Thoughts From Sarah

From the Desk of Sarah Noack, Brokerage Director, UCP Oregon

Greetings, all!

As I reflect on the past year, there were beautiful highlights and certainly many difficult lowlights.

In the spring of 2021, I could not have imagined how I would be catapulted out of my home office and into a massive undertaking—establishing a second brokerage (“UCP Mentors”) in order to take on the customers from another brokerage (“Mentor”) that was closing.
 
In some ways, taking on 600+ customers and starting a second brokerage was completely unfathomable to consider amidst a pandemic.
 
In other ways, it provided the perfect opportunity to shift focus onto something fresh and energizing.
 
I knew that I wanted to be a part of a safety net that could catch Mentor’s customers and employees. And I knew UCP had the organizational values and foundation to do right by folks.
 
What I didn’t know was how powerfully the community would come together to make that happen.
 
All of UCP’s existing (and new!) brokerage employees gave so much—their skills, gifts, and efforts—to make absolutely certain we were ready for our new customers.
 
Every single need was met with “here is what I can do.”
 
People stayed focused and positive even when we were overwhelmed. Problems were met with curiosity and tenacity.
 
And through those months, the team of former Mentor employees stepped bravely forward, responding with heart and grit and hope and determination.
 
When UCP Mentors opened on September 1, I felt like we had successfully landed the Millennium Falcon! I am so grateful for everyone, whether they served as Chewie, Yoda, Han, or members of the band that plays the funky music in the cantina.
 
Here we are four months later.
 
The dust is settling. And we see what lies ahead--more rebuilding, more growth, some healing, and lots more work.
 
But for now, I want to pause for a moment and say “three cheers” to everyone who was involved. Hooray for us all! Here is to collaboration, community, and customers! Happy New Year!
 
--Sarah Noack, Brokerage Director

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