Strive For Good Life Podcast Ep 28: From Domestic Abuse to Real Estate Success with Jacquie Cassella

Introduction

In this powerful episode of the SFGL Podcast, Jacquie Cassella takes us through her incredible journey of resilience, determination, and success. From a challenging childhood helping her father run a retail store at just 12 years old to surviving domestic abuse and overcoming unimaginable obstacles, Jacquie’s story is a testament to the power of grit and personal transformation. Today, Jacquie is a successful insurance and real estate entrepreneur, and in this episode, she shares how she rebuilt her life from the ground up.

This episode is a must-watch for anyone interested in inspiring success stories, overcoming adversity, and the entrepreneurial journey. Jacquie’s story will motivate you to never give up, no matter how tough the road ahead may seem. Whether you're interested in real estate, personal growth, or just need a boost of inspiration, Jacquie’s experience will inspire you to take action and make your own success story.

Connect with Jacquie Here: ⁠

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquelyne-cassella-aba81546/⁠ ⁠

https://www.facebook.com/JMCStellarSolutions⁠  

Jacquie’s Amazon Publications:

Love Yourself: A Guided Workbook on How to Love Yourself First

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CP7RKMMF

The Ultimate Wedding Planner

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CMQ9L656

My Pregnancy Planner

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CMHPKJ6Z

Listen to this Episode Here:

Watch this Episode Here:

Strive For Good Life Podcast Ep. 28 Transcript:

NOTE: This transcript was computer generated and likely contains errors

Nino Pingera: Welcome everyone to another episode of stripe. You're like podcast. My name is Nino pingera, and I'm here with Jacquie cassella who is a Serial entrepreneur who specializes in real estate and insurance. Welcome to the show Jackie. I'm super excited to have you

Jacquie Cassella: Thank you so much, I'm super excited as well.

Nino Pingera: Yeah, so lots of fun things to talk about your story. I mean no, I don't know all of it the pieces you've told me are really fascinating. So let's just start at the beginning. what kind of got you interested in business kind of Where it All Began. So if you just want to take it from there, let's jump into it.

Jacquie Cassella: sure, let's go. So, I mean, I've been a cereal entrepreneur since the age of 12 and how that sort of came to be was I guess sort of by accident or just It's really actually by opportunity. I would have to say so my dad I grew up in a rock and roll household and my dad was always like he was an aspiring musician for his young part of his life. So I grew up,

Jacquie Cassella: Singing before I can talk and writing songs and we had a music every music room. We always had a music room and I remembered that this morning which then turned into a studio. So we actually had a recording studio in my house it kind of morphed over the years because when you have we didn't grow up they wouldn't have much money. So my dad was fine, figure out ways to make a recording studio, just getting small pieces once one at a time and things like that. And so we wind up having an 8-track analog reel-to-reel. So that's how we started and then by the time I was 16, we actually had a 16 track digital so in a full recording studio, so as you can tell it took I would say probably 10 years of my life, I guess. then

Jacquie Cassella: I actually started studying using myself when I was eight piano and then 12 to train as a formal opera singer. So around the same time. My dad had already started giving guitar lessons out of our house in our basement. So he kind of created that to be the music room slash really recording it was a recording studio really was a full recording studio and The town found out and they're like, no, you can't do this you need that. This is not permanent for business and he's like, I only have a handful of students and I'm not even selling anything but books and strings for their lessons it was like nothing, you know what I mean? It was like nothing so because of that that happened

Jacquie Cassella: I don't even know how they found out. So we had to find a location. So obviously my mom and my dad they scoured the channel, to find this location that was affordable. So this is probably in 19 I don't know. 92 93, so we found this little corner. it was actually a triangle location. So it's like it was on a corner but the corner was triangle. So the store was triangle and it was really small and we were able to kind of renovate it to make two small music music Studio rooms, for the lessons and then the front part was the actual retail store. So it's probably $300 a month at the time. Maybe less. It could have been 200. I don't even remember but that's how I got into business. I

Jacquie Cassella: Learned business alongside of my father at age 12. So I have 30 years experience in business learning from nothing like that. we learned as we went along And by the time I was 16, I started my own contracting business giving piano and voice lessons to beginners. And then by the time I was 18, I actually

Jacquie Cassella: Managed to store with my dad and I did that through high school and college. So I was probably the highest paid teenager, at the time so I found I was doing College. I was making forty dollars an hour, just giving lessons and I never got paid for being a business manager of the store or even any hours I ever did I would work after school, starting when I was 12, right and we'd have a calculator like no cash register or everything had to be done in your head mental math to run up the receipts written by hand and I would work with him every day after school and that's kind of I guess it was like a chore but not really a chore, but I didn't get paid for it. I got probably …

Nino Pingera: Yeah.

Jacquie Cassella: Chinese food and cool Christmas gifts stuff like that.

Nino Pingera: okay, so you got a ton of experience just working for your dad in the shop, so you

Jacquie Cassella: Yeah, I was working with my dad because like I said, he didn't know business at all. and we were…

Nino Pingera: Yeah.

Jacquie Cassella: but we basically just went into it just jump into it like go get her.

Nino Pingera: Yeah, okay. So you're just learning everything on the fly all the business principles. So everything from accounting to I mean,…

Jacquie Cassella: Yes. …

Nino Pingera: I assume you had to learn marketing.

Jacquie Cassella: yeah. yeah.

Nino Pingera: I mean what kind of things were you doing? Was it just running, the front desk or

Jacquie Cassella: yeah, so we had a little a display, we're like a display case or something, right? That's kind of like where we set the register so to speak or whatever and that's where the little items would be and stuff and that's where my chair would be and we had a money lock box there and stuff. So, I mean it started out with me just doing that. So everything was super basic this was before even computers, I mean, so we didn't even have you're lucky you had a running calculator. Hey, what I mean yeah, so everything was really done by hand on paper and on calculator really stuff like that. So that was the basics of just math, Accounting in general by the time we want to moving are the location.

