Melissa’s story is one of resilience, perseverance, and passion. She grew up in a small town in Illinois and went to Southern Illinois University where she met her husband. From there, Melissa worked at law firms before eventually becoming a teacher at an alternative school. But it wasn’t until her husband’s job relocated them to Clayton, NC that she decided it was time to pursue a career in real estate. “We were moving and I wanted something new, and I always wanted to sell real estate. I was interested in it from a young age and always wanted to look at houses and do that kind of stuff. Then I grew up and realized I could do it for a job!”

 

But in May 2017, Melissa received an unfortunate breast cancer diagnosis that sent a shockwave through their family.

 

Her cancer diagnosis took full priority, but Melissa was committed to continuing to live her life. She found a doctor and began the arduous process of going through treatments and radiation therapy. During treatment, one of the chemotherapy drugs triggered congestive heart failure, so she was forced to stop the therapy early and continue with other medication. Despite the challenges with treatment, Melissa studied and obtained her real estate license in June of 2018. Naturally, it was a huge accomplishment. “It kept my mind busy. I knew I had to study for school, so it helped me focus on something other than going through treatment.” Although Melissa still has to take medication and see a doctor once a month, she has thankfully been in remission for nearly 6 years. To celebrate the overcoming battle, her husband surprised Melissa with something she’d always wanted—a pink Volkswagen Beetle. “We came home from London and my son had worked it out with my husband to have the car in the garage when we pulled in. Now you can’t miss me going through town in my pink convertible bug!”

 

Melissa is now a part of the Fitzsimmons Group at Allen Tate with Ashley Fitzsimmons and Erin Henry. “The team dynamic we have is fantastic. We work well together, get along together, take trips together…professionally it’s a fantastic fit. Personally, it’s even better.”  These days, she’s intent on staying with the team and continuing to grow her business every day. Melissa puts in the hard work out of a passion for real estate and a desire to see where it can take her. Relocating to North Carolina later in life meant that Melissa had to start from scratch to build her network and learn about the area. But she’s no stranger to that process–her family has been relocated 7 times to different parts of the country due to her husband’s job. These experiences have helped Melissa empathize with her clients and their families, understanding the big life changes they’re going through, and helping them find the perfect home for their needs. Her persistence has paid off. Now Melissa has amassed a solid stream of clients and is continuing to build for the future. A big part of her success is her dedication to each client’s needs and desires. Melissa takes the time to deeply listen to each client and hear what they have to say before offering her ideas about the next steps to take. Overall, her goal is always to help each client to the best of her ability. 

 

In 2024, Melissa will be celebrating her 30th wedding anniversary with her husband. She has 3 kids–a daughter, Madison, who lives in Indiana, and twin boys, Mitchell and Mason. Sadly, Mitchell passed away in 2020. Melissa cherishes spending quality time and creating memories with her family and friends whenever she can. The flexibility and team dynamic of the Fitzsimmons Group offers Melissa and her husband space to continue traveling together, which they’ve done throughout their lives. They’ve been lucky to travel abroad several times and have fallen especially in love with Montana over the years. Their son, Mason, is graduating from ECU this spring and is hoping to work in the UK after graduation, so travel back overseas will be a welcomed must. By the end of 2023, they’ll be empty nesters, so the couple is working toward building a pool at their home to settle into the next phase of their lives.

 

All the while, Melissa is committed to continuing to grow her real estate career and providing her clients with an exceptional experience as they navigate the biggest investment of their lives.