Jorgi Paul
#WomenWhoBuild meet Jorgi Paul, the founder of Lady of Record!
Jorgi began her career at Omnicom’s OMD, the world’s largest media agency, where she helped lead $50+ million in media strategies for CPG & entertainment clients. She soon shifted her career and moved towards commercial real estate brokerage at a leading global firm where she earned Rookie of the Year for her entire state. It was after this role that Jorgi took the leap of faith and started Lady of Record to help build long-term financial security for women through Real Estate. Drawing from her commercial real estate experience valuing, marketing & selling $1 billion worth of properties across 100+ transactions with her team of two, Jorgi strived to redefine the profile of real estate investors to include women and close the Gender Wealth Gap. She is motivated to create a space where women make financial decisions, control their own resources & shine their lights, unapologetically.
We sat down with Jorgi to discuss her passion for the real estate investment field, her career evolution and how her past experiences have impacted her leadership in her current role, as well as the gender wealth gap and its impact on women’s financial security.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what initially interested you about the real estate investment field? What led you to specialize in building long-term financial security for women?
My first career began in Los Angeles as an assistant strategist at Omnicom’s OMD - the world’s largest media agency. While at OMD, I grew to help lead $50+ million in media strategies for CPG and entertainment accounts. I was fortunate to be surrounded by incredible colleagues and clients, especially women, who not only became my greatest mentors and mentees, but my closest friends and advocates to this day. Given that this was my first experience out of college for many years, I thought this type of environment was normal.
However, I soon learned how rare this experience was when I began my second career in commercial real estate. I realized my passion for investment strategy could extend beyond digital assets & into something tangible…..real estate! I moved to the up-and-coming market of Salt Lake City and became a commercial real estate investment sales broker at a leading global firm, earning CCIM Rookie of Year, helping broker $1 billion worth of properties with my team of two. This experience spanned 100+ transactions, including Class-A opportunities across multifamily, office, retail, industrial and development land.
Upon making this career shift, I immediately noticed a stark contrast coming from a community of creative women in LA and entering the male-dominated investment world in SLC. Given that only 4% of senior leaders in commercial real estate are women, I very rarely came across female decision makers. However, it took years before I realized that despite achieving external success - my team was leading the market, setting records, working with incredible clients - I was dimming my light.
This experience led me to investigate myself - how and why had I gone from being strong and confident to making myself smaller and smaller?
The Old Boys’ Club runs deep, and its hold on the commercial real estate industry should be of no surprise. Time and time again I saw my team leader, someone who held the No. 1 broker position in the market for 30+ years, demonstrate so clearly the patriarchy in action.
Originally hired under the guise of becoming a partner, I felt as though the more I grew, the more I was seen as a threat. It was not an environment of shared success. When I voiced concerns, my company defended my team leader. Rather than holding him accountable, they informed me that I was not to outshine him, that my role was to be a “journeyman*.” That I needed to dial my success down. This sparked a fire in me. And while at the time I didn’t have the tools that I would now use today in facing the patriarchy head on, I knew enough to understand that although I had finally started to make my own mark on the industry after years of slow but persistent growth, I needed to leave even if it meant loosing all forms of security.
This is why collectively as women we need long-term financial security.
To stand up for ourselves in these situations, knowing there can be serious consequence, but understanding that together we are there to support one another as we create a new ecosystem of financial independence and power.
After months away from the industry and still having zero clue what my next step would be, I realized I had to pick myself back up - my fiancé and I made the decision to move to New York, as we figured there was no better place to own this period of growth.
While in New York, after having time to reflect on the situation and months of careful thought, it became clear - I loved real estate and I should not let anyone take that from me - let’s build long-term financial security for women through real estate. This experience was pivotal as it helped me understand I could use my knowledge to benefit women. That’s where the idea for Lady of Record was born - I became motivated by the fact that women are strong individually, but when we come together, we are an undeniable force.
*noun - a worker who is reliable but not outstanding
How do you believe having experience in one of the world’s largest & most effective media agencies and as a commercial real estate broker at a leading global firm, help you in your current position?
Lady of Record is building and servicing a community of women owning real estate through education and execution. Both of my prior careers allowed me to learn from industry leaders and gain experience helping clients confidently make strategic investment decisions at large scales. Bringing this same institutional-level, decision-making approach to women is central to Lady of Record!
