Today we’d like to introduce you to Toni Petty.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Toni. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have been in new home sales for almost 16 years. This started as “a little job to keep me busy” and to keep me from living at school with the kids. My children ranged in age at the time from 12-16 and I spent every spare moment volunteering for this committee or that one or Girl Scouts or PTO… you name it, I was probably part of it.
This “little job” – an assistant position – was supposed to be about 15 hours a week and 1 weekend a month. Let’s just say this, the first sales counselor I ever worked for was an amazing sales person because I bought that hook, line, and sinker. I never worked less than 30 hours a week and at least one day out of every weekend. I have to admit it though, from the first day, I was mesmerized by the opportunity to help someone decide where they were going to call home. I knew I had found the only job that would every take me away from my lifelong job, being a mom.
It was hard being back in the workforce. I had been just as busy before, but this was different. I can say, I never felt so dumb the first 30 days. I had been at home with the kids (although I used to joke and say “yes I am a stay-at-home mom, and I will give you a quarter if you can catch me at home), so technology had somewhat passed me by. I had to have someone show me how to turn on the compute the first day. Sometimes, when you feel like you can’t do anything, do ONE THING (make yourself focus on ONE THING you did right that day) and then tomorrow, you can focus on one thing more. Pretty soon, you know a lot of ONE thing.
It didn’t take very long at all and I was promoted to a sales counselor. I then had the privilege of working 60 hours a week and every weekend. In sales, you will miss lots of things. You can’t guarantee that someone won’t walk in to look as you are getting ready to leave to go to the ball game. However, there is nothing, except now being a grandmother, that gets me so excited, as what I do. As I mentioned, it might sound a little hokey, but truly, what else is so special as helping someone with where they are going to make memories. Those will always be memories of “home”.
Through the years, I have worked in several locations all throughout the metroplex and until I came to CB Jeni Homes, had always sold “traditional” single-family homes. I was looking for a change when I had a dear friend that said I needed to talk to Bruno Pasquinelli. Bruno offered me an opportunity to sell townhomes in Richardson. At first, my ego went, “do you know who I am and what and where I have been selling”. Bruno told me, “I think you will have lots of fun selling townhomes” and he had me visit the site. I walked the frames that we were building in Richardson and was taken aback by the quality of the walls. The finger-jointed lumber, the engineered materials, the way the king studs and jack studs were supporting each other, and realized, I want to work for this man, for this company that is taking such time with what’s behind the walls. Most people will never realize where we have spent extra money because they will never see what’s behind the drywall, but it’s what makes all the difference when you walk into a finished room. As you can tell, I get quite passionate about “behind the walls”. I started working for him about 2 weeks later.
Needless to say, fast forward 6 years, and Bruno was right… I have had fun selling townhomes. By the grace of God, I have won the McSam’s Award (Dallas Sales and Marketing for New Home Builder’s) for Sales Professional of the Year, in various price ranges, for 5 of the last 6 years. I have been blessed with the chance to help many families decide where to call home.
Currently, I am selling a brand new community in Plano, at the corner of George Bush and 75 called Heritage Creekside. For this community, CB Jeni Homes has done something we have never done before. We have 4 brand new floor plans with 3 brand new looks for the exteriors that all lean towards modern and contemporary fit and finish. This community will feature shopping, restaurants, retail, entertainment, and even a business section, all within walking distance. The thing I find most enjoyable about this location is, I get to “talk to my kids”every day. I mean that with utmost respect. About half of my homeowners range in age from 25 – 40. My kids are now 28 to 32. Add to that, two sons-in-love and 5 grandchildren, and I take it very seriously when someone comes in and says, “this is my first time to buy a new home’. I have been charged to take care of someone else’s children like I would hope someone would take care of mine if I wasn’t there and didn’t do what I do. I never want anyone to feel like they are asking a “stupid question”. My response to that is always, “there are no stupid questions, only unanswered ones”. My job is to answer those questions, allay fears and educate the homebuyer so that rather or not they “buy” from me, they can be educated when they do decide to buy.
