Ep16 - Fee Gentry

But overseas before pre wnba. And so after I got out, my degree and background is really in rehab. And so I started working with sports performance rehabilitation, worked with athletes. So then it went into. So I'll talk. I worked with the NFL, NBA, so all these things. And then it just start. Because my MBA is in marketing and entrepreneurship, I started creating sponsorship packages because people were like, like, hey, how do we create value with the athletic world and the business world? And so I start putting those together. And then personalities of retired athletes and current athletes and professionals. And so I founded a company that's called Hometown Sports Network in Houston. And I was the very first female to start this innovative kind of company that was really pre online. And so we were doing fundraisers and then working with, like, you name it, NFL combines, wnba, pre basketball camps, tennis events, working with police departments to heal the communities between police departments in the youth. And so we used athletes in sports to help bridge that gap. So that's it. And then the most influential person with that, believe it or not, was Wilma Rudolph.

Awesome. Ooh, tell me about that.

Yeah, she was. She changed in track and field. She changed the sport for women, especially women of color. And so for her, you know, to be a gold medalist and go through all the things that she did, she set that precedent for me. And so she's always probably been my most inspirational athlete in that time, and that was a great influence. And then. And then there was just all kinds of, you know, other athletes that I can just go on, from Michael Jordan to Kobe Bryant, you know, in the sports realm. So.

Yeah. Now, did you ever get to speak to Wilma or ever interact with her with Wilma Rudolph?

No, I did not. I didn't get to interact with her, but I just. She was always just a favorite of mine.

Yeah, that's obviously what she did was monumental and influential and innovative, and many people would say, so during your sports marketing time, were you able to interact with any professional athletes? And if you did, who did? Who grabbed you? Not physically, but who grabbed you emotionally or with their attitude where you said, man, now that's. I would have never expected an attitude like that. Or that's something I learned. Maybe you got a story about somebody that really had an impact on you that you were able to talk with.

I love the attitude of George Foreman. Really? Yeah. George Foreman was probably one of the. And he was toward the end of his career, or he was at the end of his career, he was like. But he kept on coming in and coming back out, but he. He was Impactful because he just understood that after being on the other side of the sports career. So coming back, I think it was like 30 years or 40 years of boxing. Right. Or that he was able to give back and he understood what being an ambassador was and being a responsibility back to the industry. Who else was. Charles Barkley was interesting to do.

Still is interesting.

I can't tell most of the stuff, but for him showing up, doing that. Kenny Smith was another Kenny Smith. I did a lot of basketball camps with Kenny Smith.

Okay.

Yeah, he was very influential in. In terms of again, being a role model about. Not only about. He was about academics and entrepreneurship and business. He really understand that part of it.

So did you interview.

And Kim Perrott? Kim Perrott, my favorite. Before she passed away, I had the opportunity to. And Cynthia Cooper and Tina Thompson. So a lot of the Houston comments, I worked with them in the Houston marketplace. So they got it at a high level.

And then you said that Ken was your favorite. What was it about her?

Kim Porot? Yeah, she was just an ambassador again. Just a great ambassador for women's sports. And then in her years when she was battling the disease of cancer, she fought it publicly and fought that through that disease publicly and continue to encourage. Even though she was dying, she kept on encouraging a lot of people to go forth and live their life to the fullest. And she did that every single day. And she inspired a lot of young women and girls.

And so when you met Charles and Kenny, was that at a basketball thing or were you interviewing them or what was the. We don't need any bad stories. I'm just curious, how did you come across Charles Barkley? He's still obviously very entertaining today.

Charles Barkley and all was just. When he was in Houston or in Arizona. My sister was with. Was working with the Phoenix Suns at that time. I believe she was working with them somehow. So I met him. But Kenny Smith, I kind of knew from. Man, I know. How did I know Kenny from basketball camps? From the Rockets? I mean, I just kind of always hung out with those athletes and did events and stuff with them a lot. But yeah.

Where did you play your college ball?

I played at Long beach and then Virginia Commonwealth University.

Oh, vcu. And then. So what happened? Why did you switch?

Long story.

