From Fashion to Fortune: A Journey to Real Estate Success

Stephen Schmidt (00:02.245)
Welcome back to the show where we interview the nation’s leading real estate entrepreneurs. I got a treat for you guys today It’s your host Stephen Schmidt and we’re back at it again If you’re joining us for the second third or hundredth time, welcome back if you’re joining us for the first time Welcome to the show. I know you’re gonna get a ton of value today and we’ve got Heather the hurricane in the house She’s one of the most decorated top agents in New Jersey She’s been in the real estate business for over seven years going into her eighth year here now

Heather The Hurricane (00:04.654)
you

Stephen Schmidt (00:29.955)
And we’re going to have a great conversation about what she does and her expertise in the field and how she was able to rise to such success in such a short amount of time. So Heather, welcome to the show.

Heather The Hurricane (00:40.802)
Yes, and how many, you said 100th, whatever, how many have you done?

Stephen Schmidt (00:46.205)
thousands.

Heather The Hurricane (00:48.753)
Lost count. That’s like me with how many deals I’ve done. That’s the same way I feel. That’s the way it should be.

Stephen Schmidt (00:50.311)
Yeah, 100%.

You’ve and just yeah, right exactly. You gotta forget how many you’ve done because you’ve done so many and have a track record. You’ve and just for everybody listening before we get started, just remember at Investor Fuel, we help real estate investors, service providers and real estate entrepreneurs, two to five X their businesses to allow them to build the businesses they’ve always wanted in order to live the lives they’ve always dreamed up. And Heather, let me ask you this.

Heather The Hurricane (01:01.558)
It’s never enough, it’s never enough!

Stephen Schmidt (01:20.785)
How did you get started in the real estate business for our listeners sake?

Heather The Hurricane (01:24.194)
No, that’s sure. That’s a great question. I didn’t even think I was going to, I’ve always been in my background is advertising marketing. I was VPS sales, go grill a meat of over 20 years, selling huge guerrilla marketing programs all over the country. I also, my background’s fashion. So you’ll notice in all my videos and everything I do, I’m always fashion. all about how looking good, you know? So that’s my background as well. but sales is within me through and through. And actually I was,

BPSL’s go, Brilomita over right around for over 20 years, about almost eight years now, eight years ago, I was also doing party planning on the side. So I’m very creative. That’s how I came with the hurricane. My marketing is insane. And I’m like, I cannot believe I don’t have a real estate license. Got it. Was doing both. Was going great. And then COVID, my marketing business was down a bit and my real estate was through the roof.

And that’s when after 20 something years of fashion and marketing, I was like, I’m just, and also the owner of my company was like, just do the real estate. The hurricane was born and it just took off like crazy. So everything I ever did was to be the hurricane today.

Stephen Schmidt (02:39.174)
a lot of it. would you, so with such an extensive background and then getting into the real estate space coming from marketing and advertising, what was the biggest risk you took early on?

Heather The Hurricane (02:46.442)
Mm-hmm. Like that.

Well, I do all those things, but also some, I’m an excellent salesperson always was. So it’s kind of like anything you do, you take what you. My mark, you know, all my skills, but I really just jumped in as if I was just selling from selling ad space to now selling homes. And that’s exactly what I did. So I took the, you know, I just jumped in once I had my license and really just learned on the job. And I’ll tell you, because I talked to so many different people and work with so many different clients.

I, after eight years, have done more deals and have been through more. Like you just got on the phone with me, with the situation I’m dealing with, because I do so many deals. I feel like I’ve enough in 80 years, in eight years, people haven’t learned in 80 years because of all the different situations and clients that I work with. And so it’s really been on the job, know, learning on the job. And that was a risk I took.

Stephen Schmidt (03:45.948)
100 % of that. So now, would you say that your specialty is being able to stand out because of your incredible brand presence? Or what would you say is really your specialty or your niche within the real estate world?

