were talking about kind of the power of manifestation and whether how real is it and that kind of thing. And and we don't have time to debate that now, but the debate really was whether you you know, if you're envisioning things and speaking things into the into the universe, does that create those opportunities and those things, or is it more that they were already there and now you're open to seeing them? And I think that's kinda what you're getting at is yeah, I mean, if you look back at your life, and there probably were several key moments and and interactions with people that really changed the trajectory of your life. But if you weren't open to seeing that at that time, at that on that day, then it never would have happened. Right? So 

 

Speaker 2

 

It's funny you say that too because when I look at, you know, my most successful days skiing, it was my coaches taught me very, very disciplined visualization practice within 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

So when I was at the top of the run for x games, so say, I would sit in a quiet space and visualize myself landing every trick perfectly on the course. And if I if I needed to try a trick that I had not ever tried before on snow 

 

Speaker 0

 

Mhmm. 

 

Speaker 2

 

I knew that if I could land it in my head, if I could see myself landing it perfectly, that I could land it on snow. So I've really tried to take that 

 

Speaker 0

 

Mhmm. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Exercise into everything else I'm doing in life because our brains don't know the difference between what's actually happening and what we're what we're imagining. So if you're visualizing yourself 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Creating long term financial wealth through real estate or visualizing you know, I do it before I go into a listing presentation. Just Yeah. Imagining this is how the outcome is gonna be. You're convincing your brain that that's what's possible. 

 

Speaker 0

 

I just 

 

Speaker 2

 

Visualization's huge. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Oh, for sure. I agree. And I did use that in in college lacrosse myself as well. I mean, I I I really was amazed at the times where I I would, like, maybe score a goal and realize, like, that's exactly how I envisioned that happening beforehand. That is wild. Like 

 

Speaker 2

 

Isn't that neat? Yeah. 

 

Speaker 0

 

And I'm not sure that it would have happened if I hadn't envisioned it like that. But Yeah. So okay. So talk more about kinda your transition into real estate and and creating a business. I mean, you run your own business. You run a team. How did those next maybe five or ten years go, after leaving skiing? 

 

Speaker 2

 

Absolutely. So, like I said, I I sat down with a girlfriend, picked her brain. She said, hey. You know, I really think that you should talk to the owner of my company. He will tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly of real estate. But really what happened was I sat down to lunch with him, I think, two days later. And he is one of those humans that just radiates goodness. And within an hour of having lunch with with John Stegner is his name. He, runs a amazing company here in Denver. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Mhmm. 

 

Speaker 2

 

He taught me the principles of a relationship based business, and he completely transformed, my what I thought about real estate and about realtors. And he really instilled in me that real estate was an opportunity to serve people, and it was the opportunity to provide value during one of the most, stressful or the the biggest transactions that someone has in their lifetime. And the the relationship shouldn't end at the closing table. So after this lunch, I quite literally was a hundred percent set on real estate. I went home. I signed up for real estate school. I quit my job the next day. I was about getting ready to have my last knee surgery. And I said, look. I'll just while I have three weeks of downtime, you know, that I can't walk on my leg, I'm gonna crank out real estate school. So when when I began, you know, I think people oftentimes struggle in getting their feet under them in real estate because you go to school and you don't really actually learn much that's that is how to run a business or or practical. And what I I I approached my, mentor, John John, who had take taken me out to lunch, and I said, you know, what would it take for me to be able to follow everything that you do for as long as I can, because I want to see every, you know, showing that you're doing and how you're interacting with your client. I want to hear all your investor phone calls. I want to watch you do market analysis. I wanna meet with appraisers with you. And I think this art of apprenticeship is something that has has kind of gotten lost. Yeah. And if you can find, you know, in any arena of life, someone that you admire what they're doing and that whose values align with your own, follow everything that they do. See how you can make their life easier so that you can be in that in their environment 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And just soaking it all up. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Sure. 

 

Speaker 2

 

So I I have this incredible opportunity to to really learn from someone that I admired greatly and and continue to. And I think mentorship and coaching and the importance of those two things, for me, you know, probably with you as well, we understand coach the importance of coaching. I 

 

Speaker 0

 

mean Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

It's pivotal. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And that's what unfortunately, right when I got my feet under me in real estate, you know, it takes a couple of years, but I had finally felt like I hit my stride. And I, you know, I was working with a great coach that helped me really strip down what are my personal strengths and how can I systemize my strengths into actionable activities that I'm doing consistently every week, and then track that? So, really, you know, I had this coach that that said, hey. There's a lot of shiny objects in this world of real estate. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. That's true. 