Did it have to do with attitude?

Yes, probably so. Probably so. Yeah, we'll just use that.

I got you. And so what did. Number one, because there are people that are listening this that may be not only switching basketball teams, but maybe they're switching careers. Maybe they're in the same career switching companies, maybe they're switching husbands or wives. What's your thought or what's the attitude that you took when it was time for you to change? Not only in the basketball scene back in college, but with all the different things that you've started and have created throughout your past years?

Attitude has always been about never regretting, making regrets. Right. Being whole and complete with yourself and then moving forward. What's next? What's next? And having that attitude of expectancy. If you make a mistake, it's just like, like your last plate, you can't focus on that last play. And because when you have that next shot that's coming up, you have to pay attention to that. So that's where it's always to be present and then forward facing with that. So that's what I kind of took away from those next moves and being valuable, being an asset. Because sometimes you come in with a different attitude. You think you're here and you think you've arrived, but nothing, you know, everything is earned, right? Nothing is nothing. Don't think, take things for granted. Because my first day at vcu, I'll never forget this. Walked into the gym, it was winter. I transferred mid season. Met this young man named Michael Brown, who was going to be a first round draft choice at VCU. Talk to him, and 15 minutes later he fell up, had a heart attack and died. He was 20 years old. My first day of practice, basketball practice, that is something. The men were in the gym and he was welcoming. Hey, welcome to. Welcome and Boba, glad to have you. He was dead 15 minutes later.

Wow. Well, that will wake you up, give you a new perspective and certainly affect the old attitude on that. Wow, that's just. What a crazy story. Talk to me about the coach you've had in your life in basketball. We can stay there and then we can talk about other coaches. Who was the best basketball coach you had? What was their attitude and what did they teach you most, really?

Believe it or not, my high school basketball coach is probably one of my best basketball because he helped me get clear on who I was and what role I played on a team. And he took me from. I always wanted to stand back, you know, not be. I always wanted to be lead from the back. And he goes, you can't lead from the back. So he taught me that. Also taught me from being right handed to left handed. I was shooting like come with both hands. And he made, he made me decide. He was like, you're left handed. Like, and so that was a big thing. Other coaches believe it or. Oh, one of my favorite coaches, Pat Summitt during Adidas basketball camp.

Oh, wow.

To be coached by her in Santa Barbara. At the Santa Barbara basketball Camp. I was at a blue chip camp or something like that. And she instilled a lot, a lot of confidence in us as young women and it was an honor to be coached by her legacy.

And so yeah, and I've heard that before, her enthusiasm, her encouragement, her belief in the players is one of her strong suits. Did she ever say anything to you or give you any message that stuck out or stays with you today about life, attitude or how to look at things?

Coach, she said a whole lot. I mean during camps there's. I can't think of anything right off the bat but like you said, it's, that's that same message I remember. You know, I still have a book that she autographed for me for a 16 year old kid, I think I was like 15 or 16 year old kid for her to autograph this book and to just speak wisdom and oh, and she put me on the all star team. When I think I didn't deserve it. I remember that because she saw potential in me. It was a camp, it was like, you know, it was an achievers camp where Blue Chippers camp. And I didn't and I thought I had a horrible camp. Like I just did not play well. But because she trusted me, I do remember that either her or one of the coaches on the staff put me on the all star team for the all star game during that camp that was memorable.

Now as an athlete as well, I played college football. There are people throughout your childhood, all the way up to when we say we can't do it anymore. There are teammates and feel free to share their names who affect you, who bring you joy, who teach you things, who open your eyes to different life of other people. When you think about some of your favorite teammates or your best teammates or the teammates where they stick with you in your head, where you go, man, their story is so unreal. Do you have any teammates that come to mind when I bring that up and what was their story?

Man, I've got a lot, I mean I've got a lot of them because I've played with a lot of people over the years.

Sure.

Where do you want me to start?

Just the one that comes to your head, the one that you think might be the most impactful for the people that are here to try to become the person they want to Become or to go where they want to go. You know, any. Just whatever one's the easiest for you that comes to your mind. I'm sure they're all good, but I'd love to give them a flavor of what it was like on who impacted you.