We are taking a media-based route to educating women - through events such as panels and workshops, as well as a podcast - because visibility and critical mass matter, and my goal is to make knowledge as accessible as possible.
But, we’re not stopping at education - we’re creating a new ecosystem of ownership changing hands.
As a broker based in Los Angeles, I execute transactions throughout Southern CA & offer support for those interested in other cities across the country. I help women buy & sell properties that they individually own - one of the most secure & impactful ways to build wealth for generations to come. I also help female founders who are exploring either owning or leasing property for their businesses as well.
For those wondering where to start, I offer one-on-one conversations as a way for women to feel comfortable asking questions about their unknowns when it comes to investing in real estate. Together, we co-develop a personalized plan and pair it with ongoing support to meet their goals over time.
Additionally, I’m excited to share that we recently launched Lady of Record, “The Group Sessions,” which is an intimate space for women of all experience levels to discuss their biggest challenges, mistakes & successes when it comes to investing in real estate, while sharing tangible tools to support each others next steps. I would encourage women looking for a new type of community to learn more on our website and apply here.
It starts with knowledge, but above all else women can no longer afford a mismatch in their financial partners. At Lady of Record, we aim to cohesively solve that throughout the entire investment lifecycle.
What inspired you to take the leap and start your own company? What has been the most challenging aspect of this?
I am fortunate to have a supportive partner who understands what it takes to endeavor on an entrepreneurial journey. Alongside his daily encouragement, the city and people of New York also gave me the bravery, clarity and energy to start Lady of Record!
My first day in New York, my partner and I were walking around SoHo as shops were opening. We passed by the Kendra Scott flagship on the corner of Spring & Greene, when he exclaimed, “Kendra Scott! She’s an investor - go talk to them!” Immediately, I began thinking of all the reasons I could NOT go in. I knew a little bit about Kendra Scott through her jewelry line, but certainly had not researched enough to know about her as an entrepreneur and investor. Plus, if we’re getting down to it, I was terrified! I had a seed of an idea - build long-term financial security for women through real estate - but I had no clue how I was going to make this happen and did not see myself as having a company at this stage, I hadn’t even come up with a name. But I worked up the courage to go in and introduce myself. The manager immediately welcomed me a big smile and kindly listened to my very first, very nervous pitch - half way through, she stopped me and said, “I love this! How can we get Kendra Scott on board?” I was shocked. The two of us had lunch to discuss ideas that following week, and by December we hosted our first event together to educate women about financial health, marking the launch of Lady of Record in SoHo, New York with a billion-dollar, female-founded brand with sales supporting a leading nonprofit, Exhale to Inhale.
The most challenging aspect of building a business is continuing to be this brave on a daily basis. There is a quote from Cleo Wade that keeps me going, and that is “What does your day look like without fear?” It has helped me be bold and go for it, even when I feel like it might not be perfect.
What does your day to day look like in your current role?
I balance each day between the education and execution arms of Lady of Record, which allows me to tap into both my left + right brain with an overarching focus on community.
While based in Los Angeles, Lady of Record’s educational events have taken me back to my favorite city in the world - New York - numerous times, as well as San Francisco, Phoenix & more, bringing partners, speakers, sponsors and audiences together for conversations. I recently hosted an event with Samsung in Meatpacking for 120+ women and received some of the most meaningful notes afterwards from guests who shared how it impacted their awareness to own their financial resources by investing in real estate and how grateful they were to meet other women with this same goal. It has by far been the most challenging but most rewarding work I’ve ever been a part of.
In building on this momentum, executing transactions for clients is how I hold myself accountable, putting education into action. I create investment strategies designed to fit each client's goals, and aim to earn the spot of a resource and partner when major real estate decisions need to be made. Right now for example, I’m advising two female co-founders on whether they should own vs. lease a building for their new business based on their goals, and will then get to work finding them a property in LA, which has been an honor to be a part of their journey!
No day is the same, and I love that about the real estate industry.
How would you describe your career evolution?
Major pivots - but the same core skills that served me well in digital media, served me well in commercial real estate, and currently serve me well in entrepreneurship.