 

Speaker 2

 

There's always, you know, always something new to try. Let's strip it down to the basics. Who, like, who are you as a person? Let's look at your disc profile. Let's look at Yeah. Multiple personality tests and not multiple personality. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. Right. Right. 

 

Speaker 2

 

That's the next step. And let like, let's really break down what it is that you're good at, and and that was building relationships. And and how can I then implement that into my business? So it's Yeah. How many how many times a week was I sitting down face to face with with people to build a relationship? How many phone calls a day was I making? Open houses, videos. The list goes on. So I was tracking all of this. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Tracking that. Okay. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Yeah. And I noticed that my business started to not have these huge ebbs and flows in it, which was it is a challenge in real estate obviously. 

 

Speaker 0

 

So my my father was a real estate still is a is a real estate agent, has been for many decades. Yeah. And just growing up, yeah, we had a lot of, you know, very fruitful times and a lot of really dry times where we we didn't have much he didn't have much income. I mean, a lot of it is Yeah. He he was always a hustler, but, a lot of it is outside of your control. It's market conditions and things like that. So your typical real estate agent really deals with those ups and downs quite a bit. I mean, it's almost all commission based or or or is one hundred percent commission based in many cases. And then you don't have that even, you know, any upstream at all. So, I mean but it sounds like but the other point I wanted to make is just you're you're kind of already saying it, but but there there are so many agents out there. I mean, you you said it. It's like they're a dime a dozen. Right? So how do you separate yourself? Well, the fact that you're creating these long term relationships, it's not just a transaction. Yeah. Already, you're, I would say, in the top ten percent of agents because you're creating relationships, and it's not it's not just a transaction. So, and just, you know, putting others first. I love that. So, I mean, constantly in this episode, we've heard you talk about people and and and just learning from others and engaging with others and and helping others, serving others, and that so it's clearly not all about you, and and that's been obviously a large part of your own success. So and and what did what did your mentor say when you said what would it take for me to to essentially shadow you? What was his response? 

 

Speaker 2

 

You know, I don't think anyone had ever said that to him. And the joy that he he had from hearing that there that I was that interested in learning. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

I mean, he welcomed me with open arms, and I I truly attribute my success to being able to listen to every phone call he made, being able to follow him on showings and do open houses with him. It he, you know, he was so excited to be able to share everything that he had learned from his, you know, almost thirty year career at that point. And I find that's the case with the you know? If if you just ask, people do want to help. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Sure. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Which is incredible. And it's a gift that you can then turn around and give a younger agent as well or an agent that's struggling. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Right. 

 

Speaker 2

 

You know, we all have, there's, like I said, so many ways to approach real estate. You have to figure out what's authentic to you. Because, honestly, that those authentic relationships that we've discussed Yeah. Are what have propelled me through some of the most challenging years of my life. So I was diagnosed with Lyme disease, three years into the into my real estate career. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Okay. 

 

Speaker 2

 

So eight years ago. And, you know, at this point in my life, I I had just hit my stride in real estate. I was I was starting to really do well. Mhmm. My physical health, I thought, was you know, I was still training like an athlete and keeping keeping myself in great condition. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Right. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And I started you know, I went in for, a touch up on a neck surgery. And while I was recovering, I started getting all of these very strange ailments, you know, GI infections like e coli and just very odd for a young, healthy individual. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And it became you know, it started to become apparent. My my fatigue was starting to get really intense. I was getting bad joint pain. It was clear that it was not the neck surgery. My neck was feeling great. I was recovering well from that. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And I was really fortunate. I went to a doctor who understood Lyme disease, which is pretty rare. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Right. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And, you know, it was actually my neurosurgeon who had just fixed my neck, and he had Lyme disease himself. He Wow. Had been battling it. And he said, I think we should do a test, and I thought he was nuts. I was like, I've never even seen a tick, let alone, like, have awareness of being bit by one. But the day I got those results back, I mean, I never understood the, gravity of how severe this disease would be. 

 

Speaker 0

 

It's it's pretty it's pretty intense. I've looked into it myself and, quite a bit actually. And and, there there's a lot of debate about, you know, what I mean, I think in Oh, yeah. Yeah. We're we're pretty I'm, you know, I'm in the mid Atlantic, and I know in the northeast, it's pretty prevalent, and it's come down into the mid Atlantic a good bit. And and, certainly in, like, the spring, you gotta be real careful. But, but, yeah, the fact is, like, I think it's very underdiagnosed and, there's not always, you know, clear cut tests. But the fact that so so, yeah, we'll leave that that whole medical discussion to decide. But okay. So what what goes through your mind at that point? Because I know I mean, Lyme disease, it if you catch it early, it can be not that big of a deal, really. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Exactly. 