Jacquie Cassella: Shortly after I started teaching I guess when I was 17 or 18 to a bigger location, and that was actually one QuickBooks came about that's when the computer age started to happen and it was more accessible to us, regular normal people, not rich people So I actually learned QuickBooks out the jump when it first was concept it came out and then TurboTax that's just the financial and accounting side but all the marketing like I remembered my dad. and we would create.

Jacquie Cassella: An art like advertisements and there was a local Town Newspaper. There was also one in the county that was probably a big part of just our marketing and general locally because remember there's no really phones then cell phones. There was nothing like that like everything was so basic. So, I mean the biggest investment that we had always when we started a business and me personally was business cards my dad was basically he started in the basement, So we started with just nothing I'm pretty sure my dad just bought business cards and that's how I learned business just start a business and have business cards. That's all you need. that's it and before that he tried to he had his own construction, side business too. So he kind of was already a little familiar with business but not

Jacquie Cassella: Really? Do you know I mean this is a full retail, store and along the way I learned retail wholesale, accounts receivable able. Marketing advertising like everything that you can think of so I really talk about well for myself, I'm very versed in business development and management and starting from the ground up and now all the rules have changed too with the government. in the state, so what you have to do now, we didn't have to do 30 years ago, right so, like registering or get it. he did have to get an EIN. I'm sure but I wasn't aware of that right then so I was too young, but I know that there wasn't much he had to do. He had to do something with the town obviously and he had to get a location, but it wasn't like.

Jacquie Cassella: I don't think he had to do anything with the state at that time in all this, other stuff so, businesses really changed and more, and then of course the internet was huge, and websites and all the other stuff so I really learned business from the ground up from nothing, you know what I mean, and my dad was influ Enced in business by my grandfather who had a shoe repair store in Brooklyn New York, in the 19. 30s I guess or 40s, you know what I mean? and we had just got off the boat not too much longer after that we came here in the early 1900s. So, we came here with nothing. So it's like, we were mostly construction workers. You know what I mean? So I think my grandfather was probably one of the only and first business owners in our company all of my family on both side, so

Jacquie Cassella: So I think that's how my dad was exposed to, the concept of business and wanting to be self-employed or living out his dreams and his goals, how hence being a musician so that all rubbed off on to me, anything at a very young age, it's taught like you can do anything either, don't let anyone stop you like it doesn't matter your age race gender nothing, it was very in very a liberating, household, we were all girls too. So, we really learned that you can do whatever you want to do whatever you can think of you can do it. So

Jacquie Cassella: And then later on, when I got married, I actually helped my ex-husband create his business. So that's kind of like how I actually then learned how to establish business was because I helped him do it. So ein's and then I knew QuickBooks at that point and all kinds of stuff. So I was like, I did all the office and administration work for graphic design business company and then

Jacquie Cassella: the crash kind of destroyed that a little bit it really got super slow the 2008, so I had to go back into Corporate America and when I did that I really just found out I didn't fit in because I was too overqualified entry level wasn't gonna work for me I became a Target because of that people can see even if I didn't say anything that there was something wrong with me meaning I'm not normal. I'm not average. I'm not like them, I mean this is not the only aspiration I have is to have this job working at a casino, counting millions of dollars no that's not the goal I was trying to move up the corporate ladder there and I was just getting blocked so a few years later, I obviously had a lot of Life happened so, things, happened in my life that

Jacquie Cassella: kind of sometimes interrupted the flow of what I wanted to do, or whatever or didn't know what I wanted to do because of the lack of direction, right, So, a few years later. I actually got a divorce. I left my ex husband. It wasn't a very good situation it became toxic and I had to exit becoming a domestic violence Survivor, which he was never, physically abusive, but he had a mental illness. so I exited out of that situation and

Jacquie Cassella: The next year I was offered an opportunity to have a second career, ultimately a second life. So I was totally I'm the Phoenix over here, I got burned to Ash, I had a rebuild my whole life from that whole event, and that just my face was we're talking about my credit. everything was messed up because of my husband's I have been squeeze me mental illness, because we lost children he couldn't handle that. And we lost three children one year so he couldn't handle that at all. So regardless so I was offered.

Nino Pingera: Do you want to pause there and…

Nino Pingera: maybe get into that a little bit because you said a lot that?

Jacquie Cassella: Sure.

Jacquie Cassella: Yeah, I say a lot and that's what I don't know.

Nino Pingera: Yeah, no, So you said something profound that you lost three children and then it sounds like you had medical injuries you had to so what happened and yeah.

Jacquie Cassella: Okay, so let's start then around when I was 21 22. because that's basically after college. I work myself through college. I actually studied and trained in Italy with a prima donna from Escala and I was asked to debut there. Okay. So let's Okay,…

Nino Pingera: Okay, so this is for opera singing, correct?

Jacquie Cassella: that's now the end of college. All right, so Yeah, right. So right I trained for 10 years as an opera singer and I became semi-professional and actually me and my dad did quite a lot of things together we used to do a weddings and funerals and all kinds of, different gigs, but I also did high volume quality performances and competitions and I would win win so,

Jacquie Cassella: Which was awesome and amazing. So I did that through a while becoming an entrepreneur learning business create my own business through high school and college and then I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to study abroad. Like I said live in another country for a few months and then I met this incredible lady who was a prima donna Atlas Carla.

Jacquie Cassella: Which is the number one opera house in the world, by the way, and basically almost at the end of my trip. So we're having these lessons and she only knows Italian so I'm doing half Italian English and on her lessons and I have recordings of our lessons on cassette tape I could probably still listen to them and understand what she's saying to me and feel the moment, So she was just completely she loved me. She wanted to continue work with me and she wanted me to debut at lascala with her as her Protege and at the time I had to come back to the United States because I was I was an additional Breadwinner to my family. So I've been supporting them since I was 16, paying bills groceries like you name it appliances like credit like using everything and

Jacquie Cassella: So that was one part that I came back for but really I was graduating college that next semester. So I have go bed finish this is one of the American Dreams of our family right is to get a degree and I had a degree and my dad didn't and he actually went back to school while I was in school halfway to complete his schooling because he had to stop his schooling when I was born and he actually wanted to become a music therapist which at the time in the early early 80s was so new nobody knew what music therapy was being developed on the ground floor roots of this whole idea of art therapy, right? That's kind of like was he the birthing of it so

Jacquie Cassella: There wasn't a lot of information or even like horses on it. It was just kind of being developed. So he went back to school and he got his degree and music education. That was what he decided to do so.

