A brokerage and property management owner in Detroit, Tyraa has had to grow thick skin to meet the challenges she has faced in growing her company to the level she has.

What is the solution for successful business women, and is it required that we all must feel torn in two over work life balance?

Meet Tyraa Nicole Caldwell.

This is Episode 10 of Chronicles of the High Powered Female CEO.

#FemaleCEOChronicles

IMPERFECT TRANSCRIPTION

Melisa Keenan 00:24

Welcome to Chronicles of the High-Powered Female CEO. And I'm so excited today to have Tyra on our show. Welcome Tyra

Tyraa Nicole 00:34

Thank you. Thank you for having me

Melisa Keenan 00:36

Tyra. Tell us, uh, how do people typically know you right now?

Tyraa Nicole 00:42

Typically people know me as the real estate lady, I would say, I've been in the real estate industry now for 17 years. And so most people know me. They come to me, if they're looking to rent a house, they come to me if they're looking to buy a house, and currently I have a real estate brokerage as well as a property management company. So I kind of get both sides. I get a lot of owners who are looking to rent their properties out, or I'm looking to buy more investment properties.

And then also I get a lot of people that are looking to rent properties that are coming to me for things. So I just kind of call myself the real estate lady. I love it. I love

Melisa Keenan 01:33

I love it, I love it. And you said you're based out of Detroit, right?

Tyraa Nicole 01:38

Yes.

Melisa Keenan 01:39

Um, wow. That is so cool. So how common is it for a brokerage owner in Michigan or in the Detroit area to be a women

Tyraa Nicole 01:50

Well, just like, I think most areas of the real estate industry are male-dominated. But you know, a lot of women starting to be more, and more women that are getting into the industry. And so I think like we're starting to take over a little bit, so, it is still male-dominated. So, you know, that is the case, but we're starting to, you know, conquer that field as well.

Melisa Keenan 02:20

I love that. That's so great. Oh, Tyra. I'm so glad to have you on the show. And as you know, I hold these interviews because I really want, successful women to. I want to break down some of those walls and pressures and things that we all experience on our way to success. And in these places of success, I find so often that, when we generated a lot of success and impact in our communities, a lot of times people feel threatened or we've felt like we've had to kind of protect and guard ourselves up and all of this kind of stuff.

And it's sad because. And in the long run, we're the ones that also suffer from all of that. Right. And so that's my intention. I'm creating a community here. We even have an intention of hosting a retreat in the second week of October where those we've interviewed and those who, you know, feel called, who have watched, can come and gather in a space where women can just enjoy the affluence and success that we've created. Without all the judging stuff.

Tyraa Nicole 03:32

Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's great. I love it.

Melisa Keenan 03:36

Well, we want to get to the pieces of your heart, and one of the things you said that resonated with you was they never told you. Do you wanna speak to that?

Tyraa Nicole 03:50

Yeah, so they never told me that. That, when it comes to this industry that I'm in, they never told me how cutthroat it is.

That's the term I want to use for it. It's a really like cutthroat, hardcore industry to where you have to have tough skin. I never, they never told me that I would have to act as someone's counselor, I would have to act as someone's attorney. These are the things that they kind of leave out about real estate, because, you know, I've had people cry to me, you know, I've had people feel like they were losing it all and they're coming to me and, you know, depending on me to, you know, help them out of certain situations that they've been in.

You know, I've spent late nights up all night trying to figure things out and figure out how I can help people out and just, you know, get them through certain situations. So it's kind of way more involved in real estate, besides. Selling a house or, you know, helping someone to buy a house, it's like one of the largest investments, it's just about the largest investment that you can do.

And, they're depending on me to assist them with that, or if something happens, they're coming to me to look for answers on how to figure it out. So I just feel like they never told me that I was to be in so much control of someone else's life. So that's what I will say to that.

Melisa Keenan 05:41

It’s a big responsibility. Is huge. You said cutthroat, tell me a little more about that.

Tyraa Nicole 05:49

Yeah, it's certain situations. Yeah. Where things are going to be tough. It's going to be hard to get through it. And you just have to be able to know how to kind of get through certain situations that you're in. You're gonna, you know, feel like crying if not crying.

