Marilyn Wilson is one of the smartest women I’ve ever met. She’s one of those people who just “gets it” and has been a huge inspiration to me and so many others in the real estate industry. Words like impact-driven, change maker and badass give you the essence of who she is and what’s she about. “Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to make positive waves of change.” Making the world a better place, leaving things better than when she arrived, these are her hallmarks and her wiring.
She attributes her sense of purpose to her dad and his influence is felt deeply in her life. Marilyn tells the story of how he would remind her as a child that, “Everyone is an equal. We all put our pants on one foot at a time. Whether you’re a CEO or a student, always remember this.” And this advice as served her well as a woman in business. She hasn’t really felt anything other than worthy to be sitting at the tables she’s asked to join. Her attitude is simple, “Hey, I’m here and how can I contribute? You’re equal, I’m equal. We’re all here to contribute in our own unique way.”
Marilyn’s business partner is her husband, Victor Lund. A well respected industry luminary in his own right. Their daughter is a rising star known in the dance world as Sparkles Lund. So the entire family is involved in the business and is often interwoven. “Our whole life, personal and professional, has somehow become one big family adventure.” For most people, finding the balance in juggling so much can be a challenge, but this is just how they operate. She knows her time is valuable and wants to make a difference with the projects she devotes her time to.
“I will definitely rock the boat. I try to do so respectfully and with an open mind.” Our job as leaders is to help serve the needs of consumers in the best possible way we can. In my view, we also do this better when we are working together. Cooperation and collaboration is founded on the idea of win-win. Business, intelligence, emotional intelligence. The best CEOs are the ones who have made a lot of mistakes really fast, and they’ve learned from them.”
How can we help Marilyn with intention? She asks us to look at the way we lead the real estate industry from the association and MLS side of things to see if there is a better path forward. She challenges us to ask ourselves every day, “What am I doing to innovate with my company? What am I doing to collaborate more effectively with those around me? What am I doing to use technology more effectively?”
Follow Marilyn on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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