Jacquie Cassella: So then after I graduated and I graduated early. From college I was only in college for three years. I

Jacquie Cassella: I actually met someone I actually met the first love of my life and that's not my ex-husband And by the way, I've been divorce for 10 years. So I keep every once a while. I'll So regardless, I meant the first love of my life. He was an amazing person and an individual he was very like high profile. He was from another country that came here as in half of his childhood and for his mother wanted to give him a better opportunity and he wound up, be going into the military in the CIA. So now this was back around nine eleven, so, can you imagine I meet someone, amazing. He was so influential in my life. He actually, helped me to

Jacquie Cassella: think about and create I need to take care of myself and self-care and healthy habits and stuff like that. he was just very big on, becoming a better version of yourself, which is a big thing that I talked that I'm about right I talked about. so our relationship sort of fell apart because of 9/11 and he chose his career over our relationship and we were going to actually, proceed have a whole life together. I was gonna relo Eight I was going to go to Peabody Music Conservatory down in Baltimore Maryland, all this stuff, So it kind of really threw a big monkey wrench in the whole. so I was heartbroken and just I rebounded and

Jacquie Cassella: and that's how I got married. So as young I was naive I wanted to be loved and I rebounded off the first love of my life and just married the whole young person and from the day. I married him which is why I kind of telling you some of this the first day love with the day. We got married. I had a major car accident that changed the rest of my life I have a tear in my knee. my whole neck and spine is damaged from this car accident and somebody hitting me on my side. it really wouldn't look like a crate like you really want to thought it was a crazy accident, but I was severely injured I was 22 years old and I had now a body of a 65 year old.

Jacquie Cassella: And as you get older it gets worse, right? You know what I mean? you feel it more like back then I didn't feel it like a feeling now. So I was like, okay, whatever. I actually felt my knee injury, which is a basketball injury from a car accident more than I do now, which is so weird. so the day we got married. this major car accident then two months later. His only son he had one son one child. He was 12 years old. He died in a washing machine freak accident. so

Jacquie Cassella: we were married at that point, I said I was young so I wanted to and I just wanted to support him, be supportive and love him and just get through this point of our lives together and be a good wife, whatever so we actually try to have children the same year and I lost two babies that year and my second child. I was actually in my third trimester. So it was pretty detrimental. So in 12 month period in Lexington Missouri, we had lost three children so that now shaped the whole remain like the future of our marriage because

Jacquie Cassella: He became mentally ill. He actually was diagnosed with bipolar that was dormant because he had a childhood history that apparently made he was bipolar but didn't know it because it was dormant. and that was from epilepsy seizures or something. I don't know. That's what we were told. So we wind up. being eligible eventually because what didn't really happen back then but he was one of the first people awarded mental health felt like disability in our country because of the post-traumatic stress event that he endured which was the loss of his child. So because back then they weren't doing that. They weren't giving mental health illness like disability. If you had a mental illness, they weren't giving you that, to be on disability now, it's different and it's probably because he was one of the first people that paved the way, know what I mean? It was pretty wild.

Jacquie Cassella: So I learned a lot about mental illness. I learned a lot about the system Social Security Section 8 all kinds of stuff because of what we had to go through with him. And then I lived in 12 years of self-medicated addiction. So once he found out he had a diagnosis, right? he was going to the doctors and things like that and he felt the medications weren't working or whatever, but honestly since that first year he would disappear and I wouldn't know where he go, what I mean? and not I was young and come to find out he was going out and getting street drugs to self-medicate his pain away and I lived in that for 12 years and I know that I woke

Jacquie Cassella: Up after I agree to my babies and was if you never get older over that, I mean but it's a process So the first year was the hardest but as the years went by I was like, this isn't healthy. This isn't normal. I shouldn't be all alone in my marriage 80 percent of the time, missing holidays and birthdays and where is he at? He's on the street, stuff like that and I guess in year 10, I was like, was like I got to get out of here. So I more or less try to plan my Escape so to speak, my exit so I really thought okay. All I got to do is get a better job or all I got to do is get a job and good job, right and I was like, but at the time we were in business together, I mean, it was kind of slowly declined or whatever but

Jacquie Cassella: and I guess it was 20. Yeah. I had just started working at the casino. so I had a job and I was trying to move up and like I said, I was beyond entry level everybody knew it. So it was hard to move up. So I had a lot of blocking going on. and I was just Dead Set if I get a better job I can leave what I mean? I'll just leave just walk out, just not even tell them I'm just going right and it didn't end that way and that wasn't God's plan. You know what I mean? I thought I actually did get a better job and then that didn't work out and I actually was at the time So when this happened to me, I was unemployed. I had nothing. Absolutely. No, My insurance history was all screwed up because he did some really crazy stuff. So got into situations and incidents with the car and

Jacquie Cassella: Bartered the car for drugs so much like stuff, whatever happened. So, just one day I went to a job interview that day and I know I did and I came home and I don't know what just clicked or went off and it was something that he said or did or I don't know what happened, but I just said I can't do this anymore and I'm leaving. and that was when basically, we argued of course or whatever. I said I can't do this anymore. Whatever and He just made it known to me that he wasn't gonna allow me to leave damaging my life or my future or in some way shape or form, whatever and literally

