Today we’d like to introduce you to Boo Zamek
Hi Boo, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I launched my first startup in 2005 and sold it 14 years later in 2019. It was a digital
media company called JustAskBoo.
JustAskBoo was the go-to place for ‘your friends and their friends’ to share their best
local resources. It was a digital platform that connected users through a community
bulletin newsletter where they could exchange referrals, recommendations, advice and
more. Then we could archive the responses in a customized referral bank.
At the time, there was no social media. Our platform was unique, safe and state-of-the-
art, with capabilities for anonymous posts, private exchanges, archiving, and much
more.
To the end user, JustAskBoo was a clean interface where they could exchange
information about everything from nannies and housekeepers, to antique furniture repair
shops, to tennis instructors, to parenting advice, and so on.
Internally it was a wild ride for my team because on the back end, our system was a
multi-layered technology machine that married a complex collection of curated native
and non-native software applications, multiple CRMs and plugins to make it all work
cohesively.
My job was to keep things running smoothly behind the scenes, raise investor capital,
allocate funds, manage our investors, manage our team, manage our subscribers,
manage our clients (advertisers), oversee day-to-day operations, publish newsletters
three times a week, and scale the business.
After expanding into five other US markets (Broward, Palm Beach, Los Angeles, NYC,
Atlanta and Chicago), I eventually made the decision to sell the company’s assets in
2019.
Over the next few years I worked on some early-stage businesses including a
diagnostic lab testing company and a startup in the pet vertical. I had done a lot of
restructuring of businesses, but I decided to take some time to restructure me and find a
new way not to chase butterflies, but to build a butterfly garden.
But I wasn’t sure what I wanted that to look like.
So after a series of conversations with my sister, who is my best friend, mentor and a
real estate agent in a different market, we agreed that real estate would be an excellent
way to leverage my skill set and my place in the South Florida business community. So I
obtained my license. Soon after, I was very honored when my friends Adam and
Jennifer Levy invited me to join their award-winning real estate team, The Levy Group,
at Compass in Coral Gables.
When I first started I thought I would ease in, but I ended up with three deals in the first
few months, and have able to maintain momentum. I think it was just meant to be. The
transaction side comes pretty naturally because of the skill set I have obtained over the
years, and my social network makes it fun. Best of all, I have a lot of friends in this
business, which means I get to work on deals with people I know and respect. (After all,
there are two agents involved in almost every real estate transaction!)
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not. I don’t know many worthwhile endeavors that are a smooth road!
You know… you hear commencement speeches about how failure is important and
makes you better – it’s really true. The failure part is extremely painful, and can take a
long time to recover from. But it is absolutely critical that you bounce back from it,
because there are only two options. You either sink deeper into a dark hole, or you
come out better, stronger, and more resilient, and your failures become fewer and
further between.
We’ve been impressed with COMPASS, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I graduated from Texas Christian University (TCU) in 1994. I worked in Atlanta for the
Visa International Olympics headquarters, then for 360 Inc. (later acquired by Grey
Advertising) until the 1996 Centennial Olympics. I subsequently moved home to Miami
and worked as Statewide Marketing Office in Miami for a couple of years before trading
a corporate job for an agency position at Kreps De Maria public relations firm, where I
worked as a Vice President for eight years, until I launched JustAskBoo.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
If you are interested in buying, selling or investing in real estate in Miami, or you know
someone who is, please reach out to me.
I do a lot of research on different neighborhoods (mostly Gables, Grove, South Miami,
Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay) and am always happy to share what I learn. So even if you’re
just curious, feel free to contact me anytime.
Pricing:
- Some buyers are worried about paying commissions to agents now that the real estate laws have changed. Many people are nervous, when they shouldn’t be. And some are misinformed. I am always happy to talk it through and explain how what’s really going on and how it will impact you as a buyer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.compass.com/agents/province-zamek/
- Instagram: @ justaskboo.realestate
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boozamek
- Other: boo.zamek@compass.com
Image Credits
Aubrie Andrea Photography
Aubrie Andrea Photography
W: https://aubrieandreaphotography.com/
I: @aubrieandrea
