Cohen of M.C. O'Brien: Never a fear of succeeding

Name: Karen Cohen Title: Licensed Real Estate Salesperson Company Name: M. C. O'Brien Inc. Years in Commercial Real Estate: 8 In the last 12 months, which project, transaction, honor or accomplishment are you most proud of and why? This past year a friend of mine sought me out because I specialize in Commercial Real Estate and gave me a piece of family property to sell. Long story short I had several bidders all vying for this property and it ended up selling for far more than I thought it was worth. This wasn't the first time I had been involved in a bidding war but I must admit it was very exciting. What were your biggest fears when you started out in your profession? When I started in real estate back in 2008 my biggest fear was how was I going to have time to do it all, how was I going to work full time and take care of my growing family, how was I going to shop and cook and have dinner on the table every night while being at work all day every day, when my every breathing moment was spent either on the phone answering calls or reading 100's and 100's of emails at all hours of the day and night. Was I biting off more than I could chew? Taking care of a large family is no easy feat and adding a full time position in real estate was not a small undertaking. Thankfully with a very supportive family and a very supportive broker I was able to do it all. Thankfully the versatility of real estate enabled me to be there for my children when they needed me and at the same time to be there for my clients when they needed me. I figured out a long time ago that if you are open and honest with the people in your life it only helps you and adds to your support system. I never had a fear of succeeding in real estate. It was always my passion. What was your first job and what did you learn from it? My first job was in retail. Retail is truly in my blood. My parents had a resort store in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. I worked in the store every summer for my entire life. I made some of the best friends of my life. In addition my husband and his family have been in Retail their whole lives as well. I am a people person. When you speak to people you learn respect for people from all walks of life, I have learned that everyone comes from a different place and everyone has a story that you can learn from, I love hearing their stories and I love talking to people and I learned that just because people appear to be different, in reality everyone is really the same. What is your favorite quote? "Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, how you leave others feeling after an experience with you becomes your trademark." Jay Danzie What are you doing differently in 2014 that has had positive impact on your career? I'm not afraid to say no. I'm not afraid to say yes. I used to try and keep my personal life separate from my business life... but they are intertwined. It's impossible to keep that boundary and also not necessary. I get a lot of referrals from my personal life. It seems everyone has owns a piece of property of one kind or another.