Jacquie Cassella: he said this to me and I haven't actually shared this with this is public right? So, I mean I share this intimately but he literally said to me I'm gonna make sure no man ever wants you ever again and then that's it. beat my face over and over and over again, and I guess I was screaming so The neighbors heard and actually they called the police and the police barged in and stopped him where he was, I was actually very quick so surprise at the looking back. It was like thank God that they came in when they did because

Jacquie Cassella: that was probably one of the moments of my life that I could have died, absolutely I basically definitely have three, near-death experiences. I could have died three times. I should be dead and that's one of the times I don't really count it to be honest, but I could have died that day. so that's how I was burned to Ash and became the Phoenix where that I didn't know then and reborn, I was reborn and I reversed my life, and I had to learn everything I had to learn, how to fix and repair my credit negotiate. I had to write my own divorce. I had to become a lawyer like a paralegal at least, and I had a weight two years till I was even allowed to touch the paperwork because he wouldn't sign the documents and

Jacquie Cassella: all kinds of stuff that besides learning a new career like a new skill and getting I have all my licenses and all lines of insurance. So I have property casualty that's personal lines and Commercial. So that's Auto home business, right then. I also have health and accident and then I also have life And fixed annuities which is retirement. and that was a lot of money that all came out of my pocket, I don't even know how I paid for it all be honest, but it wasn't crazy. It's honestly more crazy by States and you have all these states and stuff but I was almost licensed and half the country at one point that was in 2018 when I didn't open enrollment period with a nationwide company. So, I really am like the unicorn of insurance because you don't normally meet someone in insurance.

Jacquie Cassella: Was all lines and then I was licensed in half the country which every state has their own situation like laws that you don't write the same in Florida that I did in Pennsylvania. It is a million times more complicated. I just wrote about that today or yesterday.

Jacquie Cassella: That Florida is the worst state to write for even worse than New Jersey and I think New York, so I'll just leave it. It's so complicated because of what they make you have and then it's just ridiculous to be honest. And then obviously the rates are absolutely inflated. So that's how I got into essentially my own career and act in about 2018. I was actually recruited by so I had already started The Journey of becoming independent and independent agent. So I had signed that spring with health and accident broker. and that was just me as an agent like, whatever because I wasn't using those lines. So I placed it somewhere and I can make some extra money on the side or whatever and

Jacquie Cassella: I had a pretty good job at that point but they made a whole bunch of promises as people do in the business 401ks and health insurance. And I made offices number one in their first 30 days. I have an over 30% closing ratio and I can do a hundred dollars a day in less than three hours. I have an amazing track record. Apparently that I didn't even know that I had to later or come to find out I made an office number one in the first month and then I got other agents walking in my office wanting to Shadow me to see what I'm doing. that was so crazy. I didn't even understand what was going on. now I can talk about it and understand but then I was like a baby agent. I didn't know what the heck they were doing. I was like,…

Nino Pingera: Yeah. That's so interesting.

Jacquie Cassella: this is weird.

Jacquie Cassella: I was so weird. go ahead. Sorry, Nino.

Nino Pingera: Yeah. can I ask about…

Nino Pingera: how you were able to get such a high close rate because I mean Yeah,…

Jacquie Cassella: I just was good. I think it's so.

Nino Pingera: just great at talking to people or I mean, what do you think set you apart?

Jacquie Cassella: I'm actually working on Perfecter sales pitch idea right now to offer for business Consulting, but I think for me it's First of all, it's all about Personality and being able to Express and give empathy. Those things are really really big besides now, you need to be knowledgeable, You can't just sell something and not know what the heck you're doing even if it's like so I was at State Farm at the time, so I was born in bread and State Farm like I wanted to be with State Farm after I got license because

Jacquie Cassella: I was like they have the best training system. They have the best everything, you know what I mean? So I was just like I need to learn from them, and I wanted to find a mentor which didn't work out because I'm gonna say it on your National podcast that agents are sneaky snakes and I was given a lot of promises at all kinds of offices and they never delivered and so I kept going to different offices. I've been basically licensed or I had my license with every major carrier in the country. So you're talking about State Farm Nationwide All State, everything and then even more than that met life. I went through so many off different. offices slash, competitive

Jacquie Cassella: Carriers, it was ridiculous my first two years and that was just because I didn't have the guidance and I didn't have a mentor and that's all I wanted. I wanted someone to guide me my career, where I should go what I should do how I should be and how I learned how to be an agent. from Underwriters. That's how I learned. The business was from Underwriters. So I would call them because the agent was never around I'm walking in the office. I'm opening the office right ate the main agent of his own office. It's never there. So I'm like trying to do my job, make calls, talk to people try to get them quotes, whatever see if I can save the money and I learned how I learned the business of insurance through the underwriters.

Jacquie Cassella: So then when you get to the whole sales process, right, I never had anyone teach me how to do sales except for learning with my dad, And we always just focused on the customer What are they looking for? how can we help them? So that was just the idea when we had the retail music store, So I guess it just brought that into insurance and it's even more at a higher level of needing to care about people you got a really care about someone,…

Nino Pingera: Excuse me.

Jacquie Cassella: to be like

Jacquie Cassella: Listen, you're not properly protected you first of all, you got to gain their trust learn about their life and they're finances or all kinds of kooky things. They're budget, whatever right and that's just to do maybe an auto home quote, because obviously they're searching for something that's more affordable. But, a lot of times people just skim coverages to do that and you can't do that. you're assets need to be properly maintained and protected. so because your life what if you're a high profile doctor you can't have

Jacquie Cassella: crazy low coverages, I mean somebody's gonna come for your life and they're gonna take everything your house your car your kids don't kidding that but you know what, I mean, they're just gonna take stuff, they're just whatever and they lose it all but that's why you got a really, give someone a thorough insurance review learn about their life and gain their trust and it doesn't always take one appointment. Sometimes it's two or three appointments, right and for me, the art of selling is really getting connected and getting to know your client your potentially whatever it is because you can't service them without really

Jacquie Cassella: Learning about them right and caring about them and wanting to help protect them and show empathy towards them, because they may have gone through something really hard. You know what I mean like that for them, you know what I mean and their finances are all screwed up, but they need to coverage because in this country, it's like mandated that you have homeowners Auto, I mean most States mandate that stuff right like you don't need help insurance. They try to mandate that but you don't need life insurance, you know what I mean? But there are certain Insurance you really need or else you get in trouble right by the state so that's Yeah.

