To all the female investors!!!

[Jenny Cunningham]

To all the amazing women investors on BP! My name is Jenny Cunningham from FL, I started investing in real estate about 2 years ago with my partner (male) and have mainly focused on doing flips while recently looking to get into the rental market as well. As I'm sure you all know being a female in the investing world has its challenges of which I have faced with many with people not showing me the same respect as my partner receives. I did some quick searches but can't find any groups directed to women investors and I want to see if anyone is interested in a female group chat where we can bounce ideas, questions or anything to do with the investing world and help each other out! I think it would be very beneficial for the less experienced investors to get a chance to talk to the experienced investors and hear some of the challenges they have been able to overcome as a female investor. Hoping this can help everyone from the beginner to some of the most experienced. If you're interested please comment here or send me a quick message. I'd love to hear from everyone!!

[Tanya H.]

I just joined the FB page.  But it would be great if we could find a way to keep at least some of the conversation here on BP.  This site is such a great resource and we all found each other here, so I think it's worth looking into options of creating a group here.

And I have to admit that I've been rolling an idea around in my head for a while of creating a mastermind group focused on women in REI. But it hasn't really solidified - I'm having a hard time envisioning how it would work, what the mission would be, etc. Anyone interested in brainstorming this with me?

Tanya

[Kelley Redington]

It sounds like a great idea...I'm in as well.

[Shabyna Stillman]

I'd be happy to join. Great idea!

[Jordan Thibodeau]

@Jenny Cunningham Woot! Thanks for joining BP and immediately having a positive impact on the community. We need MORE positive female role models in the investment community to show young girls that this is industry is not just for the boys. I would love to see more posts regarding a woman's perspective on RE investing. There are so many excellent female investors in this market, I hope to see more of them on the BP podcast. Hopefully you can post more about this group on BP because I believe it will dramatically increase the impact the group has in the RE investing community. 

If there's anything I can do to help contribute, please let me know.

@Joshua Dorkin& @Brandon Turnerhave done an excellent job finding female investors and hosting them on the BP podcast. Thanks Guys!

Jenny: Best of luck with your group! Keep us posted on how it goes!

[Karyn T.]

*Raises hand*

[Lori Mailloux]

Please add me too!  And acknowledgement to @John Thedford ... when I'm by myself, I don't perceive any type of barriers, but as soon as my husband is with me, all conversation gets directed to him.  He has to tell them that he's not my partner or even involved and that they need to speak with me. 

[Tara Ballenger]

Such a great idea!! Can't wait to join.

The bias and barriers are absolutely there, but connecting for support and networking (and old girls' club, if you will?) is a big step in the right direction.

[Account Closed]

I just joined the FB group.  Thanks, Jenny, for starting this group.  I'm a newbie investor, in the process of buying my first rental property.  Looking forward to learning and hopefully contributing too.

[Melissa N.]

I'm in!

[Kelsey Roddick]

Yes! Count me in!

[Benjamin Timmins]

Originally posted by @Account Closed:

Originally posted by @John Thedford:

Am I allowed to post in this thread???:)

 No.  

Just kidding.  But this:

. . . and that the only person who voted it up was also male, just illustrates the need for this group even more.  

Men 'splaining to women that what women experience on a daily basis isn't real, or is all in our heads, is but one more manifestation of the very real discrimination we do in fact experience every day.  Not from all men.  But from many men.  

It's too bad that the word "mansplaining" has morphed into a catchall for any time a man explains anything to anyone--because in its purest, original meaning--you've illustrated the concept beautifully, John Thedford.

 Man am I glad I don't know any women that use the word mansplaining. What an ignorant word.

[Sebby Gabre Madhin]

I'm in!! Just joined the FB group. Thanks for starting this, and I'm also in the greater Orlando area, so maybe a local meetup at some point?!

[Debra Lamm]

I'm in!! 

[Naomi Spira]

I would love to join this women's group as well.

[Daria B.]

