1. Nancy Batchelor’s days are frequently filled with long and
complex contracts, impossible requests that must be met and
cutthroat negotiations. Such is the life of a Miami real estate broker
in a booming market. Which is precisely why the woman at the
helm of one the South Florida’s highest performing ultra-luxury
real estate teams—her office brought in more than $87 million in
sales for EWM Realty International in 2013—chooses to begin her
days in a very different way: by driving 30 minutes north to East
Wind Farms in Southwest Ranches, where she rides her two horses,
Euphoria and Clive.
This, Batchelor says, is where she gets to focus on something
bigger than the day-to-day. It’s where she can focus on what her
body is doing (from her head to her heels) and on intently looking
forward, understanding that if she doesn’t she could very well wind
up on the ground. “The simple fact that you’re on a huge horse that
has all of this power brings a feeling of success. You and it become
a team,” she said, describing the bond between rider and horse,
which is considered one of nature’s deepest relationships. There are
many other life lessons riding has imparted on her, Batchelor says,
and she finds herself constantly drawing parallels between it and
business too—the importance of teamwork, maintaining balance,
planning ahead, navigating obstacles. She often shows her multi-
million listings just after a riding session, while she’s still in her
breeches and boots, and sometimes she brings clients to the farm
to either introduce them to horses or to help those who have ridden
in the past reconnect with them. It’s proven to be a powerful way
for her to not only bond with clients, but to share her passion.
That she is able to carve out time for such an intense hobby—or
“religion” as she calls it—is a testament to Batchelor, who regularly
puts in seven days a week at work, and has three children, ages
16 to 25, with her husband Jon, a philanthropist. Yet no matter
what comes up, she insists on making sure to have one three-hour
riding session per week and more on weekend mornings. During her
routine, she rides Euphoria, the 16-year-old Argentinean Warmblood
she bought 10 years ago, for 45 minutes, takes a short break, then
rides Clive, the seven-year-old German Sport Horse she purchased
last year. “It really helps me,” she said. “If I feel defeated, or if
I don’t know if I can deal with a situation, I’ll go riding and feel
like I met a goal. I clear my mind and find my direction.”
Text by Galena Mosovich / PhotoGRAPHY by Felipe Cuevas
Nancy
BatchelorThis superstar real estate broker draws
important life and business lessons from
the most unexpected teachers—her horses.
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