Ozark Mountains Living is a God story.

I had been in real estate for almost sixteen years. Missouri law dictates that if you are going to be a broker, you have to have a place of business with regular business hours, so there I sat. Real estate has changed over the last several years, with the internet, and the MLS, rarely does anyone walk through the door anymore. We text, we email, we meet to go look at properties, even the paperwork is paperless, and can be emailed. Sitting in that office every day was sucking the life out of me. I love real estate but hated babysitting that office.

In searching for a better purpose for my life I asked God a simple question. "How can I better serve the world?" My answer was immediate and mind-blowing.  Take the county magazines that you have created for the seven counties, and develop all that information into one huge website. When you have all of that information broken out, you can sell advertising.

I can see it! Haven't we all seen it? The columns of information and then a column of ads that run along one edge. I can see the static ads, for all the different businesses.....and He said, "Yes, static ads would be good, but you can also embed video"  Wow, I'm in, totally excited because I know how to do that! and it will be awesome!

So here is a detail that showed me just how long He had been moving me to learn the skills that I would need, putting details in place. I purchased a bunch of different domain names when I started Ozark Mountains Real Estate, one in particular I loved. Never had a purpose for it, whenever the renewal fee came due I would pay it because I didn't want anyone else to have it. For almost sixteen years.......So, I ask "What should I call this website?" Silence.
Oh Duh! Ozark Mountains Living.....that is perfect! It is that domain that I have owned for all these years! What an amazing God we have.

Over the next several days I received more and more ideas, and stayed excited, but the logistics. I couldn't see the logistics of it, so I asked "Do I quit real estate and start building web pages? I can see how Ozark Mountain Living is going to work, I just don't know how to get there." Silence. But within a few days, I had an answer,  and it was the perfect answer. I had just finished a real estate transaction with Tammy Caudill-Holt, sweet lady and good to work with. I received a text from her saying how much she enjoyed working with me. I texted back Me too! Let's do it again. Then she texted, Have you ever thought about Keller Williams? I hadn't. Thought they were just another real estate franchise, but I knew that this was an answer to prayer and a door that I needed to step through....so I texted her back, Interested. She put me in touch with the team leader, another God sent person named Travis Lathrop, after a short conversation, set an appointment to go to the Market Center and an hour later came out a Keller Williams agent to be.  Amazing company, even more, amazing people, it is no wonder to me that Keller Williams is now #1 in the U.S. I love being part of this company.

August I shut down my office and set up a home office. Under the umbrella of Keller Williams, I have freedom!  I'm free to go get my clients instead of sitting in that office, and now this is how my life looks.....

Someone calls me to list their property, I make the appointment and do a little research on events, attractions, parks, state parks, historical landmarks, in that area. As I do my work listing the property, I fill in my day with visits to everything in the area, taking pictures, video, 360° pictures at events, the town square, and upload it to the Ozark Mountains Living website. I visit the courthouse and take 360° pictures inside some of the government offices, then city hall, the chamber of commerce and upload those.  If there is an event, I contact the coordinator and see if I can get my black bear mascots (adult size costumes) Scout & Honey invited. The kids love the huge teddy bears and they get paw stickers, balloons, and gummy bears!

I used to sit in an office. Now I'm out meeting people, helping people, and best part...everything that I do lifts people up.
It is how I better serve the world, and I am so very grateful for this amazing life. 

Sheila Wiley
1/01/2019