About Emily

When life presents exciting opportunities, have the guts to go for it. I loved being a lawyer, but when the opportunity arose to build a real estate business in my community––I took the leap. Before becoming a REALTOR®, I had my dream job. I'd gone to college, completed law school, found an incredible firm, and become a Partner and co-head of the litigation department. I loved being a litigator-working in court, taking depositions, leading teams-and I was damn good at it. But when I pictured myself living that same life ten years from then, something didn't feel right. My motto in life has always been that no one can outwork me. That mindset started when I played high school volleyball and continued when I played Division I volleyball in college. My teammates were like family and, even though we weren't the tallest or fastest, we tried to work harder than other teams. Hard work paid off when we won the MN State Championship my senior year in high school. And, in college, we won the Conference Championship twice; I was honored to receive Female Athlete of the Year and Senior Female of the Year while finishing my business degree. The next challenge was law school. My classmates were intimidatingly smart, but I knew I was smart, too, and that I could work hard. I graduated in the top 10% of my class, with my sights set on litigation. I worked 5 years as an associate before moving to a smaller firm, where I eventually became a partner. In court, the stakes were high with money and clients' reputations were on the line. When you're operating at that level, there's no room for mistakes. You must be the most prepared and informed person in the room. By then, I was married to Eric-my high school sweetheart-and we had 3 children: Jacob, Matthew, and Katherine. I was winning cases and doing well, but I wasn't blind to the heavy travel and all-consuming nature of my job. I looked ahead, picturing my life. Staying in law would be exciting, but I would be away much of the time out of state, working to help my clients in high stakes matters. And while I loved my firm, my colleagues and clients, I knew that I needed more. I wanted to build a business locally and try to help people – one on one. Coincidentally, my parents-both REALTORS®-were getting ready to retire. They'd built a respected local family business. And suddenly, the idea of joining them in real estate seemed... perfect. I talked to my husband and planned the career transition, eventually resigning from the law firm. I spent 16 years in law and loved it all, but it was time for a new chapter. The shift to real estate allowed me to work hard every day, but to come home every night. I transitioned all my legal skills into a new arena. My skills and work ethic were a great fit, and every year from my first year to the present, I achieved the highest sales level while successfully transitioning my clients to their desired next chapter. In 2024, life threw me a curve ball when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. When my hair started falling out after chemotherapy, I decided to shave it and my sons shaved their heads too. That day, about 20 boys-my kids' teammates and friends-showed up and shaved their heads with us, in solidarity. What could have been a sad day turned out, instead, to be one of the most joyful and unforgettable nights of my life. Despite the health challenge, I remained a top performer at the company – reaching the top sales tier in 2024 and continuing to work throughout my treatments. I've since recovered and am healthy again. I continue to work, give back to the community, and enjoy life. Being a former athlete and with kids who love sports, I enjoy supporting local high school teams-because I know firsthand how sports build character.