 

Speaker 0

 

But if you don't catch it early, it can be a huge debilitating disease. So what we're doing 

 

Speaker 2

 

Yeah. Sorry. It completely you know, it took my life, and it turned it upside down, in a very short period of time. And and what Lyme does is it attacks whatever your genetic weaknesses are. So for me, it turned and that's why it's really difficult to diagnose because it looks very different in a variety of people. Mhmm. But for me, it was basically, it turned into multiple autoimmune diseases, so my body started attacking me. And within about a six month period, you know, I was told by multiple doctors that I should go on disability and stay in bed because 

 

Speaker 0

 

Wow. 

 

Speaker 2

 

That's how severe my health issues were. 

 

Speaker 0

 

And what what age were you at this point if you don't mind me asking? 

 

Speaker 2

 

Yeah. No. I was, twenty seven. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Wow. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Yeah. And and to this day, you know, I do four plasma transfusions a month. I don't you know, I'm in some of the most intense treatment imaginable. And I it was another you know, when I was diagnosed and experiencing, you know, pain and fatigue and sickness, like, I never even knew imaginable. I mean, that was after twenty one surgeries. With surgeries, it was if you do a, b, c, and d, you're gonna get better. 

 

Speaker 0

 

With 

 

Speaker 2

 

Lyme, it was, you know, let's try this. Let's try this. I it was like being a lab rat, but I knew that I felt horrible. But if I stayed home, I was not going to get better because my mental state was gonna drown. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Sure. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And so real estate as, you know, as corny as it may sound, real estate was my saving grace because I had a career that not only did I have control over my schedule. So if I had to, you know, spend time in the hospital, I could. And Right. At this time, I did have a business partner that was, able to assist when I was not able to. But more than anything that the value of my, relationships with my clients 

 

Speaker 0

 

Mhmm. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Became something that was so apparent in in the in the way that it was keeping me afloat. You know? It I I was in a period a very dark period of of being angry of why did this happen and how did this happen and why do I feel so bad and, you know, why can't I wake up in the morning? Why can't I, you know, I can barely work out anymore. I can't keep any food down. I mean, I was I was very angry. And what I noticed was when I was interacting with my clients and when I was doing what I loved, that's when I was not thinking about how bad I felt. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Mhmm. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And I realized pretty quickly no. It wasn't quickly, actually. It took years. I lie. I'm like, this is in hindsight. No. It was not. I I went through a lot of, and I think that's important. You know? It's important to to go through whatever whatever you need to. Right. But you can't get stuck there. I think that's that's the that's the thing is, you know, your symptoms aren't necessarily gonna go away. So but you can't you can't stay in a place of of that anger and and despair and sadness because it physically hurts you even more. And it really caused another identity crisis. And it it really was, okay. Well, who am I when I'm alone, when I'm don't, you know, when I don't have anyone around me because I'm not able to do anything. And the only thing that I'm putting my energy into because I have so little is my career. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Mhmm. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And it it really stripped away the layers once again of of figuring out what it was gonna take for me to find that resiliency and find that grit. And 

 

Speaker 0

 

Mhmm. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And what are the things that I need to be disciplined about about in order to get through this? And it came to a point where I realized that I real estate really was my why. Being able to help people, you know, throughout chapters of their life and follow these chapters of their life to be able to, you know, develop and flip homes with incredible investors to to help young people build a rental portfolio. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Mhmm. 

 

Speaker 2

 

You know, I look at what helped me get through my first couple of years having Lyme disease because, obviously, my production went down slightly. I still did pretty well, but I I at that point, John, my mentor, had said to me, Athena, live in a house for two years as your primary Mhmm. Then turn it into a rental and buy another and do it over and over again. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And so by that time, I, you know, had was just moving into my third house, so I had two rentals. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Okay. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And, you know, when we look at cap rates in Denver, you're not you know, we're not looking at a huge cap rate. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Right. 

 

Speaker 2

 

You are you we are looking at, you know, incredible appreciation for the most part. Yeah. But I was getting mailbox money every month from these two income producing properties. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Right. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And that was allowing me to pay for almost all of my mortgage in in the house that I was currently in. And when you're paying for crazy medical bills and you're Yeah. You know, that is what just one of the many gifts that real estate can provide. And Yeah. Being able to use that story and and and show True. What it had really done for my life 

 

Speaker 0

 

Right. 