You're gonna just feel like might have to curse somebody out every now and then, or, get your frustration out, however you can, but you're going to be put in situations that you have to figure out how to get out of, and they say that only, I think 10% of people last in this industry.

And it's just mainly because, um, it's hard, you know, I'm sorry, my phone just the fog is.

Sorry about that, that will throw me off. But yeah, it's just certain situations that you go through in this industry where you're gonna just feel like giving up and you're going to feel like you don't want to do it. You can't get through it, but I just encourage people to just push through it.

And once you do, you're going to learn so much from that experience, that is going to help you with the next thing that you go through. And that's kinda how this is you, you have to push through it, get to the next situation. And then the next situation is going to be easier because you've learned from your previous situation, you know?

And so we get paid as real estate agents. You're paid on commission. So you do a lot of work that you feel like you're doing for free, but you really have to look at it more. So the knowledge that you're taking in, that's going to help you climb and climb and get to the next level. So, that's what I mean by that.

I just feel like it's a hard industry to be in. But it's totally worth it if you just keep going with it.

[00:08:01] Melisa Keenan: And you said that, you know, you have to really develop thick skin in that space. Do you feel like, um, knowing that you've, you've had to create this like image and this, um, place that you now stand in and how you're known as, and having to have that thick skin that, that has affected other aspects of your life, where maybe you don't want to have to be so like, you know, be the rock for everyone.

[00:08:30] Tyraa Nicole: Yeah, well, I think it's affected my life more so in a good way. Um, just because it makes things that are harder for other people seem a little more easier for me just because I've had to go through so much and so many different situations, and I deal with so many different people in this industry. It's like, you're always dealing with different types of people.

Um, you know, Everybody has different personalities. So it's so many different personalities that I come across and, you know, so many people that have, you know, just gone off on me. About Different things. And, you know, that's what I meant by just developing Tufts skin, because you have to deal with so many different personalities and people, but just being able to do that, it's helped me in other areas of my life because when other people may find something difficult, I seem to kind of flow through it just because I've been in so many different types of situations.

I love that one

[00:09:37] Melisa Keenan: thing you said was, uh, that you resonated with was, uh, that people told you to never people told you to never

[00:09:45] Tyraa Nicole: what? Um, oh, well, I will say to that when I, when I started my property management company, um, I feel like people kind of doubted it. Um, and even the name. So the name of my management company is Tyra Nicole property management.

So it's like, that's my first and my middle name, Tyra Nicole. And I got a few people saying like, um, what made you name it? That, or don't you feel like you should have went with a different name or, you know, just kinda downplay in it. And I. It kind of empowered me, um, doing with hearing things like that.

Cause it made me like go even harder and it made me just say, you know what, I'm going to make them know this name and I'm gonna make them remember this name. And they're going to get used to. Hearing this name and you know, now of seven, eight years later, since I started property management, it is a known name throughout the, um, Detroit and Metro Detroit area, Tyra Nichole property management.

So I would just say. They told me to never name my company, you know, after my name, like you should look for the soup superstar, super name that you should name your company. Um, and, and I did, it was Tyra Nicole property management. So yeah, that's what I will say to that. It was

[00:11:15] Melisa Keenan: so cool. Um, and I think like that shows up, it's surprising that that still shows up, but that still does show up in our day and age of like, um, You know, it needed to be more masculine and probably isn't really

[00:11:31] Tyraa Nicole: what we're saying.

Right. I granted a lot from men. It was, you know, and one in particular guy, he said, why would you name your company that, um, do you get any pushback, like from other men wanting to not work for your company? Cause it's called Tyra, Nicole property management, you know, and I just said, I don't next question.

So, yeah, so I did, I got a lot of pushback from that and just saying that I should, I, should've never done that. Like it's gonna, you know, play a role in my company not being successful, but like I said, it just gave me kind of ammunition to. Um, push through it and prove everyone wrong. So

[00:12:24] Melisa Keenan: how would you say, and, you know, again, just share, uh, share as much as you want to share here, but how would you say this whole journey has, um, impacted your personal relationships?

