Meet Shaun Steen

 

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shaun Steen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Shaun, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

There have been many factors and instances in my life that have shaped me into a resilient person. As a proud gay/queer man, I have been fortunate to have many supportive friends and family. However, there are still negative people in the world who can make things more difficult, which has only helped me develop thicker skin and become even more resilient. I am truly lucky to have so many loving people in my life, including my husband, close family, and friends.

Another experience that has shaped my resilience and helped me appreciate the little things in life occurred in 2013, when our family home and acreage—along with many keepsakes—were destroyed in the major floods. It was an incredibly devastating time, but my parents remained strong and ensured that we moved forward with a positive outlook. We still had each other, and, fortunately, we were unharmed. While we lost “things,” we still had the memories, and luckily, some photos were saved. The way the community came together to help us during that time was nothing short of amazing. Now, we strive to do the same for others when we can.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Growing up, we were always taught to save money when we could and try to pay cash. This lesson has stayed with me throughout my life. I started investing as soon as I was able, and I’ve been fortunate to travel—both now and in the past—with my husband to many incredible places. In 2016, I purchased my first home, and shortly after, my husband and I bought two more properties. We rented out two of them and lived in our own home. That’s when I realized how much I loved real estate.

At that point, I was working full-time as a Parts Technician with Ford. We had also planned a trip around the UK and Europe, with stops in Morocco, Egypt, Malta, and more. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we had to cut our trip short and return to Canada. We came home to no jobs and had to figure out our next steps. A couple of weeks later, a local coffee shop came up for sale. I joked to my husband, Dale, “Hey, let’s buy it!” We laughed and went to bed, but the next morning, we were no longer laughing. We thought, “Why not?” So, we went to meet with the owner and real estate agent, and by the next day, we had purchased the shop.

We owned the coffee shop for three years, during which we won many awards, including an international award for the best coffee shop. During that time, I also decided to sell my first home with the help of a very close friend. She asked me about my future career plans, and when I told her we hoped to eventually purchase a farm, she suggested I consider becoming a real estate agent. I had always thought about it but knew that to succeed, I’d need great people and mentors around me—and in this case, I definitely had that.

I thought about it overnight, talked it over with Dale, and decided that becoming a real estate agent was exactly what I wanted to do. I signed up for real estate courses, which meant waking up at 4 or 5 a.m. to study before heading to my full-time job as a heavy-duty parts technician at our friend’s shop, and then going to the café to help close and restock. I finally finished my studies in November 2022 and became fully licensed to sell residential real estate in Alberta. I joined RE/MAX Real Estate Central Alberta, and my journey has been incredible ever since.

I’ve met so many amazing people in the industry, and I absolutely love being able to help others in any way I can. Through my real estate career, I’ve been honored to receive several awards and heartfelt thanks from wonderful clients. I am truly grateful for the support I’ve received along the way. In the next year or two, I plan to pursue my Commercial and Agricultural Licenses to continue growing in this field.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
  1. Resilience – Life is full of challenges, and the ability to bounce back after setbacks is crucial. Resilience helps you stay focused on your goals and keeps you moving forward, even when things don’t go as planned.
  2. Empathy – Understanding and sharing the feelings of others is key to building strong, meaningful relationships. Empathy helps you connect with people, be supportive, and respond thoughtfully to the needs of those around you along with being kind.
  3. Self-awareness – Knowing yourself, your strengths, weaknesses, and motivations helps you make better decisions and align your actions with your values. It’s a foundation for personal growth, effective communication, and success in all areas of life.

These three qualities, when developed together, create a strong base for personal and professional growth.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

First, I have to thank my husband, Dale. He has been incredibly supportive through everything and is always there when I need help or just someone to talk things through.

Second, I want to express my gratitude to my parents and brothers for their unwavering support and love throughout my journey. They’ve always been there for me, offering encouragement and guidance.

Third, I’m incredibly grateful to my mentors, Darcy and Nicole Blair, along with Twila Reberger. Whenever I have questions, they’re always there to offer feedback and guidance, day or night.

Lastly, I want to thank my amazing clients and future clients for putting their trust in me. I truly wouldn’t be where I am today without everyone who has supported me along the way, including all the staff at RE/MAX.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Dale Dunham

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