Roxanne Stevenson: Lessons of hard work, perseverance

A parable often contains a religious or moral lesson.

Sometimes, however, a parable can simply provide a story of how perseverance and the desire to live an honorable life can set a person upon a rewarding path.

Such is the case of Roxanne Stevenson, and it all began with a well-known story.

Stevenson was a young single mother with two kids, working two jobs to make ends meet, when someone gave her the book "The Greatest Salesmen in the World."

She stayed up that night reading the book by Og Mandino from cover to cover. In the morning, she called in sick, traveled to the University of Nevada, Reno, and told an admissions counselor, "I have no idea how to do this."

With help and a mentor, she found out how to get grants and enrolled herself in school.

Aptitude testing led her into entrepreneurial studies, and she parlayed that education into a management position with Southland Corporation, the owner of 7-Eleven stores, in the Sacramento area.

She learned about merchandising, operations, ordering, sales and more while working for the retail giant. She moved back to Reno, and began managing Old Town Mall during the shopping center's heyday.

Her love of the retail industry grew, until Stevenson decided to take the next step and get her real estate license. She's been working in retail real estate now for 30 years.

"When I started, I didn't have a clue what I was doing. No one was doing (retail) at that time. I basically bought a book of all the big shopping centers, and I started making phone calls," she says.

Eventually, Stevenson became co-founder and co-owner of Grubb& Ellis|Nevada Commercial Group in Reno, the company's first affiliate office. After more than a decade, she moved to Colliers International, where she works as vice president of retail properties.

"I love that what I do is different every day, and I love that sometimes you actually get to help people. People who don't have the background or the money, but you help them. And I love the relationships I have with people who've been clients for so long," Stevenson says.

If anyone knows about relationships, Stevenson does.

She has five generations of family living in the area. Her 96-year-old grandmother, who Stevenson says raised her, her mother, daughter and son and grandchildren all make up a family that has given Stevenson deep roots and a supportive foundation.

That foundation carried her through her early career when she was struggling, and now it's her respite from a tough job in a stressful economy.

Stevenson has tried to give that kind of support to others; she's on the advisory board for the Small Business Development Center, is a board member for the Commercial Women in Real Estate and works as a mentor.

"Almost all of my competition in Reno, I've trained. And then they leave," she says with a rue smile. "It hurts, but it's a compliment because they're ready to move on and grow. I really didn't know I was training them; it just happens when you want to help. I have a new partner...thought I wouldn't do that again, but ..." She ends with a smile and a shrug.

Her advice for up-and-coming retail real estate agents doesn't pull any punches: Don't expect to make any money the first two years. Despite that reality, Stevenson says it's a wonderful career opportunity.

She made no money her first two years either, but she remembers the potential, and the growth she saw coming in the industry. While the recent economy has "made sure I won't retire as soon as I'd wanted...me and everyone else" Stevenson still balances her job with some simple pleasures.

"I have my first vegetable garden, and I'm really into my garden," she says. "This job is so stressful, and gardening is so relaxing." She even hosted a very special tea party for her family in her garden, complete with fancy hats.

While life has become about tea parties, gardens and family, along with her job, Stevenson knows that she got through the tough times thanks to one core belief: Do the right thing.

"It's not always easy, but in the end it will come back to you. I've never made a bad decision when I followed that advice," she says.

Stevenson's life didn't start as a fairy tale, but with some hard work and a lot of faith, it's certainly turned out to be a best seller.