Embracing New Horizons: Lissette Lopez's Midlife Shift to a New Chapter

Ever made a leap of faith into the unknown that rearranged your entire life? Our special guest, Lissette Lopez, knows a thing or two about taking such a jump – from the insurance world into the dynamic landscape of real estate, she's managed to navigate the complexities of a career shift while maintaining her roles as a steadfast wife and mother. As Lissette recounts her motivations and the ripples of change through her personal and professional life, the conversation touches on the nuances of midlife transformation and the bravery required to grasp new opportunities.

Thank you for listening.

Be sure to visit the Restless to Renewed website for pictures and more information about episode guests at www.RestlesstoRenewed.com.

Chapters

• 0:04 Career Change Reflections in Midlife
• 12:34 Embracing Change and Personal Growth
• 16:41 Housing Market and Career Change
• 20:52 Real Estate Agent Introduction and Appreciation

Transcript

Janice Neely: 0:38

Welcome to Restless, to Renewed women, redefining midlife and beyond. I'm your host, Janice Neely, and today my guest is Lissette Lopez. Lissette and I met through a mutual friend and I'm so happy to be able to talk to her. Welcome, Lissette, and thank you for being here.

Lissette Lopez: 1:16

Hi Janice. Thank you so much for having me. It's an honor to be here.

Janice Neely: 1:20

Well, I appreciate you so much, and I think today that our listeners will be inspired by some of the major changes that you've made in your life, and one that you're making currently. So, first of all is that you're married and a mother, and so I know you have a lot of responsibilities, and change impacts others in your life, not just yourself, correct? ? Yes But recently you made a major change in your life. Can you tell us about a decision you made to change your career?

Lissette Lopez: 1:54

Yes, well, you're right. When I do make a change, it does affect the entire family. My husband is working, of course, and supports most of what we do here in the house, and then I have my children, two teenagers my daughter is 14 and my son is 15. So I really had to think about making a move, because the move I made was going from insurance into real estate and, as we know, real estate is commission only. So this was something that took me a couple months to really get serious about and try to take that leap, knowing that I'm going to have to cut back on some of the income that I was receiving.

Janice Neely: 2:31

Yeah, that can be very scary. I imagine anybody going into real estate for the first time has some of those fears. But you said you were in insurance before. Can you tell us about that?

Lissette Lopez: 2:44

Of course, for the last about 15 years. I have a health and life license, so I am an enrollments benefits counselor, so what I would do is guide people in their choices for their work-related insurance plans, which was fun, but it was a work-at-home position. So for the last 15 years I've been working from home, which was very satisfying because it gave me the opportunity, of course, to be home for my kids, pick them up from the bus, have dinner ready and the house cleaned and things like that in between my appointments. So that did serve its purpose. And then, of course, as my kids are getting a little bit bigger we're already talking about colleges for my son and I'm seeing an end to their school life, at least high school school life, and we're talking universities I decided that my time's kind of running out. I felt like they're not going to be home that much anymore and my responsibilities are starting to shift a little with them as they get older.

Janice Neely: 3:41

Yeah well, I could imagine. I did not work at home when my children were young. I worked part-time and I think that I would have thought at the time that being at home would have been a dream job. But I often wonder about people that are at home if they ever get a chance to turn it off.

Lissette Lopez: 3:58

Exactly, you don't. And then you actually miss and you crave that life of wanting friends and having this social, even if it is just driving to work. And you crave that life of wanting friends and having this social, even if it is just driving to work and you hear people complain about their job. But you get there and you have work, friends, you get dressed up, you have more goals to do in the day and I really started to miss that a lot, a lot, yeah.

Janice Neely: 4:19

I can see that I think I felt a lot better about myself when I was having to get out of the house. There are days now and I'm in the house and I'm sitting here working, but I'm thinking I really need to go. you know, put on some different clothes or something. It's so easy not to do anything. So you were in insurance and you said you've been thinking about changing careers. How long has that been going on in your mind?

Lissette Lopez: 4:50

Well, I'd say about the last year I've been trying to center myself and see what I can do that's different, that would still create a wonderful income or hopefully better than the one I have now, even if I know it does take some time to get there in any business when you start. But the big piece was I had a girlfriend that lived across the street a neighbor, a good friend of mine and she was starting to do real estate and within several years I've noticed a huge change in her. She was a single mom and she was able to move out of this neighborhood and she started succeeding and meeting and helping so many people.

Lissette Lopez: 5:23

And she's the one that kind of looked at me and said, listen, I know you're looking for something to do. Have you ever thought about real estate? I think you'd be perfect and I would, I'll help you. And that's when some little light bulbs started to click and I'm like, okay, just watching her do that. She is younger than I am because I am about, you know, 54. So she is younger than I am. But I was like if she could do it, I could do it and it was actually putting a real person behind the image of a realtor, so it allowed me to see somebody actually go through the process. I know it's hard work and all that, but it really inspired me to be able to make the change that I needed All right.

