Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeanine Smith.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I always dreamed about becoming an entrepreneur in real estate. My goal was to renovate and develop properties throughout the US while accumulating a rental portfolio. I’ve read tons of books on flipping and I love watching renovation shows on HGTV. My favorite host is Egypt Sherrod, and I have watched every single episode of her show, “Flipping Virgins.” This business was initially just a dream. Before I launched my company, I was a single mom in Atlanta, working corporately in the Finance and Insurance industry for Fortune 500 companies. I was in leadership positions, making six figures a year, but I was miserable. I spent a lot of my time dreaming about what it would feel like to work for myself and to control my own income, time, and destiny. I was always different at work, I would attempt to share my aspirations with my co-workers, and they would always look at me as if I was insane. So, I kept plugging along until a few years later, I went through a devastating breakup. I decided it was time for a change, so I quickly landed a new role and made some personal changes. Upon, arriving at my new place of employment on my first day on the job, I met my now fiancé Nick. Nick was wildly different from any other man I ever dated, and he encouraged me to pursue my dreams and he supported it. Several months after meeting and dating, we decided to move in together and sell my current home. We spent some of our bonus money fixing up my house that I owned at the time and listed the house, thinking it would take some time to sell. Not in Atlanta, shockingly, we went under contract in 3 days and closed in 10 days and made a quick profit of $70,000.00. That $70,000.00 became the funds that I used to launch my business, and I have never looked back since. Even though it has been an interesting year, 2020 marks my first full year in entrepreneurship and now three full years of my business. I now renovate and develop about 8-10 houses a year, and I am now starting to work on our rental portfolio. In 2021 we will be focusing on acquiring 4 rental properties in the Orlando, Pittsburgh, and Chicago area along with several other flips and some new builds.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Entrepreneurship is never a smooth road; it is a daily journey. You have to put the work into building your business, your brand, and managing your projects on site. There are also the challenges that occur in your day-to-day life. I often have to juggle many different hats in the day. Between business, family, and myself, it can be a lot. Some of my initial challenges were learning to be self-motivated, how to drive monthly income and learning to budget. It was an adjustment for me to no longer be on someone else’s time and no longer having a bi-weekly check. I had to learn to manage my time and how to scale my own business. I have also had to learn how to work in a business with my family. My father is my General Contractor and my fiancé is Co-Founder of The B Mogul Group as well. The balance of roles in family and business can be very dynamic and very different. Additionally, there is a shortage of inventory in the Atlanta market at this time, so it is essential to continue to source for good deals, opportunities and to run your numbers carefully.
The B Mogul Group LLC – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The B Mogul Group LLC specializes in real estate renovation and development. We are predominantly known for flipping homes, but we have also started building new construction this year. We consider ourselves to be a one-stop-shop. We run our sites, broker hard money funds and work with newbie investors to teach them how to flip homes. We also allow investors to buy in on our projects with us to make an ROI and to learn the business. Our business is busy and growing. I feel truly blessed. I am most proud of the way that we have been able to scale the business. We went from 1 flip a year to 8-10 per year, new builds, and currently working with investors. I am very proud because we are a majority woman-owned minority business, and we are thriving in this tight economy.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success, to me, is an evolving measure. What you might consider successful at one point in your life and career may not be relevant at the next. Many people, of course, measure their success by what is in their bank account. I agree that yes, money is essential, but having a passion for what you do is crucial to carry you when times get hard. I take an overall approach when elevating “success”, it has to fit my mind, body, spirit and business. Everything needs to be in alignment. I view success as raising a happy and healthy family, taking care of myself on a mental and physical level and continuing to drive a business that scales every year. It is ever changing and ever growing. We are slated to do over $1M in sales by the first quarter of next year, and I am very excited to see how the business grows.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thebmogulgroup.com
- Phone: 404-666-1786
- Email: hello@thebmogulgroup.com
- Instagram: @missjeaninemarie
Image Credit:
Jene Everson – Expose Yourself Photography
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
