SERVING as the General Manager of Hunte’s Real Estate Inc. for the past four years has been one of life’s most unpredictable challenges. The only unpredictable challenge in my life that surpasses being the manager of a real estate company in Saint Lucia?Being a single mom to my almost 10 year old son.
I inherited the post of GM of Hunte’s Real Estate Inc. from a prestigious line of men, namely, the men of my family. First established as Julian Hunte Real Estate Ltd. in 1976 under the leadership of my father Julian R. Hunte, the management of the company has passed down the generations from my father to my eldest brother Jonathan, my middle brother Adrian and now to me, being the youngest and the only girl of the lot.
Having lived in New York City for nine years, when I moved back to Saint Lucia in 2008 at the age of 22, I had my heart set on working in the real estate portion of the Julian R. Hunte Group of Companies. As is often the case with parents and children (an experience I am so very well acquainted with now having been a mother for almost a decade), my vision for my life was not my father’s vision for my life and he placed me firmly in the insurance portion of our businesses. Along the way, real estate opportunities did pop up and I engaged in the two occupations concurrently, but although I enjoyed insurance and was quite good at it, my heart was always set on real estate. It took Divine Intervention to shift me full time into Hunte’s Real Estate Inc. in 2012 and there has been no looking back ever since.
I think that the good Lord in heaven knew that shifting me into real estate was much more about Him building His character in me, than it was about running a successful business. It was much more about learning to lean on God and not give up when truly I felt I couldn’t take it anymore. There have been times I have questioned this path He has led me into, but I know that my relationship with Him would be nowhere near where it is now had it not been for my experiences as General Manager of Hunte’s Real Estate Inc. There have been times when I found myself at His feet, crying at the prospect of another lost sale, another missed opportunity or just falling short of who I think He wants me to be even as a real estate agent. But there have also been times of great celebration and success when my hands have been raised in praise for the many victories and blessings He has given.
And so, in celebration of International Women’s Day 2016, under the theme of “Pledge for Parity,” my advice to all women out there, whether business owners, employees or students is to seek the path of Almighty God in every area of your life, but even more so in your occupational ambitions. Whatever your ambition may be, if it is not in line with His ambition for you, you will never find true and ultimate fulfilment.
A great man of God once said something to this effect: “If you want to be a nurse, but God wants you to be a doctor, you may be an excellent nurse, but you will never be as good a nurse as you would be a doctor, because it was not what He created you to be.” It is in seeking and finding His perfect will that we will become not only excellent in our professions, but excellent human beings who truly exemplify “His image and likeness.” It is in His perfect will that we will draw nearer to Him and affect the lives of those around us. There can be no higher level of parity than in God’s eyes, for in God’s eyes there is no distinction because of age or sex or gender. In God’s eyes we are all equal and in His heart we all equally hold a special part.
So as we rejoice and celebrate our womanhood in this year 2016, let us also rejoice, celebrate and thank the One who gave us this womanhood, who crafted every aspect of our beings before the foundation of the earth – let us thank Him by trusting in Him with all our hearts, leaning not on our own understanding, acknowledging Him in all our ways and being sure that He will direct our paths. God Bless You!