 

Speaker 2

 

To others is something that, you know, it shows the transformative power of real estate. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Right. That's really neat. Yeah. And then, you know, we like to look at pro formas and projections based on everything going perfectly. So, I mean, you know, not you wouldn't look at it and say, I'm gonna get Lyme disease, and I'm gonna be out. I mean, that and and then I'm gonna need this to get me through this income to get me through. Yeah. But it's almost like you probably appreciate it even more because that is what happened. And, 

 

Speaker 2

 

It was a lifesaver. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. I mean, that is huge. I mean, I know for me, my I do mortgage note investing, but I also do rental property investing, and and I've been doing rentals since twenty ten, late two thousand nine, I guess. And, it's been critical. It's been been a very stable, thing that through ups and downs of mortgage note investing or personal challenges in life, where I've had to dial down my my business or maybe, you know, different things have occurred, but that rental income has been consistent. We might have a vacancy here and there, but it's been kind of a bedrock to keep me going. So 

 

Speaker 2

 

And isn't it incredible that that's an opportunity? I mean, you Yeah. You know, when you have to step back from things in life and you you you know, you need to take care of a loved one or your health or 

 

Speaker 0

 

Right. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Whatever it is to be able to have some source of stability within that chaos. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Absolutely. 

 

Speaker 2

 

I mean, it's a huge blessing. Absolutely. 

 

Speaker 0

 

So you still have the two rentals? Or or 

 

Speaker 2

 

I have three now. Three now. Okay. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Got it. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And and then I just finished selling the my first development. So That's awesome. That you know? And I just start started on my second. So that's really where where my energy and heart are 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Currently. And and I think that's, you know, something that we continually evolve is is what our why is and what we're passionate about and and what, you know, what our skill sets are. And we do that by surrounding ourselves once again with the people that are doing the best at their craft. Yeah. And I was lucky enough to be able to shadow my father and his development for Yeah. My entire life. Did I appreciate it at the time? No. Do I appreciate it now? Yes. 

 

Speaker 0

 

So, you know, this is kind of a I guess, it's really up to you as far as how much you wanna share, but can you name one or two successes, whether that's, like, a a dollar amount that you got from a, you know, a transaction or or Oh, yeah. Maybe it's, like, how much real estate you've sold in a year or something like that. Talk about some of the financial abundance that you've been able to experience. 

 

Speaker 2

 

You know? Yeah. I I I always have a hard time giving myself credit for these things, and I think it's just an athlete thing. I don't know. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Right. 

 

Speaker 2

 

But, you know, I look at my the last couple of years of my life, and I've probably spent maybe a quarter of my time a year in the hospital. And that means I'm, you know, I'm not working when I'm in the hospital, unfortunately. So Oh, 

 

Speaker 0

 

and then, also, imagine when you're not in the hospital, it sounds like you're not a hundred percent either. So it's 

 

Speaker 2

 

like Maybe five percent. Yeah. Wow. And I always say, you know, when when I when I get this into remission and feel better, it's I'm gonna feel like wonder woman. 

 

Speaker 0

 

But Totally. 

 

Speaker 2

 

You know, I look at last year, which was a a difficult year in the world of real estate just as this year is, and I sold about twenty eight million in real estate. And that's Awesome. Again, spending a quarter of my time in the hospital. Wow. Two years ago, I had a one month where I made a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. I mean, there's not many professions that you can say that in. And it's it, you you know, it comes with a lot of hard work, but it also is just it when it shows that when you're when you put in the work and you're disciplined with your consistency 

 

Speaker 0

 

Right. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Abundance will come. You just have to put the work in. Yeah. Absolutely. That means through rain or shine because it was raining real hard in my body when that happened. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. It sounds like it. That's I mean, kudos to you. That's awesome. I mean, yeah, we I mean, we don't often celebrate it enough, our successes. You know? So I think, especially as an athlete, it's like, alright. What's next? What's next? What's my next competition? That that was cool for five minutes, but where's the next trophy? You know? Whatever it is. But, I mean, kudos to you. That's really, really awesome, especially with the health challenges you've had. And now it sounds like you're growing into a different like, related, but a different part of real estate, investing and and, yeah. That's that's really cool. So, you ready for some rapid fire questions? 

 

Speaker 2

 

Let's do it. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Alright. What's one thing that people misunderstand about you, Athena? That one trips people up sometimes. 