Nino Pingera: Okay, so just really understanding. I mean just to kind of Put that into a nutshell right key to success.

Jacquie Cassella: It's okay. It's okay.

Nino Pingera: sounds like it comes back to really understanding your customers needs being able to service them at a high level and…

Jacquie Cassella: Yes.

Nino Pingera: really sounds like you're really, almost individualize it or really, make sure you're catering and…

Jacquie Cassella: personalize it absolutely.

Nino Pingera: yeah, so it's not just kind of a blanket approach to everyone right…

Jacquie Cassella: There's nothing cookie cutter about it.

Nino Pingera: but really yeah.

Jacquie Cassella: If all your worry first of all, I can snap and make a hundred dollars. It's all you worry about is making money then go ahead and keep thinking broke. Okay, because that's not where you're gonna do anything. Okay, that's not how you're gonna excel in business how you're gonna make someone business is definitely making a connection but, at the end of the day you can't just give Many agents out there who write whatever they want. And then the customer doesn't even know what the heck they have first one. No one understands insurance. So

Jacquie Cassella: So that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about agents that are underwriting policies. obviously overwriting is to make more money. Do you know what I mean? so that's all their concerned about is putting money in their pocket.

Nino Pingera: Yeah.

Jacquie Cassella: Guess what that nonsense is not going to work forever. Okay, you can get away with it for a little bit maybe for a while. I don't know but eventually everybody just sees who you are. You're just a sneaky Shady snake and all your worry about is making money when you should be worried about your customers or your clients and who want to work with you. I've had people come into my office and be like I wanted to see when they bringing me gifts and they never met me before and they just talk to me in the phone seriously, so I mean this stuff is really really real like it, and that was almost 10 years ago. So now business is completely changed, I'm launching a whole personal branding campaign like we never thought about that nonsense like we're talking about

Jacquie Cassella: Said business here 30 years ago. And it's all about your business and your personal life doesn't matter or care and who you know what I'm saying? you are not your brand now you are your brand,…

Nino Pingera: Yeah.

Jacquie Cassella: you know what I mean? And what you do, people want to see who you are and what you do.

Jacquie Cassella: To a degree so that they want to work with you you don't even need to pitch to them. you're just meeting them. Hi hello, whatever and you're, having a conversation or a coffee or something or you meet at a networking group or an event or something and then your energy your Vibe whatever you want to say it you're demeanor. Your persona is coming out and they're like, I got it or I mean a lot of times I walk into a room and everybody wants to know who I am. but that's who I am. That's my personality. So it's like the same thing is true about even if you mean I have that type of power but you gotta have your light, you got to be shining and I mean, naturally whatever you're natural organic presence is right and that's gonna gravitate people and gravitate to you. They're gonna be attracted to you, so that's another way in business that you can be successful. It's just being

Jacquie Cassella: Being you and who you are meant to be finding your passion living your purpose, That's the ultimate American dream. I feel like is that…

Nino Pingera: Yeah.

Jacquie Cassella: if you can number one find your passion and your passion should be basically something that you just love you absolutely love you can turn a business into what you love and then that probably is your purpose because you love it so much. You have such a passion and hard for it. It probably is your purpose. It's all connected.

Nino Pingera: Yeah, I think that's awesome advice and I found that to be true in my life. Definitely. Let's talk about…

Jacquie Cassella: Yeah.

Nino Pingera: it sounds like I mean just from our conversation last time you transitioned kind of away from insurance. It sounds like you're still doing it, but you got into some other things.

Jacquie Cassella: yeah, so this is so yeah,…

Nino Pingera: So let's get into that…

Jacquie Cassella: right, …

Nino Pingera: what came next?

Jacquie Cassella: okay, so then

Jacquie Cassella: Around so I had rebuilt my life, right? I mean didn't I work two full-time jobs, paying off my credit reduce my debt to income ratio, I was trying we wanted to buy a house when I was married, So I'm still like, that's an American Dream by a house, but I was like I got to fix my life. So I fixed my life. I I hustled I even did some things that it's not that great or whatever but I did work two full-time jobs and one was as an insurance agent during the day and I would work at night at Walmart Warehouse DC and anybody tell my friends and family like Jacquie. What are you working in the warehouse? that is just not you like what the heck and I'm like listen. It's paying the bills and I gotta pay myself out of this debt. I got to fix my life. So I just did whatever I had to do and it was for a couple months over the holiday season when they're just hiring, they

Jacquie Cassella: Almost I had a great, background but it didn't matter anybody can get a job, seasonally, so I did that from November to January and then they laid us off of course and then I actually took. A break from insurance because I got so tired of the terribleness like all the sneaky Shady stuff and the broken promises and stuff and I actually applied for that same Walmart, DC.

Jacquie Cassella: Just for 10 I worked there for 10 months and I became a problem solver and a master trainer. So I put in my application I didn't even know why I was applying for I think someone recommended I apply for I don't know. What the heck. I met this man named Ian and he was like, you're gonna be a problems over and I was like, okay, I didn't even know what that was at the time. I was like, he said you are perfect. And yeah, I'm gonna have you be my head Problem Solver on the overnight shift and you're gonna become my master trainer and you're gonna train with my master trainer during the day. It was really wild like I just never

Jacquie Cassella: so that was kind of another aspect in business. I learned about my soft skills. how I learned Looking Back Now I learned so I learned that I had more skills more to offer right? I was like this is wild Looking back at it now that really probably also was another pivotal point in my life as well. Who and what I am today in business is because of that experience, So getting back to how you said, how did I transition into real estate I was all the sudden my life up and I didn't even know it. I was ready to buy house.