Heather The Hurricane (03:54.433)
Definitely. Also, mean, just go to, I encourage everyone to go to my stuff. know, I’m on every TikTok, everything you could imagine. My website, always keep up to date as well. Definitely stands out, but I have hundreds of five star reviews. So everything that you see is very authentic. They’re all there. Again, hundreds of five stars, there’s nothing under it.

award-winning on a very short amount of time. I work, everyone that knows me says my work ethic is insane. That’s another thing. My work ethic is it. It’s never enough. Like I said, I’m, I worked 24 hours, I literally sleep with my phone. I’ve, I’ve had clients reach me at two in the morning, no problem. Meeting me, whatever they need. I don’t just, my clients become my family. I’m not just like a used car salesman.

Stephen Schmidt (04:30.556)
What would you attribute that to?

Heather The Hurricane (04:51.23)
Never was, never will be. so it’s just the way I am. Consistency is key. And even though, like, let’s say I’ll have 10 deals in the hopper and it’s never, I’m like, my God, I have nothing. I’ll go out there and door knock still.

So it’s just pretty much I think how I’m made.

Stephen Schmidt (05:11.45)
I get it. would you say that drive comes from? Where did you realize, or at what point did you realize that you’ve just got to get more? I think that’s something that as an entrepreneur, we are always continuously fighting is the battle of is it ever enough? So where did that drive really come from for you? Was there a moment or experience early on in your career or maybe earlier life where you just realized I want more than this?

Heather The Hurricane (05:26.954)
Right.

Heather The Hurricane (05:35.691)
home.

Heather The Hurricane (05:42.675)
I just always knew I had like, something I walk into a room, know, people light up. I had a way with people always. So I just was like, let me put this into something and help people. Now I’m helping people, you know, getting homes is a really such a wonderful thing to be at home ownership or rentals or investments. mean, really just.

knew I had something and I put it now into something, you know, helping people and it’s just a great thing.

Stephen Schmidt (06:18.012)
What do you love most about the real estate space?

Heather The Hurricane (06:23.835)
that it’s always like, don’t, it could be, you know, people are crying about this business that’s collapsing. This is collapsing. will, people will always need a place to live. Always. There’s always going to be rentals for those who need to sell homes, buy homes. Always. This will always, it will always be there. There are things that sometimes go away. Not this, it’s not going away. We always need someone to live, right?

Stephen Schmidt (06:51.612)
100%. You bet. So on a more real estate specific kind of question, are there any common misconceptions about your part of the industry? with realtors, like why would someone want to hire a realtor versus like, you know, sell themselves or what is that process like? What are some of those misconceptions that bother you?

Heather The Hurricane (07:09.151)
Of course. I actually, it bothers me a lot. I fight it every single day of my life. Every time I do, this is not a DIY project. This is not a DIY. If that were the case, where would we all be? You know, that is not the case. This is not something you can do on your own. Look at what I deal with every single day. You just saw me. I love when people say, well my attorney can write up the contract. And that is your attorney on site at the inspections negotiating for you doing.

Stephen Schmidt (07:21.276)
Hmm.

Heather The Hurricane (07:38.602)
everything for you, writing up these, negotiating every step of the way until we get to that closing table. And even then it never, and even after the life of a real estate agent, we still are in touch with our clients and helping them. This is not something you can do yourself. You will not get top dollar. You don’t know what you’re looking for in contracts and, you know, proof of funds, the lenders contracts fall through even with agents. imagine if you try to do this yourself, there’s just

It’s just not, you know, it’s not a DIY project. That’s for sure. There’s so much that goes into this. It’s like buying a carton of milk for $2.99. You’re buying a luxury item here. And even at all levels, even for rentals, I do rentals as well. help people with a $2,000 rental, I people with $2 million homes. I help everyone. And every single person, every agent, every client I work with is just as important to me.

Stephen Schmidt (08:38.012)
What’s something you believed about real estate when you started that you no longer believe?

Heather The Hurricane (08:43.977)
That it’s easy. This is the hardest darn thing I ever did in my life. Hardest thing I ever did in my life.