 

Speaker 2

 

That's a hard one, honestly. So I have a very intense, facial expressions. And often and oftentimes, I hear that I come off extremely scary and intimidating. And I have to be aware of that because I am, like, the softest teddy bear ever, 

 

Speaker 0

 

and 

 

Speaker 2

 

I love everyone. So, yeah, if you see me squinting and angry eyebrows, probably 

 

Speaker 0

 

just because I can't see. Got it. If you could go back and give your eighteen year old self some advice, what would that be? 

 

Speaker 2

 

That's another tricky one. I would tell myself that I should not stray from or, basically, from from my goals and my dreams. Like, I wouldn't change a thing about how I focused on skiing. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Mhmm. 

 

Speaker 2

 

But I would tell myself to think wider. Like, skiing is not the end all be all, and there's so much opportunity. So just keep your eyes open. 

 

Speaker 0

 

That's really good. If you could have coffee with any historical figure, whom would you choose? 

 

Speaker 2

 

Salvador Dali. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Oh, wow. Haven't had that answer. Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

I bet you haven't. Honestly so I'm a huge art history nerd. I studied him in-depth in in college and and just loved the, psychoses of his brain and was fascinated with with how he saw the world. Mhmm. So I would a hundred percent sit down with him. Okay. 

 

Speaker 0

 

That's awesome. If you were given ten million dollars tomorrow, what would you do with it? 

 

Speaker 2

 

I would call my financial adviser. There you go. I would invest wisely, and I would get on an airplane and go somewhere and relax for at least a month. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Love that. That's really good. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Then probably buy a couple rental properties when I got back. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Professionally, what is a what's a challenge that you're facing in your business right now? 

 

Speaker 2

 

You know, the market is challenging right now. We're seeing the days on market increase significantly. Listings are taking, you know, a hit. And I would say just continuing to show up and stay motivated when I'm not feeling great and the market's pretty rough 

 

Speaker 0

 

Mhmm. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Has been challenging, but it's also pushing me to get more creative with how I'm approaching my business. So Nice. Again, blessing in disguise, but I'm pretty ready for things to get a little bit more Mhmm. Right. Normal. Yeah. 

 

Speaker 0

 

It's it's a it's a balancing act. I mean, yeah, the the challenge is where the growth happens, but, you know, sometimes it's like we don't need too much 

 

Speaker 2

 

I've grown 

 

Speaker 0

 

enough. I've grown enough. I've grown enough. 

 

Speaker 2

 

As I say from five feet tall. Just kidding. Nice. 

 

Speaker 0

 

What's one piece of advice that you'd give to someone starting out in your career? 

 

Speaker 2

 

Find a mentor. Find someone whose business that you admire and ask how you can make their life easier. Follow everything that they do. Listen to every conversation and put yourself on a schedule. Like, you know, one of the you have to have a schedule, and you've gotta stick to it and be accountable. 

 

Speaker 0

 

That's really good. Yeah. I know that hours for a real estate agent can be super challenging because you've gotta be available when other people are available All 

 

Speaker 2

 

the time. Which is why they're not working. 

 

Speaker 0

 

So that's Yeah. Evenings and weekends. Yeah. All the time. Twenty four seven. How about, in your industry, whether it's real estate investing or as an agent, what's something controversial or unconventional that you see? 

 

Speaker 2

 

You know, we're going so I work with Compass, and we're going through a huge lawsuit right now with Zillow. And and just really understanding, what's gonna be best for the consumer in terms of transparency and being able to view listings because Zillow is trying to limit the number or the amount of listings that are are showing up on Zillow based on if they were premarketed or not. And, it's really just bringing into the spotlight what is best for the consumer. And I it's it's a hot topic, and it's gonna be interesting to see how it plays out. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Got it. What is a book or two that you could recommend for our listener? 

 

Speaker 2

 

Oh, I am so ADHD. I love starting a hundred books. Right now, I would I would say Atomic Habits is is one great one. You know, James Cleary. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yep. Just Clear. Yep. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Art clear. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yep. 

 

Speaker 2

 

The art of being one percent better every day is is something that we could all do. And then someone that you've spoke of earlier, the subtle art of not giving you an f is is probably because I care way too much about everything, so that's been a a transformational book for sure. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. That is a really good both are great books. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Yeah. 

 

Speaker 0

 

For sure. Back to real estate, we're we're jumping all over the place. But looking forward, you mentioned the Zillow thing, but looking forward, maybe market wise, and no one has a crystal ball, but what are some emerging challenges that you think real estate investors should be preparing for? 

