Please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
First and foremost, thank you so much for sharing your platform with me to share my story. It’s an honor and a privilege to share my testimony with you and your readers.
I was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. My childhood was split between Birmingham (more specifically Ensley and Fairfield) and my summers were spent with my Grandparents in Chilton County in Clanton & Thorsby. So I am a proud product of both city and rural life! My parents, Felix Andre’ Dickerson (Jeannette Dickerson) and Pamela Dickerson Jones (Calvin Jones, now deceased) are all wonderful people. My biological parents divorced when I was 10 years old and both remarried. I am the eldest of four children (Me, Jasmine, Echo,and Julian) and I am the eldest grandchild on my maternal side.
Looking back over my life, I strongly believe that being the eldest child and grandchild greatly impacted my ability and willingness to nurture and serve others. I grew up in the C.M. E. (Christian Methodist Episcopal) Church and attended Miles Chapel C.M.E. Church on Miles College Campus, which was the home church of my Maternal Grandparents and Great-Grandparents. I cannot share my story without mentioning my maternal Grandparents, Mr. O’Neal Mc Grew and Mrs. Anita L. Mc Grew of Fairfield along with my paternal Grandparents, Mr.John L. Dickerson and Mrs.Mary Sue Dickerson, and later Mrs.Blanche Mae Dickerson. I literally had the BEST Grandparents in the world.
Although my parents have been the best, my Grandparents ALL taught me the core values of spirituality, hard work, education, land ownership, home ownership, perseverance, servant leadership, and entrepreneurship. I absolutely love and miss them all profoundly.
As far as education goes, I attended very traditional, excellent predominantly African-American schools from pre-school until fifth grade. All of my teachers were well educated, fantastic and very supportive individuals who created an extremely creative, nurturing environment for me and my peers. I remember and celebrate them all to this day. After fifth grade, I attended a diverse middle school in Chattanooga, TN and then moved back to Birmingham attending Over The Mountain Schools in the suburbs. I am an Alumna of Shades Valley High School then in Homewood, AL (Go Mounties!) where I served as a member of the S.G.A. for the student body and I was fortunate to attend & graduate from The University of Alabama with a B.S. in Human Environmental Science with a concentration in Human Development.
I was a Bama Belle (student recruiter/parent chaperone) for The Alabama Crimson Tide Football Team (ROLL TIDE!!!) and it was at this point that I began the true journey of extensive, personal evolution. After college, I became a single mother of 2 amazing human beings, Zachary (22) and Grace Johnson (19) (who both are currently studying at Auburn University…very proud AU Mom…still Roll Tide). They saved and transformed my entire life. They both gave me a greater sense purpose, fulfillment, and strong organizational & leadership skills beyond my imagination. God truly used them along with my degree from UA to teach me fortitude, perseverance, and humility.
Motherhood is the epitome of servant leadership..on steroids. As a young adult, I worked in education as a teacher, as well as held jobs in retail, food service, and banking. I eventually learned how to process mortgage loans, worked on foreclosures, bankruptcy, and loss mitigation, but ultimately I wanted to become a Realtor. The crazy thing is that I wanted to become a Realtor as a young child when I would see luxury home magazines in the grocery store. I came across one particular book that always had mansions.
The most popular sales person was a beautiful, pristine Asian American woman who was very successful. Her name was Julie Kim. Mrs. Kim inspired me to dream big because she too was a minority and sold Multi-Million Dollar Homes. I never forgot her. So after years of working many jobs, learning many lessons in various work environments from classrooms to corporate settings, I married a great guy and after nearly a decade we divorced. I found myself single, unemployed (because I was a housewife and graduate student) and sad. I was depressed and experiencing anxiety..sheer anguish.
After therapy, talking things over with my Grandparents and Parents, I started an Event Planning & Concierge boutique business (PAPIER MISHAE’ Events & Concierge), and then I pursued a career in real estate. In 2019, I went to Real Estate School, took my exam, and passed. During my first 2 years in the industry, I worked for Keller Williams Homewood Brokerage as a REALTOR®; however, I am currently with The EXIT ELITE REALTY Brokerage in Hoover, Alabama, under Franchisee and Broker, Tundra Pippens Smith.