Stephen Schmidt (08:45.98)
Hahaha

really?

Stephen Schmidt (08:53.314)
What would you say is one of the hardest lessons you’ve had to learn in the last eight years?

Heather The Hurricane (08:53.449)
hardest thing.

Heather The Hurricane (09:02.73)
Just being able to keep going, like figuring out a solution. But I love it. It’s like, I love coming up with a solution. You know, there’s not just one way to get to that closing table. There’s always a twist and a turn. So coming up with solutions is really what we do all day.

Stephen Schmidt (09:18.245)
Hmm.

Stephen Schmidt (09:23.164)
What are you seeing in the market right now that others might be missing?

Heather The Hurricane (09:29.042)
Everyone cried last year. I had the best year of my life, literally, in my entire career. Literally. I think I just, I personally just think I peaked as the hurricane, as all my marketing that I told you about in the past, all my business that was always wonderful. But I think finally it was meant to be that the hurricane was born and everything that I did all my life came together and it just, it happened. And then this year too, when I, so far my numbers are even,

Stephen Schmidt (09:33.764)
Why is that? Tell me more about that.

Heather The Hurricane (09:58.793)
So hopefully it just keeps going that way.

Stephen Schmidt (10:01.446)
Mm.

What, so how do you find most of your deals or clients for somebody that’s having success when everybody else is crying? What’s the differentiator for you other than just personal branding?

Heather The Hurricane (10:16.807)
different methods. Like, I’m going to start farming this one area now because I think it makes sense for what’s going on there. Door knocking, calling, networking. I am in a networking group, the Hurricane Hub. For many years I was in other networking groups. I was present whenever I had my own. And that’s key. I’m going to another networking event tonight. We’re always networking. I have people that help me out with that stuff as well. You my personal helps with my website. Someone helps me with my posting.

I’ll get a listing and post on over 70 related Facebook pages. It’s a combination of everything. It’s not just one thing. That’s key.

Stephen Schmidt (10:58.022)
Sure. What types of deals are you avoiding right now?

Heather The Hurricane (11:05.293)
Nothing. But I do find I was helping people sell businesses and that’s a little, that’s a bit more challenging because it’s not real estate. So I do have a business partner. I have someone now in my network that sells businesses. I might bring him in. Like I liked, if there’s something that I know I’m not the expert, I’ll bring it an expert in. That’s what makes me even better. That’s why I keep my five star reviews.

You need to be, if you can’t do exactly deliver, then you bring someone in that can help you do that. You we bring in inspectors, we bring in attorneys. We bring in people to help us make everything go smoothly.

Stephen Schmidt (11:44.188)
I guess let me rephrase that question. What makes a dealer or client like an instant no for you? Like any red flags for maybe some other realtors out there?

Heather The Hurricane (11:57.5)
There really isn’t. mean, credit sometimes. I mean, I even got someone that had the lowest credit score you could possibly imagine a place. I would want to work with everyone really. mean.

Stephen Schmidt (11:59.281)
Really?

Heather The Hurricane (12:13.16)
Of course, you know, we try to, you know, depending on what it is. But if it’s something we could work through and come up with solution, I’d like to try to help this person as best I can. I have someone right now that’s texting me because she’s in a very difficult situation and I’m going to try to help her. If I can’t, I can’t, but I mostly succeed.

Stephen Schmidt (12:25.564)
Sure.

Stephen Schmidt (12:34.492)
So coming from a marketing background too, obviously you’re really in tune with systems and processes. What systems or processes have saved you from major headaches in your business?

Heather The Hurricane (12:51.104)
I’m keeping track of like, I have a spreadsheet of every client I’ve ever worked with and their information. So, you know, that’s good to always make sure that I.

could somehow keep everything, you know, it’s tough to keep track of everything, obviously every deal that’s going on, but it’s very good to have at least know every person you’ve worked with and try to always touch with, keep in touch with them at least, you know, at least once a year.

