Most Influential Business Women 2023: Janelle Stowers jumpstarts careers as history-making real estate school … – St Louis Business Journal

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Janelle Stowers made history last year when she opened Realty Central Education Center, the first Missouri real estate school founded by a Black woman, after 16 years in the industry.
Janelle Stowers made history last year when she opened Realty Central Education Center, the first Missouri real estate school founded by a Black woman, after 16 years in the industry. The school offers pre-licensing courses and continuing education online and in St. Louis and Kansas City and has graduated over 65 people in about a year’s time.
Before opening the school, Stowers made her mark on the industry selling residential and commercial properties as the founder of Stowers Realty Group, where she leads a growing team of 32 agents, growing the number of staff members at the brokerage by 75% in the past two years.
The mom of two is also committed to investing in St. Louis communities, serving as Vice President of the Ferguson Neighborhood Improvement Board, providing internship opportunities to students at her alma mater Harris-Stowe State University and educating families pursuing home ownership and people interested in jumping into the real estate industry.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome in your career? The biggest challenge I’ve had to overcome in my career is balancing work and home life. I had to realize that there must be a stopping point. To be more effective and to work at my best, I must allow time to rest and rejuvenate. Now I have “business hours” and I vacation regularly. I return to business with a clearer mind which allows me to have more productive days. In business, I now understand, to perform and produce at the highest level, I must take care of myself first.
What advice do you have for women who want to move into leadership roles? The advice I have for women who want to move into leadership roles is to identify that it is not an overnight process, nor does it come with an instruction manual. It is okay to make mistakes. In my opinion, you must make mistakes to learn from them to get to the next level. I would also advise women wanting to move into a leadership position to never stop learning, grow their network, and always look for areas of improvement. And lastly, seek assistance. Don’t try to move through your business alone. Delegate and know that you are much stronger with an extra pair of hands.
What’s left on your career bucket list? On my business bucket list, building a few homes in a subdivision is left. I would love to try my hand in land development. It would be amazing to have a street named after me. What a legacy that would be for my family!
How do you unwind after work? After work, I unwind by pulling into my garage and meditating in my car before I enter my home. I normally sit in my car 15-20 minutes before I enter my home. It’s like the segway between work and home. I take time to come down from my workday. It’s how I switch gears from work Janelle to home Janelle. I try not to bring work home when possible.
More about Janelle Stowers:
Title and company: Broker and owner, Stowers Realty Group; school administrator, Realty Central Education Center
Age: 43
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Harris-Stowe State University; Master’s degree in education, University of Missouri St. Louis; MBA, University of Missouri St. Louis
Family: Husband Kenneth Stowers, son Kendall Stowers (21), and son Kamron Stowers (16)
First job: My first job was through the St. Louis Internship program at the accounting firm Rubin, Brown, Gornstein & Co. I was an administrative assistant.
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