Janice Neely: 5:58

Did you have any fears when you were making this decision?

Lissette Lopez: 6:04

Oh my gosh, yeah, so many, I still do. It's just it's very competitive and I feel as somebody at this point in my life going into this whole new workplace where it seems like everybody's so younger and they're put together and it looks like they just have it all going on, which I know it's not true, you know. I know there are struggles in everybody's lives, but I was very fearful of putting myself out there. I'm not great on social media. It's kind of all new to me. There was a lot of fears with that. As you know, trying to reinvent myself at this age and coming back out into the workforce and seeing all the possibilities and the newness of everything was very scary for me.

Janice Neely: 6:45

Yeah, I wonder. You know you said something about a lot of younger people and they look so put together and so forth. I think about people that are younger than I am and there would seem to be a difference in their confidence. I think that in my age group we were taught you had to earn everything and you had to, you know, climb your way to the top or whatever, and I think there's some good to that. But I also do admire a lot of the people who do have the confidence to say this is what I want and this is what I'm going to do. I wish I would have had more confidence when I was younger.

Lissette Lopez: 7:22

Me too. That's what I say. If I could only turn back the clock and have all these emotions and the strength that I feel like I'm having now as I get older. As far as you know, I don't have as much time left. I'm going to go for what I want to do, and I wish I would have had a little bit more of that when I was even in my 30s and taken a little bit more advantage of opportunities without holding myself back.

Janice Neely: 7:47

Right? Well, you know, life happens, we have responsibilities and we don't always get to choose what we want to do at certain times, but at the same time, I think that this time of our lives is kind of a wonderful thing, because we do have a little bit more freedom to do some things. You know, the kids are growing or grown In my case, my grandkids are grown and it just seems like there's just so much more time to utilize, and so I think that the women that are listening ought to be inspired and think you know, I've got things that I wanted to do and it's time to do it.

Lissette Lopez: 8:28

Exactly. That's why I love your podcast so much too, because it really is inspiring. Those women are amazing and it's true, as you get older and you see your kids are grown up and they're going to be gone soon. They have their own life and it's exactly what you want to be with us, but hopefully they're not going to need us and you've, you know, raised them to go on and enjoy their life and take chances of their own. But then you look around and you're like, okay, now what? They've been your main purpose for so long that it's like, okay, let me catch myself here. What am I doing? I've got X amount of years left before I really am not having them in the home and I need to find out what I want to do, what's going to make me happy and still want me to jump out of bed in the morning and feel excited about life. We still have so many more years ahead of us.

Janice Neely: 9:10

Yeah, hopefully. Well, you never know. That's the point. Right now, people are living to be 100 and that's one of the fastest growing demographics, which is amazing to me.

Lissette Lopez: 9:20

I can't believe that.

Janice Neely: 9:22

But so we've talked about some fears, but what about financial fears or something like that? Was that a scary thing for you?

Lissette Lopez: 9:31

It is, it still is because I'm still so new it's only been a couple months I've been a realtor. Thank God, I do have my husband, who's able to still provide and do the main bills while I'm able to do the smaller bills. So that really helps because I think if not, I would have had to wait, put my dreams a little bit on hold until I was able to do both. So that's been a huge asset. I mean, he really is a partnership. The good thing is I do have a part-time job.

Lissette Lopez: 9:59

So I used to volunteer for Men of Valor that I know you're familiar with, which is a prison ministry and so many amazing things that they're doing with God through the men in these prison systems and helping them. When they come out, they go on campus and they learn how to live and work, and there's so many classes that they teach them. So I used to do a lot of volunteer work for them and then they just asked me to become a paid employee for part time. So I was like that's it, that's what I was waiting for. I said that's perfect. I said now I could do that and then just hustle the other times, because it's about 20 hours a week, so then I could dedicate myself to going out and trying to get listings and doing pictures and meeting people, and that has really led me to make more solid my choice, because it felt like the universe kind of said OK, here you go.

Janice Neely: 10:52

You're able to do both. Because I think, to do something that tugs your heart with both pieces, both real estate and then also Men of Valor. And I had the opportunity to hear a guy speak you were an event the other night and I was there too and heard him speak and he had come out of the prison system and it was so moving to hear what Men of Valor have done for his life, and now he's also giving back Exactly. I think that's great, that you get to have both of those jobs and enjoy them both.