Jacquie Cassella: So I met a realtor who then hooked me up with her mortgage lender brother and I got myself qualified I talked to him he spoke to me and I was like, okay, he's like I just need a bunch of these documents and let's see what we get you qualified for just then shot for her house because I guess that's how you have to do it now, right and I was okay, so I got qualified within 24 to 48 hours or whatever. So I bought my first home which was a Fix and Flip It was like a mess it was like they had section eight people living in there who just destroyed the house with a billion dogs, all the walls were black all the floors had to be replaced anybody like the pictures that they listed online. Yeah, that was like the pictures before those people moved in and I walked the house or that I went to show me the house. I was like, okay, I was like this is not the pictures at all, but coming from a construction work.

Jacquie Cassella: background my whole family was in construction, and fixing things and renovating the house and stuff like that my dad actually renovated our first house and I was always as help his professional Helper because I was the all of this so, I know a little bit about fixing things and repairing things and renovation and stuff. So I was like all it needs. All the paint in the button all new floors. I said, okay. Let's just do it just clean it up. So I bought it I got a great price for it and over the covid. So I started painting it, but then the covid happened and All that free money I got from the covid. I put into my house and that's how I fixed my house to flip it. And then what happened is and I knew I was gonna Fix and Flip it but I thought it was three to five years. No, it was two years.

Jacquie Cassella: Just hold on. so I sorry about Eclipse it and

Nino Pingera: That's like that.

Jacquie Cassella: Basically, I had a major life event. It was in a change was an event. I wind up being diagnosed with skin cancer over the covid while I just fixed the house, right? So I worked myself to death. I was overworking all till eight o'clock online. Everybody was working virtually doing these meetings. I was trying to do life in retirement, Okay and all the time. I probably just ran myself into the ground and all the sudden I've been diagnosed with skin cancer out of nowhere. I don't know where I'm not even a sun goddess. I'm like, this is weird, right so completely my body I had to get blood infusions. I had to get weekly be shots and then luckily they found it in time. It was in the early stage of cancer, right and they just cut this huge chunk out of my shoulder and sent it away and they tested it and they said we got it all.

Jacquie Cassella: And I was great, but I still under doctors care for nine months because it completely messed my body up depleted my vitamins like it. everything came back like no iron all these vitamin deficiency. a zombie was walking around like a zombie, it's still doing stuff right then I decided at the same time to have structive urgery. constructive surgery. I kind of went through my life crisis. I guess, I was just like I don't want to die of Heart attack is 50. So I just saw every doctor on the planet at that time even the podiatrist to make sure that nothing else was wrong with me. Can I still have kids all kinds of stuff like you have no idea and

Jacquie Cassella: So at that time, I actually had a massage Reiki session and I was for my birthday and I didn't know what I was set for myself into because I never had a Ricky session in my life and an after that it was the most profound experience so I had three days of enlightenment. And God told me that I'm going to sell the house that I'm ready. The house is ready and I'm gonna sell it and I'm a relocate to Florida to do airbnbs. And I was like what? Okay. I was like because I was told for years I should get into real estate and insurance right now. No, it's too much. I don't want another license. I would like no no, it's like I got five meaning if you break them down. It's five of them. Right that's three tests. No or two so I am

Jacquie Cassella: So that's what I did. So after I recovered I'd like two months recovery from my surgery. I already knew that after that. I was going to basically get the house ready for sale. No kick, whoever out, get it ready for sale meaning just clean it and restaged it and all this stuff, declutter it because now they don't want to see your personal stuff if your stage and a house, for pictures and stuff. And so that's how I learned about this, selling game is fixing and flipping and I sold my house literally in five days. It was only on the market for five days. I showed it in three days it was from a weekend Friday to Monday. I had offers on Tuesday. It was done on Wednesday. It was in a very high profile. I desired area the best school district almost on the whole side of Pennsylvania, everybody wanted this school district and literally there was a school down the street in both directions. I think there was a middle school One Direction and Elementary School and another Direction they can walk

Jacquie Cassella: So this was the best area. which I didn't want to move to at first. but it was the best area for me to buy a house and it was cupcakes right? So that's how I got into real estate is I fixed and flipped my own first home on Which I can still get back now, so.

Jacquie Cassella: So I got into real estate so by the time so we sold the house mid June the 20th around whatever and I said, I needed a Twist a 60-day close because I had to pack everything up and get rid of whatever and caught it and get out of there and it was right and it worked out because it'd be right before this school started, for the year, So it was worked out perfectly and that's what I did and then I lived in hotels for a few weeks got down here and lived in airbnbs for a few months. And that's another way how I learned the business of vacation rentals. So, everybody at the time called it Airbnb but it's not really cold air being me. It's called vacation rentals. And at the time I was living in something called midterm rentals, which didn't actually exist. Nobody knew what to call it then because So a short term is under 30 days. So that's how I learned the ins and out the Florida vacation rental industry because it's completely

Jacquie Cassella: front here. I'm sure that other places because the volume High desired area. Everybody wants to go to Florida. So, the game is probably way more sophisticated here than anywhere else, right or it will or it was at least so and that's how I got into the business. So when I got here I created an investment company because I was like, I'm gonna buy a property. I was like, I'm gonna buy my first property gonna get here. that

Jacquie Cassella: Happen because I exhausted all of the funds that I made making my house basically getting here and having to live in Airbnb for months. and I paid off my credit. I got it, I am traded in my car, I got a newer car right to get down here and stuff and all the money gone poof my January gone, and I didn't have anyone to guide me about doing an investment. Do you know what I mean? So that was I mean besides to fix the flip? I didn't know too much about the whole investing game. I was just learning. what when I got down here.

