Meet Crystel Saturday | Realtor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Crystel Saturday and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Crystel, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I had been taught to earn a degree that will always be necessary and where jobs are readily available, so I worked during the day to support myself in college and went to night school earning my degree in Accounting. I graduated and landed job after job that allowed me to progress up the corporate ladder through various companies. I worked tirelessly to earn my degree and the work didn’t stop once I was employed in my field. I worked long grueling hours constantly for the endless loop of deadlines in the Accounting world. Needless to say, I was “burned out” in my industry after 10 years of what felt like a “rat race” with no true prize.

The last company I was working for had an entrepreneurial spirit and showed me that if you truly believe in yourself, you can make anything happen. I took a chance on myself and after getting licensed in real estate and selling nearly $2million my first year while doing it “part time,” I decided to see what I could do if I put all of my focus into a career I am truly passionate about. I have worked tirelessly work bosses who wouldn’t show the recognition I deserved and who would nit pick employees about tiny mistakes. I decided if I was going to be chastised, it would be by my already worst critic… myself. Answering to bosses caused too much anxiety for me and I already knew I would be accountable to myself.

My change wasn’t made haphazardly, I am an accountant after all. I saved 6 months worth of emergency expenses on top of our regular family savings. My income had been a heavy contributor to our family and I knew starting over would offer an income gap I needed to offset before I took the “plunge.” Once I was ready, I informed my company I would be leaving in a month and I took a few months to figure out how social media works for businesses and rest my mind before I started the new grind of real estate.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I made a drastic change from an Accounting/Finance career to a entrepreneurial sales focused career in Real Estate in my mid-thirties after working over a decade in field I worked hard to earn a degree in.

Growing up I was taught you go to college and earn your degree to work for someone the rest of your life. So I followed suit and worked my way through school to save for college, earned good grades and received the HOPE Scholarship and attended college like planned. I went to college at night and graduated with my Bachelors in Business with a focus in Accounting and quickly began working as a corporate accountant and progressing in my field after graduation. During my time in college I worked full time for a Real Estate brokerage and fell in love with real estate and the rush both the sale and problems brought. However, I considered myself too much of a “behind the scenes” person and I felt like I couldn’t handle working with people for a career. My boss at the real estate office tried to convince me to not leave after I graduated and to get licensed as a realtor. I laughed it off and thought, “I could never do that.”

After about 10 years of working long hours in roles with endless deadlines and feeling like I was stuck in a rat race, I decided I wanted to do something that brought me joy and hopefully earned extra cash. The company I was working for had an entrepreneurial spirit and showed me that if you truly believe in yourself, you can make anything happen. So I thought I should finally get serious and study for my real estate license. I studied during any free time I had after work and did it all on line at my pace. I told very few people of my goal so I could keep any disappointment to myself. I took the test and PASSED on the first try. I felt like it was a sign.

I joined the brokerage that I worked with during college and felt like I was going “home.” I knew so much about the clerical side of the real estate business and was beyond enthusiastic to be in the field actually helping people. I immediately began building my “brand” and sharing all over social media that I was now a Realtor and happy to help anyone who needed assistance in real estate. It was new for me to put myself out there but it felt great and started working very soon after. I looked for opportunities to help other realtors with their listings and buyers so I could learn on the job with mentorship as I needed it.

I continued to work my full time Finance job and real estate “on the side.” But I soon realized I was working 2 full time jobs and only one of them was truly getting me out of bed in the morning. After a few bad experiences at work and feeling far less appreciated than I felt was needed, my husband and I had a big talk about me leaving a career that had largely contributed to our income for over a decade. My husband pointed out my stress at my finance job vs. the joy and enthusiasm I always had about real estate. So it became clear, we would make the plunge from corporate Crystel to entrepreneur Crystel.

My transition from accounting to real estate has been extremely beneficial to my clients and my career. My analytical and accounting mindset allows me to bring logical and financial vantage points to real estate transactions that truly sets me apart from many Realtors. I have always had an extremely creative side in digital marketing and my career change has allowed me to use all of my skillset.

I made my career change over 4 years ago and I have more than replaced my Finance/Accounting income and I have more time for my family than ever before. I still work long hours and my clients are my new “bosses” but I have far more freedom and room to make choices about my career than ever before. There are trade off’s without a guaranteed paycheck but those are mere motivation for me to work harder for myself and that’s the best feeling…working for myself.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If you’re visiting Atlanta you definitely need to experience the Beltline. Atlanta isn’t a closely connected city and the various Burroughs have always been driving distance away from each other. The Beltline is a paved walking path that connects all of the Burroughs for a pedestrian experience! Staying on the Eastside Beltline we would start our days off at various breakfast/brunch options like Highland Bakery, Inman Perk Coffee, Just Add Honey Tea Company or a good ole Starbucks.

Touring down the beltline, either North or South on the trail, we can find various parks and fitness centered opportunities to grab a quick workout or enjoy the outdoors. Scooters are readily available to rent and the Beltline path is bike friendly! A quick stop into Krogg Street Market offers a variety of lunch options, libations and treats! My personal favorites include; Superica, Makimono and, or course, Jeni’s ice cream! Across the path is the iconic LadyBird that is a must stop and check out for a great afternoon experience during the weekend and THE SPOT to be on the weekends. Ponce City Market is another great stop along the beltline for more shopping and dining options!

Walking along you can find random King of Pop’s stands to get a cool treat, you can scavenge for the “tiny doors of ATL” painted along the trail and enjoy talented artists playing tunes! Gorgeous murals and various art sculptures decorate the path for a constant point of interest as you stroll along.

Further down the Beltline near Grant Park you’ll find a more rural path but still connecting the various Burroughs of Atlanta offering a true feeling of connection throughout the city! Grant Park is next door to Zoo Atlanta where you can see animals from all over the world!

Each evening you can unwind or have even more fun along the various nightclubs and lounges a short stroll from the beltline!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My Shoutout goes to my husband, Ryan. Studying for my real estate license, while working full time, left little time for us to enjoy life. But Ryan never complained and constantly encouraged me. He still does to this day and he’s truly my biggest fan. His constant support and advice offer me a confidence from home that gives me a positive outlook when helping my clients. And I get to truly focus on why I became a Realtor… to help people!

Website: www.SaturdaySignatureRealty.com

Instagram: @crystelsaturdayrealtor

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystel-saturday-95394085/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/closedbycrystel/