A few tidbits about Krissie Radley:
• She is married to Gregg and is the “young” grandmother of four amazing grandchildren, three boys and one girl.
• Left a successful 28-year career, moved to the Cayman Islands and excelled in a totally new career.
• Has survived the challenge of Hodgkin’s lymphoma for 18 years.
By Robbin D’elene
Krissie Radley is the personification of kindness, courage and seeing the bright side of everything. Her life’s marching song is, “Be kind, do good and love big!” And indeed, she has throughout the many different situations and experiences of her life.
As a beautiful southern belle growing up in South Texas, modeling the latest fashions in an upscale shopping mall was almost a good fit. It was a great profession for an attractive young woman, but ultimately she didn’t want to be defined by her looks. She made a change to an exciting career with Ferrellgas and also, as a bonus, met her husband, Gregg, a Wisconsin and Illinois farm boy.
One day after they had both worked more than 20 years in the propane gas business, Gregg had an interesting opportunity show up that included relocating to the Cayman Islands. It seemed like a long shot and certainly was not practical, but they decided to check it out. After a week that was supposedly just a vacation in the islands, they decided to make the move.
Krissie retired from her career with Ferrellgas and together they moved to the Carribean Sea. It wasn’t long in that laid-back life of the Cayman Island vacation playground before Krissie was looking for something to do. Real estate, property management and vacation rental properties all called to her. She discovered that the real estate business allowed her to combine many of her talents, interests and things she had done in her spare time and get paid for it.
She and Gregg already owned some waterfront vacation rentals in Texas, so she was soon fully engaged and loving every moment of her new direction. She earned a Texas Real Estate License, formed a property management company and the new career was launched.
After five years in the islands, family called and she and Gregg returned to Wisconsin. In Krissie’s words, “Spring Green just spoke to us! We had a peaceful feeling come over us just going through town.” First Weber also opened its doors and she signed on as an agent in the Spring Green office. Now all the local folks wishing to buy or sell property are able to benefit from Krissie’s knowledge, experience and natural ability in the real estate business.
Her natural ability is the x-factor that has her standing out in every area of her interest and expertise. Her true caring and kindness toward people who come to her for help is the same caring and kindness she has felt and extended the last 50 years to younger brother, Chad, who was born with Down’s Syndrome. She refers to him as “her little sidekick.” As children he would follow her around and try everything she did. He gained many abilities, experience and independence trying to keep up with her and as a result has lived a productive and happy life.
Krissie is able to point out what is inherently good about space and can envision what it also might become. She helps people see the possibilities in a home or rental and how it fits their needs and desires. Her eye for design and understanding of space comes from her mom, who is 89 years young this year. Her mom’s interest in interior spaces and design has been a special influence and reason for her success in her current work. “She taught me to see the beauty in all things,” says Krissie. Thus Krissie appreciates all home styles and designs that in turn makes her very effective in both her real estate business and also designing interiors and staging homes for sale or rental.
“I can honestly say that I love what I do. I’ve gotten so much joy from helping people who thought they could never own a home,” she shared. First people realize that they can own their own home and then is it the matter of finding the special home for them. She takes pride in supporting them from start to finish, making the whole process as effortless as possible for them.
Krissie has learned through experience, but mostly through the hard living of her health challenges many years ago, that paying attention to details, appreciating the little things in life and not taking anything for granted are key. Her joyful, productive and satisfying life is a testimony to that.
You may find her in her First Weber Real Estate office downtown in Spring Green on Jefferson Street or call her at (608) 341-6260.
Robbin D’elene is a freelance writer who has been published in a number of regional periodicals and Internet newsletters and is also the author of the children’s story “My Little Duckling.” She lives at Crag Moor Farm north of Spring Green in the Bear Creek Township where she is co-founder of a developing permaculture/organic agricultural project and learning center. To suggest people Robbin may feature in future stories, contact her at (608) 588-6551 (home) or (541) 951-4011 (cell).