Stephen Schmidt (13:19.1)
100%. With Legion specifically, I know we talked a little bit about that, obviously marketing background, you talk about like different channels. Have you ever found a channel that like didn’t really work that well, something that you avoid? Or what’s like your favorite channels for marketing?

Heather The Hurricane (13:37.66)
No, I mean, like, I know postcards work if they’re done correctly. I just haven’t done it correctly. I’m just on one off. I’m about to farm, which means doing consistently. I know it’s going to work, but I think now is the right time to do it after all this time, you So that’s the one thing that didn’t work. Probably like it should have just because I didn’t do anything. It’s not going to work unless you’re consistent.

Stephen Schmidt (13:52.166)
Sure.

Stephen Schmidt (14:03.004)
You’ve got it.

Heather The Hurricane (14:03.207)
So even like an ad in a magazine, you’re not consistent, it’s not gonna work, you know? And I do want off sometimes just because I’m like, let’s try this, let’s try that. But I kind of know you have to be consistent in everything for it to really pay off.

Stephen Schmidt (14:16.668)
For sure. Well, I mean with that, how do you track your return on investment or performance in your business?

Heather The Hurricane (14:25.072)
I mean, I don’t have an, you know, I try to say, where things came from, but I mean, I know from my, my networking group, I’ve gotten so much business online, so much business, just people hearing. see my name being posted right in front of my face all the time on other Facebook sites, you know, on other pages, which is so great. So it means everything got out there somehow. I really think it’s a combination of everything. I really do. I don’t think it’s just one thing.

even handing out merch, even that I go to fairs, know? It’s every door knocking, everything. It’s social media, everything. I really believe that my brand has built to where it is and we’re still building. It’s a combination of everything.

Stephen Schmidt (14:54.588)
Hmm.

Stephen Schmidt (15:11.356)
You’re for sure. You’re also one of the most decorated agents where you work. And so like, how does somebody go from zero to hero? Like, did you just have any success out of the gate with your business because of your extensive background already being very well connected? Or how does somebody go to have as many accolades as you?

Heather The Hurricane (15:12.26)
I don’t think it’s one thing.

Heather The Hurricane (15:36.145)
I know that’s a really good question because it’s like, yes, I had a big network, but I also wasn’t, I moved to New Jersey and I was my daughter 15 years ago. So it’s like, there are people here that I know get business because they grew up here. You know, not me. So imagine you have those roots, you have even a leg up. I really just went in there and used all my sales skills and everything I know about networking and everything.

What I already had on them built on top of it. And it was difficult, but I did it. But I’m saying there are probably people out there that maybe they don’t even realize that they’re sitting on so much right now that are from here their whole life and can just use that as well. So it’s like, it’s difficult and it’s very, you if they’re very hard at it, but they’re probably, there may be people listening right now that even have

Stephen Schmidt (16:07.804)
Hmm.

Heather The Hurricane (16:32.998)
have a leg up on me that maybe could use some of the stuff that I did with what they have and be very successful.

Stephen Schmidt (16:40.284)
Yeah, you talk a lot about being an excellent salesperson. What do you think makes an excellent salesperson?

Heather The Hurricane (16:48.292)
listening like, like I said, I don’t want to put down car sales, but I love my car sales are brown. He’s my man. I’m just saying they have that term used car salesman. My Mini Cooper. love that thing. people honk when they see it. I have like a really cool blue Mini Cooper. So that’s also nice though. But, yeah, it’s like a Tiffany, like the Tiffany blue. It’s really cool. Anyway. Yeah, it’s really cool.

Stephen Schmidt (17:07.1)
That’s a unique color,

Stephen Schmidt (17:12.176)
That’s tight. I like that.

Heather The Hurricane (17:15.438)
I brand, I another car I branded, more branding, but I can’t cover, I’m thinking how am gonna brand this with the blue, so working on that. yeah, so that’s very important is just people wanna be around me. They wanna be around the hurricane. They want the hurricane to help them. They make them feel, you know what I mean? As opposed to, okay ma’am, yes ma’am. How many times I get a phone call, yes ma’am. No, this is not how we sell things.

and especially not high ticket items and very important things like.