One of them, I'll go with. I was going to say Lisa Wright was one of them. And five, two point guard. Just played with zeal and fervor in to come back from ACL repair. After ACL repair surgery, she taught me how to come back from mine always, you know, and being a coach's daughter, teaching. She taught us about leadership and team and how to work as a team because she was the quarterback of the team.

How to.

I think that was some of my favorite. Some of my favorite times of working with someone like her. And then she went on as a career to become a sheriff's, you know, the sheriff's deputy. And her and her husband raised kids. And they're like their daughters are playing college basketball. And so she passed it to, like, three generations of players to watch that. I really admire that story about Lisa in college. Oh, gosh. In college I played with a lot of people. Some of those stories I should probably leave off screen. Like, yeah, yeah.

I'm not trying to have you hang anybody up.

Yeah, that's what. Yeah. Like, like, yeah.

You must have had some rough teammates, girl.

Man, when you play with some of the people I played with over the years. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But, yeah, I can let you off the hook and we'll keep moving. How does that sound?

Let me off the hook on that one.

All right. All right. So when we think about, you know, your time as a college basketball player ends. Right. You graduate. Did you graduate from vcu?

I graduated from vcu, yes.

Congratulations. And did you get a master's or a doctorate or anything or.

I got my MBA. I got a master's from Arleigh Lake University. MBA, like, three years later, so. Or four years later, I guess, is when I. Well, no, 2000. So I graduated in 2000 with my MBA and entrepreneurship. I also went from. I also went to physical therapy school. I did not finish my PT school degree because I figured out, like, why be a body mechanic? I was making the money, doing everything. I had already owned, like, nine businesses, you know, and I was like, why am I. Like, why am I going back to school to be a body mechanic? And I knew that I was needed to do a higher calling. Yeah.

And so what, number one, two interesting things. What's the best thing you Learned at MBA school. And then tell me, out of those nine businesses, what was your worst one and what was your best one? Ready, Go.

Number one thing I learned in business school was about supply and demand. Right? That's learning that supply, demand, chain and elasticity. Right. Price elasticity versus the demand. So I know that people pay for anything that they want, whether it's toilet paper and it's just how you position it. Right. Is it gourmet toilet paper? So that's one. And then number two you asked me.

About, you said I had nine.

And so my favorite business of all things.

Yes, yes.

I felt like I owned a business called crunch time Vending. It was a vending machine business. I had like 50 something vending machines and we put them in like plants. So all these guys are eating, you know, popcorn, candy, gumballs. I was making a killing in the vending business, vending business. Because that was, that taught me about passive income, right? Because you just put in, you put in some product and you sell the product at you know, five, five times its value and its passive. You don't have to be there other than to have the machines reloaded and stocked. That was, that was my favorite.

And collect the quarters.

And collect the quarters. Man, that was like that. Like that was that Crunch time vending. But that was the favorite.

What was, what was the worst business you ever created?

The worst business I ever created?

You said you had nine. So there had to be one where you're like, oh boy, this isn't man.

There's some ones that, you know, being entrepreneur, probably the, probably the worst one that we knew we probably shouldn't have done was. Oh God. Yeah, it was, it was this sports theory like a sports network. And that was working. It wasn't a sports network. It was a rehab. It was a rehab business and it was working with post rehab patients and getting reimbursed by health insurance. Oh yeah, that was like that sucked. So we were thinking, okay, you know, and I love working the populations of cancer patients, you know, postpartum pregnancy, all that stuff, heart disease. But the dealing with health insurance.

Yeah, that was the worst. Yeah, you're never going to get your money. You need an MBA just to have that.

Yep, yep, yep. That was, that was the worst gig right there.

Let's talk a little bit about you moving in into the real estate space, right? You've had all these businesses. Where did, have you been in real estate a long time?