Lissette Lopez: 11:32

So you decided this, you decided you're going to be able to make it financially, and then you did some training, correct, yes, I'm with Keller Williams, which I love because I did look at several other companies, but Keller Williams is, as far as for training, there's like classes every day. There's something I could do almost every day in the office or on Zoom. So they really do have your back for newer agents and they give you a lot of support, and I felt like that would be the perfect fit for me, because even once you take your exam, as you know certain things you take your exam and your state license and all of a sudden you can call yourself a realtor. But there's so much information out there, there's still so much to learn, that I feel very blessed to be in the hands of Keller Williams, because I really do think that they put a lot of training into their agents to help you get the best out of it.

Janice Neely: 12:15

That's good, because I can imagine it'd be very scary, when you're trying to do contracts and things like that, if you don't have that support system.

Lissette Lopez: 12:23

Exactly and, as you know, the home it's the biggest purchase sometimes that people will make in their lifetime. Even if they make it a couple of times in their lifetime, it usually is the biggest purchase, and even for investors as well. You want to know what you're doing and that's going to help build your confidence. You want to go in sounding like you know what you're doing, even if you're new.

Janice Neely: 12:41

Right, and the key to me would be that you do the best you can, but have someone else look it over, two or three people, at least at your team until you know that everything's right, and then you'll build that confidence too.

Lissette Lopez: 12:57

Hopefully. I would love that, but I keep saying I have a feeling I'm going to be a different person by the end of this year, as far as everything I'm going to know.

Janice Neely: 13:05

So you do have the professional support. What about your family support?

Lissette Lopez: 13:10

They knew they could see how I was getting a little frustrated at home. So my husband we did have a lot of talks about how it was going to happen, because it would definitely affect him as well and our children. But, like I said, this part-time opportunity also made it a lot easier for me to jump into children. But, like I said, this part-time opportunity also made it a lot easier for me to jump into. But they did see, and my kids are getting bigger, so they would both come to me and say, mom, you got to be happy. Sometimes I was like, oh my gosh, here I go, I'm going to change at this time in my life and my daughter's like so what? She's like so what, just do it, she goes, no matter how old you are, just go and do it. And I'm like you know what?

Lissette Lopez: 13:42

You're right. You're right. What's going to be worse? Like they always say, we're going to regret the things we don't do, not the things that I do. Even if I fail, I'll give it my all.

Janice Neely: 14:05

Right. You know, I'm 66. And when I look at pictures of my grandmothers and . that they were doing at my age and they had pretty much decided, you know, or maybe not decided, maybe it was just it happened, life happened, but they were staying at home and just kind of winding down. And now I'm just not seeing that with women. There are a lot of women , that's their preference, and I think that's wonderful. I think you should do what you want to do and if you want to do that, that is beautiful. If you don't want to do that, then maybe we have always been telling ourselves that we were getting too old. But maybe you know, that's just talk.

Lissette Lopez: 14:32

Exactly. I think life is proving that so many things are changing Me too, when I look at my, my grandma, parents, even my mom. My mom lives with me as well. She's 79 and I'm first generation Cuban, as you know. And those Cuban moms and grandmas, they just stayed home and cooked, but they were so happy to do that. That was all they ever wanted to do since they were little. That was their goal or their desire, and they loved it and they were so good at it and I mean I liked it. But I always felt like, oh no, there's more. There's more to me than just mom or wife or stay-at-home anything. I had that burning desire inside of me that kept saying there's more, there's more, there's got to be more.

Janice Neely: 15:09

Yeah, and I think with myself. I think I was a good mother. I hope I was a good mother and I love my children dearly, but I mother. my mother My mother was just so happy to sit and rock a baby. She still is so happy to sit and rock a baby. . Just give her a baby and she'll love to sit and rock it. While I was rocking the baby, I was sitting there thinking I've got to do this and I´ve got to do that and I made myself miserable.

Janice Neely: 15:30

I never could just calm down and enjoy rocking the baby. And I think that's just how I'm wired. So, yeah, it's a different world. So, now that you've started this new career, what's your favorite part about it so far?

Lissette Lopez: 15:47

Gosh, getting out. It's forcing me to look at myself as a different person, because I have to actually like reinvent myself in my head as well as I'm speaking to people. I have to kind of not fake it till you make it, because I don't really like that too much, but it's kind of true, like I have to start acting like who I want to become. So I am having to get out, having to get dressed and get my hair done and my nails done and do things that really weren't as important. There were like a number 10 on my list now is like two or three, because I have to be presentable and just it forces me to get out and make friends and bump into people and talk to people and I really like that. I like that because.

Lissette Lopez: 16:28

I feel like that's what I was missing.

Janice Neely: 16:29

Yeah, I think, instead of make it till you, make it maybe live into it. Exactly, there you go, correct?

Lissette Lopez: 16:36

I like that a lot better yeah.

Janice Neely: 16:38

I think that's probably a good way to say it. So right now you are in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and what's the housing market like in Murfreesboro?

