Athena Brownson

Good afternoon or good morning to you, I should say. Thank you so much for having me. It is a cold, snowy night. It is election night here in Denver, so I am very happy to be here with you.

Good afternoon or good morning to you, I should say. Thank you so much for having me. It is a cold, snowy night. It is election night here in Denver, so I am very happy to be here with you.

As you mentioned, I am in Denver, Colorado. I was born and raised here in Colorado. I was actually raised in a small mountain town called Breckenridge. For those of you who are skiers or snowboarders, you've probably heard of Breckenridge at some point. Knowing this piece of information, it will set you up for how really my life unfolded because I learned I could walk.

As you mentioned, I am in Denver, Colorado. I was born and raised here in Colorado. I was actually raised in a small mountain town called Breckenridge. For those of you who are skiers or snowboarders, you've probably heard of Breckenridge at some point. Knowing this piece of information, it will set you up for how really my life unfolded because I learned I could walk.

So I believe I was two years old. My dad was a professional skier, and I like to say I didn't even have a chance. He had me on skis from the time I could walk, and at age 15, I ended up going professional at skiing. So at a very young age, I was basically traveling the world skiing about 300 days a year with some of the top coaches in the entire world.

So I believe I was two years old. My dad was a professional skier, and I like to say I didn't even have a chance. He had me on skis from the time I could walk, and at age 15, I ended up going professional at skiing. So at a very young age, I was basically traveling the world skiing about 300 days a year with some of the top coaches in the entire world.

And I always say that skiing is the best business school that I ever could have asked for or could have gone to because skiing truly set the stage for my success in business, which I'll get into a little bit later. And after becoming a professional skier, after I think nine knee surgeries, I decided it was time for me to hang up the skis and go into another field.

And I always say that skiing is the best business school that I ever could have asked for or could have gone to because skiing truly set the stage for my success in business, which I'll get into a little bit later. And after becoming a professional skier, after I think nine knee surgeries, I decided it was time for me to hang up the skis and go into another field.

I ended up going into the field that I never in a million years thought I would end up in, and that is real estate. Now, I say I never thought I would end up in real estate because, A, I don't think anyone grows up saying, oh, I'm going to be a real estate agent when I grow up. That's just not something you hear very often. But more in the small town that I was raised in, Breckenridge,

I ended up going into the field that I never in a million years thought I would end up in, and that is real estate. Now, I say I never thought I would end up in real estate because, A, I don't think anyone grows up saying, oh, I'm going to be a real estate agent when I grow up. That's just not something you hear very often. But more in the small town that I was raised in, Breckenridge,

There were more real estate offices than t-shirt shops. I grew up thinking real estate was, I had the preconceived notion that it was a little bit corny and there were the kind of used car salesman mentality, even though my dad is a home builder. So I grew up on job sites. I Followed him.

There were more real estate offices than t-shirt shops. I grew up thinking real estate was, I had the preconceived notion that it was a little bit corny and there were the kind of used car salesman mentality, even though my dad is a home builder. So I grew up on job sites. I Followed him.

I have very fond but funny memories of going to job sites with him in the freezing cold, watching his projects unfold and develop, and watching the impact that he had on this town. And it was pretty incredible, but it was something that my dad did. Because of that, as a young person, I wanted to make my own path.

I have very fond but funny memories of going to job sites with him in the freezing cold, watching his projects unfold and develop, and watching the impact that he had on this town. And it was pretty incredible, but it was something that my dad did. Because of that, as a young person, I wanted to make my own path.

I went into interior design after graduating from college, and I was working in the interior design industry, both in Denver and Breckenridge, designing hotels, high-end residences, but I didn't feel that I was being fulfilled. To me, it was a nine-to-five job that I was counting down the hours to get through. I had a dear girlfriend at the time, still one of my best friends.

I went into interior design after graduating from college, and I was working in the interior design industry, both in Denver and Breckenridge, designing hotels, high-end residences, but I didn't feel that I was being fulfilled. To me, it was a nine-to-five job that I was counting down the hours to get through. I had a dear girlfriend at the time, still one of my best friends.

And she is one of the most successful real estate agents in the country. She is top 1%. Thank you, Charlotte. And I was having dinner with her one evening and she said, Athena, you love people. You love homes. You love design. Why are you not a real estate agent? And I scratched my head. And to be honest, I had never even thought about it. This was 10 years ago that this conversation happened.

And she is one of the most successful real estate agents in the country. She is top 1%. Thank you, Charlotte. And I was having dinner with her one evening and she said, Athena, you love people. You love homes. You love design. Why are you not a real estate agent? And I scratched my head. And to be honest, I had never even thought about it. This was 10 years ago that this conversation happened.

And she said, just meet with the owner of my company. I really think that you two would hit it off. You have very similar, like how you do business and how you view people. You're very relational. I really think that you two would hit it off. So I met with the owner of her company actually two days later. And this was a small real estate brokerage in Denver.

And she said, just meet with the owner of my company. I really think that you two would hit it off. You have very similar, like how you do business and how you view people. You're very relational. I really think that you two would hit it off. So I met with the owner of her company actually two days later. And this was a small real estate brokerage in Denver.