Originally posted by @Jenny Cunningham:

Ok ladies, I made a Facebook page to get us started! It's called "Women's Real Estate Investors Group". If you ask to join I will add everyone. Also once you are part of the group you can add your friends and anyone else. Very excited to have this group so we can share stories and experiences and basically just help each other out in any way we can! Thank you again for the great response.

 Jenny I just requested to join the group. Do you need to approve the request? Again, thanks for thinking of this.

[Melody Everett-Neddo]

I love the idea of a female chat/meetup.  Count me in!!  How can I join the FB Group?

Melody

[Sylvia B.]

Originally posted by @Account Closed:

Originally posted by @John Thedford:

Am I allowed to post in this thread???:)

 No.  

Just kidding.  But this:

. . . and that the only person who voted it up was also male, just illustrates the need for this group even more.  

 I also voted for John's post. 

Apparently there are quite a few women who feel a need for the group you proposed, but in my opinion it is counter productive. Woe is me! Women are discriminated against! Let's all band together and discuss how we can deal with the injustice, encourage each other as women, support female investors/RE professionals, etc., etc.

Seriously?

I don't care one little bit about being the best female anything. If I strive to be the best at something, I want to be the best, period. In order to do that, I need to learn from everyone with experience, not just women. That is why I am on BP.

Now in response to the issue brought up in the OP, I have 3 comments:
1. Gender bigotry is a real issue, and can really only be combatted  one individual at a time. We will never eradicate it, but we do not have to tolerate it.

2. Your male partner may need to do a better job of communicating to other males that such attitudes are unwelcome. 

3. In my experience, once the men know that I am the one who writes the checks, their attitude improves remarkably. I do not take any guff. If they want to work for me, they need to understand that they work for me. I will not hire someone who can't wrap their head around that fact.

[Karen Margrave]

This subject has been discussed many times on BP, in blogs, posts, etc. If you're interested in reading what's already been said, here you go! Women Investors

Everyone has their own perspective on how and why things happen in life, and it is the filter through which we judge things.  As a woman being an investor may be new to you, but in the scheme of things, it's nothing new. Women have been in real estate since biblical times. The bible speaks of the Proverbs 31 woman buying and selling property. 

Being in this business for over 30 years, and being the first female moderator on BP, I can tell you that I don't ever feel like I've been judged in business because I am a woman. In fact, I get calls from men all the time that want help or advice with something on business, or wanting to do business with me. My experience has always been that if you know what you're talking about, and have the experience and the means necessary for a project, etc. it doesn't matter if you are a man or a woman. On the other end of the spectrum, when there's something I don't know, I am not ashamed to ask a man for input and gain the benefit of his experience and talent. If I'm on a job for some reason; and there's something that needs done that needs some muscle, you can bet I'm not opposed to asking a man for help. 

I'd just like to encourage all of you to try to look objectively at the situations where you think someone is judging you solely because you are a woman, and ask yourself is it really because you're a woman that something did or did not happen, or was it due to some other legitimate circumstance? 

[Karen Margrave]

Maybe @Lynn Currie would like to weigh in. Also @Ann Bellamyfor a lenders perspective

[Pam I.]

Ladies, I'm not completely sold on the need for a "support" group. Isn't that why we're on BP to begin with, to learn and support one another? Besides, if I'm the only one writing the checks, then he has no choice but to work with me. Wishing you all the best. 

[Maricela Chavez]

This sounds great!

[Elizabeth Colegrove]

Great to connect :) The husband and I own 8 rental houses.

[J. Martin]

@Jenny Cunningham,

Great post!!! There are many amazing women on BP! And more coming out to meetups, and a few women's RE meetups. Here is a thread I started before that has feedback from other women on their thoughts on meetups, how to make them more comfortable for women, likes/dislikes, etc. I'm sure you know many of these things already, but maybe some can get ideas flowing for others too... :)  (ahhhem!!! Men out there!! @John Thedford.. )

https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/62/topics/183780-women-in-re-comfortable-going-to-meetups-improvements

Way to start a group and MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!

