A Positive Lifestyle & Goals Got Me To Where I Am Today
Jaime Gram, wife, mom of two, fashionista, yoga instructor, experienced real estate professional…the list goes on and on! Jaime has had a lifetime of success, but with success comes trials and tribulations. I have had the pleasure of getting to know this woman-extrordinaire over the past year and am excited to share with you her journey of how she got to where she is today in hopes it inspires you to follow your dreams, too.
Thank you so much for doing this with the Resilient Women Rise community! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Where do I start? Ha! I grew up in Michigan but knew I wanted to travel. My original plan was to move to Santa Barbara, CA to attend art school in 2002…but four weeks before the school year started I switched gears and moved to Colorado to be “free in the mountains”. What a hippy, I was! I met my husband Neil during my second week in Colorado, and we have been together ever since. Upon graduation, we moved to California to accomplish a long-time dream of mine.
While there, I dabbled in real estate – first managing HOAs and then working as an assistant to a RE/MAX broker in San Marcos, CA. I also tried working in retail and I had a really successful career in merchandise management first with Kate Spade, then later, with Banana Republic. As our family grew, my husband and I made the decision to move to Michigan to be closer to my family.
We have lived in Kalamazoo since 2014, raising our kids while enjoying everything that Michigan has to offer. Our two kiddos attend KPS. Grayden, 11, and Veda, 9, are both competitive gymnasts, so our schedule is pretty busy during the meet season. When I am not spending time with my family or assisting clients, I am usually doing something fitness related. I have been teaching yoga within the community for seven years, most recently I hold a time slot at Bent9 in the Vine Neighborhood.
When did you become passionate about selling real estate?
I have always loved real estate. From a very young age some of my favorite past times involved driving around with my parents and assessing and commenting on homes. Landscaping likes, dislikes, exterior designs, decor choices…it has always been something that brings me joy. This joy, coupled with my love for helping people, really makes real estate a wonderful profession for me. I get to directly impact and assist people with the largest transactions of their lives. I take it very seriously and work very hard to exceed my client’s expectations.
How has this passion grown?
Over the years I focused on developing strong market knowledge, clear communication, and business systems, which help me deliver optimal results for my clients.
I couldn’t be more excited about my future in real estate.
Speaking of your future, you recently made a big career change. What are you doing now?
I have been a realtor since 2017 and until 60 days ago I worked for a local brokerage that allowed for a single agent operation system. I recently decided to move to an international brokerage that allows for team development and collaboration.
I founded The Aspen Group with three other agents. The concept behind the name is rooted in the Aspen tree. Aspen trees are the largest living organisms, self-populating and reproducing through their root systems. Isn’t that incredible?
I feel the Aspen is symbolic of what I want to create in this industry – an infrastructure that allows unlimited growth and potential for future agents and development within our market. The brokerage change and the establishment of The Aspen Group directly impacts the number of clients I am now able to assist, as well as give me an opportunity to cover a larger geographic area.
What was it like taking this risk to go out on your own?
Change is scary! Taking this jump has not been without some tears and struggles, but I have always been driven to challenge myself, grow, coach, and develop. I have spent my career building and training teams, and I have always known my bigger place within this industry was working alongside clients and building teams. 2022 was my strongest year in real estate, and I have been exponentially building year over year since I began. The decision to make this big move was really driven by my long-term goals within real estate, not the short-term victories of the 2023 market.
Describe your decision-making process.
There is a really impactful quote that I came across years ago that helped me turn big goals/dreams into reality.
“A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.”
The process really focuses on breaking things down. I know the business [of real estate] and I have created systems over the years to provide top-level experience for my clients. In order to take the leap and spearhead my own team started by collecting information. I had a lot of coffee dates, and asked a lot of questions…all the while being very vulnerable and okay with not being 100% right all the time.
Tell us a little bit more about the other women you’re working with. (I.e. experience, how you know them, what each person does in this new company)
I have always been a fierce champion of my female friendships. I feel the same sense of accomplishment and pride when I see my female counterparts thriving and excelling. The women who joined The Aspen Group are exceptional agents and wonderful people. They share the same vision and commitment I do and are also involved in the community and advocate for our industry. I am proud to have them by my side!
How do you rate success? Would you say you’re successful right now? Can you give other women any advice on how to find success?
Damn, this is a tough one! Success is really about how I feel at the end of the day. Every day is different (an awesome byproduct of the job), but I really try to always do my best. I have been on a steady upward climb, building my referral-based business and dialing in my systems. Now, I have that locked in and I am passing along these systems to help other agents find the same success. So right now I don’t feel successful all the time because I invited in a lot of additional stressors and change, but on the other side of this change is massive growth. I do continue to feel inspired and driven to help create a space where we are GROWING TOGETHER (our Aspen Group tagline).
Any last advice for the fierce females of our community?
Find what you’re passionate about and do more of that! Also, It’s inspiring to be around people who are passionate, driven, and authentic. Find your people.
Where can people connect with you?
Follow The Aspen Group on Instagram or if you’re interested in connecting with Jaime personally, visit her website or Instagram.
If you enjoyed reading about Jaime, check out our other stories featuring Vivian and Kayla.