Above all else, there are many women who have become my unwavering support system in the process. These women have opened so many doors for me and all that they have asked in return its that I do the same for others when I have the opportunity. For me, that’s the core of why Lady of Record exists - to lift women up and create a space for them to shine their lights, unapologetically.
Looking back, what have been the biggest challenges in your career? How did you manage through any setbacks or obstacles?
The biggest mistake I’ve made in my career was not speaking up for myself when leaving my commercial real estate brokerage firm. It was the first time in my life that I felt 100% like a failure - and I went silent. I had gone from feeling strong at OMD, earning promotions on a near annual basis and having awards named after me (that’s a story for another time!), to feeling unbelievably shameful trying to defend my livelihood to a group of old white men in commercial real estate.
Upon leaving, I had no idea how I was going to regain a sliver of confidence. In my first attempt at moving forward, I called a woman who I had long looked up to from a career perspective, and asked for her advice. She generously shared her time, which soon led to weekly calls that helped me little by little come back to myself. She has since become a close friend and significant mentor, and is a key part of Lady of Record’s success thus far!
In the months that followed my departure, I also dove into books and podcasts searching for stories of other women who had gone through their own experiences and could offer wisdom and tools gained from reaching the other side. Hillary Kerr’s podcast Second Life became my lifeline and continues to be my weekly source of joy. Most recently, I finished Lydia Fenet’s Claim Your Confidence and cannot recommend this book enough for an honest look at what it takes to live a bold life and learn from your greatest challenges.
While I didn’t have the tools to speak up for myself in the moment, Lady of Record is my way of growing from the experience and letting the world know that the next generation of real estate is women owned, and we cannot be silenced.
What are your thoughts on The Gender Wealth Gap?
When it comes to wealth, women own $0.32 to a man’s dollar. For women of color, it’s down to pennies. As women, we need long-term security yet most of us are not owning our financial health. To close this economic gap, we need to think BIG. At Lady of Record, we believe that real estate ownership is one of the most secure & impactful ways to create a seismic shift in women’s wealth creation for generations to come.
And.....in order to understand where we’re going, we need to understand where we’ve been. Women have been kept from building equity through property ownership for the better part of history. We are not going back to a broken system.
You lead many discussions on Women’s financial security with extremely prominent and successful women in the industry. What have been some of your favorite takeaways from your discussions with these women?
There are SO many it’s hard to narrow it down! During our event at Samsung mentioned earlier, our panel speaker Clementina Ruggieri, principal at New-York based Space4Architecture, summed it up best: “Own The Bricks!”
That and don’t over leverage or bend the numbers too much because financial stress is real.
What do you wish more women knew about financial security and investing?
By 2030, American women are expected to control nearly $30 trillion in financial assets as older generations continue to grow wealth & begin to transfer it to younger generations (up from $10 trillion today). This “Great Wealth Transfer” is so significant it approaches the annual GDP of the U.S. (McKinsey). This shift is critical for women & their economic power, and we must push past this tipping point - we cannot roll backwards.
The sooner women of all ages understand why owning their investment decisions is an essential part of creating long-term security for themselves, the more prepared they will be for their future.
Over 90% of women will be solely responsible for their finances at some point in their lives (Bank of America). However, 71% hold their assets in cash, not investing (BlackRock) & 48% outsource major financial decisions to male authorities in their lives (UBS), furthering The Gender Wealth Gap. And without economic independence, we are giving our power away.
As an investment, real estate is secure - it offers tangible income for today and growth for the future. It is flexible - physical assets allow for creativity to rent, redevelop or reposition over time. And it builds momentum - each property presents the opportunity to learn and grow by doing.
Plus it’s something in your every day environment, no matter where you live. My hope is that conversations like these will inspire women to talk about money within their communities and that they can envision themselves owning a building as they walk around their city - no matter how big or small it may be.
What does it take to grow and lead in a male-dominated industry?
Trust yourself, be brave and use your voice with confidence. Find other women as your support and lift each other up as you grow together.
I also find power in knowing women’s history and how the patriarchy has existed to date, so that we can identify where we fit into existing, old patterns and know how to break the cycle moving forward, starting today - currently, I’m reading (at a devouring pace!) Elise Loehnen’s On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to Be Good which has cracked my awareness wide open, and there’s no looking back!
Interview by: Dahlia Ali
Photos by: Olivia Dawd & Cheri Tran