In fact, originally from Tunisia, North Africa, Duncan spoke French and Italian, but she knew very little English. She met Anello’s father at a USO club in Nice, France.
“My mom stayed at home with us kids, but when she was wanting to divorce my dad, she needed a way to support herself,” Anello said. “She decided to try real estate because she thought it would have more flexible hours.”
Anello has two sisters, so her mother knew she would have to work hard, especially in a field that has no guaranteed income and no benefits.
“I was about 12 years old when my mom started in real estate,” Anello said. “It was a really bold move for her since she had an accent and no social network to speak of.”
Anello remembers working with both her siblings to help her mom market her new business. The children went door to door and handed out flyers.
Duncan built a name for herself, became independent and eventually had her own brokerage. Anello remembers her mom always getting awards and recognition.
But even with her mother’s success as an inspiration, Anello said going into a career in real estate never occurred to her. After graduating from Stebbins High School in 1984, she wanted to become a flight attendant since she loves to travel and meet new people.
“I was one of those lost and confused teenagers,” Anello said. “I didn’t feel like I was college material but ended up going to Sinclair for two years.”
Anello finished with an associate’s degree in business administration, then went on to Antioch McGregor University for a bachelor’s degree in human development. After graduating from college, Anello took a job at Sinclair Community College in admissions.
“I was meeting with HR directors and managers and working to help them with their needs,” Anello said. “Basically I was putting together solutions for people.”
Her work at Sinclair ended up being the foundation for the type of work she would do moving forward. In May of 1991, she married Tommy Anello, and the couple have three children.
She worked at Hospice of Dayton in recruiting for about eight years, then went to VITAS Healthcare and worked in marketing.
Then in August of 2021, her job at VITAS ended and Anello knew she needed to look at switching gears. It was then that her mother’s influence truly came into play.
“I loved being out on the road, but I was frustrated working for other people,” Anello said.
Anello started thinking about following her mom into real estate. She told her husband she was going to start classes and see if it would be a fit. She already knew that the majority of new Realtors failed during the first few years.
Making a good income was also always important to Anello and she struggled with the real estate decision because in many ways, it felt like starting over.
“I considered taking another full-time job, but it didn’t feel right,” Anello said. “When I turned down a job I was offered, I felt like I could breathe again.”
Anello’s husband supported her through her ramp up period and Anello said he was key to her success. His belief in her abilities and his encouragement made all the difference and Anello became a licensed Realtor in January of 2022.
“It was very hard at first,” Anello said. “I didn’t make a salary and instead had to pay for everything.”
But by May of 2021, Anello had so much potential business that it appeared she would have a good year. But deal after deal fell apart and she began sacrificing most of her free time on weekends, evenings and even skipping family events to make it work.
Eventually things turned around and her business grew dramatically during the first two years. Word of mouth and the power of referrals are what drove this growth.
“People remember me from my other walks of life,” Anello said. “They recall that I was good at my other jobs, and they trusted me. They know me as being responsive and caring.”
With all her kids grown now, Anello says this is the perfect time for her to devote herself fully to her business. Describing herself as a “100% all-in person,” Anello said that no matter what she chose to do, whether it be stay at home mom or a real estate agent, she is totally focused on success.
“When I worked at Sinclair, I thought I would be there forever,” Anello said. “In real estate, I set my own goals, and I have achieved them all. If I start to feel bored or lose passion, I will know it’s time for something different but for now this is where I’m thriving, just like my mom did.”
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