In March of 1990, my grandmother, Betty Brink, and my aunt, Marsia Miller, stood in front of a ribbon-cutting in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to celebrate the opening of her real estate brokerage, Properties Unlimited.
Thirty-six years later, my daughter Audrey and I stood in front of our own ribbon-cutting in St. Petersburg, Florida, to celebrate the grand opening of The Tenpenny Collection.
When my grandmother recently handed me the newspaper clipping from that day in 1990, it stopped me in my tracks.
I have spent more than two decades in real estate. Audrey has essentially grown up in the business with me. Yet seeing that photo made something very clear. The paths we take in life are often shaped by people and experiences long before we realize their influence.
This story is about more than opening a real estate office. It is about family, leadership, and the women who quietly shape the future of an industry.
My grandmother, Betty Brink, is my role model.
She is kind, loving, intelligent, sophisticated, and admired by everyone who knows her. I have always respected her strength and grit.
Betty and my aunt, Marsia Miller, became licensed real estate agents in the early 1980s. Like many entrepreneurs, their journey into brokerage ownership was not originally planned.
Marsia was working at another brokerage when she experienced poor leadership, weak management, and a lack of encouragement. Instead of accepting those conditions, she and my grandmother decided to create something better.
In 1990, they opened Properties Unlimited.
At the time, it was far less common to see women leading their own brokerage. But Betty and Marsia were determined to build a business centered on knowledge, service, and integrity.
Their reputation quickly grew.
They became known for their deep understanding of real estate and their commitment to clients. Most importantly, they cared more about the people they served than the commissions they earned.
More than three decades later, their brokerage is still open today.
My grandmother is 92 years old and they still work together every day!
Real estate has always been part of my life.
I lived with my grandparents growing up, and most afternoons were spent in their real estate office. It was simply where life happened.
Contracts were written. Clients stopped by. Phones rang constantly. Deals came together and occasionally fell apart.
At the time, it felt chaotic. As a young person watching from the sidelines, real estate looked like a business that pulled you in a hundred different directions.
But there was one person in that office who always stood out to me.
My aunt, Marsia Miller.
She was known throughout the community as one of the smartest brokers in town. Other Realtors and brokers called her daily to ask for advice on contracts, negotiations, and complex situations.
What I did not realize at the time was how much confidence and pride the profession gave her.
Years later, I would discover the same thing in my own career.
Today I often receive those same phone calls from agents and brokers asking for guidance.
When I first entered real estate, I did not fully recognize how much my family had influenced that decision.
I got my real estate license while pregnant with Audrey.
Over the next twenty three years, real estate became more than a career. It became a calling.
Throughout my career I have had the opportunity to open and lead several brokerages. I have led more than 500 Realtors and helped facilitate over a billion dollars in annual sales volume.
Despite that experience, owning my own brokerage was never my personal goal.
The work is demanding. The responsibility is significant. And the industry is dominated by large corporate franchises.
But eventually I realized something important.
Our local real estate community needed stronger leadership. Realtors deserved better support. Clients deserved a higher level of service.
That realization led to the creation of The Tenpenny Collection.
On March 4, 2026, Audrey and I officially opened the doors to our new office at 327 11th Avenue North in St. Petersburg.
The grand opening was two years in the making. Months of planning and remodeling went into creating the space.
We wanted something different.
The Tenpenny Collection was designed to be a sophisticated environment where productive agents could meet with their clients comfortably while delivering a high level of professional service.
This brokerage was built on a simple belief.
Luxury is a level of service, not a price point.
That philosophy mirrors the way my grandmother and aunt built their business decades earlier. Every client deserves respect, attention, and thoughtful guidance regardless of the price of the property.
One of the most meaningful parts of this journey has been building the brokerage with my daughter.
Audrey is 23 years old and serves as my business partner. She is licensed in real estate, though her role within the brokerage focuses on operations and strategy.
She functions as our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Marketing Officer, overseeing financial systems, branding, and marketing strategy.
In many ways, our working relationship mirrors the partnership my grandmother and aunt built decades earlier.
Mother and daughter.
Working side by side.
Making decisions together. Solving problems together. Sharing the responsibility of building something meaningful.
Launching an independent brokerage in today’s real estate environment comes with challenges.
Our industry is dominated by large corporate brands with national advertising budgets and franchise networks.
As a small local brokerage, it can sometimes feel like David facing Goliath.
But what we offer cannot be replicated by a corporate franchise.
We bring:
Deep local knowledge
Decades of real estate experience
Strong community relationships
Global marketing exposure for our listings
Our strength comes from understanding the communities we serve and caring deeply about the people within them.
This story feels particularly meaningful during Women’s History Month.
Many people have pointed out to me that this is a story about three generations of women in business.
Truthfully, it is not something I often stop to think about. But I am deeply grateful for the women who cleared the path before me.
My grandmother.
My aunt.
And countless others throughout history.
From the right to vote, to the right to own property, to the ability to build and lead our own businesses, each generation benefits from the courage of the one before it.
None of this would be possible without them.
The Tenpenny Collection is just beginning its story.
Over the next decade, my vision is to expand thoughtfully with additional offices throughout Tampa Bay, Sarasota, and beyond.
But growth alone is not the goal.
The mission remains the same.
To elevate professionalism in the real estate industry.
To support Realtors in building meaningful careers.
And to serve clients with the highest level of care and expertise.
Because in the end, real estate is not simply about properties.
It is about people, relationships, and the lives that unfold inside the homes we help them find.
And sometimes, it is also about honoring the legacy of those who helped shape the path we are walking today.