Stephen Schmidt (17:52.815)
sure. What’s your unique approach to sales that makes you such a good salesperson, would you say?

Heather The Hurricane (18:01.701)
really just trying to find something, like just get right on the phone with them, make them feel comfortable asking the right questions. It’s very important to, like you said, do you want to waste time? You you did say before is every single, do you want to waste time? But so there are questions that you can ask even to get into the right direction already right away to know, do we go here? Do we go here? You know,

Getting right on the right track by asking the right questions is so important too.

Stephen Schmidt (18:35.1)
You know, one of the things that’s interesting whenever I talk to a high performer, which I talk to in all different contexts, is you’ve already achieved really big milestones in your career and you still have a lot of career left in you, a lot of drive. What’s next for you? When will enough be enough? Is there ever a point?

Heather The Hurricane (18:56.918)
Yes.

Heather The Hurricane (19:06.666)
I think I want to have some to be like, I wish I knew then what I know now, I’d love to say. I want to, I guess I own my own home, but I’ve gotten close to some real estate investments and I’m not there yet. So that would be my goal is that eventually all this that I do for others besides I have my own home, but I would like like an investment property.

Stephen Schmidt (19:16.827)
Mm.

Heather The Hurricane (19:35.18)
I think probably if I got a good one or started something like that, that’d make me feel even more like, okay, maybe I could breathe for a second, but you can’t, because then I might have to worry about, so that’s a goal of mine, really.

Stephen Schmidt (19:49.646)
is to be a big investor, just for clarity.

Heather The Hurricane (19:51.976)
I don’t.

Stephen Schmidt (19:54.781)
What will that do for you? Like what will investing do for you? Is that more time freedom, the financial aspect of what that can do for you or what about it?

Heather The Hurricane (20:01.673)
Just, yeah, all of it, all of it. But I probably won’t stop, you know, it’ll probably be the same, working with all my deals and everything. But it would just feel like, okay, I’m doing this. I’ve done it for, you know, all my clients. I got myself on them, okay. But also something I’ve done for them. Now I’ve done for myself. How cool is that, you know?

Stephen Schmidt (20:12.412)
Yeah.

Stephen Schmidt (20:24.572)
What’s your dream? Are you chasing a dream or still trying to reinvent one?

Heather The Hurricane (20:35.335)
I just, I also, you know, like I do stand up comp. I love being like, if you look at my videos and stuff, I just love being in front. I’m very comfortable in front of camera. That’s why I told you, yes, I’m very difficult situation now, but I’m here for you, you know, just turn it right on. You know, so like I’ve always, if I can just keep going with that, you know, maybe next level in as far as being even, I’ve gone, you know, get to that next level as far as being recognized. I’m already being recognized almost like a mini celebrity here New Jersey.

Maybe just to keep going with that, you know, like the hurricane, the hurricane, just really blow it out of the water. I lost you.

Stephen Schmidt (21:14.126)
Yeah, it looks like your video cut out. I can hear ya.

Heather The Hurricane (21:14.776)
Hello? Hi! Okay, did you see me again? Sorry about that. Can you see me? Sorry.

Stephen Schmidt (21:20.758)
Yeah, that’s all good. I don’t know what happened. Yeah, you’re fine. So.

Heather The Hurricane (21:24.712)
So just like next month, you know, like I always make due gold. 18 million I did last year, 80 units this year. I’m really tracking for platinum, which is 20 million and hopefully more and more and more. And again, just becoming viral really. And I’m just about there.

Stephen Schmidt (21:43.996)
What will that do for you?

Heather The Hurricane (21:47.292)
know it’s just good, I want to just keep going.

Stephen Schmidt (21:50.597)
I love it. You come off as someone I don’t know super well yet. You come off as, if you’re familiar with the Enneagram, somebody that has a very big bent towards being a three, which is someone that values the accolades and the achievements and everything that you’re able to accomplish. Yeah.