[00:12:36] Tyraa Nicole: Um, it has actually, um, I actually just went through a divorce. Um, the divorce is actually final. I'm not sad or anything about it. That's. Very well on both sides. Um, but in the beginning of that marriage, um, that I was in. It was like a lot of, I worked like so much, I worked, worked work and it almost caused, you know, um, complications in the marriage early on because I worked so much.

Um, so it did cause conflicts and that as far as personal relationships and my marriage and just work as so much. And then, um, sometimes it's over the years, it's just, may me feel like. Um, I wasn't the best parent or cause I do have two girls and, you know, just bringing them up. It just, sometimes I felt like, you know, I didn't put in enough time with my kids cause I was working so much.

And then it put a lot of pressure on me because I felt like, you know, I needed to do more with my kids, but then I have all these clients depending on me. So the personal relationships that I would say it affected just because. I've in the past, considered myself a workaholic. So when you're working so much, it does cause a lot of conflicts in your personal relationships, because you'll find yourself starting to put work ahead of personal relationships, but.

Um, I've learnt along the way on how to deal with that. And I've learned to become more balanced, but, you know, um, over the years it has caused that, um, you know, a strain on personal relationships.

[00:14:22] Melisa Keenan: It's it's so, uh, it's such a common conversation. Right. Um, and it's something that, uh, that I think, especially as women, because we feel so connected in our.

As a mother, especially, but you know, in our, our marriages, like, um, where your heart it's like, how could my heart be pulled in so many different ways at one time, if you could back, is there anything you feel like you would do differently?

[00:14:55] Tyraa Nicole: I feel like no, in and out and that's with everything. Like I never really looked at.

Things that I should do should have done differently. I just feel like everything. Throughout life period is like a lesson learned. So anything that I've been through or any situations, anything I don't regret any of it because I've learned from every single thing that has happened throughout the course of my life.

So if it's like, if one thing didn't happen, then. I would not have been able to do something else. So even with me working so hard and, and almost, um, losing my marriage in the beginning, it taught me to start to be more balanced. Or even when times I felt like, you know, I wasn't the best mother because I may have thought I wasn't spending enough time.

It taught me that I need to do more, you know, with my kids or spend more time and, you know, Done nothing, but help me to be, you know, a better mother, a better wife the next time, you know, and just, you know, it's, it's just helped me. To be A better person. So I wouldn't change anything. I love

[00:16:08] Melisa Keenan: that. Um, and, and that is all of life, right?

Just learning from those lessons. Do you think, I mean, in my mind and what I'm really actively working to create and help women, uh, to, to create in their own lives is this. I don't think it should have to feel like such a tug of war, you know? And I don't, I don't see men experiencing the same level of this tug of war because, uh, you know, different, um, expectations on, on both men and women.

And, and so, uh, you know, in this day and age, I'm like, how do we pioneer a new way? What do you think the solution is to being able to like have it all to feel like I feel like a goddess in my business and in my mothering and in my marriage and in my friendships and in all the places.

[00:17:07] Tyraa Nicole: I just, I feel like we have to change our mindset.

I'm a, I'm a big person on accountability. And I feel like even if it's something where you may just know in your mind that you're not the wrong, you're not the person in the wrong on something. I feel like if you take accountability of it, then you have more control. Over it. So it's like, you can't change someone else's mind because you're not in their mind, but if you take possession of it, then I feel like, you know, it could change.

So I think it will come down to us as women just kind of taking accountability of whatever it is and taking control and take that will help us take the power and be able to change things. You know, our ourself. So that's kinda how I would say. And that's just kinda how I look at it, myself, um, for, for me.

Um, yeah. Thank

[00:18:14] Melisa Keenan: you. Um, uh, do you have any other words of wisdom that you want to share that, you know, you feel like have, um, been an anchor for you in your journey?

[00:18:31] Tyraa Nicole: Um, I have a lot of words of wisdom when it comes down to business. Um, Just because I have like the strong business mindset. So some of my words of wisdom when it comes on to businesses, um, do not become attached to the outcome.

