I am honored to be featured on Carly’s blog. She is my favorite person, and I’m so heated up everyday that real estate brought us together. She honestly has inspired me in so many ways. She can attest that saying no is not my strong suit… Let’s get into that.
Being a yes girl is absolutely a must for my career— I am extremely social and love to fly by the seat of my pants, so this has worked well in the real estate world. Plus, I absolutely love my job. As a mom and a wife, it does not work as well. The balancing act is something I’m trying to master.
After a lot of therapy (highly recommended), a teammate who was not afraid to tell me she was overwhelmed from the “yes” (shoutout to Carly), and self reflection, I realized I can handle a lot on a little sleep. This is truly one of my best skills. This also affects my marriage and ability to be a present mother. So finally, in fall 2023, I decided to be a mom on Fridays — surprisingly this was one of the hardest decisions I made, but at the same time, the easiest.
I have an amazing assistant, and all the support in the world from my husband and family. Stepping back to realize saying no to work says yes to my family has been a huge eye-opener. And my clients have also been amazing and completely understand my life phase. Setting this boundary has truly changed my life and I recommend saying no more. However, saying yes, is really really fun! One thing I realize through this journey is that my clients want to work with me even when I decided to be a mom on Fridays. It shows why I do this job… Truly, my kids and family are the reason for everything.
One thing that helped me come to this realization is feeling grateful. I don’t think my husband gets enough credit… Ben loves to parent solo on the weekends when I work. He never asks for help on those days. He is grateful for that time with our children. He has taught me to feel grateful for all the little moments plus grateful that I am a successful Realtor in Atlanta. I grew my business by myself. Being a successful woman independently feels amazing and I am f***ing proud of myself. I hope I can show my kids how to work hard and to be independent, but to have boundaries/say no at the same time!
If you’re one of my clients, you may call me a liar because I’ve shown you a house on Friday… But sometimes the market runs wild & I don’t want them to miss out! So I may have a baby on my hip on Fridays (warning to you in the future, but sorry not sorry, lol).
Welcome to the crazy life of Kara Woodall! I would not trade it for the world!!!! I LOVE my family, my life, and real estate and I ACTUALLY can do it all! For me, gratitude keeps it all in perspective. I’m so grateful I am able to be a realtor, a mom, and a wife. I am grateful for this crazy life.
If you struggle with the balancing act, don’t feel alone— I think that’s just working mom life plus any mom’s life in general. I’m proud to say yes! And I’m proud to say no ma’am!