Since 2004. Honestly. Real estate was plan F, Glenn. I mean honestly, it started because my mom was building a house in Texas, and I had just crashed and burned in physical therapy school. You know, my life was a relationship breakup. You know, it was just one of those, you know, business. Business was that. Was that business failure that was not going well. And I just said, man, you know, I just needed a. I needed a win, right? Because I just kept on having loss after loss after loss. And so my mom, you know, was like, I need you to watch my house, and I need you. You know, she was like. And my family did an intervention. Was 4th of July. I'll never forget it was 4th of July. My family was like, you're working, you're burnout. Let come home. And my mom said, you stay home for six months or, you know, but I need you to watch this house being built. I was like, oh, okay. So that's how it all started. Real estate. A real estate home being built. And the commissioner of Texas. The real estate commissioner of Texas start talking to me. And she was like, you know, you. There's something about you. You could be in the top 1% in real estate. And I was like, lady, I didn't go to school for, you know, I didn't get to go to school for all this to become a real estate agent. I didn't think very highly of real estate agents right at the time. And honestly, I didn't. So she's like, no. And then she. But I remember reading all the books with, you know, Kawasaki and, you know, Millionaire next door. All of them had, you know, their assets and starting their roots in real estate. So I was like, okay. So I was like, oh, you know, I'll give it a try. And honestly, I didn't know a lockbox from a listing and sold 39 homes my first year because I knew how.

To market every broker's dream.

I don't know.

I just sold 39 homes, right?

Yeah. I had no clue, Right. I thought I sucked. And then they were like, well, you know, you won. I won this little bronze medal. And I was kind of pissed. Cause I'm, you know, like. I was like, oh, there's a silver and a gold, right? So I'm very. I'm very competitive. I was like, okay, so what else can I do? And so I took my career from there.

Yeah. How about that? And then now you have evolved into this major influencer in the real estate space. Space with what you're doing and. Which is probably a higher calling, much more fulfilling than opening doors, going to closings, and putting signs in yards. And, you know, as you probably know we were just so fortunate enough, Jason and I, to be given the Communicator Award for diversity and inclusion. And I've always respected and love what you do. The fact that you are the co founder of One EXP one, which I speak to real estate companies all over the spectrum. And I'm not sure that I've ever seen anything like this. So I'd love to. Let's start with one exp, the big thing. Then we'll go down to the Black EXP Network because I want to talk a little bit about that too. But talk to me about just this whole mission and vision of one exp. What's it mean? Why is it so innovative? Which it is. And tell our listeners, like, maybe the people listening have something inside of them. They go, there's more to my life than what I'm doing. There's more than this job that I have. That's what I want to hit on, too. I know you're going to tell me about it, but what was it inside of you that made you recognize there's more to this than what I got to do?

Perfect. So let's go back and talk about Exp exp's DNA. We have nine core values and principles. And our founder, Glenn Sanford, had always envisioned when he created this in his mind, he always created a world where everybody had a place to belong, that our business platform was equitable, like there's no side deals that are made. There's no good old boys network that could take a franchise. We're a brokerage model. And so within that, he also wanted to create a universe where everybody, like I said, had the opportunity to belong and to have the equal opportunity to succeed. And he understood, though, that some people have a different way of, have different levels of participation in the industry and that real estate is not the same. Yes, the X's and O's of real estate are probably the same, but not everybody understands, has a different, has a different experience with real estate where they come from. I'll give you an example. One of our colleagues was talking about farming and he said, he said, yeah, my community, you know, my, my family has farmed this community for six generations. And another agent who was sitting next to me, who's a black agent, said, yeah, we did too, but we were farming it. It was a different. They were working, working it as opposed to being in the farm. So it's, it's that those kind of experiences that people have or, you know, redlining or somebody who's a veteran that they move all the way. I mean, so there's all these different things that are different of how we experience real estate on a diverse platform of people who've been there. And so what one XP is, our mission is to become the most diverse and inclusive real estate brokerage in the world.

Awesome.

