From Startup to Real Estate: My Unexpected Career Shift
When my business partners and I made the decision to close Tortus, a startup we had poured our hearts into, it marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. The natural next step for me was to join Byson, the real estate brokerage that had been funding Tortus from the beginning. Though I had always played a role in Byson—whether designing their logo or contributing to marketing efforts—it wasn’t until the fall of 2021 that we made it official, and I joined Byson as Chief Experience Officer.
A New Chapter in Real Estate
Byson HQ
At that time, the real estate market was still recovering from the pandemic, and it felt like the perfect moment for us to refocus our efforts. We were ready to grow the team and secure new opportunities, and with that came the exciting task of finding a new office space and furnishing it from the ground up. We were determined to make this new chapter even more successful than the last.
Nick, Brendan, and I have always shared similar work ethics from our consulting backgrounds, but each of us brought something unique to the table. My primary focus at Byson was on agent recruitment, retention, and client experience. This role quickly became my largest service design project to date, as I worked to ensure our agents and clients had the best possible experiences. I created journey maps to identify touchpoints and areas where we could set ourselves apart from the competition. The core of our strategy was simple: always put people first. It’s a cliché for a reason—it worked. We offered our agents higher splits, in-house technology solutions to streamline their business, and office hours for guidance from Nick and Brendan. For our clients, we worked hard to make both the buying and selling processes feel like true partnerships. We ensured excellent communication, introduced tech tools that made listing and searching more accessible, and even sent thoughtful gift boxes as tokens of appreciation after a deal was done.
Behind the scenes, the real challenge was improving Byson’s online presence. We knew we needed a website that not only looked good but offered an intuitive, public-facing property search experience. We spent weeks evaluating dozens of vendors before choosing the one that aligned best with our goals. This vendor provided us with more than just a website solution—they also offered SEO optimization and content creation services. I led the design efforts, and one of the highlights of my role was directing a photo and video shoot to create the visuals you see on the site today.
A Life-Changing Surprise
In October, just as I was settling into my new role, I received life-changing news: I was pregnant. After nearly two years of unexplained infertility, this was a dream come true. But it was also a moment to pause and think about what this meant for my new role at Byson. I wanted to give myself time to process the news before sharing it with my partners, and it took me five months to do so. I wanted to make sure I could share the exciting news with everyone at once, so my husband and I invited Nick, Brendan, and their significant others over for a dinner at our place. After I finished cooking a feast (I love hosting), I finally shared the news. Everyone was thrilled, and it was such a relief to be met with overwhelming support. Brendan had suspected it for a while, especially after I’d been turning down drinks on a business trip to San Francisco, but he was kind enough not to bring it up and spoil the surprise. It was a beautiful evening.
As my pregnancy progressed, I shifted my focus to setting up the team for success during my leave. We prioritized tasks, created templates for the junior designer, and worked on new strategies with our agents, like custom notes for mailing campaigns. I also created a formal framework for our corporate team, ensuring they had clear growth opportunities and a path forward. I wanted to ensure that the business continued to thrive even in my absence.
Defining Parental Leave
One of the most important—and new—conversations we had as a team was about parental leave. We approached it just like we did every other topic: with respect, honesty, and compassion. I had no idea what a parental leave policy should look like, but I knew I wanted the flexibility to ease back into work while figuring out childcare. I also wanted to set a precedent: whatever was offered to me should be available to my partners, should they choose to become parents one day. We agreed on a three-month paid leave, but in the end, I was given even more time to transition back into work.
Balancing Motherhood and Career
Returning to work after maternity leave was a mix of excitement and exhaustion. While I loved every bit of being a mom, I craved mental stimulation and adult conversations again. But after nearly a year of balancing work from home with caring for my son, it became clear that I didn’t want to choose between work and motherhood on a daily basis. I wanted to choose my son every day. My partners saw this too and were incredibly supportive. By the end of 2022, we decided as a team that it was the right time for me to step down from my role so I could focus on my family.
A Farewell to Byson
As I reflect on my time at Byson and Tortus, the best part was the friendships I forged with Nick and Brendan. They’ve become like family to me, and I’ll always be there to support them, just as they’ve supported me. Their dedication to the real estate industry continues to inspire me, and I’ll forever be grateful for the lessons I learned working with them.
If you're looking for real estate services in the tri-state area, I can't recommend Nick and Brendan enough. They're passionate, dedicated, and truly care about providing the best experience for their clients. Don’t hesitate to reach out to them for all your real estate needs!
