How a single mother struggling to afford groceries built a six-figure real estate career, earned four ICON Agent awards, and created a business supporting five families.
Fifteen years ago, Alisha was a single mother earning $15 an hour in childcare, making financial decisions that many families know all too well. A $20 restaurant meal wasn’t simply an opportunity to enjoy an evening out. It was money that could otherwise buy formula for her child.
During the winter, when her boots developed holes, replacing them wasn’t a priority. Instead, she placed plastic bags inside to keep her feet dry. Her children’s needs always came first.
Today, Alisha is a successful Nova Scotia Realtor with eXp Realty, earning a six-figure income and leading a real estate business. She has received four ICON Agent awards and built a career that allows her to provide opportunities not only for her own family but also for the families of those she employs.
Yet her journey from financial hardship to business success was anything but straightforward.
It took borrowed money, countless rejected phone calls, difficult professional decisions, and nearly 18 months to complete her first real estate sale.
Her story demonstrates how determination, adaptability, and a willingness to take calculated risks can transform a person’s financial future.
A Single Mother Trying to Make Ends Meet
Before becoming a Realtor, Alisha worked as an Early Childhood Educator, earning approximately $30,000 annually.
She loved working with children and understood the importance of early childhood education. However, the financial realities of raising her own children while paying for full-time childcare made her situation increasingly difficult.
Grocery shopping required careful planning and coupon clipping. When her children needed something, her own purchases had to wait.
Even taking time off work when someone in the family was sick could create financial difficulties.
Beyond the financial pressure, there was an emotional struggle.
Alisha spent her working days caring for other people’s children while her own were being cared for elsewhere. By the time she returned home, she often felt exhausted.
She wanted to give her sons greater financial security, but she also wanted to have more time and energy for them.
That desire eventually pushed her toward an entirely different profession.
Taking a Chance on Real Estate With Borrowed Money
The idea of becoming a Realtor came from a friend already working in the industry.
Her friend described a career offering flexible working hours, independence, and greater earning potential.
For Alisha, those possibilities were appealing. Real estate seemed to offer an opportunity to build something of her own while creating a better future for her children.
There was one major obstacle: she couldn’t afford the licensing course.
At the time, she was on maternity leave and receiving only half of her usual $15 hourly income.
Rather than abandon the idea, she took out a loan to finance her real estate education.
She waited until her second son was six months old before beginning the course.
The training involved four intensive weeks of in-person classes, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Her mother-in-law cared for her baby while she attended.
During lunch breaks, Alisha would find an empty classroom to pump breast milk, storing it in the staff refrigerator until she could return home.
It was an exhausting period, with two young children, little sleep, and no guarantee that her investment would lead to a successful career.
But she believed the potential opportunity was worth the risk.
Eighteen Months Before Her First Sale
Real estate is often associated with attractive properties, impressive commissions, and flexible schedules.
Alisha quickly discovered a much more demanding reality.
Entering the industry without an established network meant finding clients from scratch. She had to learn contracts, negotiations, marketing, and how to communicate confidently with strangers.
She also encountered an unexpected challenge: personal safety.
Early in her career, she received repeated inappropriate telephone calls from an unidentified man pretending to inquire about properties. She reported the incidents to police, but no action resulted.
The experience made her increasingly aware of the vulnerabilities Realtors can face when meeting strangers in vacant properties or unfamiliar locations.
Combined with the difficulties of building a client base, those fears contributed to a slow beginning.
It took approximately a year and a half before Alisha completed her first sale.
The property was a mobile home, and she split the commission with her mentor.
For someone who had borrowed money to enter the profession, the financial reward was modest.
Nevertheless, it represented an important milestone.
She had finally completed a transaction and proved to herself that she could succeed in the industry.
Building a Business Without an Advertising Budget
With limited money available for marketing, Alisha relied heavily on persistence and personal connections.
Every morning, between 10 a.m. and noon, she dedicated two hours to cold calling potential clients.
Many people rejected her calls. Others had no immediate interest in buying or selling property.
She continued anyway.
She experimented with postcards and flyers but discovered that traditional advertising could quickly become expensive when transactions weren’t closing consistently.
Instead, she focused on opportunities requiring more effort than money.
She hosted open houses for other agents, volunteered at community events, and introduced herself to people throughout the communities she served.
Professional education also became a priority.
She attended training sessions, practised conversations, studied negotiation techniques, and developed systems for tracking prospects and following up with potential clients.
Over time, she became more comfortable communicating with strangers and understanding their individual needs.
Her approach wasn’t built around one extraordinary marketing technique.
It was built around consistently showing up, learning from mistakes, and improving her skills.
The motivation remained the same: creating a better life for her children.
Starting Over in Ontario During the Pandemic
One of the most significant turning points in Alisha’s career came in 2019, when her family’s Canadian Armed Forces posting took them to Ontario.
By then, she had established herself in Nova Scotia’s real estate industry.
Moving to another province meant leaving behind familiar communities, professional relationships, and local market knowledge.
She obtained her Ontario real estate licence and enrolled in a business development course.
