Egypt Sherrod Gets Candid On Her Big Leap From Radio To Real Estate
Egypt Sherrod isn't your average real estate agent.
Turn your television to the latest episode of HGTV's Property Virgins and you'll likely catch her showing half million dollar homes for her first-time home buyers in a stylish pair of pumps. Her favorite pair? Green crocodile Casadei heels that she admits she hardly ever wears. Her shoe game will surely make any retail addict go into relapse. “I like to buy really nice things, but on sale," she assures me. “I believe in treating yourself, and I don't feel guilty at all."
And that she shouldn't.
The award-winning agent works hard for her money, and is no stranger to finding the best deals and turning them into long-term investments. Her motto:
Egypt Sherrod on "Flipping Virgins."
In fact, she's made a career out of it. She recently landed a new show on HGTV called Flipping Virgins, where she helps buyers purchase, flip, and sell lower priced homes at high profit margins. Add that to her broad portfolio of careers including radio, television, real estate, author and philanthropist, and it's clear that the wife and mother of one certainly knows how to finesse her skill sets both on and off camera.
For Sherrod, the key to wealth lies within the ability to have multiple streams of income—at least that's what has been the foundation of her success.
“My mentor told me early on, if you want to have longevity. You have to have a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C and work them all at the same damn time!"
Talking with Sherrod, it's easy to see why she's been able to have longevity in multiple industries. I'm immediately drawn in by her warm personality and “sister girl" demeanor, and have decided that if I ever purchase a home in her current city of Atlanta, then she would be my go-to realtor. It's not just the fact that we share an appreciation of quality homes, but as our conversation would later reveal, it's also her confidence in knowing who she is and what she's talking about it.
Egypt Sherrod on "Flipping Virgins."
Earning a spot as one of HGTV's coveted show hosts takes time and dedication of learning the game, and Sherrod's certainly no novice to the real estate streets. A brief look at her resume would reveal that during her 20s the young Temple University graduate could be found buying dilapidated homes to renovate and resale, allowing her to sock away funds for rainy seasons when radio would no longer pay bills.
“I would get some money, and instead of putting it into some shoes and pocketbooks, I would put it into buying properties."
It was that hustling mentality that kept her pockets cushioned during periods of unemployment before being called back into radio to work the primetime slot at New York's WBLS 107.5. Unwilling to part with her more stable source of income, she chose to keep both career paths moving and rebranded herself as the go-to real estate girl, picking up a high profile list of clientele including athletes, celebrities, and record label executives. Although she was successfully balancing her careers in entertainment and real estate, she couldn't ignore the feeling that there was something more that would bring her fulfillment.
“Radio had been excellent to me, but I was growing out of it. I definitely was growing out of the gossip, I really didn't care who was doing who…I hated that I had to do entertainment and gossip reports. But unfortunately it was something very popular that I had become known for."
Determined to take her career to the next level she auditioned for Property Virgins, and in 2010 snagged the role as the show host—it was just the big break that she needed to begin her transition from radio to real estate.
Egypt Sherrod on set of "Flipping Virgins."
But her excitement quickly came to a halt after learning she was pregnant four episodes into shooting the first season. During a time when she should've been celebrating her motherhood, the mom-to-be found herself hiding her pregnancy in fear that her growing belly would lead to her termination. In radio she was used to competing against the youngest and the next best thing, and she was sure that being on primetime television was no different.
“I wasn't trying to be dishonest, I was just trying to make it just like everybody else. You want to fulfill your dreams, but you want it all. And I wanted my baby, and I wanted my happiness, but I wanted my dream too."
To her surprise, and relief, she was wrong. “I laughed and I cried because they were like we don't care we were waiting on you to tell us."
Her second obstacle came in the form of a snowstorm during October 2011. As a mother-to-be juggling two careers, being trapped in her home gave her a case of cabin fever. She decided that it was time to take her talents to another city, pitched the team at HGTV to move Property Virgins to Atlanta, landed a new role at WVEE V-103, and relocated south with her husband and four-week-old daughter.
It was a necessary move that also came with heavy consequences. The boss mom struggled to balance her marriage, motherhood, and a new territory in both radio and real estate. She describes this period one of the most challenging times in her life.
“I'm not going to say I failed in the radio industry, but it was wrong of me to try to take it all at once. I was forced to choose, and I chose to take a leap of faith and leave the business that I had ran for almost 20 years."
Already desiring a change in her career made the decision to leave easier. She was also battling postpartum depression due to breast feeding, sleepless nights, and working multiple jobs.
"And priority number one was my daughter, she was the single most important thing in my life that I am the most proud of. So she had to come first."
Focusing solely on real estate gave Sherrod just the balance that she needed, and enabled her to give time to both her career and family, and, of course, herself. Now when she wants a little personal time, she hits the gym or does a little meditation. She also finds balance in her friendships, keeping a positive group of lady friends who pour into and challenge her to not settle for mediocrity. There's no room for “yes women" in her circle.
Through the Egypt Cares Family Foundation—a non-profit dedicated to financial empowerment and awareness—she's able to give back to her community, and her priceless real estate advice, as detailed in her book Keep Calm…It's Just Real Estate, has become the go-to guide for homebuyers who are looking to get the most bang for their buck, both in their home and their realtor.
As a future homebuyer, I drill her with questions. How much money should I save for a down payment? How do I find a good real estate agent? I'm looking to add another stream of income, how do I become a real estate boss, too?
Her first piece of advice? Don't take advice from people who have no experience in real estate.
