ABOUT

What had happen was…

Hey y’all! I’m a Texas native that landed in Fayetteville, NC in 2011 with a military spouse, two small kiddos, & an ornery yorkie from Alaska. 

After a military move from Colorado to Alaska, & Alaska to North Carolina, I ended up working remotely for an ecommerce platform that exclusively served Veterans, Service Members and their families. TroopSwap Inc. is now ID.me, an online digital identity network. The new company structure didn’t support remote positions & shortly after closing on our house, I found myself without income.

Having just closed, I was reminded of my long time interest in real estate as a career, & I started real estate school the week after my position dissolved. I got my NC Provisional Broker license in July 2015. 

Being a new real estate agent was hard! Over the years, I worked for a couple different brokerages, but kept feeling like the structure wasn’t a good fit for me. I eventually established myself as the Broker in Charge of my own brokerage, Jaico Realty. I put in the time & money to be successful. And I loved it!! And lucky for me, I had the constant turnover of one of the biggest US military installations in the world! And that seemed viable for the duration... 

I never even considered some hell called COVID would disrupt everything as we knew it. In March 2020, there was a stop movement ordered for the military.  That essentially was also a “stop movement” on my income & security. I was fucked. 

Along with that, the market changed dramatically. I took my fiduciary duty to my clients very seriously, and they trusted me. I was no longer able to do well financially by advising my clients the way I did before. The market was shit- and I wouldn’t tell them it wasn’t. That’s just who I am as a person. 

With all the changes in the market, there was just as much uncertainty. “Competitiveness” led to out right shady shit. Couldn’t trust anyone, no matter their position or company they worked for. I hated it. And I was going broke & quickly diving into debt- all the while experiencing major issues at home on every level, & before long, every bit of it began falling apart. 

I’d experience the most unexpected loss, confusion, and hopelessness in the next three years than I had my entire life. In this order: my teenage ”terrorist” was giving me HELL, my mom died, my home life completely fell apart, I barely made it thru the deepest sorrow as my only companion in my worst times suddenly died, I went under an 18 wheeler trailer in my beloved Camaro, I no longer had anyone in my immediate circle I could trust, and was constantly harassed by a greedy ex that is convinced I still make the money I used to.

At times, I was barely fucking breathing. I also found out about a thyroid issue, and had been physically deficient that entire time, so yeah, a complete fucking wreck. 

But- I have two kids. And bills still have to be paid- even if late, partial, or bordering homelessness. 

Because I’ve experienced thriving in a position I loved, I know I have to have a genuine interest order to be successful in anything. Otherwise, that ADHD takes over, & my mind will focus on the other 456 things I need to get done- while not completing any. That is, also, who I am as a person. You can probably tell by reading this. 

I’ve been barely treading water since the beginning of the end, and I’m hella grateful for the one that never let me drown. We became close in 2017, back before all the bullshit, & our best times were when we were riding Harleys. And as I clung onto the few things I still had interest in, that was one of the biggest. 

In June 2024, a complete stranger (turned friend) made it possible for me to get my 2001 Jan Van Fatty- and  that bitch is an absolute show stopper!! No one, not even me, knew the significance it would have in my life. Suddenly, there were moments of quiteness- times when I didn’t hear the constant chaos, the only thing I heard for a solid three years. And that, my friend, is mother fucking priceless. 

So here I am- while in the auto tech program at FTCC full time, I’m diving into what gives me those precious moments of peace, hoping I can get it to last a lifetime…Oh, also need to pay these unrelenting bills. And not be homeless. 

So I’ll proudly display my shining Van Jan Fatty at events & offer to shine yours up too- ya know, in case you need it the way I do, or even if ya just want your bike looking badass- I got you!

💜🏍️🤘🏼👩🏻‍🔧💜

Jess