In the beautiful midday breeze at Market Commons in Myrtle Beach, SC I met Shayla Dewitt at Cold Stone for some ice cream at her request. I was so intrigued that this beautiful woman that I have watched become a very successful, loving, POWERful woman in her own right, was ready to tell her story. Shayla, now a real estate agent with Dockside Realty, sells residential properties in South Carolina. Shayla and I ordered ice cream and began to have some 'girl talk'. I wanted to know more about Shayla's journey of faith, love, life, and business. Shayla, a wife, a mother, and real estate agent, has her hands full but spoke about balance, dedication to her husband and family, as well as her being aware of her calling to sell properties. Shayla works hard and she plays hard.
This journey began with questions on how she got into the real estate agent. Shayla began to tell me a story about being in years of retail sales and realizing that she was making a little bit of money as major corporations made majority of sales from the products she sold for them. Shayla, grew weary in her day to day life of just barely making the ends meet. She had a household to contribute to and she had two children that she needed to support. She had a dream and knew that though it would not be easy, real estate was it for her. Through countless hours of working a fulltime job in retail and then going to classes before she knew it she held her real estate license in her hand.
"I knew it was the voice of God saying it was time to step out on faith! I really didn't have a choice, It was do this or that, I had to choose." Shayla said she decided to give it her all. Shayla has a health condition called sickle cell anemia and her trait is very serious. She said that she had to trust God in this move because she did not have health insurance. Shayla gave much praise to President Obama and the Health Care Act. God gave Shayla what she needed to move forward in God's plan for her life. Shayla says's she knows she hears the voice of God when there is confusion. She hears God say in those moments, "Be still." Shayla makes sure she takes time every morning to pray and give God all the praise and worship He is due.
The Lady
Her lover
Shayla now realized that her work had just begun. How would she convince her husband that she needed to leave a for sure paycheck, benefits, insurance, for a vision and a dream that she had. Shayla told me,
"I told my husband he had to trust me and that we had to have faith in God together. We had to pray together and go through this thing together." It was a switch. It was a challenge for my marriage I went from a sure paycheck to months with no pay, but when I closed my first house he saw the promise. I told him, "Baby I just need you to believe in me." "I realized that we had to pray not only separately, but together. We had to touch and agree that God was going to do this thing!"
Shayla said she worked for a year and a half still in retail after she had her license. When Shayla was ready to make the shift she left her job and paycheck to go and work for Century 21. After a month of working at Century 21 her broker died. She thought then was the proper time to 'fly the coop'. It took her about 5 months then she took the leap of faith and stepped out of the boat and onto the water. She then joined Dockside Realty. "Though it's tough and not a 'rock star' lifestyle, and I get 50 no's before I get a yes, it is something that I want to do. If they don't let me in the front door, I will kick in the backdoor!"
Lady, lover, lord
Her lord
"I am a wife first. Then, I am a mother. Then there is the Realtor Shayla. Things have to have balance. If my husband wants to take me to lunch I clear my schedule. "
I understand that my husband is my husband, he is not my source, God is my source.