Jennifer Mount

CELEBRATING LEADERS

STORY BY LOREN BRAMBLE | PHOTOS BY VAST MEDIA

A Survivor and a Thriver

Jennifer Mount, managing broker at Legacy Realty Advisors, is a native Tulsan, and she has actually “only lived within a 9-mile radius” her entire life. She graduated from Edison High School and then attended Northeastern State University, where she received a degree in business education. Jennifer is a survivor and a thriver. Life has thrown her a series of difficult challenges, but she has managed to move forward every time with hope and optimism.

Jennifer began her career in the real estate industry with the goal of “becoming the best landlord possible.” Jennifer and a couple of friends were casually “hanging out” one Sunday night when she mentioned attending real estate school.

“I had one rental home and my primary residence at the time, but I had a goal to get to ten rental homes,” remarks Jennifer, “I thought real estate school would help me reach that goal. My friends thought it would be fun, and the three of us decided to enroll together.”

That decision ended up being a lifesaver for Jennifer and her family. “I had a wonderful job at Vartec when I began real estate school; we started the company with seventeen of us and quickly grew to 750 employees. I worked my way up in that company over three years to my dream position in human resources. It was my job to make sure our employees liked and enjoyed their jobs. I absolutely loved it!” says Jennifer. “I have been blessed to always love what I have done.”

Unfortunately, two weeks into real estate school, upper management delivered some life-altering news: they would be selling and closing Jennifer’s company. “So, my husband at the time and our team had to lay off 550 employees and then be unemployed ourselves with a 60-day notice, so no severance. I found myself with two cars, two homes, two kids, and no job. So, I went into Real Estate in survival mode, and survived I have!”

Investing in What Matters

In addition to her obvious tenacity, Jennifer is passionate about investing in what matters. “I put my time and energy into things that are really important in the long run … not just momentarily,” explains Jennifer. And her top priority? Her family.

“I had my first child, a son named Tyler, when I was 14,” says Jennifer, remembering her life’s first major curveball. “As you can imagine, my life shifted. I went from a Christian school to a school for pregnant and parenting girls, where I took him with me. Now, I was forever a party of two. He became my purpose and focus,” reflects Jennifer. Jennifer got married in 1996, and four years later, she had her second child, Hadlee. “I had my son in 1990 and my daughter in 2000 … I figured one a decade would be perfect!” Jennifer laughs. “It is the honor of being a mother that has shaped who I am today.”

Jennifer describes a deep, lasting bond with her children. When she began her career in real estate, her children were twelve and two, and her son Tyler helped around the office. “Tyler ‘farmed’ (helped cultivate a ‘crop’ of sales in a geographical area) for me and everyone in my office. I would go door-to-door, knocking on doors down one side of the street, and he would knock on doors down the other.”

The two also trained for half-marathons together from the time Tyler was in eighth grade, and later in life, she and her son had a dream to open a sober living farm, where people could come after rehabilitation and work on the land, regaining their health and strength. That dream, however, has taken a tragic detour in the last few years. In 2019, Jennifer’s son had an accident, passing away suddenly.

“My son is no longer with us, and yet, he is,” says Jennifer. “He is shaping us daily. I thought I was strong, but since his death, I have found skills I never knew I had. I have done things I never thought I could do. Without his life and his tragic death, I would not be the person I am and who I am continuing to become.”

Even in the midst of this hardship, Jennifer continues to have hope and is surrounded by love. Her daughter, Hadlee, and her “bonus daughter” (a friend of Hadlee’s she has taken into her family) continue to find their new normal, and she admires their strength and perseverance.

“We are finding a way to turn all of this pain into purpose and do exactly what he would want us to do if he were here. Love, serve, give, laugh, cry … everything we did together. The way he shaped me over his 29 years will continue to impact the world in a positive way, through me, until I am no longer here,” says Jennifer.

Jennifer is soon to become a “honey,” or grandma, as her daughter Hadlee is having a “precious baby boy” this July.

Redefining Success

Throughout Jennifer’s life, she has navigated many hard roads–but she has always allowed those hardships to shape her into someone stronger and more resilient than before. Since her son’s passing, her definition of success has changed.

“When you go through trauma, you have perspective that you never had before,” explains Jennifer. “So now, success for me is more about experiences and relationships. I truly care about my clients, and really all people, and want the best for them. Success for me is to help as many people as possible achieve their goals–whatever they may be. Opening my own brokerage has not only allowed me to continue to help people buy and sell homes, but now I help Licensed Agents create a career by design instead of by default. I am finding purpose every day in helping these new agents solve their problems by using my experience. I am grateful and excited for this next chapter in life, and none of this would be possible if it were not for the unconditional love, guidance, and the example my parents have set for me; they are my rock. I will strive to be like them and lead by example, help people through my experience, and add value to every situation.”