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From showing houses to chaufeuring kids, Realtor is on the go all the time

Earl Horlyk
Sep 7, 2015
Sep 7, 2015 Updated Sep 9, 2015
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Vanessa Lefler-Larned and her children, Holland, left, and Phoenix, look over the family's schedule calendar at their Grandview Park neighborhood home in Sioux City, Iowa. Lefler-Larned, who works as a Realtor, spends much of her time getting her children ready for various events and appointments.

Tim Hynds, Sioux City Journal

Son Phoenix, 16, leave the house to go to cross country practice at his family's Grandview Park neighborhood home in Sioux City, Iowa. Lefler-Larned, who works as a Realtor, spends much of her time getting her children ready for various events and appointments. Lefler-Lerned and daughter, Holland, are shown in the background.

Tim Hynds, Sioux City Journal

Earl Horlyk

Vanessa Lefler-Larned begins most mornings with a predawn workout at a local health club.

That's fitting since the Century 21 Prolink Realtor's day probably won't end until late into the night.

"Yeah, I like to keep healthy," Lefler-Larned said. "You have to be in good shape in order to keep up with my crazy schedule."

When she isn't driving around town for clients, the Sioux City woman is chauffeuring her daughter Holland, 13, to various theater eventsand son Phoenix, 16, to cross-country practice.

"Thank goodness Phoenix just got his driver's license," Lefler-Larned said with a sigh. "He's been able to drive himself to practice and pick up Holland whenever she had rehearsal."

A former stay-at-home mom, Lefler-Larned decided to get back into the workforce about five years ago.

"I loved being at home with the kids but I still felt I was losing a part of myself," she admitted.

With the encouragement of her husband Ken Larned, a track inspector for the BNSF Railway, Lefler-Larned earned her real estate license and hasn't looked back since.

Still, it hasn't been easy to juggle work responsibilities with family life.

"I'd be completely lost without my planner," Lefler-Larned said, pulling out an appointment book filled with Post-It notes. "I'll highlight Holland's appointments with a pink highlighter, a blue highlighter for Phoenix and an orange highlighter for family events."

Phoenix Larned, a West High School junior, can't help but smile at his mom's complex scheduling.

"Mom can be like a drill sergeant at times," he said.

"But I'm a drill sergeant who likes to have fun on occasion," Lefler-Larned said, interjecting.

Holland Larned, a West Middle School seventh grader, said she tries to help out with cooking family meals.

"Mostly, I know how to make fried eggs," she said. "I'd like to learn how to cook other things."

Despite her family's busy schedules, Lefler-Larned does think it's important to schedule dinners together.

"Even if we're eating out, we're doing it together," she said.

Getting ready for work, Lefler-Larned said she and her husband divide responsibilities.

"Ken's in charge of the grocery shopping while I take care of our garden," she said. "I think we make a pretty good team."

That is, whenever Lefler-Larned isn't on her cellphone.

"Realtors are on call 24/7," she said. "We're all benefiting from a very good real estate market."

However, Lefler-Larned admitted what makes her a driven professional also has a downside.

"It's hard to get away from it all," she said. "Whenever we're off on a trip, my husband has to remind me to get back into 'vacation mode.'"

As he prepared to depart for cross-country practice, Phoenix Larned said he's learned to admire his mom's work ethic.

"My mom's a great manager," Phoenix (who wants to work for the FBI when he grows up) explained. "I really want to know how she does everything that she does."

Likewise, Holland Larned also has learned a lot from her mom.

"I'd like to be like her," Holland (who wants to grow up and become a Broadway actress) noted. "But I don't think I'd want to ever be as busy as mom."