 

Speaker 2

 

Yeah. You know, I think real estate investors should be honestly seizing the opportunities that are available currently because while interest rates are higher, we do have a lot less buyer demand. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Mhmm. 

 

Speaker 2

 

And that's me I mean, I'm I'm finding incredible opportunities for my investors right now because at the end of the day, people need to sell still. That's not going away. But the second that rates you know, I don't think anything's gonna go down very quickly. I think 

 

Speaker 0

 

Right. 

 

Speaker 2

 

You know, we're in this for a while. But Yeah. When they do go go down, it's gonna be too late. So if you're, you know, a a newer investor, don't be don't shy away because interest rates are higher right now. It's actually a really great 

 

Speaker 0

 

market. Yeah. And I would say there's never, like, the A right time. To get in. There's always some reason you should not get in right now. You can always talk yourself out of it. Right? 

 

Speaker 2

 

In life is in everything in life, there's no perfect time. So it's like, if if it feels if it feels right, go. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Right. That's true. You don't wanna force it or jump in without researching and doing knowing what you're doing or 

 

Speaker 2

 

finding something 

 

Speaker 0

 

to our first. But, I mean, you could you can suffer all your entire life with, you know, analysis paralysis. So, what's one question that you wish I'd asked that I have not asked? 

 

Speaker 2

 

That's a great question. One question that I wish you had asked, how is my health today? 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. Yeah. I did. It did. I I I crossed my mind, but it was how how how is it? I mean That's 

 

Speaker 2

 

all I could think of. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. 

 

Speaker 2

 

You know, I'm, in probably the most difficult treatment protocol imaginable, but I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I've got about six weeks left. It's been a year and a half on these antibiotics. And I'm also about to be able to switch from four plasma transfusions a month to four every five weeks. So that's, like, a huge win for me. Wow. Really excited. And, I just feel like there's a glimmer of hope for the first time in a very long time, and I'm super excited about it. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Are you now are you working with, like, functional medicine practitioners? 

 

Speaker 2

 

It it sounds like Yeah. I you know, I I've been really I always say I'm, like, the luckiest sick person because I have a variety of, you know, so sure. Some western medicine. I, you know, I have to have a nephrologist for plasma transfusions and but I've got some of the most incredible, functional medicine 

 

Speaker 0

 

Mhmm. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Practitioners all over the world that I've been able to that specialize in infectious disease. So pretty incredible. If anyone is out there that's sick and needs recommendations Yeah. Please let me know. No. 

 

Speaker 0

 

That's really good. Yeah. I mean, obviously, I mean, we're not happy you're going through this Mhmm. Obviously. But, 

 

Speaker 2

 

Make some good out of it. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Yeah. They're exactly. And it does sound like you've you see, maybe not the light at the end of the tunnel, but you see some hope for some improvement here in the near term. So that's that's awesome. 

 

Speaker 2

 

Thank you. 

 

Speaker 0

 

So yeah. Athena Brownson, anything you wanna add before we get out of here? 

 

Speaker 2

 

No. Jamie, that was amazing. Thank you so much for letting me share a little bit of my story. 

 

Speaker 0

 

I 

 

Speaker 2

 

just appreciate all of your very thoughtful questions and insight. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Well, thank you. This has been really good. Thanks for spending your time with us. We appreciate it. And to the listener, thank you for spending your most valuable resource with us, and that is your time. Thanks, everyone. Take care. 

 

Speaker 1

 

Thank you for joining us on From Adversity to Abundance. We hope today's episode has equipped you with valuable insights and practical advice to elevate your real estate journey. For more inspiring stories and resources, visit us at w w w dot adversity to abundance dot com. If this episode has inspired you, please share it with a friend who could also benefit from our conversation. Together, let's turn adversity into abundance. Until next time, keep building your mental fitness and your real estate empire. 

 

Speaker 0

 

Hey there. It's Jamie Bateman. Ever felt boxed in by life's challenges? Dive into my new book, From Adversity to Abundance, inspiring stories of mental, physical, and financial transformation, available now on Amazon. From a former bank robber's redemption to a young entrepreneur's victory over hurdles, these stories are not just inspiration. They're the road maps to your transformation. Whether for you or as a powerful gift to friends and family, especially those who might not tune into podcasts, this book is a beacon to a life of abundance. Ignite that inner fire and set your course to the life you've imagined. Purchase yours today on Amazon and light the path for someone you love.