Jacquie Cassella: So now I did that and then I wound up so I was broke. I need a job. I got a bigger stuff out. I had another major life event. I actually was with somebody on and off for the last eight or nine years and we came down here together and then we wind up separating and that kind of and it didn't it hurt but it didn't break me. know what I mean? It just hurt right it hurt because that person and I had been through a lot together, and supportive one another and he was the person that protected me from my ex-husband from attacking me to other times after he beat my face. So he was like a protector, for me and then I did things for him that changed his life, know what I mean? So it was Mutual right and

Jacquie Cassella: So I spent three months in isolation that happened. And in that three months, I actually established two new companies front and I established them. So not just eins and State and all that other stuff, but I also create a foundation for them. So I created all my services all of my socials all ever like everything you can think of. I did everything but write a mission statement. I'll be honest. So I just did everything. So March came why I was looking for hours already looking for some employment and

Jacquie Cassella: I wanted a poking up with a man who owned a cleaning company and he wanted me to be his manager manage his company right and stuff like that and that's how I kind of learned about one of the services that I offers called turnover services and that basically means we prepare the property for the next guest or tenant or by or seller. So that's a really big Olive cart service that I have. So I created 10 services. That would make me daily money. And that is how I started my real estate property management company from nothing. both of the businesses. I started with nothing except for business cards for the one business. I did all the branding. I paid, somebody at first I think $60 to help me create my branding for a graphic designer who was up and coming or learning or whatever, but he did a pretty good job at the time.

Jacquie Cassella: And like I did everything branding my socials my Foundation the services like everything you think of you would think I was already doing it for years and years right? so when I teamed up with him, which wasn't a great situation, I actually walked out and left that position because it turns he was just very, not a verbally abusive or something like I'm like your micromanaging me and I can't manage your company because you're trying to do everything if what do you need me for? it was crazy. So I wound up, just leaving. And what I did is that I hooked up like I became acquainted, with Airbnb owners like Pete like your host people who had properties who were, in the game, right? So I wound up leaving that situation with 11 properties.

Jacquie Cassella: Or 11 units.

Nino Pingera: Wow.

Jacquie Cassella: It was actually three owners. Six properties that's how I left then I got the next two on Facebook doing networking groups. I obtained two other owners network doing contributor applying to post and stuff on networking groups. So that's how I got that. So by the time June happened I had already two three, four five owners would like over a dozen properties.

Nino Pingera: Yeah, that's amazing.

Jacquie Cassella: And that's how I kind of went fully operational was right away. So then I had a hire somebody to help me and I had someone who was kind of as needed and then I did her so I also hired someone, full time or someone to be with me every day because I just couldn't do all this I couldn't do the turnover service myself I could do staging and design we did another service, there's on and off side laundry. I can do everything. I just can't do it all by myself because my body won't physically allow it. know what I mean? I would not be able to walk at the end of the day I work 10 12 hour days and I'm like, yeah, this isn't working. So I hired my assistant on Dana and…

Nino Pingera: right

Jacquie Cassella: she's been with me now. It'll be two years and May.

Jacquie Cassella: over a year and a half I guess or almost a year and a half and that's how we basically went operational and that's how I got all of my business really was, participating in networking groups and other type of Community groups being present replying to post doing some type of obviously that's connecting and then, responding replying, like that. So, I've never done any type of paid advertising, I mean a couple months ago I try to do an ad which didn't work, Facebook. Didn't work it off. but you have to have a higher budget for that anyway, but still like it that didn't work and then there's stuff like I'm doing here with you, I'm participating and as guests on podcasts.

Jacquie Cassella: I published three books on Amazon. That's more of a personal passion project which is gonna be launching off of my personal branding, so there's podcast opportunities now and I'm trying to get news coverage for the petition that I wrote to the State of Florida to reduce the rates here by basically, bring more options like they have to pay to change the law or something has a change here have a sit down, so other carriers will come here because carriers won't come here because of whatever they have in place right now, it's just not working. so, my focus of my businesses is more on myself, because I also have my insurance ncy, So my insurance agency which went Live this past spring it took a long time because of my transition period here and relocating is very difficult to bring my licenses over I even lost two states.

Jacquie Cassella: It was insane. I said they're a grace period no, we don't have a grace period other states do so, I don't know what you're talking about. it was pretty wild. and my agency is actually an agency here in the State of Florida two, So we're fully launched and operational. I focus more here on business insurance and life and retirement because the personal lines are terrible here, so until I can help make that change. So other than that,

Jacquie Cassella: my life has shifted because I've been working on myself personally and it started in July where I entered a 21 day spiritual Challenge and I had to remove the people and places and things that have been in my life while it was here for the last, over a year and they just couldn't go All of that, people plays in things couldn't go where I'm going. So I had to leave it and then it tried to rears head back all of it actually at the same time. So then I had to eject it. So I was two months later. So I've been on a healing Journey the last two years while I've been here and from all the trauma that I've endured the last some years of my life. That's made me who and

Jacquie Cassella: I am and both personally and professionally and now since my life is Shifting and I'm evolving. So are my businesses so my businesses are completely changing. I don't know exactly what's going to happen in the future with them, but

Jacquie Cassella: I know that it is time to do my personal branding. It's been like evident and it was brought to my attention and I do so much more than just real estate and insurance, I just started to meditate and reflect on it the last couple weeks really what am I supposed to do with this? So I'm in the part where look up I was like, what the heck am I gonna do with this like me, so I'm not gonna sell products or anything. I mean, I have once two published books on Amazon the other ones still being reviewed, but it'll be done and ready soon this month and December and I wrote it on self love is a self love book actually, so it's actually called love yourself. So it's guided workbook on how to love yourself first.

Jacquie Cassella: So before you're with anyone else, but you can't, be with someone. If you don't love yourself first, it just doesn't work that way, and it's far beyond just I mean self-care is wonderful. A lot of people really neglect themselves with the self-care thing. But the self-love thing is even worse. people aren't doing self care. they don't really have any self love either because you can't have one without the others. and I do too planning journals, which is one was on pregnancy and one is on wedding. So, you gotta love yourself first, be with someone and then have a baby, in the right way right meaning I don't want to I don't have any children still I have her babies and I will not have a child with anyone.

