Moms in Real Estate

What if growing your real estate business didn’t mean cold calling, door knocking, or using sales tactics that don’t feel like you? What if the key to building a thriving business was simply creating genuine connections and bringing people together?

In this episode of Moms in Real Estate, Kristen Cantrell sits down with Sarah Binns Crawford, a Charlotte-based Realtor and founder of Hello Culture Charlotte, to talk about how authentic relationships, community building, and following your passions can transform both your business and your life.

Sarah shares her journey from working in property management for 12 years to taking the leap into real estate full-time in 2015 as a single mom. She explains how her referral-based business grew through genuine relationships, staying connected with people, and serving her community—not through chasing leads or relying on cold outreach.

After moving to Arizona, navigating major life changes, and eventually returning to the Carolinas, Sarah found herself craving deeper female friendships and a stronger sense of belonging. That desire led her to create Hello Culture Charlotte, a community where women entrepreneurs can connect, support one another, and build meaningful relationships.

Together, Kristen and Sarah explore how creating something you’re passionate about can open doors, spark conversations, and naturally attract the people you want to connect with.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- How Sarah made the leap from property management to real estate full-time as a single mom.
- Why authentic relationships can become the foundation of a referral-based business.
- How to find lead-generation strategies that fit your personality instead of forcing yourself into sales tactics you dislike.
- Why community building can create more meaningful conversations than the usual “How’s the market?” question.
- How Sarah turned a desire for female connection into Hello Culture Charlotte.
- Why you don’t need a perfect plan to start building something meaningful.
- How consistency, visibility, and repeated invitations help people feel comfortable joining your community.
- Why people may be watching what you’re building long before they decide to get involved.

The big takeaway: You don’t have to build your business like everyone else. When you create genuine connections, show up consistently, and build something you truly care about, you give people a reason to know you, trust you, and want to work with you.

**Connect with Sarah:**
- Instagram: @Sarah.the.Sunny.Realtor
(https://www.instagram.com/sarah.the.sunny.realtor/)

Become A Hello Culture Chapter Leader: https://thehelloculture.com/

Resources & Links
Join Our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therealmomsofrealestate
Follow along on Instagram @heykristencantrell @momsinrealestate
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moms-in-real-estate/id1434458650
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://heymire.myflodesk.com/momsinrealestate
Become a Sponsor: https://heymire.myflodesk.com/partner

What if your best real estate lead generation strategy didn’t feel like lead generation at all?

In this episode, Kristen Cantrell sits down with Cassie Roberts, a real estate agent, community builder, and Hello Culture chapter leader in the Denver/Castle Rock area.

Cassie shares how nearly a decade in real estate has taught her that the one thing she can always count on is change—and how learning to adapt has helped her build a business that works alongside her life as a mom.

But the heart of this conversation is community.

Cassie has turned her natural love for bringing people together into a powerful part of her business. From school events and mom friendships to her annual golf tournament and Hello Culture gatherings, she has found ways to build genuine relationships while doing things she actually enjoys.

Kristen and Cassie talk about:

* Why sphere of influence continues to be Cassie’s biggest source of business
* How community-building can become a natural form of lead generation
* Finding business-building activities that actually fit your life as a mom
* Why you don’t have to cold call or door knock if those strategies aren’t you
* How Cassie turned a small golf event into a **seven-year community tradition with 77 attendees**
* The importance of sticking with something even when the first few attempts feel like a flop
* How getting involved at your kids’ school can create meaningful relationships and business opportunities
* Why connecting with agents and entrepreneurs outside your local market can expand the way you think about your business
* The power of national communities, collaboration, and knowing you’re not building your business alone
* Cassie’s upcoming retreat and why she believes women need spaces for deeper connection

This episode is a great reminder that  everything big starts small. You don’t have to build a massive network overnight. Start with what feels natural, bring people together, stay consistent, and let the relationships grow.

Because when you build a business around genuine connection, **the business can grow right alongside the community.**

Become A Hello Culture Chapter Leader: https://thehelloculture.com/
Referral Room: Join The Waitlist: https://heymire.myflodesk.com/thereferralroomwaitlist

Resources & Links
Join Our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therealmomsofrealestate
Follow along on Instagram @heykristencantrell @momsinrealestate
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/moms-in-real-estate/id1434458650
Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://heymire.myflodesk.com/momsinrealestate
Become a Sponsor: https://heymire.myflodesk.com/partner

Host: Kristen Cantrell
Guest: Courtney Kattengell

Kristen sits down with Courtney Kattengell, a New Orleans-area broker and 20-year real estate veteran, for a raw conversation about building a 100% referral-based business, the burnout that brought her to her knees, and the deep personal work that led her to launch Righting Real Estate. Courtney shares how she went from a scripted, sales-y approach to real estate to becoming one of the most locally known agents in her market — and why she believes the most important home you'll ever work on is your own.