There is nothing else quite like new home sales. We can make such an impact, good or bad, on how those memories in their home start. It can make you crazy, make you laugh, and make you cry all within 5 minutes. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I hope it shows, I love what I do, almost as much as I love my family. I thank the dear Lord for opening that door for me to have “a little job to keep me busy”. It has been amazing and I am thanking Him in advance that it will be for a long time to come.
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?
Anytime you are starting something new, something you have never done before, expect for there to be growing pains. Even “an expert in the field” had to have their first day somewhere. You get to be the expert ONE THING at a time. As you build upon one new thing every day, it doesn’t take long for that growth to become exponential. It’s ok to feel dumb, on the inside, but you have to push through and past your own feelings sometimes, to unlock your true potential.
There is a bible verse that says, fear is a liar. You have to decide which voice are you going to listen to, the voice of growth or the voice of fear. You can’t do both. Growth can be scary, and no one likes it when they are afraid. The reality though is sometimes, you have to do it afraid… and even scarier, sometimes, you will fail. Don’t let the voice of fear stop you.
Failure is not always a failure and that is a very hard lesson to learn because to learn it, you have to try something you’ve never tried before, and fail. That is where the growth comes in. Next time, do it a little different and hope for a better result. Might not work, but it sure beats sitting on the couch not trying. I like to say, when something goes wrong, doesn’t work out or just wasn’t what you wanted to do – you get 24 hours to throw a slobber slinging hissy fit – behind closed doors… then, you have to put on your big girl panties, wash your face, brush your hair and go to work.
Please tell us about CB Jeni Lifestyle Homes.
I love helping someone decide where they are going to call home. It is a passion. CB Jeni Homes, which sells townhomes, is the perfect transition not just for first-time homebuyers, but for anyone who doesn’t want to spend all weekend cutting the grass and painting the house. Townhomes allow for the luxury of home ownership, without the drudgery that can come from a “big house, a game room, a media room, and a pool”. I hear it over and over again”, we own 3000+ square feet and haven’t been upstairs in 2 months other than to clean”.
I believe townhomes are the wave of the future as homebuyers become even more sophisticated and decide they don’t want to pay for space they won’t use. Also, with the “building technology and building science” that has changed in the last year or two, new homes are so much more efficient than an older home. There is nothing quite like new.
CB Jeni Homes, because of the best practices we have incorporated into our homes are able to build in central locations, can include features that are options for many others, and can offer a townhome that will be something a homeowner can be proud of for years to come. I would enjoy the opportunity to give anyone a tour of our homes so that they can see the difference for themselves.
And… should someone be at a point in their life where they need a larger home with a big yard, our sister company, Normandy Homes, has that to offer. When you have 3 kids, 2 dogs and a grandmother that lives with you, that extra space can come in handy.
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
I have been Blessed to have strong female managers to look to in this industry, and especially here at CB Jeni Homes, Nancy Scott, Rebecca Gibson, and Christa Allen are amazing. This industry, new home sales, can be and is, quite competitive. There are some out there who think the only way to get ahead in this life is to “take yours”. If that’s the only way you can get ahead, don’t be surprised when someone takes yours.
Education – information – knowledge – need to be shared, but it can’t be demanded. No one else is responsible for making you successful, even in a new position. Watching, listening and taking notes are always a good place to begin. As you start to become more comfortable with your new role, it makes it easier to reach out to others for help. Most of the time, the biggest reason no one is helping is you didn’t ask them to, but again, the other person can’t look at it like you are wanting them to do your job for you. Find as much out on your own as you can, books, training manuals, etc. and then ask for help. Don’t be afraid to ask, but you have to be careful not to ask the same question over and over. Write down your question, and more importantly, write down their answer.
As you can tell, I’m pretty independent.
Pricing:
- Prices starting around $315,000 to $360,000
Contact Info:
- Address: 412 Texas Drive
Plano, TX
75075 - Website: http://www.cbjenihomes.com/communities/heritage-creekside/
- Phone: 469-418-2386
- Email: tpetty@cbjenihomes.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbjenihomes
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/intent/follow?source=followbutton&variant=1.0&screen_name=cbjeni_homes
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/cbjenihomes0161/
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
