Meet Caroline Picha | Residential Real Estate Agent

We had the good fortune of connecting with Caroline Picha and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caroline, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I grew up with a mom who ran her own business. Her work was always such a part of her because she genuinely cared and loved what she did (and she refuses to retire to this day because she loves it so much!). My husband is a business owner and has always gotten out of bed excited about work because it is his baby. Although I always had visions of starting my own business too, my own desire for security and comfort always got in the way. I was finally able to go the entrepreneurial route when I no longer had a safe fallback plan. For me, it wasn’t until I let go of my thought process that I was able to get out of my own way.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In June 2020, I gave birth to my daughter Eloise. In early September I was let go from the corporate job that I loved. And, of course, there was COVID. Amidst all that chaos, my father was also dying of cancer. When I was let go, I remember asking my mom to please not tell him because I didn’t want to worry him. He had always felt so good knowing I was in a secure career. And yet, the second I saw him I realized I couldn’t keep something so big from the person whose advice I needed now more than ever. When I told him, he stayed extremely calm and responded… “Go into Real Estate. You’ve always wanted a career helping people and you would be great at it.” 3 weeks later my dad died and left me with a piece of advice that completely changed my life. As I mourned, I poured myself into studying Real Estate. It kept me going. I got my license 6 months later and have put that same dedication and effort into my work as a Real Estate agent. It has definitely not been easy, but every day I learn so much and get to work with amazing individuals and families, and with an amazing team. I think what sets me apart is how personal this all is to me and how much I care about what I do. I think my clients can feel that. Buying or selling a home is an extremely personal thing for most people and they deserve someone who they can trust and know genuinely cares.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I grew up in LA but I have lived in Long Beach for the last 10 years. I would start by taking them to Malibu for the great wineries, hikes and beaches. Then I would take them to Manhattan Beach for the food…that has been a central meeting point for my friends to do dinners and we love all the restaurants there! Fishing with Dynamite is probably our favorite because of the well curated menu and the intimate atmosphere. Then I would take them down to the LBC! We would take a Duffy boat out (with a full spread of cheeses, meats and wine of course) and then go to Ballast Point Brewery, which overlooks the water and is a personal favorite spot of ours. If kids were part of the plan, I would take them to the Long Beach Aquarium. The best part of LA is how different each area is, but as you can tell I’m a personal fan of the beach cities. And apparently a fan of eating and drinking since that is involved in every part of my itinerary. 😊

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My dad. I never would have been brave enough to completely change careers if it weren’t for him and his last piece of advice before he died. The head of my Real Estate team, Beatrix, was instrumental in me making this shift into Real Estate. She took me under her wing, teaching me every part of Real Estate and ultimately letting me join a fantastic team. I never would have taken to this career path in the same way without the team I’m lucky enough to be a part of. And my family. My husband was so encouraging of me that I knew I would be fully supported in this path, which gave me so much comfort in a situation that was so unfamiliar to me. I also really wanted my kids to see me succeed after having a lot of bad cards dealt to me within the same year. Making my family proud means everything to me.

Website: http://www.thewhipplegroup.com/