Staying Inspired
As a new real estate agent, David Sirzyk made driving around construction sites a part of his routine. He’d get out, introduce himself to contractors and developers, and ask how he could help them. At Starbucks, he’d hand out his business card along with a $5 gift card, and invite people to talk with him about real estate over a beverage. “I wanted to be different from everyone else,” says Sirzyk, 28. To stay pumped about sales, he keeps a stack of handwritten thank-you notes from real estate clients on his desk. In 2013, Sirzyk and a friend opened a dog daycare and boarding facility in their community, an idea born out of his frustration with sitting in traffic for 30 minutes a day to take his own pets to day care. The pair recently opened a second location. “I have a very entrepreneurial mindset,” Sirzyk says.