360Digest

Note: I wrote several posts about Seattle real estate agent and artist Sarina McDonald, “Agent fired for extra-curricular activities” and “Real estate and sexual politics“. The excitement is dying down a bit, her career is back on track, and she had time to pen this response. Thanks Sarina!

Apparently the post about me has sparked some great discussions, to which I would like to respond.

First, I wanted your readers to know that many of them were absolutely right: being fired from Windermere Kingston for being a burlesque performer has been a blessing in disguise! When I embarked on a career in real estate, I had the mistaken notion that joining a large company would set me on the right path - I thought their training programs and household name status would provide me with the tools I needed to be successful. I found instead that all this meant was that someone had done a good job devising a franchise that could be operated by anyone, anywhere - like any other large corporate chain, in any other field.

I still think Windermere is a decent company overall, but the real-life, personal guidance of my superiors at Ewing and Clark is proving to be far more valuable. At Windermere, I had to pay for the privilege of attending “Education” classes with 40 other agents, and met with a group of other new agents for in-office training only once a week. The learning curve was agonizingly slow for a go-getter like me! At Ewing and Clark, I am receiving hands-on training and one-on-one mentoring from a 30 year veteran of the business, nearly every day. As the oldest brokerage in Washington State with a solid reputation for full service, Ewing and Clark trains their agents the way they do everything else: with intense professional devotion. Those are my kind of people!

But I digress - we were supposed to be talking about the issues raised by my getting fired. Many folks have made comments about concern for my personal safety, or their outrage over what they consider to be a breach of my freedom of speech (and therefore, theirs as well, if brokers get to dictate what agents do in their off-time). Still others have simply pondered the complexity of it all. I’d like to set some things straight, so the discussion can continue with all the facts. and maybe a few opinions of my own.

Before I was fired, I had taken thorough measures to keep my legal and stage names separate for reasons of protecting my own privacy. I hadn’t experienced any problems, but just in case some nut-job decided to look me up at home I thought it would be prudent to make that less easy for people to do. So, my website, www.ravennablack.com, was registered privately to my business name. I used my business license and PO Box for all things related to my performance art, so whenever I was paid with a check I had it made out to “Ravenna Black” (the name of my business, obviously), and I would deposit it by writing “For Deposit Only” on the back. There was very little connection between my legal name and my stage name, and NO connection on the internet. In fact, most of the producers I had worked for in Seattle didn’t even know my legal name until The Stranger article came out!

So there was never any “public” link between the stage performer Ravenna Black and Windermere, and none of my clients knew that I also worked as an entertainer in a cabaret show because it was irrelevant. I had two completely separate identities that almost never intersected (unless I allowed them to, by working on a real estate matter with a show-business contact). When people ask if it was reasonable to expect to keep my privacy under the circumstances, the answer is “yes” - I look totally different in stage make-up, so much so that I have had show-business people I’ve known for years pass me on the street wearing a suit, and not recognize me! And I certainly did not ever cross-promote before, nor did I intend to.

I want to be very clear that this was not because I thought there was anything wrong with my performance art - anyone who has seen me perform burlesque (like the very conservative CEO of my new company!) can attest that it’s quite tame by today’s standards. Rather, it was because I wanted to keep a clear, professional image in both worlds… I can think of nothing worse than destroying the amusing fantasy I’ve presented onstage, by going out and putting the salesperson moves on an audience member! (Except for maybe plugging my burlesque persona to real estate clients, expecting it to make them believe that I know what I’m doing - “Really, Mrs. Home Buyer, all this glitter makes me a better negotiator!”) It seemed a no-brainer to keep both worlds at arm’s length - just like a real estate transaction.

Although the cat, as they say, is out of the bag; it should come as no surprise that I’ve been showing properties to club owners and other dancers lately. I know a lot of people, and like most real estate agents, I mostly work with people I know. Because I was unsuccessful at keeping my two worlds apart, I decided to take the opposite approach: when I met with Brendan Kiley from The Stranger, he persuaded me to go public with my real name in his story.

The support I’ve received from so many since I was fired has been heart-warming, so I know that was the right decision. But at the time, I was terrified that it would be the end of my career - a career that I had sunk every ounce of energy and money into, just to get started. If my broker had simply asked me to find another place to hang my license, and given me some time to do so, I probably never would have spoken to the press. It was the knee-jerk response - mailing my license back the same day, like I was some kind of criminal! - which produced an equally strong reaction; I was scared.

In the end, I had to agree with them: Windermere Kingston is not the office for me! But they could have asked me to move on in a much more level-headed, professional manner, which I’m sure would have been much less traumatic for everyone. I am also much happier in my new office. At Ewing and Clark, I am valued for who I am: a dedicated, hard-working, ethical agent with many friends and contacts. and the ability to make even more.

The most ironic issues raised in the discussions about my performance art are those of “morals and values” - which makes me laugh, because I must be the most honest and honorable person you’ve ever met! I live my entire LIFE by a strict code of ethics that would put the NAR to shame (they’re on my real estate website, www.theREdiva.com, if you’re interested). The faux juxtaposition of my so-called “risqué” performance art and “high morals” is truly ridiculous! News flash: it is possible for a woman to be sexy and smart, erotic and ethical, a showgirl and a strong negotiator. These things are not mutually exclusive - and I would argue that any good agent needs to be a bit of a “Showboat,” anyway!

As for values, I have been married for 15 years to the father of my two children. I started my first business at 21, a highly respected daycare center on Bainbridge Island where I was the owner and director for 14 years. My second business, launched when I was 27, was a juvenile products catalog I ran on the side for 7 years. And now, I sell real estate. And, oh yeah - I just happen to perform traditional strip-tease as well, managing to craft a persona for myself over the past two years that has attracted performance opportunities from New York to Las Vegas. I’m a person who possesses the qualities of dedication and a strong work ethic - some pretty good values, I’d say!

Real estate is certainly not for everybody - anyone can get a license, but to really succeed a real estate agent has to be tireless, smart, and outgoing. And it helps to be able to keep a lot of balls in the air! Well I’m betting that all of the qualities that went into making me a successful entrepreneur and entertainer, will translate into a successful real estate career just fine.

Now. who wants to sell a house?!

— Sarina McDonald