"Be careful who you listen to and get real estate advice from," she warns. "Sometimes our family members really want what's best for us but they don't realize they're giving us bad advice. In some cities the real estate market is booming! While in some cities it's still doing really, really bad. So why would we take advice from Auntie Vera who living in California if we're living in New York City?"
Point taken.
The rest of the answers to my questions? Well, they're all detailed in the book. No spoilers here.
One thing I can say about Sherrod is that she definitely knows her stuff. She's a woman that many women aspire to be: career-driven with a relentless work ethic, humbly confident and purposefully passionate. Even her definition of what it means to be a woman is an accurate reflection of her mentality.
“I realized I had gone from being a girl to womanhood when I start taking responsibility for my actions and not being afraid to apologize, being okay with starting over being 100% comfortable in my own skin, learning the importance of humility, and being well-rounded as a person, not one dimensional."
Find out more info on Flipping Virgins on HGTV.com.
All images courtesy of Egypt Sherrod
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Kiah McBride writes technical content by day and uses storytelling to pen real and raw personal development pieces on her blog Write On Kiah. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @writeonkiah.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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When discussing the topic of raising children, discipline is often the first thing that comes to mind. Children need discipline. Full stop. But what is discipline? And how do we draw the line between discipline and revenge?
The origin of the word "discipline" can be traced back to the Latin word "disciplina," which means "instruction" or "teaching." Over time, however, discipline has come to be synonymous with punishment, with parents relying on shame, fear, and/or physical pain to curb undesirable behavior.
Teaching takes time, so nipping it in the bud in whatever fashion parents deem necessary (within reason) has become the norm. But is this what’s best for children? And when does it become less about curbing undesirable behavior and more about getting our licks back for offenses we feel our children should know better to do?
In my work as a parenting coach, I’ve often heard parents say, “I asked him nicely three times before spanking him. He didn’t stop doing it until I did, so clearly talking doesn’t work.”
And the parent isn’t wrong. Talking often doesn’t work the first, the third, or the even the 10th time. And the reason is directly tied to brain development.
Children cannot and do not process information the way an adult can. Auditory processing is not fully developed until a child is 14 or 15 years old. And even then, if a child has auditory processing delays or Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), they may always struggle with processing auditory commands. According to Susie S. Loraine, MA, CCC-SLP, the term auditory processing refers to how the brain perceives and interprets sound information. Several skills determine auditory processing ability—or listening success. They develop in a general four-step hierarchy, but all work together and are essential for daily listening.
Without this understanding, discipline can easily become revenge because parents will then view their child’s misdeeds as a personal slight. Instead of teaching them to do better, parents now want to show them the consequences of not doing better. This is why it's imperative for parents to discern between discipline and revenge to maintain healthy relationships with their children.
5 WAYS TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN PARENTAL GUIDANCE AND RETALIATION:
Understanding The Intent
Discipline is rooted in love and concern for the child's well-being. It focuses on teaching lessons and helping children understand the consequences of their actions. Conversely, revenge-driven actions stem from a desire to inflict pain or punishment as payback for perceived slights or disobedience. Parents should reflect on their motives before taking disciplinary actions. Ask yourself whether your intention is to help your child learn or to make them suffer for upsetting you.
Example: If a child accidentally breaks a valuable item, a disciplinary response would involve discussing the importance of being careful and working with the child to come up with a way to replace or fix what they’ve broken. On the other hand, a vengeful reaction might involve yelling, harsh punishment, or bringing up past mistakes to intensify guilt.
Maintaining Emotional Regulation
Effective discipline requires parents to remain calm and composed, even in challenging situations. It's natural to feel upset or frustrated when children misbehave, but responding with anger or resentment can escalate the situation and blur the line between discipline and revenge. Before addressing the issue, take a moment to breathe and collect your thoughts.
Example: If a child cannot follow instructions, a disciplined response would involve calmly explaining why their cooperation is necessary in working with the child to accomplish the goal. Conversely, a retaliatory response might involve shouting, name-calling, or resorting to physical punishment out of anger.
Promoting Growth and Learning
Discipline should always aim to promote growth and learning. It involves guiding children toward making better choices and understanding the impact of their actions on themselves and others. Effective discipline strategies include positive reinforcement, setting clear expectations, and providing opportunities for reflection and growth.
Example: If a child repeatedly forgets to complete their chores, a disciplinary approach would involve discussing the importance of responsibility and finding solutions together, such as creating a chore chart or setting reminders with Siri or Alexa. In contrast, a revenge-driven response might involve imposing overly harsh punishments or belittling the child, which can undermine their self-esteem and hinder their ability to learn from their mistakes.
Momo Productions/Getty
Building Trust and Communication
Trust and open communication are essential components of a healthy parent-child relationship. Discipline should strengthen this bond by fostering trust and encouraging children to confide in their parents without fear of judgment or retaliation. When children feel safe and supported, they're more likely to accept discipline as a form of guidance rather than punishment.
Example: If a child admits to breaking a rule or making a mistake, a disciplined response would involve listening to their perspective, discussing the consequences of their actions, and working together to find a solution. Conversely, a retaliatory response might involve accusations, blame, or shutting down communication, which can erode trust and damage the parent-child relationship.
Seeking Professional Guidance
Parenting is a learning journey, and, disciplining children is a delicate balance between guiding them toward responsible behavior and nurturing their growth. By understanding the intent behind our actions, maintaining emotional regulation, promoting growth and learning, building trust and communication, and seeking professional guidance when needed, as parents we can help our children built on love, respect, and understanding.
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Featured image by Courtney Hale/Getty Images