Today we’d like to introduce you to Audrey Smith.
Hi Audrey, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hello VoyageAustin, thank you so much for having me! For starters, I am a Texas born and raised girl from a small town north of Dallas, known as Melissa, TX, where I graduated high school with just 97 people. I moved to the Austin area about four years ago and I love growing with this city. Currently I am a full time real estate agent, but I also model on the side and will never stop using my creative side.
I got my start when I turned 21, and my long time best friend started working at a marketing firm in Dallas where she got me a gig as a promotional model for Bud Light. My life was pretty boring before that point. On this promotional tour, I got to shoot lifestyle photos with photographers who I built relationships with, and from there was asked to shoot other paid campaigns with brands like 7UP and Dr. Pepper. I moved to San Marcos and got a BBA in Marketing at Texas State University, where I fell in love with the Austin area, and decided to stay after graduating. I always had an interest in real estate, so I finally decided to bite the bullet and get my real estate license shortly after graduating college. I began to build my brand as a freelance model and real estate agent specializing in helping other creatives find their homes in Central Texas, and never expected my personal brand to take off the way it did.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road, there always have been and always will be people who want to see you fail or will try to invalidate your dreams. At the same time, I’ve definitely had some good luck with people I’ve met, and I talked about some of that in my ShoutoutHTX interview as well. People are a huge part of the equation of success, and I am extremely grateful for all of the help I have received in my life and career. Everyone successful has had some help along the way, so I highly recommend being receptive to people who want to help you! Subsequently, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Cutthroat competition is something I do not vibe with, so I’ve thrown that out the window and always try to help others that are just starting out, whether they’re learning about real estate or are new in their creative journey. It’s all love.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a freelance model, real estate agent, and overall content creator and connector. I mostly work with other creatives and Austin-based brands. As a Realtor my goal is to help other artists find their homes because I want to give back to something I am passionate about and has helped me build up my brand. Things that set me apart from others are my positive and friendly attitude, my honesty and transparency, the fact that I dream big, and I’m not afraid of what other people think. I try to help others when they ask and where I can. I look forward to where this strategy takes me!
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
Risks should be well-calculated and weighed. I’ve never considered myself a “risk-taker”, but some may see me that way. An example might be choosing the independent lifestyle instead of the security of a 9-5 with salary and benefits. Another might be choosing to put myself out there, where there is potential to be stalked or harassed, as we see happen to others on social media, or deciding to stay in Austin, away from my family and familiarity. But these have been weighed and chosen upon optimal decisions with minimal risk to me.
With everything I do, I try to think of different ways it would work out for me long term and always know a way out in the worst case scenario. Knowing what you would do if it all goes wrong and shit hits the fan and knowing you could recover is an important part of risk. If you don’t know that you could recover in a worst case scenario, I would say the weight on that is pretty heavy and I wouldn’t recommend taking that huge risk. If you’ve calculated the likelihood of it going well, and it’s high, the likelihood of it going bad is low, and even if it did go bad, you would have a way out or a fallback plan, then why not? Take the risk. Some opportunities will never present themselves again, and a little risk can be good in your life.
Contact Info:
- Email: audreysmithatx@gmail.com
- Website: www.audreysmithatx.com
- Instagram: @audreysmithatx
Image Credits:
Fanium Fantasy, Daniela Lewkowicz, Ruben Caballero, Enrique Lopez, Breanna McKendrick, Kei Hendrikz, and Chris Sismilich,
