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Cocktails with KB | Judy Marsales

Every once in a while, I have the honour of meeting someone who knocks my socks off. Judy Marsales is one of those people. I met Judy a number of years ago and have been inspired by her grace, kindness, and what she has accomplished in her life. To say I look up to her is an understatement. We sat down at Two Black Sheep and chatted like we had been friends for life. We sipped on El Bar (me) and Sprite (her) and snacked on my favourite; chicken liver brûlée and some delicious cheddar. I was encouraged by her honesty, inspired by her answers. Grab a cocktail (or a Sprite) and you will be as inspired as I am by the incomparable Judy Marsales.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

“Say what you do, and do what you say”. This advice was offered by my first manager in real estate. His name was Ross Newman, a fine older gentleman who interestingly was not going to hire me at the beginning because he thought that I was too young to work in the real estate world. I was in my 20’s at that time and the business was predominantly older male salespeople. Interestingly, another company, Alec Murray, made their mark by hiring women but I wanted something different.

Why Hamilton?

I grew up in Winnipeg, in a poor family, and when I moved here with my first husband, Hamilton was so accepting, and I sincerely believed that Hamilton gave me a life. Respecting that, I wanted to embrace the city. Although when I first arrived in the ’70’s, I thought that Hamilton was a little bit behind the times, relative to what I was used to Winnipeg. For example, we lived in West Hamilton and Paddy Green’s was the pub everyone went to but they had a “women’s only entrance” which I thought was so bizarre. But that was a reflection on old world Hamilton. One never knows about how life is going to unfold. You work hard, you move forward, and I loved everything about the energy of Hamilton and the music. I wanted to be a part of influencing positive change for a newer Hamilton.

Three words to describe Hamilton?

Location – Citizens – Heritage. Wonderfully located, passionate citizenry combined with history and heritage.

What’s the best thing about what you do?

Interacting with people! That one is easy…I thoroughly enjoy people. People in all stages and ages of life.

What’s the worst thing about what you do?

Sorting out challenges between people. Sometimes it is difficult to make everyone happy. Sometimes it is difficult to find that delicate balance in sales between good intentions and positive outcomes.

What’s your motto?

I don’t think I have a motto per se. If I did, it would be “to act with integrity”. Integrity is an easy word to throw around but sometimes in the real world, people can be disappointing. A silly example — I was out with some friends at the casino and somebody had left a $10 ticket in the machine. I tried to give it to one of the supervisors thinking that it could be returned but nobody seemed interested. So, I gave it to the coat clerk as a way of acknowledging his good work. I felt I had given someone a positive experience. I do hope that I can do my best to live with integrity.

What are you most looking forward to in 2015?

This may sound funny, but cleaning my office. Back in the beginning of last year, we put a new front on our office building in Westdale. Because my office is in the front, all the windows had to come out so I had to literally move out of my office. So, everything was put in tubs. That was almost a year ago and I still have a pile of tubs in my office. The idea was that I would get rid of a tub a week. I still have ten tubs but this is also a good platform for me to really think about organizing my office, my life, and build the next stage of life.

What’s the biggest learning experience of your life?

Learning to accept that disappointment comes with some people in your life professionally and personally and to move on to greater experiences.

If you found 10 dollars in your pocket, what would you do with it?

I would go to Tim Horton’s and buy a coffee and croissant.

How do you find that real estate in hamilton has changed over your time in Hamilton?
I think the impact of dynamic female participation in real estate has had a positive impact. As I mentioned, when I came into the business, it was very dominantly male. I was the first female president of the Real Estate Association in 1992. I also think that the dynamics of the industry have changed dramatically in terms of expectations and technology — the availability of detailed information allowing consumers to make a much more informed decision. The broader context of interest in real estate as an investment is too often misunderstood through social media. Too often the consumer will read a story which they interpret to have impact on Hamilton and it can mislead their thinking when it is based on another community half a continent away.

 

Lightning Round

WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT THESE DAYS? My grandchildren

BEST GIFT YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED? My coat!

HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR COFFEE? Black with one sugar

FAVOURITE BAND? The Guess Who

FAVOURITE SOLO ARTIST? Megan Trainor

A BOOK YOU PLAN ON READING? Steve Jobs’ book

FAVOURITE COLOUR? Pink

LEAST FAVOURITE COLOUR? Orange

BEST WAY TO DECOMPRESS? Music

IF YOUR LIFE WERE A SONG, WHAT WOULD THE TITLE BE? To Dream the Impossible Dream

FAVOURITE HOLIDAY? Mexico with my children

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ON A PIZZA? Cheese

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© 2024 Robert Cekan Professional Real Estate Corporation. All rights reserved. Robert Cekan is a Broker at Real Broker Ontario Ltd., Brokerage.