Connie Lancaster didn’t do what most people do with a bachelor’s degree in science education. “My student teaching experience told me that was not for me,” Connie says. Instead she pursued a very successful career in car sales.

She was living and working in South Carolina when she visited a friend in Gainesville and ended up staying in Florida. She took a job with a Porsche/Audi/BMW/Volkswagen dealership in Gainesville then moved to Orlando to work at a Volvo dealership and then a Mercedes Benz dealership where she was selected to spend a week in Germany to experience everything about Mercedes.

Twenty-two years and many awards later, including being named salesperson of the year for Volvo, Connie see her future involving real estate. “Real estate has been a passion for many years,” Connie says. “Ten years ago I created the goal to buy one piece of property every year. When the car business changed and compensation decreased, I decided that I was going to go for it and get into real estate. A good friend – she’s like a sister to me – joined forces with me and we became a team.”

When Connie got to the point where she couldn’t manage any more properties, she started helping her friends and clients find great property. “I have a passion for digging out good properties. If I can’t have it for myself, then I can sell it to my friends.”

Connie attributes her success in the male-dominated world of car sales to her upbringing and both parents. “My father was a professional athlete and he pretty much treated me no different than my male cousins. I always played football with the guys and climbed trees. I tended to tear apart my dolls. I grew up around a lot of competitiveness and was in retail management before I got in the car business and that was mostly men, too.

“I was raised by my mom and she worked two jobs. She always gave me chores. I always had responsibilities. My mom has been an incredible inspiration and taught me to manage your money and work hard.”

Connie believes that you should do what you like because if you don’t follow your heart and do something else you won’t be happy. “Do what you want and doors will open. That’s what happened to me with the real estate,” Connie says.

Connie, 48, is looking at slowing down a bit, but not really retiring. “I’d like to maybe get my real estate license in North Carolina and work there part-time. I’ll probably work harder than I intend. Sometimes I’ve complained about working weekends in the car business, but the truth of the matter is that it doesn’t feel like work when you’re doing what you really like.”