Jacquie Cassella: in my sister right person so I refrained from that thought in my life, because whether it happens or not is on God, I gotta the right person but the one that God has for me has to come to me so, once that happens then I can, have a child with that person up until then. I'm not bothering.

Jacquie Cassella: Personally, I'm not bothering so these books came about we started working on them in August So after the challenge happened the spiritual Challenge and then that's kind of like I said then since July I've been on my life has shifting. I'm evolving personally, and then now it hit my business this month. So a lot of things are just really changing and becoming how I react to things is a big thing not grinding and hustling the way I used to like it's not required anymore. I don't need to do it. That way. I can push myself but I don't Need to do what I did for the last eight nine years, you know what I mean? I had to change how I get things done or make things happen or whatever and I can be still. and sometimes that's needed or

Jacquie Cassella: they need to be that I share myself with the world And what is needed? Do you know what I mean, with whoever comes into my world at the time whether it's just a brief hello or whatever it is. So it's all interconnected. So with my personal branding, I think it's going to be more driven with business Consulting more with possibly spiritual counseling because I am an empath and the prophetess and

Jacquie Cassella: besides being very creative and usable and the singer and stuff like that which that part is going to be brought back. I haven't done my music in over 20 years, but I haven't even sung in public I think I did an audition while I was married but like I did I have not the person that I was born and that I was raised to be that all those skills and those talents or the word old. My talent has had to be pushed away because of my life experiences because of my marriage and what he needed and then because of me having to rebuild my life and then, having nothing and

Jacquie Cassella: almost dying a few times and all kinds of skin cancer, Survivor domestic violence fiber, all these things right life happened and God in my way and most of it happened because I made the wrong decisions. So, I made the wrong decision that pivoted changed my projection of my whole, life at the time but

Jacquie Cassella: being more aware of yourself, who you are. what you bring to the table, what are your talents and abilities finding your passion living your purpose. that's all how you can be successful both personally and professionally, So that's kind of like where I'm kind of gonna tie in my branding so I have my personal branding and then I also created an expert panel of female entrepreneurs who are going to bring resources and education in order to elevate and empower the community, to do the same to be the best version of themselves. so there's me and then there's my panel and then there's my two businesses. So now it's no longer just about my two businesses. It's really about everything. it starts with me. So that's why I was trying to think about

Jacquie Cassella: Meditate on what am I going to do with this, but it's branding like it can't just be pretty looking. I think it's definitely you…

Nino Pingera: Yeah, right.

Jacquie Cassella: we're going into a shift and into a new life chapter really of where I'm going to not just have my businesses but there's my panel, but then there's me as the business consultant the serial entrepreneur the inspirational speaker the spiritual counselor. that's what now is going to be. Evident and brought into the world and my businesses are just an extension of my arms.

Nino Pingera: Yeah, I love that the next a lot of sense. I just realized what time it is. So I'm gonna be respectful of you and…

Jacquie Cassella: It's okay.

Nino Pingera: wrap this up. But this has been a fascinating conversation. I know there's so much to your story that we didn't even get into…

Jacquie Cassella: Thank you.

Nino Pingera: but it's inspiring what you've overcome and we definitely touched on some really valuable principles. And so I hope the audience got a lot of value out of that.

Jacquie Cassella: Thank you.

Nino Pingera: I for sure did but where can people go to connect with you.

Jacquie Cassella: Thank you so much. I mean, so I guess that we're going to be launching my new branding which will have my panel and my personal branding will have its own website landing pages that will be here off my businesses. But right now the best place to reach me personally at is on my entrepreneurial page, which is facebook.com and my tag is JMC which is my initials Stellar Solutions. So it's actually, a piece of each of my name. So my businesses are elevates still a reality. That's my real estate property management company, which I'm on the You can find me on the web ESR LLC 21.com and cassella Insurance Solutions, which also has a website. It's CIS LLC 22.com and

Jacquie Cassella: Eight and I'm all over social media so you can find me on social media like that on my website. If you want to connect with me personally, I guess the entrepreneur like I said, the JMC seller Solutions is your best bet but all my contact information is there too my phone numbers my websites my email Messenger, So Instagram Facebook LinkedIn, so, I'm everywhere.

Nino Pingera: Yeah, that's perfect. We'll have the links to those in the show notes. So if you're listening go there to connect with Jacquie, what's your final message to our audience?

Jacquie Cassella: just

Jacquie Cassella: You need to find Who You Are. And what you're meant to be? And it's there that you will be able to truly be happy and live your passion and fulfill your purpose because that's what you're here for you're here to fulfill a purpose and everyone has a different purpose. Some people have small purposes. Some people have huge purposes and it doesn't matter. It's still your purpose. You're not supposed to be anybody else. You're supposed to be but in order to do that, you have to search within yourself. You have to find yourself first, you have to love yourself and give care to yourself and be easy with yourself and it's okay if you made mistakes and life happens.

Jacquie Cassella: And life experiences happen at those mistakes, which could be good bad or ugly. It doesn't matter. It makes all of you and who you are and it doesn't Define you it shaped you it molded you into what you are meant to be. So that's really the biggest thing that I have to say. To everyone right now is just because it's truly through.

Jacquie Cassella: Working on yourself that you're going to be able to really move forward, to really be who you are supposed to be whether it's that business owner or entrepreneur or whatever it is like it's not everybody's meant to be an entrepreneur, right or that, the best and the corporate ladder, know what I mean or whatever it is. You're supposed to be but you can't be the best if you're not good to yourself so that then you can be good to others and then really Shine Your Light and how you're supposed to be in this world and affect the positive change.

Nino Pingera: That's a perfect way to end this thank you so much for being on show Jacquie.

Jacquie Cassella: Thank you.

Nino Pingera: It's been an absolute pleasure for anyone listening out there. Make sure you're subscribed on whatever platform you're hearing this on and…

Jacquie Cassella: front anymore

Nino Pingera: please share this with others if it's been valuable to you. Thank you so much again for listening…

Jacquie Cassella: Thank you.