Meet Jessica Velazquez Rodriguez

We were lucky to catch up with Jessica Velazquez Rodriguez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Hahaha, I definitely wasn’t born with it. I can thank my mother for my high level of self-esteem. From the moment I was born, my mom would sing “bella, bella, bella” to me while either looking at me, holding me, or while holding me in front of a mirror. It seems pretty narcissistic, but it 100% developed a love for myself, not just for my appearance. As I got older, I did struggle with slips in my self-esteem and confidence when it came to my intelligence, skills, and weight. I wasn’t the skinniest, or the smartest; I had, and still have, a loud personality. I loved talking and asking questions, but coming from a strict and religious family, it was not “pretty” to be loud and outspoken. As a preteen, I was told “calladita te ves más bonita” – “being quieter makes you prettier” – and it’s something that sits with me to this day. As I grew older, I started to see that the people who made me feel less than were just sad with their own lives, and what they would say was a reflection of their own feelings towards themselves. Yes, my self-esteem slips away sometimes, but I always remember my mom singing “bella, bella, bella.” I think to myself, “I am, inside and out, just as I am.

When it comes to confidence in my skills and intelligence, I struggle a lot. I had undiagnosed dyslexia and couldn’t read at grade level until the 7th grade. My second-grade teacher gave up on me, telling my parents she was going to fail me because I was “unteachable” and a ‘distraction.” They didn’t know why I couldn’t read very well, but they made it a mission to help me to the best of their ability. From that day on, I was made to read everything I saw out loud – billboards, cereal boxes, shampoo bottle labels, you name it, I was reading it. By the end of the semester, I was reading well enough to not fail, but I still wasn’t on grade level. The next year, my parents had separated, and my mother decided to take my brothers and me back to Puerto Rico because she knew there would be better teachers who actually cared and would take the time to teach me. I spent all my lunches taking Spanish and English reading classes. It was tough, but I was able to read my native language and English much better than before, unfortunately still not at grade level. But that taught me that I could do anything even if it takes me longer than others.

Unfortunately, the words of that one teacher still bother me. I was loud, outspoken, a distraction, a talker, and unteachable. Other kids could see that too, and I was labeled as the airhead. Those are thoughts and memories I struggle with to this day, like when I’m going to meet with new clients or with other real estate professionals. But I know my stuff, hahaha. I’ve passed my Utah Exam, I take classes every month to know everything I need to succeed. On those down days, I take the time to remind myself, “They might see an ‘airhead,’ but I know how to use my skills and resilience to get my clients exactly what they want. I know what I bring to this table!” Then I put on my favorite red lipstick, sing “bella, bella, bella,” and repeat a quote from one of my favorite movies:

“You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” – The Help (2011)

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Well, to start things off—I’m a pretty passionate person. I find joy in helping people and diving into those deep, ‘taboo’ topics like mental health and stability. Growing up wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for me; I battled with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts for over a decade.

In my early twenties, when therapy started to gain traction, my healing journey began. We realized a lot of my struggles were tied to the instability of my home life. I had moved a total of eight times from age 4 to 18 and attended six different schools. That constant shuffle left me feeling like I didn’t have a real home. I became really dependent on my mom because, well, she was the only constant in my life. Making and keeping friends was tough. And don’t even get me started on my fear of change—it spiraled into a full-blown panic disorder.

But let’s fast forward to when I stumbled upon the idea of becoming a Realtor and how they help families carve out their own stability. Plus, they get to geek out over gorgeous homes. I mean, how cool is that?

So, I was chatting it up with my therapist about my fear of failure and the whole college dropout thing. We’re going back and forth, and I start gushing about my love for architecture classes. I’m all about the art and history behind it. It’s some of the most interesting things to me. But the actual designing part? That was not for me. So, I was telling her how I had dropped out and was now knee-deep in a job at an appliance warranty company, loving problem-solving and helping people out. Then, my therapist drops the bombshell: ‘Ever thought about becoming a realtor?’ I mean, until then, my only reference for realtors was Phil Dunphy from Modern Family, and I had zero clue what the gig was about. She tells me how it’s basically a mixture of exploring really pretty homes with history and helping people create stability for their futures. That was a game-changer!

After that lightbulb moment, It took me 5 years to get my license. I moved to LA thinking I’d get my license and land a spot on Selling Sunset, Hahaha, I was very delulu knowing now how hard it is to be a realtor, having the stress of television would have probably made my first year harder than it was. But, anyways, 1 month after moving to LA the pandemic hit and I put a pause on the Realtor dream. Fast forward again, and here I am in Salt Lake City, Utah, head over heels for this incredible state. I knew I’d be here for a while, so I took the plunge and became a Realtor. It has been a rollercoaster of excitement since. I took a year to study my brain off and it worked. I passed the Exam on my first try and dove headfirst into the industry.

I’ve become obsessed with finding families their dream homes and becoming a neighborhood expert. Every family, every neighborhood—they all have different vibes, needs, dreams. And the best part? Seeing my clients light up when they step into their new home, that’s what it’s all about.

So, in a nutshell, I’m just a passionate woman, all about helping people start their journey to brighter futures.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Oh, that would have to be learning from criticism, both the good and the bad, marketing yourself, and confidence.

Taking criticism without getting upset is such a key quality to learn. When you start your own business or a new career, or decide to put yourself out there more, like starting a YouTube channel, there are going to be so many people, from strangers to family members, who are going to have something to say about everything you do. Some things will be great changes and advice, while others will be hurtful or something you never even thought was a “problem.” But we can’t take it to heart and get upset with what we are doing. Only you know what’s best for your career, business, etc. Always take criticism with a grain of salt; if it’s helpful to you, great. If not, let it slide off your back. Only you know what’s best for you.

Marketing is so important, and I don’t mean randomly posting on social media. I worked for 3 years at a marketing agency for attorneys, and just wow. Marketing is everything! I learned so much from them, from social media to traditional marketing to sponsorships. Learning how to push your services/products in front of the right people and being consistent with it is key. And learning how to do it for free, aka social media, is a win-win!

And then, being confident! You started a business, you started your YouTube channel because you have something you’re good at that you now want to provide the world with. You’re the expert in your field, you took all the classes, you taught yourself this skill. You know your stuff, and no one can tell you otherwise! If you don’t feel good, look in the mirror, repeat it to yourself, put on your favorite outfit, or brush your hair in your favorite way, and walk out like you own it, because you do!

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I actually think about this a lot, hahaha! I pride myself in being a neighborhood expert. I do that by talking with neighbors in the neighborhoods my clients want to move into. But I’ve been wanting to expand to a community expert. I’d love to collaborate with foodie content creators to learn about all the best restaurants and food spots all over northern Utah. Also, community content creators to learn about events happening in different communities. Collaborating on videos with them would bring so much value to my clients and otherS across across social media. Like, who wouldn’t love to click on a video or TikTok that shows them what cool food spots are near their future home? Content creators who would love to collab with me can reach me at my social media email [email protected] or DM me on Instagram @RealEstateByJessy

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