In This Episode

• Courtney's path from public school teacher to 20-year real estate veteran, and the classic "match my teaching salary" story
• Her 15-year business partnership with Tiffany, and why so few real estate partnerships last that long
• How Courtney became the go-to, locally known agent in her New Orleans-area market through community involvement and cause marketing instead of cold calling or door knocking
• Why she's safely 100% referral-based this year, and how that business grew organically through relationships instead of ad spend
• The coaching moment that changed everything: a mentor telling her to stop calling strangers and start with the people she already knows
• Courtney's journey into burnout — chasing bigger numbers every year while feeling completely disconnected from herself
• The personal reckoning that led her into deep healing work: somatic therapy, Reiki, and a three-month shadow work process
• How losing a big commission (and the family trip it was funding) forced her to confront how much pressure she puts on herself as a breadwinner
• The birth of Righting Real Estate and her Inner Home Method — helping real estate professionals reconnect with themselves beneath the roles and the chase for the next transaction
• Why Courtney is officially launching Righting Real Estate at the NAR NXT convention in New Orleans this November, and what her immersive booth experience will look like
• A fun close: if Courtney could bring on any influencer or celebrity for a new business, who would it be

"The most important home you'll ever work on is your own." — Courtney Kattengell

Resources & Links

1. Join the Moms in Real Estate Facebook Community
2. Learn more about Righting Real Estate: rightingrealestate.com
3. Follow Courtney on Instagram: @righting_real_estate
4. Meet Courtney at NAR NXT in New Orleans, November 6-8
5. Follow along on Instagram @heykristencantrell @momsinrealestate
6. Subscribe to our Newsletter
7. Become a Sponsor

Host: Kristen Cantrell
Guest: Danielle McKinley

Kristen sits down with her close friend and Moms in Real Estate partner Danielle McKinley, a money coach and self-described "money shame slayer," to talk about the subconscious stories that shape our relationship with money — and why even top producers making great income still feel shame around it. Danielle shares her own money story, how she went from exiting a SaaS company to becoming a money coach and licensed life insurance agent, and why she thinks every agent should zoom out and build multiple income streams instead of chasing the next lead.

In This Episode

• What it actually means to be a money coach, and why Danielle calls herself a "money shame slayer"
• How our money stories form between ages 0-8, and why most of us are unconsciously driven by beliefs we never examined
• Danielle's own money story: the moment as an 8-year-old that shaped her entire relationship with money
• Why exiting her company didn't "fix everything," and the sabbatical that led her to her life's work
• The five common money story patterns Danielle sees across new agents, mid-career agents, and top producers — and why shame shows up differently at each stage
• Why asking for help with money should be no different than asking for help writing your first contract
• Danielle's SEE method: See your story, Optimize your numbers, Transform through investing, and unlock freedom
• How life insurance, structured properly, can protect your wealth while you're still alive to use it
• Why Danielle doesn't buy leads and runs her business 100% on referrals
• How she "zoomed out" to build multiple income streams — coaching, life insurance, and now getting her real estate license to refer clients into Real Broker
• The money alarm hack: setting a daily phone alarm with a positive reframe to rewire your relationship with money through neuroplasticity
• Danielle's money story quiz and how to find your own patterns

"Your money story is driving you, whether you're aware of it or not — I want to make sure it's driving you towards your dream life." — Danielle McKinley

Resources & Links

1. Join the Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/therealmomsofrealestate 
2. Take Danielle's Money Story Quiz: https://quiz.daniellemckinley.com/
3. Search the Referral Network: MIREReferralNetwork.com
4. Follow Danielle McKinley on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneyshameslayer/
5. Follow along on Instagram @heykristencantrell @momsinrealestate
6. Subscribe to our Newsletter
7. Become a Sponsor

Kristen sits down with longtime friend Amy Miller, a Phoenix-based Realtor who's built a six-figure business in nine years without ever making a cold call. Amy shares how she leaned into relationships and networking instead of forcing herself into activities she hated, why she's stayed in the same BNI chapter for eight years, and how she runs her business without a traditional CRM, including an unconventional hack using Claude to track client conversations. She also opens up about protecting her Fridays for time with her grandkids and the mindset shift that made her stop chasing what everyone else's business looks like.

