On International Women’s Day this year, the Peggy Hill Team wants to celebrate and spotlight some remarkable female realtors that fill our family! Keep reading to learn about some of their most significant accomplishments, the other women they admire, and some of the most notable challenges they have faced in their careers
PEGGY HILL
As the heart and soul of this team, Peggy has redefined industry standards while keeping sight of what is essential: helping others. Peggy has accomplished more than she ever would have thought when starting her real estate career in 2003. Despite any bumps in the road, she is exceptionally proud to have been given a chance to help others continuously; it is something she hopes to do until the day she dies.
In addition to running a successful business, Peggy is a devoted mother of three and a loving grandmother to three beautiful children. When we asked Peggy who was another woman she admired, she said, “My mom. Even with limited education and many challenges in her lifetime, she is still the person I rely on for answers. She’s my rock.”
Peggy notes that the most significant challenge she has faced as a woman in her career is balancing career and family: “There are so many demands on my time that finding balance for those two things has been the toughest,” said Peggy.
In hopes of spreading her wisdom, Peggy shares that the best advice she’s ever received is “to occasionally slow down and smell the roses. Life is so busy, and we run so hard that we actually forget to slow down and look after ourselves. As a woman, I find we put our own needs last.”
Finally, when we asked Peggy the question: If you could have dinner with any woman, dead or alive, who would it be and why, Peggy stated that it would be Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a lawyer who served in the Supreme Court of the United States. “She would have so many incredible stories to tell,” said Peggy. She admires that as a woman in such a male-dominated industry, Ruth still fought for what she believed.
Anna Lewandoska
Beginning her real estate career in 2008, Anna Lewandoska has consistently remained a top-producing agent! She is a hardworking and reliable woman who loves meeting new people and helping them find their forever home. Some of the best advice Anna has received is, “learn every day and do better every day.”
One of the women that Anna admires is her great-grandmother, a successful business owner who immigrated to Chicago as a young girl and established a family despite all the challenges and tragedies that were thrown her way. Anna has always been in awe of her kindness and hard working mentality that made her the true anchor of their family.
Throughout the past 14 years of her real estate career, Anna has accomplished wonders but has also faced several challenges along the way. She notes that one of the most significant challenges of her career is “being a good, present mother and wife and being successful at work.” Her ultimate goal is to find the perfect balance between her work and her home life because she doesn’t plan to throw in the towel on real estate anytime soon.
Nicole Staden
Nicole Staden, a true sports mom, entered the real estate industry in 2021 after putting herself through school by working three jobs, being a single mother, and recovering from cancer. After working in customer service for years, Nicole realized that she wanted to help make a difference in people’s lives, and she is now grateful that she gets to do this through real estate.
A woman Nicole truly admires is her grandmother, one of the strongest people she knows. Nicole is continuously in awe of her grandmother’s big smile that is swept across her face every day, despite everything she has been through, which is more than anyone should have to endure.
Overcoming bumps in the road is nothing Nicole isn’t used to. However, she is still able to come out on the other side stronger than before. Some of the best advice she’s ever received is, “Never quit! No matter how hard your day gets, keep going; tomorrow is a new day and a fresh start.”
Veronica McNamara
With her heart rooted in the country, Veronica is a passionate real estate agent who has been helping clients find their forever homes since 2009. Veronica became a realtor because she didn’t want to go back to a 9-5 job and be unable to spend time with her kids. After growing up with a mother who was a realtor, Veronica decided to try it and got her license the year her first son was born.
One of the most significant challenges Veronica has faced as a woman in her career is “mom guilt.” She notes that “even though real estate has allowed me to be present at all of my kids’ activities, school trips, etc, there’s still a strong feeling of guilt when I have to work when I believe I should be having family time.” It has taken her many years to figure out the right work/life balance, but some of the best advice Veronica has received while navigating this is, “learn how to set boundaries.”
One of the women Veronica admires most is her Grandma Myrtle. When she was in her early 40s in the 1960s, Myrtle lost her husband to a heart attack, leaving her to care for their four children. Veronica admires her grandmother’s undeniable strength. If she were still alive today, she would love to ask her everything about family, mental health, parenting, and how to make her famous lemon meringue pies!
ANG GONTIER
With her roots established in Simcoe County since 1973, Ang Gontier is very proud to be a part of the Peggy Hill Real Estate Team, where she can help her clients find their forever #HomeToStay!
One of the women Ang admires most is Peggy Hill herself! She recognizes that Peggy is an example of how hard work pays off, noting that “Peggy is a very successful businesswoman and also an amazing wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, and friend.”
