Woman To Know: Regina Jones Danced Her Way Into Real Estate
By Leslie Bailey
IndyStar.com
Regina Jones never intended to settle down in Indianapolis — let alone be a dancer and cheerleader for its NBA and NFL teams.
The Indiana native had been living in New Jersey when she moved back temporarily to be with a family member battling cancer.
“I thought, ‘If I’m going to be here, I want to do something fun — I’ll try that Colts thing,'” she said. Not long after, Jones married and settled down in Indianapolis.
Jones, a former Rutgers University dance major and Club MTV dancer, spent four years as a Colts cheerleader before taking a break and having a baby daughter.
At 30, she found herself wanting to get moving again and auditioned for the Indiana Pacers at the encouragement of Pacemates choreographer Monique Alhaddad.
“She suggested I try out, but I was so out of shape — it had been a couple years, and at 30, the weight doesn’t just jump off of you.”
Despite large numbers of younger competitors, Jones made the squad.
During her time as a Pacemate, Jones and her husband decided to buy a home. She fell in love with real estate and began working on an accelerated course to earn a real-estate license, studying during breaks at games.
“I would take my real-estate book and sit on the floor (of Conseco Fieldhouse) studying. The music would come on, I’d shut my book, run out there, do my little whatever, then run back,” she said.
She joined Carpenter Realtors in 2001 and is now manager of its Northwest office.
Through her relationships with the Pacers and the Colts, Jones, 45, was able to help players with rentals and sales. She lists former Pacers Reggie Miller and Ron Artest (“a fabulous person and a fabulous dad”), Colts running back Donald Brown and former Colts receiver Aaron Moorehead as clients.
“I have clients you’d know and clients you don’t — they’re all awesome. I don’t care if I sell a million-dollar house or a $7,000 house, I love it,” she said.
When she’s not working real-estate transactions or managing 15 sales associates at Carpenter, “I’m either wing mom or dance mom,” she said.
Her daughter, Alexandra, 14, is a ballerina, and her son Dillon, 20, is in the Air Force training in fire protection — each taking their parents’ paths respectively. Jones’ husband, Jim, is a firefighter with the Indianapolis Fire Department.
The remainder of her time is spent serving the community through her work as a past president and member of the Realtor Foundation.
We sat down with this month’s Woman to Watch to talk philanthropy, the Dave Mathews Band and why 2013 is her year to be fearless.
When I first started talking to my now husband, a Colts player had taken a fancy to me. And not that athletes aren’t real, they’re fine people, but I had to consider what I was looking for. People get caught up in celebrity, but they’re no different. … You just have to ask yourself, “Do I really want to date somebody who looks in the mirror more than I do?”
One morning I was up for a 3 a.m. feeding with my daughter and Dr. Cornell West was on TV talking about service. I couldn’t shut it off. We all get consumed by doing things for ourselves and our children, husbands, career. You do all of those things because you want to. But do you ever get outside and expand to people who can do nothing for you but you’re willing to do something for them? And at that moment, I said, “I’m going to do something.” I said it out loud, and two days later my phone rang. It was a member of the Realtor Foundation, and she invited me to an auction. That’s how I got started with them.
I’m not a crazy dance mom. I stay out of the teacher’s way. I’ve had opportunities to teach where my daughter dances, but no. I have all these things I have to teach her, so I have to step away and let somebody else teach her.
My best friend Marizel’s daughter, Maddy, has leukemia right now. That’s what scares me most. I try to be hopeful, but I can’t imagine this world without Maddy in it. Then I get aggravated at myself because then when you fear it, are you giving into it? So my word this year is “fearless.”
I used to do the handbags and nails thing, but as I’ve gotten older, I’m spending money on experiences, like a Dave Matthews Band concert — I go to six or eight of them a year.
On my wish list is taking my daughter to Paris, go to London — be able to travel the world. But when I go, I want to do something philanthropic. It doesn’t have to be the whole trip, but that’s my dream.
People would be surprised to know that I’m a Trekkie. I am a big “Star Trek” fan.
A few weeks ago, I was in Vegas for a convention and my girlfriends told me that I’m kind of stuffy and conservative, but I don’t think I’m like that at all. I’m like, “I jaywalk! Sometimes I don’t feed the meter!”
In June, I’m going to Jamaica for 10 days with Ben Davis Christian Church. We’ll be working with two orphanages … (and) with the Boys and Girls Club of Montego Bay. My husband thinks it’s great, but he also reminds me there are people in Indianapolis who are in need.
Mint chocolate chip ice cream makes me feel better on a bad day. You can call me corny or cliche or something cheesy from Pinterest, but if you’re having a bad day, girl, you just got to start counting your blessings.
