By her own admission, Kelly Shaw’s early life was not easy. A difficult family situation led to her chronically running away from home, as well as experimenting with drugs and alcohol. Just as she got her life back on track, she received a devastating diagnosis — ovarian cancer. Kelly, who was 25 at the time, was told she had only three to six months to live.
“It was shocking. I didn’t know whether I would live or not at that time,” she recalled. “I had the desire to live which was more important than it probably ever was before. Before that, I really didn’t value my life or value if there was a future or not. I just didn’t think along those terms.”
Thankfully, her support system encouraged her to get a second and then a third opinion. After undergoing chemotherapy, she made a full recovery.
Transitioning From the Nonprofit World into Real Estate
As a young woman, Kelly served a stint as an AmeriCorps volunteer and then worked at several other jobs before her then-husband convinced her to try real estate.
“It’s just a hard community to get started in and there’s so much competition and you don’t know what’s the best thing to do,” she recalled. “‘Advertise here. Do this, do that.’ So it was really challenging.”
It was when she attended a real estate event with her aunt that everything changed. She had signed up that day for the Group Coaching program. His impact was immediate.
“But when Brian said, ‘As a One2One member you’ll grow your business and you’re going to develop all these great skills,” I ran back to the sign-up table and said, ’I have to do One2One instead.’ I was so excited.”
Growth In Spite of Challenges
As she began to work with her Buffini Coach, Kelly began to see how it not only changed how she approached her business, but also her life. That included significant challenges, including a divorce and her father’s serious illness.
“I’ve learned that my coach could help me figure out solutions to my problems and work through those problems to not stay so stuck on things,” she said.
Kelly then took the next step in her career, signing up for Leadership Coaching. She saw a dramatic shift in her business, going from $16M in closings in 2020 to $28M in 2023.
“And last year, many REALTORS across the country really didn’t make much money [but] my production still continued to grow,” she added.
Giving Back
As an ovarian cancer survivor, Kelly was not able to have her own children. But she was able to share her love and support with three children she fostered at different times.
She also honored her father, who had been sober for 20 years, by turning his home, as he had wished, into a sober living residence after he passed away.
“It’s called Bill’s House of Hope. We have two to three men there. It’s amazing watching men get back on their feet,” she said.
Living the Good Life
Kelly is grateful to Buffini & Company for helping her to navigate life’s challenges and focus on living each day to its fullest.
“I don’t think I’d even be a REALTOR today and I wouldn’t be able to live in Hawaii,” she added. “Buffini gives me a great system to live by. Living your best life, doing the right thing and making a difference in other people’s lives.”
