Meet Monica Maynard Wood of Glamcations in Frisco

Monica, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In the year 2005, while living in Las Vegas, Nevada I became interested in Real Estate Investing and decided to pursue a career in Real Estate. The same year, I became licensed. I continued with my corporate job in the cosmetic and beauty industry and after relocating to Texas, I began purchasing rental properties in the North Texas area.

When the market crashed in 2009 while nine months pregnant, my corporate position was eliminated. A year after that was when my husband and I decided to build Brooks Creek Cabin, our first cabin in Hochatown, Oklahoma. Being a true artist at heart, Marty (my husband) was fueled by his passion for design. His first career had a background in drafting and he would spend his evenings sketching out plans. For me, being a Real Estate Broker in Texas and Oklahoma I was able to combine my tenacity for real estate with my love for design.

A few years ago, we got the itch to design again and Vail’s Bluff was brought to life. By the time The Barndo came to be, Marty and I had really honed in on our style and we understood that creating a getaway surrounded by nature didn’t mean we needed to sacrifice style and luxury. Our passion for travel and culture took us then to Tulum, where we fell in love with the area and decided we wanted a place for our family to be exposed and surrounded by not only the breathtaking locations but also the amazing culture and history.

Thats when Glamcations was born. We have spent the last several years perfecting every detail from the initial sketches to selecting every piece of furniture that goes into all of our homes – to make sure every single GLAMCATION is one to remember. As a Broker in Oklahoma, it has been wonderful assisting other families find their own cabins and showing them how they can turn their vacation home into an investment that not only brings financial returns but most importantly builds memories with those they love.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In the beginning of my real estate career, I had just had a baby and Marty was in full-time Nursing school. The market was beyond challenging and many people were leasing homes instead of buying. Launching my Real Estate career during this time was challenging as I was having to replace a 15 years corporate income that at the time had not only offered great pay but benefits as well. After we decided to build our first cabin in Broken Bow, Oklahoma we were faced with uncharted territories and new challenges. Everything from the initial design, to searching on Craigslist for materials and literally driving back and forth to pick up our new-found treasures.

I will say that over the last few years, the process has become easier but I remember what it was like working in real estate full-time while having two children under five at home. My husband was in graduate school for Anesthesia to become a CRNA, and this required 70+ hours a week commuting from Frisco to Ft. Worth. He was unable to work while in the program and at the time, my mom had a massive stroke and we took over her care as she moved into a Nursing Home Facility.

Glamcations – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I think my personal relationships are what sets me apart. When it comes to real estate, referrals are 90% of my business. As a boutique Brokerage, I handle every aspect of the transaction and they are never handed off to anyone else – that makes a huge difference. My clients refer to me as the “I got a guy” girl as I have built relationships with people and business owners in both the North Dallas and Broken Bow community. I never recommend whom I have not worked with before. I have to be able to vouch for not just their service but their customer service as well. This goes for everything from a handy-man to a lender to a roofing company. My customers deserve the very best, so my standards are high.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I love that our city has so many different opportunities. It truly is one of the best places not only to start a business and earn income but to also raise a family. (plus, there are new and delicious restaurants popping up daily.)

The real estate market has remained strong here in North Texas, and it’s triggered so much growth. When thinking of places to raise a family you really can’t get better than Frisco. We have affiliations and connections to not only major league sports and teams, but we also host a ton of activities for children all around town.

The only thing that could make Frisco better would be a beach, but we are trying! One of our master-planned communities has actually added a man made one. Overall, I feel lucky not only have the career I always wanted but to be able to do it in such an amazing place. I am definitely extremely blessed and I want to never lose sight of that.