However, one of the most significant challenges Ang has faced as a woman in her career is finding that sweet spot in balancing work and home life. “You want to give 100% to your family as well as your career, and you do not want to let anyone down personally or professionally,” said Ang. However, she is thankful to be a part of such an incredible company that grants her the flexibility needed to find a balance that works for her!
When we asked Ang: If you could have dinner with any woman, dead or alive, who would it be and why? She stated that it would be her great-grandmother, who grew up in an era that didn’t give women the same type of freedom of expression provided today. “When I was little, she always told me: you can be whatever you want to be, just work hard and don’t give up,” said Ang.
TANYA WELSH
When Tanya isn’t hard at work, you can find her spending time with her two daughters and grandchildren. One of the women Tanya admires most is her mother. “No one believed in me more,” said Tanya, “or told me what I needed to hear, not always what I wanted to hear.”
One of the most significant challenges Tanya faced before joining the real estate industry was working in a male-dominated executive position. Despite the challenges this posed for Tanya, she still came out of it stronger. Some of the best advice Tanya has received is, “if you work smart and believe that you are great at what you do, you will accomplish great things.”
SHERRY FINDLAY
A Barrie resident since 1999, Sherry feels right at home working with the Peggy Hill Team, surrounding herself with compassionate, caring, and like-minded people. One of Sherry’s most significant career accomplishments was reaching a milestone with Remax, obtaining the Hall of Fame award!
Since becoming a realtor in 2007, after her husband encouraged her to do so, Sherry knew she had made the right decision. Some of the best advice she’s ever received is, “your job is more than just a pay cheque.” She has overcome many challenges throughout her career, but one of the most significant was learning the technical side of home construction.
When we asked Sherry who was another woman she admired and why, she said, “my mom, who passed away years ago. She was such a strong, compassionate, and giving person. She raised seven kids, and I don’t remember a day of her complaining.”
LINDA KINGSTON
With a passion for impacting people’s lives, Linda has been a licensed real estate agent for over 20 years! Before this, Linda was a single mom and a college graduate with thousands of dollars worth of student loans. After growing up watching her mom work as a realtor, Linda thought this career would be an opportunity to support herself and her son.
Some of the best advice Linda has received is, “there isn’t such a thing as a work/life balance in real estate. It’s really more about embracing the imbalance and sometimes going with the momentum of a fast-paced spring market, or dropping everything, turning off the phone and showing up for your family.”
Personal safety is one of the most significant challenges Linda has faced in her career. Linda notes that women realtors “are constantly in a position of being in vacant and sometimes rural properties with people we don’t always know. It’s unnerving… sometimes there is just this uneasy feeling that I think many of our male colleagues don’t experience.”
One of the women Linda admires most in her life is her grandmother. “She passed when I was very young,” said Linda, “she was a farmer for many years, a violinist, and an artist upon retirement. She obtained her real estate license when she was in her 70s; she was quite the woman.”
JOANNE BURLINGTON
Before becoming a realtor, Joanne and her husband started flipping houses which sparked her interest in the industry. Twenty-two years later and Joanne has never looked back.
One of the most significant challenges Joanne faced within her career was in her early years when she was starting as a young woman in the industry. “It was very hard to be taken seriously,” said Joanne.
But since then, Joanne has consistently put her clients first, and one of her most significant accomplishments within her career is winning the Reader’s Choice for Top Realtor in Barrie! In fact, one of the women Joanne admires most was a client she met this past year who had lost a child at a very young age and battled cancer four times. Joanne notes, “She never complained ever and was so strong. I admired her positivity and strength so much, a woman I will never forget.”
When we asked Joanne if she had an ultimate work/life goal, she said “I absolutely love teaching.” Joanne’s dreams are to incorporate teaching into her career by helping other realtors.
YENIFER VIERA
After purchasing her home with the Peggy Hill Team, Yenifer knew she wanted to get into real estate. Before getting her license, Yenifer worked in sales and customer service, giving her hands-on experience devoting herself to clients.
When she isn’t working, Yenifer can most likely be found refurbishing furniture or building something new! If she is going to do something, Yenifer is dedicated to always putting her all into it and doing it the right way.
One of the most significant challenges Yenifer has faced in her career is rude comments about her accent in the beginning stages of gaining her license. “It definitely made me insecure at first when I was learning the language,” said Yenifer, “but I understand now that I am who I am, and I am proud of where I come from.”