Then COVID-19 changed everything.
On the final day of her course, participants learned that pandemic shutdowns were beginning.
Alisha found herself homeschooling two children while attempting to establish a business in an unfamiliar province.
Living on a military base also meant navigating additional restrictions.
Initially, she joined a high-producing Ontario real estate team, hoping to learn from experienced professionals.
However, she eventually decided that operating independently would better reflect her approach to serving clients.
She returned to the strategies that had helped her during her earliest years.
She picked up the telephone and started building relationships.
During the pandemic, conversations frequently extended beyond property transactions to families, lockdowns, and everyday concerns.
Those interactions reinforced her belief that real estate is fundamentally about people.
Despite the challenges, she earned a sales volume award by the end of that year.
For Alisha, the recognition represented something greater than sales performance.
It demonstrated that she could rebuild her career in an unfamiliar market, even under extraordinary circumstances.
Choosing Integrity Over Financial Security
Another defining moment came when Alisha decided to leave a professional environment she felt no longer aligned with her values.
The decision carried significant financial risks.
Changing her working arrangements could affect her income, professional relationships, client opportunities, and the business she had spent years developing.
As a mother responsible for supporting her family, walking away wasn’t easy.
She spent months considering the consequences.
Ultimately, she concluded that professional success should not require compromising her principles.
Her eventual move to eXp Realty became an important step toward building the type of business she wanted.
She found opportunities to collaborate with other professionals, share knowledge, and develop her business according to her own standards.
The experience strengthened her belief that financial achievements alone do not define success.
For Alisha, being able to stand behind her decisions and maintain her professional integrity mattered just as much.
From Working Alone to Employing People
As her business grew, Alisha encountered another challenge.
There were only so many hours available in a day.
Like many independent entrepreneurs, she initially handled nearly every aspect of her business herself, from marketing and administration to client communication and managing transactions.
Success brought more responsibilities, and her schedule became increasingly demanding.
Eventually, she recognized that continued growth required support and hired people to help her.
For someone who once struggled to afford basic necessities, employing others represents one of her most meaningful achievements.
She now leads an operation that helps support other families, including her own.
The expansion also changed her understanding of entrepreneurship.
Rather than measuring success solely by how much work she could personally accomplish, she began focusing on leadership, delegation, systems, and developing the people around her.
She also discovered a passion for mentoring newer realtors, drawing on her own experiences of entering the industry without financial security or an established client base.
From $30,000 a Year to a Six-Figure Income
The financial transformation in Alisha’s story is substantial.
She went from earning approximately $30,000 annually in childcare to generating a personal income in the six figures through real estate.
She has also received four ICON Agent awards since joining eXp Realty.
However, she is careful to distinguish personal income from the financial realities of operating a business.
Unlike salaried employment, real estate commissions depend on completed transactions.
Agents can spend weeks or months working with clients without receiving payment. Marketing expenses can also accumulate on properties that ultimately do not sell.
Alisha’s business carries substantial operating costs, including employee compensation, photography, video production, advertising, transportation, technology, and administrative systems.
Her financial success has therefore required more than selling properties.
It has required building a sustainable operation capable of supporting employees while continuing to serve clients.
For Alisha, the most meaningful measure of that progress isn’t simply her income.
It’s the stability and opportunities she has created for others.
Turning Personal Success Into Community Support
Despite her accomplishments, Alisha hasn’t forgotten what it feels like to struggle financially.
Her experiences as a single mother continue to influence how she approaches her community.
In a personal video reflecting on her journey, she encouraged people who have overcome financial difficulties to consider helping families currently facing similar circumstances.
She highlighted Christmas festive baskets, a charitable effort intended to help provide food for local families during the holiday season.
Even a small contribution, she explained, could make a difference.
The initiative reflects a broader theme throughout her story.
Having experienced financial hardship herself, she understands how meaningful practical support can be when a family is struggling.
Her journey has also given her an appreciation for the people who helped her along the way, from her mother-in-law who provided childcare during licensing classes to the mentors and colleagues who supported her professional development.
A Different Definition of Riches
Alisha’s story is not a tale of overnight wealth.
There was no immediate six-figure salary, effortless business expansion, or guaranteed path to success.
Instead, there were borrowed funds, financial uncertainty, rejected calls, personal sacrifices, professional setbacks, and years of consistent effort.
Today, her accomplishments are measurable: a six-figure income, four ICON Agent awards, and a growing real estate business employing four full-time staff members.
But the transformation goes beyond money.
The mother who once had to choose between buying herself winter boots and providing for her children now has the resources to support her family, create employment opportunities, and contribute to her community.
Her experience also challenges the idea that successful entrepreneurs must begin with substantial financial resources or influential connections.
Sometimes, the starting point is a loan, an uncertain career change, and a determination to give one’s children a different future.
For Alisha, the journey is still unfolding.
And perhaps the most important lesson from her story is that financial circumstances can change, even when progress feels painfully slow.
What began as a mother’s effort to provide a better life for her children eventually became a business capable of creating opportunities for other families.
That is the real wealth behind Alisha’s success.