Lissette Lopez: 16:50

Gosh, it's booming In Middle Tennessee. It's crazy. I think we're number seven or number eight in the country of this town that's growing, it's exploding. Home prices are still rising but there's so many opportunities and I'm learning about so many programs for families and first-time home buyers that are still able to get you into a house. I know that we're hoping that the FHA is going to start going down a little bit so it's at 6 or 6.9%, I believe, and we're hoping that next year it looks like it might be down into the fives, which a lot more people are going to be able to access homes that they like. We're seeing multiple offers on homes just in the recent month, so I do see that some things are changing, which is good.

Janice Neely: 17:33

Yeah, I remember just a few years ago, or maybe two or three years ago, you could not get a house because there were people that were putting in offers sight unseen, and a lot from out of state, and so you know the local people did not have a chance. And the offers were much higher than the asking price. So now it's changed, but at the same time maybe it's a good thing if it levels and then people have opportunities, like you said, especially first time home buyers.

Lissette Lopez: 18:02

Exactly, exactly. Everybody's dream is to be a homeowner for the most part, so hopefully that's going to help a lot more people be able to accomplish that. Investment properties are still always good as well. I mean, you just don't lose money with real estate.

Janice Neely: 18:15

No, no, the property on top of it is one thing, but land is never going away.

Lissette Lopez: 18:20

Exactly.

Janice Neely: 18:21

And whatś the saying? They're not making any more of it. They're not making any more.

Lissette Lopez: 18:25

We have all that we can, so everybody's trying to grab a piece, yeah.

Janice Neely: 18:31

So what would you say to women who are over 50 or, you know, in midlife and they want to make a career change? Or they tossed it around a little bit but thought maybe I just should let that pass and accept things the way they are. What would you say to that?

Lissette Lopez: 18:51

Well, if you're happy the way you are, I say stay. Then, of course, just enjoy your ride. But if you have that feeling, or if there's any little thing in your mind that you want to do, you have that burning desire to try something else, go for it. I mean go for it. We're running out of time, but we only have this one life and just do it. And people are really not looking at you as much as you think. You know. You always think I'm going to make a fool out of myself. Everybody's so busy in their own mind and trying to get their own life going that even if you stumble, no one's going to care. Just get back up, dust yourself off and keep doing it. We definitely are going to regret what we don't do instead of what we have tried to do and fallen and gotten back up.

Lissette Lopez: 19:29

So, yeah, I say go for it.

Janice Neely: 19:31

Go for it. It's so important. It just made me think of something. Today I went with my husband. He went to the doctor and there was a lady in there sitting with him. I saw her come out of the building and she was probably about four foot eleven, had on a dress and had a hat on and got in her car and had a little trouble getting out of her parking spot but she finally did and then she really took off. But she looked like she was kind of up there in years and so my husband told me he talked to her and she was in her 90s and that she had two doctor's appointments today and she was not happy because it was cutting into her social life.

Lissette Lopez: 20:07

I love it. Look at her, go.

Janice Neely: 20:11

I think that when it used to be oh, you're supposed to be retiring with the gold watch when you're 55 years old and then just go sit there and be quiet and be nice and be happy with that. And what if we live another 50 years after that?

Lissette Lopez: 20:25

That's what I'm saying. Like you just said, we're living to 100. My grandma's died in their late 90s, so I've got another 40-something years ahead of me. Hopefully, I am not going to sit quietly and just fade away. I mean, there's too much light in us. I let that light shine and go out. However, you could do that, even if it's volunteering or helping. Just do whatever makes your heart smile.

Janice Neely: 20:45

Yeah, I just say be a part of life in whatever way it pleases you. Be, a part of life. Take part in it.

Lissette Lopez: 20:52

Yes.

Janice Neely: 20:52

Well, okay, everyone, Lissette has a page up on our website at RestlessToRenewed. com and you can get more information about her there. We also have her business card there. She would love to talk to any of you who are in Middle Tennessee or any part of Tennessee area, and if you want to list a home or if you would like to have her show you around, that would be great. If you're out of state and you're thinking of moving to Tennessee, give her a call and she is really, really nice and helpful. So you want to get somebody like her in your court. And I just want to thank you Lissette. For those of you who would be willing to follow us on Instagram and Facebook, we would really appreciate it.

Janice Neely: 21:40

We need all the likes and follows that we can get, and today I'm going to leave you with this quote from Harriet Tubman. ¨ Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars, to change the world.¨ Okay, so thank you, Lissette, and everybody. Thank you and have a good rest of your day.

Janice Neely: 22:10

Theme music playing: It´s alright if you don't know how to do it, come sit down and talk to me. It's all right that you're not sure how to do it. You're in perfect company. Now talk to me.