Elena was born in Alameda California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her parents spoke Spanish, Elena learned English in the neighborhood. She helped her parents maneuver the English speaking part of their world while they also learned English. Her parents bought their first house in Hayward California when Elena was seven. This neighborhood was a little more diversified and she made friends with her classmates, learned to ride a bike, and learn more about different people and their cultures from her neighbors.
She especially enjoyed talking with the older people in her neighborhood, and listen to their stories.  All those very different people, all those stories would serve Elena well, because she grew up able to talk with anyone, and ask a few questions, and learn so very much about them. They all thought she was the brightest, kindest child, and they always remembered her with a smile. When Elena finished school she thought she would leave and start her life in Long Beach, it was a big city, lots of exciting things to do there, and she had applied and been excepted to work as an Import Clerk for a truck lines through a friend of her Dad's who lived in Long Beach. The sun and the beaches were a lot of fun, but the smog was horrible, the traffic was terrifying, and after about two years, she was packing to go back home. Searching for another job she landed with a small employment agency in San Leandro, not far from her parents, but far enough for her to have her own life. She liked being a head hunter, she was good at it because she could get people to talk to her openly about what they wanted, and the same with the employers that hired her. It was a puzzle, putting the right person into the right position, and getting paid for it. But she did have to find the people, and was always on the phone looking for employers with positions to fill that were willing to pay her to find the right person. She wanted more, something that would give her an unlimited income would be amazing. Then one day out of the blue, a gentleman called her and said that she would get her real estate license he would hire her. But she didn't know anything about real estate.

Rick Hewitt grew up in a small town in South Central Missouri. The entire South Central Region is pretty rural. Douglas County had less than 14,000 in the entire 804 square miles that made up the county. Ozark County to the South had even less people that lived there year around. Because of the Lakes in the area, a lot of folks only lived in the area during the summer months. Growing up in a small town Rick learned the value of keeping everyone's secrets and how to stay neutral on anything that went any where near religion or politics. Rick was big in sports, played them all, and because of it knew a lot of people in surrounding towns from playing against their towns teams. Rick worked hard at a variety of odd jobs until he found real estate. He went to work for a franchise brokerage thinking it would be an advantage. His first day he sat with the broker and asked about training. The broker folded his arms across his chest and announced that they don't train agents. If he wanted training the franchise offered some training courses that he could purchase. Seemed strange but he was determined to make this work.

The story behind these stories is that you can come from anywhere, with any or no experience and create a successful real estate company.