I'd also like to share some of the extra informative women on BP that I've been following over the years, in case you find them as helpful in the future as I have:

@Brie Schmidthas been inspiring to me, as another young investor breaking free with RE to travel and enjoy life :)  @Elizabeth Colegroveis a super sharp landlord with a BP blog I got to see again in person recently :) @Marcia Maynardwas nice enough to come out to speak at my Summit in SF as a great landlord (and person) and one of the prolific female landlord contributors to BP. @Jean Bolgerhas been an insightful contributor on BP, and one of the few on this list I haven't had the opportunity to meet in person.

@K. Marie P. knows more about the technical side of RE than I could probably learn in 3 lifetimes. @Shiloe B.is awesome and knows construction very well. @BeBe Chenghas been doing some great deals with similar sorts of properties I dabble in. @Account Closed, you missed Al's Summit in Sac last weekend!! Time for you to start your own Sacramento RE Meetup!?

CONGRATS TO ALL THE WOMEN OF BP WHO ARE OUT THERE MAKING IT HAPPEN! AND DON'T LET THE HATERS WHO TRY TO TELL YOU WHAT SEXISM IS (OR IS NOT) LIKE DERAIL YOUR PLANS!!

[Ann Bellamy]

Thanks for the shout out, @Karen Margrave

There is definitely discrimination out there.  But I generally ignore it because I don't want to waste energy on it.  For the most part, on a daily basis, I no longer notice it.  

From a lending perspective, if I have the money, people don't care that I'm female.  From an investing perspective, if I have the knowledge, people don't care that I'm female.  If I write the check, people don't care that I'm female.   If they do, they probably don't work with me for long, and I'd rather spend the time finding a good supplier/partner/contractor/investor/whatever.

I have spent my entire life striving to be the best I could without noticing, mostly, whether the people around me were discriminating against me because I was female.  I believe that focusing on that discrimination is energy taken away from doing something positive.  Spend your energy on action, not reaction to a negative.  I'm with @Sylvia B.on this.  And I think the problem will only be changed little by little and one person at a time.  

I have definitely noticed that if I'm with a male partner, it happens that the person we are speaking to will direct his attention to the male even when I am the decision maker.  But in all fairness, I've done it myself.  It's part of the generation I've grown up with.  When I realize I'm doing it, I stop right away.  But the converse of that is that a large percentage of females with husbands or male partners will perpetuate the problem by deferring to the husband, and taking a passive role rather than an equal one.  It's really annoying, I just want to shake the person.  :-)

In my business life, I search for the right person, not the right gender.  As it happens, I have two favorite attorneys, one male and one female.  I have a female partner in my lending business and two male partners as investors, but I have had multiple female investors as well.  I have 3 male partners in my Black Diamond organization.  My favorite contractor is male, and not surprisingly, he is not condescending.  I have two accountants, one male and one female.  

Do I seek to do business with women as opposed to men?  No.  I look for the person who is on the same page I am.  So while I've asked to join the FB group, I will probably not spend much time on it, if at all, quite frankly.  I'd rather spend the time looking for deals.  Or working with animal rescue, which is my personal passion aside from working.  

[Account Closed]

How cool is it that we have the freedom to have our own opinions -- each based on our own experiences and/or education -- and that we can express those opinions in a public forum!  I, for one, am thankful that places like BP exist, not only so that we can learn from others, but also so we can consider the perspectives of people not like ourselves and thus, expand our own.  

While we all have the right to our opinions, we've each had different life experiences that led to our becoming the people we are today.  I appreciate and respect the point of view that says, "why focus on the negative when we could be spending our limited life-time on the positive?  We create our destiny based on our actions and are not victims!" 

I also appreciate the point of view that says, "while I'm an adult with agency, my experiences have had a definite and profound effect on who I am and how I navigate the world.  No two people have the same unique combination of nature and nurture, and I will never be able to fully understand exactly what another individual is experiencing and why."

If you don't think a group for women investors is a good fit for your personal needs, great!  If you do, great!  But invalidating the experiences of others based on your own -- and if anything is a waste of time, that would be at the top of the list -- doesn't positively contribute to the BP community.

Haters gonna hate.  But I think it's great that @Jenny Cunninghamtook the initiative to create something from nothing and to positively impact herself and others who choose to join the group.