In This Episode

• Why Amy ditched cold calling and door knocking after trying them once, and leaned into relationships instead
• How she built her referral-based business through networking and her sphere of influence
• Eight years in the same BNI chapter, and why she evaluates it like any other part of her business instead of following the hype or the hate around it
• Advice for anyone intimidated to walk into a networking room: focus on one person, take a friend, and just get through the door
• Why Amy doesn't use a traditional CRM, and the email template system that transformed her client communication
• Her unconventional CRM hack: using Claude to log conversations, track prospects, and set follow-up reminders
• How she rates her own listing presentations by uploading the transcript and asking Claude what she missed
• Becoming a grandma in real estate, and why she blocks off every Friday to be fully present with her grandkids
• Setting client expectations upfront about her availability, and why that boundary hasn't cost her business
• Hiring her first TC, and what she's looking for in her next hire
• What "retirement" actually looks like for Amy, and the advice she'd give her first-year self about paycheck expectations

"My business doesn't have to look like what anybody else is doing. I get to run it the way that I want." — Amy Miller

Ad Notes (add links before publishing)

Become A Hello Culture Chapter Leader
Apply Now To Get Into The Referral Room

Resources & Links
Join Our Facebook Community
Follow along on Instagram @heykristencantrell @momsinrealestate
Follow Amy on Instagram @amymiller_azrealtor
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Become a Sponsor

Kristen sits down with three team leads, Mindy Jones, Cassandra, and Rachel Krill, for an honest, unfiltered conversation about the rollercoaster of running a real estate team. They talk about the moments they wanted to quit, why they didn't, and what it actually looks like to build a team (or a micro team, or no team at all) that fits your life instead of someone else's blueprint.

In This Episode

• Why the hardest part of leading a team isn't the business, it's finding people with the grit to embrace the suck
• The difference between leaders and team members, and why pouring into the wrong people leads to burnout
• Mindy, Cassandra, and Rachel's very different team models, micro team, mid-size, and everything in between, and why none of them is the "right" one
• Why Cassandra scaled back after realizing a bigger team didn't mean better production
• Ditching the word "pivot" for "seasons" — and why your business is allowed to change as your life changes
• The moment each guest almost walked away from their team or their business entirely, and what got them through it
• Why turnover is more expensive than most agents realize, and the "slow to hire, fast to fire" philosophy
• Learning to protect your own definition of success instead of comparing yourself to team photos and award stages
• Advice for anyone listening who feels like they're ready to quit right now
• Kristen's Hello Culture community-building coaching
• The Moms in Real Estate Referral Room and what's inside it

Ad Notes:
Become A Hello Culture Chapter Leader
Referral Room: Join The Waitlist

Resources & Links

• Join Our Facebook Community
• Follow along on Instagram @heykristencantrell @momsinrealestate
• Subscribe to our Newsletter
• Become a Sponsor

Kristen is back from summer break and kicking off Season 4 of Moms in Real Estate. In this catch-up episode, she reflects on stepping away from the regular schedule to focus on the creative, big-picture side of her business, reintroduces herself for anyone new to the show, and shares just how much the Moms in Real Estate community has grown, from a podcast to a 45,000-member Facebook group. 

She also gives an inside look at Hello Culture, her local community-building company, the revamped Referral Room, and what's coming up in Season 4.

In This Episode

• Why Kristen took a summer break from Moms in Real Estate's regular programming — and why she's doing it again
• A reintroduction to Kristen: founder of Moms in Real Estate, co-owner alongside Randi Mendez, founder of Hello Culture, and Real Broker agent with a network of nearly 400 agents
• The story behind Hello Culture — building real, non-transactional community instead of chasing networking events
• How Moms in Real Estate has grown from a podcast into a 45,000-woman Facebook community
• What the revamped Referral Room offers: featured local agent listings, peer reviews, marketing meetups, monthly referral masterminds, and weekly Playbook Series drops
• The heart behind the podcast — real stories, real struggles, and the moms behind the business
• A first look at what's coming in Season 4 guest lineup

"Stop chasing rooms and start creating them." — Kristen

Ad Notes:

• Become A Hello Culture Chapter Leader
• Referral Room: Join The Waitlist

Resources & Links

1. Join Our Facebook Community
2. Follow along on Instagram @heykristencantrell @momsinrealestate
3. Subscribe to our Newsletter
4. Become a Sponsor

What if growing your real estate business didn’t require sacrificing your family, your sanity, or yourself?

In this episode, Kristen sits down with Erin Bradley, founder of Pursuing Freedom, author, coach, and former mortgage professional, to talk about her journey from financial rock bottom to building a thriving business and life by design. Erin shares how a simple mindset shift inspired by The Go-Giver transformed the way she approached relationships, referrals, and success.