Heather The Hurricane (22:06.728)
I do, I’m not gonna lie, I love it. I’ve gotten so many and I, and some people are like, oh, I don’t care. like, well, I do. I appreciate, know, that’s, re-max has always been very wonderful, like that too, you know? And when I reached my million dollar commission or all these different, you know, my plant or whatever it is, it does feel good, you know? It feels like, oh, okay, all my hard work.

Stephen Schmidt (22:14.278)
Right.

Stephen Schmidt (22:32.23)
Sure.

Heather The Hurricane (22:34.992)
I like the money tell like all of it. And also the fact that loving everything we do and you know, hearing from my clients and hearing their next levels, you know, step in life and how I can help again and again and again.

Stephen Schmidt (22:37.638)
Sure.

Stephen Schmidt (22:50.0)
Yeah, you’ve got. What do you love about helping people?

Heather The Hurricane (22:56.584)
I just felt that’s why we’re here. Like we’re doing what I’m supposed to be doing and making money and everything, just everything all in one. It just, it all meshes together.

Stephen Schmidt (23:00.219)
Mm.

Stephen Schmidt (23:11.1)
It’s a win-win.

Heather The Hurricane (23:12.561)
Yes.

Stephen Schmidt (23:14.764)
Absolutely. Well, Heather, I appreciate you taking some time even even amidst a really busy day of putting out a bunch of fires. I know when we hopped on for our

Heather The Hurricane (23:21.256)
Can you, do you see this? I know, did you see my thing in the back, the comedy thing? That’s me. I was blind my whole life. Yeah, I did a lot of events. I even host like real estate, you know, like MC real estate events too, like that. Do you ever need anything? And you should look at my old stuff too. I was blind my whole life, by the way. And the red is mute, it’s the fiery side of the hurricane. I’m always changing and you know, gotta keep my image, you know, so.

Stephen Schmidt (23:26.704)
That’s awesome. I love it.

Stephen Schmidt (23:36.252)
That’s awesome.

Stephen Schmidt (23:49.969)
Keep it fresh, the realtor, fashionista, marketing expert. I love it. So where can people connect with you to learn more about what you’re working on and learn more about you?

Heather The Hurricane (23:50.405)
That’s a good stuff. Yes, that’s important to me.

100%.

Heather The Hurricane (24:00.775)
everywhere, Absolutely. I try to really spread myself onto every platform because I know I’m even on snap. You think I want to be snapping? I want everything because I know every different platform, you’re going to reach someone different. LinkedIn, Snap, TikTok, Xbox, just kidding. Facebook, my regular Facebook, my website, Heather the Hurricane, YouTube. also, going to be, iPhones for House Hunters. That’s going to be dropping soon.

Stephen Schmidt (24:14.556)
You bet.

Stephen Schmidt (24:20.188)
Hahaha

Heather The Hurricane (24:31.343)
I’ve been on other podcasts. This one was great. I’m so proud to be here. Thank you so much. I’ve been featured in many articles too. Bergen County Real Producers, so on. And most of it is on my website. I try to keep it all on all the tabs and everything.

Stephen Schmidt (24:36.784)
you that.

Stephen Schmidt (24:46.908)
100 % awesome. Well, thanks so much for joining us

Heather The Hurricane (24:48.475)
And you can reach me anywhere, by the way. I wanna be very clear. Like people, some people say, don’t DM me. You could reach WhatsApp, I don’t care. Smoke signals, you can reach me anywhere.

Stephen Schmidt (24:59.42)
Well Heather, thanks so much for joining us today. I’m sure if you guys got enough value out of it as I did, you’ll be off to the races and go connect with her for more, share some love from the real estate pros. Heather, thanks for joining us and we’ll see y’all on the next episode.

Heather The Hurricane (25:14.034)
Thank you.

Stephen Schmidt (25:15.517)
Eat that.