I absolutely love my new dual position as Director of Agent Relations and REALTOR® for Mishae Dickerson Realty within The EXIT REALTY Brokerage. I love EXIT because their philosophy is change lives and create opportunities!! Servant leadership is paramount and I am embracing it wholeheartedly. This is my story thus far; however, I am DETERMINED to change the lives of my clients by creating opportunities in the area of home ownership and financial wellness.
Mishae Dickerson, what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from others?
You all should know that although we are living in such a challenging time (COVID-19, economically, racial division, climate change, homelessness, spiritual & political differences), God is greater than ANY challenges that we collectively face. I am a woman of faith who believes in the power of prayer (Luke 18:1) and also believes that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen as well as faith is without works is dead (Hebrews 11:1 & James 2:17).
What I do best is to encourage, support, and educate others. My relationships with clients particularly, extends beyond real estate because I genuinely want to see them win in every area of their lives. The goal is financial wellness.
What sets me apart from others is the fact that I am genuinely here to be used as a vessel to serve my clients. Although some agents in this industry are driven primarily by the premise of making money, I sincerely see excelling financially as a by product of serving others. It helps that my Broker, Tundra Pippens Smith, and Brokerage (EXIT ELITE REALTY) has the ultimate goal to change lives and create opportunities. That is my primary goal as a REALTOR®, so anything else is icing on the cake.
What is “failure” and “success” for you?
Failure to me is the inability to change lives and create opportunities in the lives of my clients and their families. Failure is also the inability to bring about growth and remaining stagnant. I try not to focus much on failure; however, Success is exponential growth and the ability to transform and renew my mind and the lives of my family, friends, and clients for the better. Success is also establishing a sustainable legacy for generations to come…that is my ultimate goal. I want to fulfill my purpose in this earth by utilizing and sharing every gift that God has given me to help people.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
My work consists of consistent reading (books, magazines, articles, etc.), monitoring the marketplace trends, researching all things real estate, collaborating with clients & other real estate professionals, and most importantly listening (to podcasts, during consultations, client feedback, etc.), and fulfilling the needs & desires of my clients. Whether I am working with a buyer, seller, or investor (who does both interchangeably), my job is to find the home, land, or property that accomplishes that purpose. Lastly, I serve as the Director of Agent Relations for EXIT ELITE REALTY. I am responsible for agent retention and making sure that our entire team feels appreciated & celebrated!
What excites you right now?
What excites me right now is my brokerage EXIT ELITE REALTY and how it has improved my ability to serve my clients!! I am so blessed to be a part of such an awesome real estate family. From our International Corporate Headquarters of EXIT REALTY to our Regional Owners, Troy & Kathy Dooley, to my Broker, Tundra Pippens Smith, and my entire office of fellow phenomenal EXIT ELITE REALTORS®, it is TRULY a team effort!! We are there for one another as we serve others. That’s our culture and THAT blesses me tremendously. It’s not a job. It’s a calling and I’m honored to be a part of The EXIT REALTY Family because it affords us all the ability to effectively and efficiently serve & focus on meeting the needs of our clients.
What ONE thing would you like for our readers to take away from this feature story, about you?
-The ONE thing that I would like your readers to take away from this feature story is…although this is a tough time for so many of us as a society with COVID-19 and the loss of so many people & businesses, and so much change has occurred…THERE IS HOPE. I have gone through many life challenges and I STILL say that God is our source, our refuge, our strength, and our HOPE.
-As a REALTOR®, I would like to say that there are a ton of us out here who could help you sell or buy a home or property, but please do your due diligence and selectively choose a REALTOR® who will work hard for your best interests and who takes their fiduciary responsibilities seriously while representing you as their client. You deserve THE BEST.
I love what I do and I would absolutely love & appreciate the opportunity to represent you as a client.
How can our readers connect with you?
Your readers can connect with me by: Texting Mishae at 85377 to receive my digital business card OR call me at 205.643.1377 OR email me at mishae.exitelite@gmail.com
May God continue to bless you, your staff, and your readers!! Thank you so much for the privilege and opportunity to share my story with you and your readers. It’s been my pleasure!