And that we also want to change the industry where it is because we know that there are some huge discrepancies and disparities with real estate. And then moving forward, we understand that we have an obligation as a company to lead and take the forefront on making sure that we create a path for everybody moving forward in the industry because that's the only way this industry is going to continue to succeed. And not, not making differences because people think about diversity as, you know, color, sex, gender and all that. We're talking about different perspectives because that's where diversity innovation comes from. So we took it a higher level. Just forget about just regular diversity and inclusion because people kind of push back on that. But if we show that there's a business case showing that the higher, the more diversity that you have within a company and an industry, the better the industry does overall. It just, there's a fact, there's science, there's research and studies that show that women in leadership, people of color in leadership, people living around the world and, and that we do it in conjunction with our quote, straight white male counterparts because people were pushing back against that. That's who's important. Right. Those are, those are the key stakeholders that we do it in partnership to not exclude everybody. So that's what we do.

That's such a beautiful mission. And it's never ever stated like that. And I think to take that higher ground, to redefine what diversity inclusion can mean and what it should mean is really, really a great step in the right direction. And that's just got to be so exciting for you to continue to state this over and over. And my guess is you've been received extremely well. You know, I've been in around, I've watched it, but that's the first time I've really heard it explained like that. And I do believe that that is the future. So congratulations on that definition and that mission. What's your biggest challenge in doing this?

Biggest challenge is having I have more vision than I do people. So sometimes it's breathing. Right.

I know the problem.

Yeah. So we have ambassadors and people. We need more people, like minded people to come forth because we have such a big, because we called it 1 XP 1.0. Now we're in 1 XP 2.0 which we're taking it global. Right. So it's not. Yes. It's not even just a domestic vision. It's an international vision. So now we need more people to help fulfill the vision. And so it's taking leaders like yourself. So Glenn, I'm have you off the sidelines because you do a lot of work. Right. But to pull you in and have you participate and that means being an ambassador, that's speaking, training, helping people with their production because. And then. So I call them, I have a three and it's a repeatable process because people think diversity and inclusion is just like this program. It's a repeatable proven process in a system on how we do it. There's the personal part where it's your personal finances and your personal production. Then there's the community where you're responsible for helping influence and impact your community. And then there's the industry. How do we change the industry? How do we help get new thought leadership in so we all can participate in all three of those levels.

Yeah, that'll be one exp 20.0.

Right, right, right. And so. And then we can. And then having an impact and an income. I think like I said, where we are in our, you know, especially you and I in our careers, we've done the transactions.

Sure.

It's now time. How do we have an impact? How do we change and work on the next generation? And that's what Glenn was thoughtful about too, you know, using our young professionals. So most people like, why isn't young professionals on diversity inclusion? Because they're. That's that the young people are our future and they understand the world in a utopic and a. In a global society like better than anybody else. And so having young people lead the future is where it's at.

Yeah. No question that the 20 somethings out there come from a completely different place, space and mindset than old dogs like us. And so then when we talk about to drill that down, which I'm really passionate about is African American home ownership. Right. And this gets into the 3200 agents that we have at Black Exp Network that started before 1 exp. You were the founder of that talk to me about, you know, what was the impetus? I mean, did you sit down and go dang it, we need to do.

This or no, let me know. I'll tell you what happened. Literally, I joined exp in May of 2017. So it's been exactly four years and I'd be at these events And I'd be the only black person in the room. Me or maybe, like, Brian Russo. You know, there might be two or three black people or Wally. Yeah, right. And so there. And it was like, I was like, man, there are decisions that are being made in the company there. There's pieces, gold nuggets that are there, but we weren't in the room. And so I. And so Jason guessing, of all people, we're playing. We're playing golf. We're playing golf. And Jason was like, fee, you should. You should start a black network at exp. And I was like, dude, no. Like, I was like, we had just had a con. We had just had an election. And I was like, I don't want that. He was like, no. He goes. He was telling me. He's like, there's a difference between how, you know, African American community experiences real estate, especially overall in your community. It's, you know, with fair housing, with. He just easily. And I'm like, looking at Jason like, what? Like, so. So I was like, I don't know, Jason, fast forward to December. And he was like, fi, have you started the Black EXP Network yet? And then here comes Julie from the Pride Network, the LGBTQ community. She's like, fee, you really need to start it. And I kept on waiting for somebody else. And then I was like, why not me? So I made a commitment because I did, you know, be the change you want to see, right? So I knew that that was the change that I wanted to see, and so created the Black XP Network on the movie off of the movie Wakanda or the Black Panther. I wanted to create a society for black agents and allies. So others like yourself, who wanted to. Who were in for creating closing the gap between home ownership, closing the gap between education, wealth, all of that through these innovative programs for African American agents and allies. And so that's what we did. And so it's education, training, awareness. We're having our first event in Puerto Rico next week again to empower. Teach about agent attraction. One of the really great things about exp, because, you know, our. Our culture and community is always talking about we want to leave a legacy for our kids. Well, you're not going to leave a legacy with your kids doing transaction after transaction. You need all three, which is passive, active, and residual income. And that's what I believe. EXP provides that platform. And especially it's really good for. For black agents.

