Real estate is one of the best careers for women who want to create their own destiny. It’s one of those careers where you can be your own boss, set your own hours and see the rewards of all your work. Make no mistake though; it’s a lot of work. In today’s interview, a woman in Real Estate could tell you all about that. From staying up late at the dining room table to find new clients, or researching all the data on a listing to know its true worth — this woman has never backed down from a challenge.
Meet Ashley Simonelli, founder and owner of Royal Palm Property Management, a residential property firm that believes in honesty and reliability. Royal Palm Property Management is more than just salespeople. They are actual investors who want to see you thrive. Royal Palm Property Management provides top-tier management services for clients big and small who are looking to achieve financial freedom.
With over 10 years of Property Management experience, Ashley brings extensive experience to managing properties and provides her clients with accountability, flexibility and service. Primarily, she serves as a liaison between the tenants, vendors, and property owners, making sure the property operates efficiently and provides a maximized return for the owner. Her experience includes Portfolio Management specializing in Multi-Family Residential and Commercial Management specializing in Apartment Communities.
Ashley is a graduate from Hodges University where she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree majoring in Business with a minor in marketing. She is also a licensed Real Estate Broker and has assisted her investor with many sales transactions as well.
Need some inspiration on how to carve out the future you want in real estate? Look no further.
1. In your own words, what do you do?
I am the Owner and Broker of Royal Palm Property Management and The Simonelli Real Estate Group. We offer full-service solutions for both Real Estate and Property Management. I will help you buy, sell, and manage investment property in and around the Southwest Florida area. I bring industry-wide resources and best practices to our local properties, providing investors with the most innovative solutions to maximize your ROI.
2. What inspired you to start in real estate and how did you motivate yourself to keep going?
I have always been a self-starter with dreams of being successful. I am the first one in and the last one out type. When I was in the corporate world I was constantly called out for being too assertive or too direct. I have always been very to the point which I attribute to getting things done. (Had I been a man, I don’t think this would have been an issue) After the crash in 2008, I was let go from a corporate position. It’s one of the greatest things that has happened to me! Leaving corporate and stumbling into the world of residential real estate and property management, I quickly knew this was where I was supposed to be. I was able to make as much as I was willing to work for and finally, my assertiveness was appreciated.
3. What is the best advice you have ever received?
Some of the best advice I have ever received was from the first Broker I ever worked for and that was “show up when everyone else is taking off and answer your phone.” As crazy as it sounds, a lot of brokers and agents are hard to get a hold of. I make sure this is not a problem our clients have to deal with. This looks different now that we have grown so much. It’s not the same as it was when it was just me and I knew every property and client by heart. With a team of 10 and growing, we have had to really make a conscious effort implementing systems and policies to make sure that our clients never worry about what’s happening at their property. They are able to reach us 24/7 and will always receive a response the same day.
4. Share two pieces of advice for female entrepreneurs.
Hire the coach/consultant. Don’t assume because you are good at something that you will also be good at everything. Know your strengths and know your weaknesses. Keep learning and become the go-to expert in your field. The key to growth, innovation and success is knowledge.
Say NO. If a client or an opportunity doesn’t feel right for you, don’t be afraid to say no. Loading yourself down with work that will not help you obtain your goals will make it take that much longer to get there.
In the words of Sarah Silverman, ‘be undeniable’ and then no one can stop you.”
5. What do you consider the main differences between those people who have been successful in your industry and those who have failed?
Hard work, consistency and A-LOT of Sacrifice. It sounds easy enough but when it comes down to it, not everyone is willing to do whatever it takes. As a Broker, I often hear from new agents that they decided to get their license so they could have a flexible schedule. The reality is that to be successful you will have to put in a lot of hard work. Many days I am working every single minute that my eyes are open. The choice is yours. The only person who owes you anything is you. Take ownership of your life; you owe it to yourself.
6. What has been your key (or keys) to success?
Our success really comes down to a secret that shouldn’t be so much of a secret – we care. We genuinely care for our tenants, we care about our investors and we diligently care for their properties. We treat every property and every transaction as if it were our own. We are committed to serving with words that are substantiated by our actions.
7. What’s Your Approach To Marketing?
Reputation. Reputation. Reputation. I do not spend a ton of money on marketing, instead, I focus on improving our clients’ experience. I have focused on taking a proactive approach to finding areas within our service that have opportunity for improvement. We place a strong focus on customer feedback to allow us the opportunity to improve in those areas continuously.
8. What are you passionate about?
I am a very passionate person. I tend to bring passion to whatever I am engaged in. I love taking an ugly duckling property and rehabbing it into the beautiful swan I know it can be. I love taking a distressed property and making it income-producing. I love helping my agents to grow and develop their business. I love helping my team reach their personal goals. I LOVE helping my community in any way possible and Real Estate provides me with the resources and freedom to do that. Most of all I am passionate about being a trusted name in the industry in a time when people need it the most.
9. What are the mistakes people make while running a new business?
Assuming you will be a great business owner because you are great at a trade I believe to be a common misconception for new business owners. Just because you are a great REALTOR doesn’t mean that you’re automatically great at operating a business. Some of us learn this the hard way! Invest in developing that skill early on and it will be a much smoother process.
10. What should other real estate entrepreneurs reading this be focusing on to expand their own business?
Whether an agent, broker or in between, treat yourself as the business that you are. Develop a business plan, invest in a CRM early on, leverage technology and most importantly, be all in. To be successful, real estate is a full time (Sometimes double that) commitment. Our industry needs more great agents who are ALL IN and operate with integrity above all else.
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
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