Name:
Jessica
What part of town do you live in?
I live in Pinecrest.
How long have you lived in the area?
I grew up in Miami, I went to FSU and then moved to London after college. I lived in London for about nine years and moved back here with my husband and kids, five years ago.
Did you meet you husband in London?
Yes. We met through friends at a bar right when I first moved there. I went out with some new friends and he was part of the group. I think London is one of the best cities in the world. There’s nowhere better to roam around. There’s so much culture and things to do. And then, we came back because I’m an only child and my family’s here. My husband loves fishing and boating, so it wasn’t a hard sell. We came back in time for our eldest to start kindergarten.
What keeps you busy during the week?
I am a realtor at EWM (currently transitioning to be known as Berkshire Hathaway Home Services) in Pinecrest. I got my license about four years ago. It’s a great mom job. It allows me to work and still pick up the kids and be present with all the stuff they have going on. In my spare time, I love Kundalini Yoga, crafting, and recently learning about Ayurveda.
We’ve interviewed several realtors; how do you create a niche?
The best advice a friend ever gave me when starting out, was to find a mentor. Real Estate transactions can be daunting in the beginning. I asked my then realtor, Ann Allerhand-Leibowitz, if she would be my mentor. After a few months we decided we would stay together as partners. Ann has been doing this for about 25 years. Her experience and knowledge about the market is unbelievable. I bring a more creative element to what we do. I love to help clients see a vision in a home. I create vision boards for them. I help them prepare their home for listing, decluttering and re-styling. It has been the biggest gift, partnering with her. I think our clients get the best of both worlds having us both.
What is a vision board?
A vision board is a powerful tool utilizing the law of attraction. It is a board you create that displays images that represent what you want to be, do, or have in your life. A sort of collage in a way, but they are more goal specific. You can also do boards which focus on how you want to feel. The limited space of a board helps you focus on the specific goals or things you want to manifest in your life. You can have multiple boards on different things at one time. With my boys, I’ll grab a small poster board, some magazines, and glue. They are powerful because when you place it in a space where you will see it throughout the day, you are essentially doing visualization exercises each time you look at it. When you visualize, you emit a powerful frequency to the universe, your brain also trains your body for those goals to become your reality.
Why did you choose the Kundalini practice of yoga?
It had the most resonating effect for me. I tried all different kinds of yoga. Kundalini yoga is the power of Mantra to unite the body and mind and elevate your consciousness. I have taught my boys to choose mantras and repeat them out loud or in their minds when they need them. They are great tools that children can use as well to develop a healthy sense of self.
What have you learned regarding Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is the lesser known sister science of yoga. Ayurveda is the belief that health can be achieved only through a balance of mind, body, and spirit. I believe the future of medicine is a more integrative approach, combining modern advancements with powerful ancient methods. Whenever I come to your stand, I think about Ayurveda because you sell many things derived from Turmeric. In Ayurveda turmeric is sort of the “Holy Grail” of medicinal plants. It possesses a wide spectrum of amazing qualities and medicinal uses. It’s a natural anti-inflammatory, its linked to improved brain function, lower risk of disease and it’s a powerful antioxidant. I just think it is so amazing, and I am not sure everyone out there knows but the stuff you all are selling, is delicious and unbelievable medicine!
How often do you come to the Pinecrest market?
We try to come most weeks.
What’s your ritual like when you come?
We always come to you. Our staples are you, Live Pawsitively, and Zak. My husband has to work a lot on the weekends, so we’ll often meet at the market early, and he’ll grab himself a hibachi or a poke bowl to bring for lunch.
What do you get from our stand?
Smoothies, the turmeric tonic and the dressing. Our kids love the Jackson smoothie. When you have your Guacamole, we always get it. And now, our whole family is obsessed with your fruit roll ups. When we first got them, we thought we’d be able to share one and that didn’t work. We get one for each of us. I got the Turmeric Golden Coins last week and they are amazing as well! It’s really hard to find a filling snack that is substantially nutritious. You’re having something healthy, but it makes you feel like you’re indulging in something too.
What do you think the market is missing?
I’d love more local artists like the ceramics league. It would be nice to find gifts and support someone local
Do you have any favorite market stories?
I love that, no matter what time of the day that we go, I always see somebody that I haven’t seen in a long time. That’s what’s powerful about it; it connects and reconnects friends.
What’s the area’s best kept secret?
There’s a little park – kind of an unofficial dog park, and a lot of people don’t know it’s there – off of Schoolhouse road and Hammocks drive, off 88th. It’s this little oasis in the middle of suburbia, with dandelions and a trail. Some people get put off because they added a gate, but it’s still open. It reminds me of the English countryside, the way the kids can run with the dogs. If you walk through the trails, you can get to Matheson Hammock.
What restaurants do I like to go out to?
We like Raw South like for a quick light lunch. We like Indian food, so we go to Ghee a lot. We like Glass and Vine, because the kids can play like alongside us at the park. And, we love Hillstone – it’s an oldie but a classic.
What’s a worthy splurge for you?
Concert tickets.
What’s a good rainy-day activity?
A cozy day at home where I can convince my kids to craft something with me or we can play a game, like banana grams, or rummy cube.
What community events do you participate in that you mike like to share?
I go to a lot of workshops at the Sacred Space. It’s a community. I feel like there’s such a power when people come together and support each other. It’s more than just a yoga studio. Last week, there was somebody that taught about human design, which is about your authentic code.
Is there a question you would like to ask us?
In one of your recent interviews, you mentioned starting a community center or enlarging this newsletter to the whole Miami community. I think that these newsletters are so powerful. We’re ready for some sort of different experiences. Do you have any development on this front?
(A+W) Nothing concrete, however we are discussing the idea with lots of friends and brainstorming ideas. We did get the url: interviewmiami.com – nothing there yet, but a starting place of something to come and discussions to be had.
Any words of advice or a challenge for the community?
Together we are more powerful. We have been conditioned to compete against each other and it just doesn’t work. A quote, by Helen Keller, that I love goes hand in hand with that sentiment. “Alone, we can do so little; together we can do so much”- Helen Keller