That is so cool. We are with the great Fee Gentry, and we only got a couple minutes. I just want to Hit on the scene, the Sports Entertainment Influencers Network. Talk to our folks about what that is, how they can get involved, where they can engage and how they may benefit by checking you out.

Sure. So the scene I was so excited about, Collin Jacobs and myself founded at Agores because of our backgrounds, we just love sports and we know that one thing about sports, sports brings you to the world and the world back to you. Right. And so we know that that is the universal language is sports Entertainment influencers, though. We know that that's a network of people in a special niche that is really different. It's like. And so we knew that if we could get agents to engage and it doesn't have to be a pro team or you're not representing, you know, Jennifer Aniston and, you know, like in George, you know, George Lopez or somebody. But we KN that you could be the mayor of. You could be the celebrity representative in your town, the Little League team, or Disney if you're in Florida, Disney or wherever you are in your town, if you're the coach that you're working with. Coaches in your town as colleagues. But the other part about it, it was more important than any of the Sports Entertainment Influencers part is that again, it's from transformation. I mean, being from transactional to transformative in changing in people's lives and giving back. And that's. We have a responsibility globally, domestically, as we go. So as EXP grows globally, we'll be like the black EXP Network. We're going to be sponsoring agents over in South Africa to help them get their license. And then not only that, we're also going to be providing, setting up sports fields for kids. So it'll be imagine EXP Again, we're funding for the future. Other brokerages have just, you know, they go and take. We want to come there, set up sports fields, scholarships to help other agents, enable them to get into the community, into the field.

And so the SCENE will be working in conjunction with EXP on certain initiatives, I would guess. Right.

They're under the one EXP umbrella as well. Yes. So they can join. They can join on the workplace. So they go into EXP Workplace and they can join. We're also going to have some live events around the country. So as we're coming out of this Covid environment, you'll get to see us and you'll get to learn. You might get to be certified, get a certification on how to be a sports entertainment and influencer real estate agent, how to work in that niche. You know what it looks like for non disclosure, you know, confidentiality, you know, signing what working with non disclosures, how to work the concierge services, luxury investments, etc.

I love it. Well, I want to respect your time, but I do want to make sure that you have an opportunity to give a message of hope to our gappers, to our folks that are listening, who have come here, who have clicked on your beautiful picture. That said, I think I need to listen to Fee Gentry. What is your one message of hope for the people that want to get from where they are to where they want to go, from who they are to who they want to become? What's your one piece of Fee Gentry advice?

I always kind of talk about this Never be limited by other people's limited expectations of who you are.

Right.

Just who who you are and where you came from is not where you are of what you're destined to be. What we think and what we believe is what takes us forward and so we always have to be aware of that. A lot of times people want to put labels on us and we're in the only label and self limitation is what we put on ourselves. Never let someone else limit who you are and who you want to be in your life. So that's kind of where that's kind of my life lesson is never be limited by other people's limited limitations of the of you.

I love it. And I can tell you this, this lady does not put limitations on anyone that she's around and especially herself. I cannot wait to see the accomplishments, the change and the transformation that you make inside your company, but more importantly, outside in our world. V Gentry, thank you so much for being a honored and esteemed guest on the Get Attitude Podcast and we will see you very soon. This podcast is a part of the C Suite Radio Network. For more top business podcasts, visit c-suiteradio.com.