Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Foster.
Hi Amy, I’m so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story? How did you get to where you are today?
My first career was in Early Childhood Special Education. It’s what my degrees are in and what I wanted to do my entire life. Then “life” happened, and we moved across the country with my husband’s job five times (NY -> TN -> GA ->TN ->ME ->TN). We added two sets of twins to the mix, and I needed something with more flexibility than teaching. I have always been interested in houses. I love floorplans and design and especially love renovations. Ten years ago, we began investing in Memphis with single-family homes that we purchased, renovated, and rented. We acquired nearly twenty before changing our direction to commercial real estate (buildings). I obtained my TN Real Estate license and began serving clients and building our portfolio. I am a Realtor with Bryan Realty Midsouth, a locally owned brokerage whose mission is to build lifelong relationships with our clients by providing the best service and outcome for them. A PERFECT fit for me. My husband Dan is my best friend and biggest encourager. We make an excellent team in parenting two sets of teenage twins and running a real estate investment business together. We both have full-time day jobs, mine in residential real estate and his in corporate sales. However, on evenings, weekends, and even school breaks, you will find us prospecting, renovating, and growing Two By Two Properties, the commercial real estate business we created as a family in 2019. It is named Two by Two because you guessed it – we have two sets of twins.
Two By Two Properties purchases buildings in disrepair, renovates them, and then leases them to businesses. For the last 18 months, we have focused on Fayette County and Hardeman County because we can find vacant buildings to renovate and this area has a lot of projected growth from Blue Oval. We have eleven leasable spaces in Somerville right now. Eight are complete and have tenants, one is vacant/available (as of February 15th). Two of our newest storefronts on Highway 64 are under renovation but will be ready on March 1st.
From 2020 to 2023, we co-owned a small business shake shop, so we have a heart for small business owners’ challenges. I now put that experience to use when small business owners call to lease one of our available spaces. If they still need a business plan, I work with them. If we need to find a properly configured space or it differs from the correct location, I help them locate the suitable space. I am pursuing my CCIM, (Certified Commercial Investment Manager), to serve better. I am halfway through the two years it takes to complete the coursework, portfolio, and exam. I will finish in January 2025. I love to learn.
In 2022, I created Lakeland WINS (Women in Network and Support) with a group of local small business owners. We meet once a month and network. Each month, a spotlight speaker provides more than just a brief introduction but shares her whole story. We focus on growth, challenges, and ways to encourage and support each other. This group has grown to 25 women. This is a highlight of my month! I set it as a goal to create in 2022 when we all struggled to re-connect after the pandemic. I am proud of the network we are growing. I also attend a similar monthly event in Oakland, where I am part of a Coffee Connection group organized by Amanda White, Edward Jones. I am on the board of directors of two non-profits, Pediatric Learning Center (2022-current) and Lakeland Education Foundation (2017-current, including two two-year terms as president). I aspire to be on our school board or the local Lakeland Board of Commissioners, but I plan to wait until my kids are grown and I have more time.
I am a Lakeland Chamber Ambassador and a member of Fayette, Oakland, Arlington, and Lakeland Chamber of Commerce. The resources that a local chamber provides are something that often goes unnoticed. They are huge when growing a business—automatic support and encouragement. I can’t say enough about our local area chambers. I really enjoy the monthly events that each Chamber provides. Some other things I enjoy are cooking and CrossFit. My whole family loves traveling, hiking, swimming, and our annual trip to Vermont to do a trail ride at Pond Hill Farm. My husband and I are both from the northeast, so we visit at least twice a year and often have family visit us here in Lakeland.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We owned a small business with partners for over three years. It was during the pandemic but also when I struggled with an overwhelming need for connection and growth and a desire to support many businesses, not just ours. Involvement in the Chambers gives me that opportunity. I am also a current Member of Leadership Fayette. The balance of time is critical. I joke that I didn’t learn to say “no” until I was 40, and I am only 42 now! I have been doing a much better job prioritizing and have a much better balance than I did five years ago. I also needed help with changing career direction. I wanted to do it all! Teach, real estate, parent, and volunteer. There is freedom in recognizing your talents and motivations and moving towards a career that matches them. I’m still working on career-hopping. There will likely be something after or in addition to real estate—maybe something in leadership or mentorship. I told my mom when I was a teenager that I would be on the steps of the Capitol advocating for education at some point, and I haven’t done that yet!
Health has also been a struggle. My husband had a stroke out of the blue after a day at the children’s museum in 2019. He had an undiagnosed blood clotting disorder. He has since fully recovered, but a scare like that puts things in perspective. He was only 37 at the time. At one point in the last ten years, 3/4 of our parents (the kid’s grandparents) had cancer. My MIL still does. She is battling her third round of metastatic breast cancer. These health hurdles are a reminder we need to do the most we can with every day we have. It’s not a given that we get to do it again tomorrow.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I, myself have moved and relocated from state to state, and I’ve done it with kids and pets! I get what my clients are going through when they receive a relocation order to the Memphis area. I am proud of my ability to help a family buy a home sight unseen. We have done it ourselves, and if you do it right, opening the door for the first time to a house that is already yours is like Christmas morning! It involves a lot of trust (and video recordings)! It is a challenge sometimes to manage the logistics of traveling across the country to house hunt when you need to purchase a home. I am your Girl!
You should also know that connecting people is my specialization. I love it when I can introduce friends or businesses that I know will hit it off. I also love it when people use me as a resource. If I don’t know the answer, I know someone who does.
Have you learned any exciting or essential lessons due to the COVID-19 crisis?
I struggled when everything came to a screeching halt. Then, I needed to remember what motivated me. I know I am not alone in this. Fears were confirmed. We were balancing on a tightrope of unknowns and trying to hang on. It was not something I would ever want to face again as a business owner or parent. We did learn to value our family time. Game playing, puzzle making, Friday family movie nights, and trips to the lake have stayed with us. It was a lesson in slowing down that allowed us to appreciate and prioritize things we enjoy as a family. The bustle of day-to-day is all so temporary. Little things don’t cause as much stress as they used to. Overall, we are a more relaxed household post-covid 19.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: amyfoster_bryanrealty
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BryanRealtyGroupAmyFoster/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-foster-671526189/
