Some people find their calling in a job. For Samantha Lipnisky, it’s always been about something deeper—connection, community, and the quiet strength that comes from doing things the right way, even when no one’s looking.

Samantha was raised just outside Raleigh, North Carolina, in a family of entrepreneurs who ran their own retail shops. That early exposure taught her the value of customer service, pride in your work, and what it means to really take care of people. “I was always in the store after school, watching how they interacted with customers,” she says. “It stuck with me.”

Just as influential was her grandmother, Grandma B—a fierce women's rights activist in North Carolina during the 1970s. “She was the strongest woman I’ve ever met,” Samantha says. “She stood up for what she believed in and never backed down.” Grandma B passed away when Samantha was in high school, but her spirit of determination, compassion, and conviction left a lasting mark. “She’s a big part of why I am who I am,” Samantha adds. “I think about her all the time.”

After college at NC State University in North Carolina, Samantha took a leap—leaving her roots behind to move to Chicago with one friend and a lot of faith. It was there, at a Halloween party of all places, that she met her husband, Nick. “Halloween is still one of our favorite holidays,” she says with a laugh.

Samantha built a life in the city, managing a luxury London-based retail boutique downtown. But when she and her growing family moved to the suburbs, she knew it was time to make a career change, and real estate felt like the perfect fit: it’s part business, part service, and all about people. “I’ve always loved helping others,” she says. “This was a way to do that in a really meaningful way.”

She started nearly eight years ago as a solo agent, learning the ropes and navigating the grind. It didn’t take long for her to see the power of collaboration. In 2018, she joined the PAK Group—a tight-knit team of women who are, truly, like family. Some of them have ties going back to childhood. “That’s what makes us so strong and enhances our collaboration,” Samantha says. “We genuinely care about each other and that energy carries through to our clients.”

Over the years, Samantha’s carved out her own rhythm: she’s steady, sincere, and focused on what really matters. “Success to me isn’t about being number one,” she says. “It’s about the people in those homes. The ones who are going through big life changes—starting families, downsizing, navigating hard decisions—and trusting me to walk with them through it.”

In 2020, Samantha moved to @properties with the PAK Group, then in June 2024, she and the team made the leap to Compass. “It was a bold move, but the tools and support have been incredible,” she says. “We’re always evolving, always looking for how we can serve better.”

Outside of real estate, Samantha is exactly what you’d expect: grounded, generous, and fully engaged in her life. She and Nick live in Mount Prospect with their two kids, Eloise (7) and Emmett (5), and their mini goldendoodle, Indy, whom they rescued from the Determined to Rise Animal Foundation. Their family life is jam-packed with soccer matches, ice skating, baseball, golf, and every community event they can get their hands on.

“We love Mount Prospect,” Samantha says. “Fridays on the Green, the Block Party, the farmers market—there’s always something to do. We try to be a part of all of it.”

Golf has become a family affair. It’s how they often spend time together, relax, and connect. “My dad was a big golfer,” she says. “It feels special to share that now with my family.” You’ll often find them golfing at the Mount Prospect Golf Club, which, happily, is walking distance from their house.

Samantha’s the kind of person who thrives on puzzles—whether that’s putting together IKEA furniture without instructions, or figuring out how to guide a client through a tough market. She says her superpower is saying yes to things, even when it feels uncomfortable. “Sometimes, you just have to go for it and figure it out as you go. That mindset has opened so many doors for me.”

And while she may relate to the character Claire Dunphy from Modern Family—a working mom balancing it all with grit and a little humor—there’s something uniquely Samantha in the way she leads with heart, builds with intention, and always keeps people first.

If you ask Samantha what she’d change about the industry, it’s simple: more collaboration. “We’re all in this to help people,” she says. “The more we work together, the better we all are.”

And that’s exactly what Samantha does with every deal on behalf of every client, every day.