That's one of my favorite ones. Um, I've used it so much throughout my career in real estate because I'm, as I said before, And real estate. We get, we get paid on commission. So you can't come become attached to getting that check at the end because of your attached to the check that you get at the end, then you'll start to lose focus on what it takes to get the check, you know, so I've always just been a firm believer in just doing the work.

And, you know, the money will come. That's like one of my sayings just do the work, the money will come. Um, that's, that's a couple of my things for business. And, um, as far as just personal, um, I'll focus again on what I was just talking about just as far as. Taken our power back and just taking more control of our own mind and, you know, being able to do that, we can, we can start to make the change ourself.

If we, um, just start to take more control of the decisions we make, you know, the things we take in, um, including like, you know, what we watch, you know, who we are around, you know, things like that. And then if we. Dart to make changes, then the people around us or the people that's looking up to us or because no matter what, it's always rather we know it or not.

It's always someone looking up to us or watching us, you know? So if we could start to make that change, then we can help with the people around us and, you know, make changes all around.

[00:20:29] Melisa Keenan: Oh, wow. It feels like you have a. You know, you have so successfully allowed so many people to depend on you and you've been so reliable for people in

[00:20:42] Tyraa Nicole: that way.

Yeah. You know what, um, what I will say to that is I did not realize that I, I did not realize so many people were dependent on me, you know, outside of my kids of course, but, you know, um, and then I happened to look up my name a while back and. Um, my first name is Tyra and it was one of the most powerful, I was name out of a city in the Bible called Tyra.

Um, it's spelled T Y R E, but it's pronounced Tyra like my name and it was one of the most powerful cities in the Bible. Um, And then my middle name is Nicole and I found out that Nicole means savior of the people. So I'm like, wow, my name's, my name means a powerful savior of the people. So after, after realizing that, I mean, after seeing that I realized how many people actually were, depending on me.

And that people were almost looking at me as if being like their savior. So it was kind of like a whole like thing when I, when I realized the meaning of my name's. So,

[00:21:58] Melisa Keenan: okay. The last question I want to ask you before we wrap up and I ask every, every interviewee this question, um, it's really more a question for your heart.

So I'm, I'm directing this question right to your heart. And the question is. Uh, when was it time when you felt most fulfilled in your life?

[00:22:21] Tyraa Nicole: Uh, time that, well, it's a few times, but I'll give one, um, a time where I felt most fulfilled is when I got my broker's license in real estate. And I say that because, um, prior to that, I was just a real estate agent.

I had my real, you know, my real estate license and, um, my dad passed away in 2014, unfortunately. Um, and I was like a daddy's girl, so I love my dad so much. But prior to that, like he wanted me to get my broker's license so bad and I would talk to him about, you know, real estate all the time, all the things I would go through.

And then he would always say, Tyra, you got to get your brokers. Why don't you just get your brokers? I said, he always said that my dad passed away in 2014 and I was able to get my broker's license in 2015. So unfortunately he wasn't here, you know, when that happened, but when it happened, it was like so fulfilling to me because I was like, oh my God, I finally got my broker's license.

Like my dad wanted me to do so. That's yeah, that's one of the times I just felt like so fulfilled. And if people don't know exactly what that is, if you're a real estate agent, you have to have a broker and you have to work under a broker. Once I got my broker's license, I didn't have to work under anyone no more.

It was just me, you know, at the top. And then people could work actually under me. So that was just, you know, one of those. Fulfill and times of my life, I

[00:23:53] Melisa Keenan: love that hearing that. So my dad passed away too, and I was daddy's girl as well. Yeah. You were sharing that. I totally felt like he was like there with you when you got that license.

And I'm actually here now, like letting you know, like, he's so proud of you.

[00:24:13] Tyraa Nicole: Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. I appreciate that. But, um, yeah, so it's, that's good to know that we have something in common, so,

[00:24:24] Melisa Keenan: well, thanks so much Tyra. And you guys interviews just beautiful. I think that there's no coincidence.

Coincidence is about, um, who I get to interview. Spaces. And so, um, so thank you Tyra for showing up and shining and, uh, and being the powerful force for good that you are in the world. And thanks

[00:24:48] Tyraa Nicole: guys for watching. Thank you so much for having me.