Together, they dive into:

• Why being a resource is more powerful than being a salesperson
• How to grow your business without burning out
• The real reason many women play small
• Building authentic relationships that lead to opportunity
• Investing in yourself through masterminds, retreats, and community
• Letting go of mom guilt while creating a life your children can learn from

If you've ever felt successful on the outside but overwhelmed on the inside, this conversation will remind you that there is another way, and that the freedom you're chasing may be closer than you think. 

Resources & Links:

Follow Erin Bradley on Instagram @pursuingfreedomofficial

1. Join the Facebook Community: Moms in Real Estate
2. Moms in Real Estate Referral Network: Find referral partners across the U.S.
3. Apply to Be on the Podcast
4. Follow along on Instagram @heykristencantrell & @momsinrealestate
5. Watch on YouTube
6. Subscribe to our Newsletter
7. Become a Sponsor

Check out our amazing sponsors:

Your Tax Coach // Professional Tax Accountants. We're not just saving you money, we're changing lives! @‌yourtaxcoach‌

The Real Time App // Simplifies real estate transactions for Realtors and their clients. Effortlessly manage documents, timelines, tasks, and vendors all in one seamless platform. Check it our HERE

Get a free week on content from Coffee & Contracts!

Coffeecontracts.com use code MIRE for $20 off

What if growing your real estate business didn’t require cold calls, awkward DMs, or chasing leads all day long?

In this episode of Moms in Real Estate, Kristen sits down with Sonoma County Realtor and community builder Amy Ahlers to talk about creating a business rooted in relationships, local connection, and authentic community. From launching her hyperlocal podcast Beyond the Vines to supporting small businesses and nonprofits, Amy shares how she’s built a thriving referral-based business by simply showing up and serving people well.

They also dive into the realities of balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship, setting boundaries with clients, delegation, podcasting as a networking tool, and how AI is starting to change the way real estate agents operate behind the scenes.

If you’ve ever wondered how to grow your business without feeling salesy this conversation is packed with ideas you can actually implement. Plus, there’s a surprisingly strong case made for house cleaners, bunny ownership, and protecting car ride conversations with your kids.

In this episode, we cover:

• Building a referral-based business through community
• Using podcasting to create authentic relationships
• Supporting local businesses as a marketing strategy
• Balancing motherhood, sports schedules, and real estate
• Delegation tips that actually make life easier
• AI tools Realtors should start paying attention to
• Why relationships will matter even more in the AI era

Resources & Links:

Follow @amyahlers_realtor on Instagram

1. Join the Facebook Community: Moms in Real Estate
2. Moms in Real Estate Referral Network: Find referral partners across the U.S.
3. Apply to Be on the Podcast
4. Follow along on Instagram @heykristencantrell & @momsinrealestate
5. Watch on YouTube
6. Subscribe to our Newsletter
7. Become a Sponsor

Check out our amazing sponsors:

Your Tax Coach // Professional Tax Accountants. We're not just saving you money, we're changing lives! @‌yourtaxcoach‌

The Real Time App // Simplifies real estate transactions for Realtors and their clients. Effortlessly manage documents, timelines, tasks, and vendors all in one seamless platform. Check it our HERE

Get a free week on content from Coffee & Contracts!

Coffeecontracts.com use code MIRE for $20 off

If you’ve been questioning whether you can actually build a big business as a mom… this episode is your sign.

I’m joined by Kacia Ghetmiri, podcast host, investor, and brand new agent who’s already closed millions in volume while navigating pregnancy and motherhood.

We talk about what it really takes to grow in this industry without losing yourself in the process and why your current season might be your biggest advantage, not your limitation.

We cover:

• How to stop overthinking and start moving
• The power of proximity and getting in the right rooms
• Why confidence comes after action (not before)
• Reframing burnout, comparison, and mom guilt
• Creating a business that actually feels fun

This is the mindset reset every woman in real estate needs.

Resources & Links:

Follow Kacia on Instagram @kacia.ghetmiri

Follow and listen to the @empower.herpodcast

1. Join the Facebook Community: Moms in Real Estate
2. Moms in Real Estate Referral Network: Find referral partners across the U.S.
3. Apply to Be on the Podcast
4. Follow along on Instagram @heykristencantrell & @momsinrealestate
5. Watch on YouTube
6. Subscribe to our Newsletter
7. Become a Sponsor

Check out our amazing sponsors:

Your Tax Coach // Professional Tax Accountants. We're not just saving you money, we're changing lives! @‌yourtaxcoach‌

The Real Time App // Simplifies real estate transactions for Realtors and their clients. Effortlessly manage documents, timelines, tasks, and vendors all in one seamless platform. Check it our HERE

Get a free week on content from Coffee & Contracts!

Coffeecontracts.com use code MIRE for $20 off