At ABC Realty, we enjoy celebrating the powerful women in real estate making a difference worldwide. Today, we’re excited to spotlight Richelle Taylor—a woman whose journey through addiction recovery and divorce has shaped her into a resilient leader with over 20 years of real estate experience. Through consulting, retreats, and courses, Richelle empowers others to break free from limitations and create lives filled with purpose and fulfillment.
Richelle Taylor | Real Estate Agent
Our Founder and CEO, Seanne Thomas, had the pleasure of attending one of Richelle’s transformative retreats, and Richelle will be hosting another FREE/donate-based retreat this April—an opportunity to recharge, relax, and realign. As women in the real estate field in the Twin Cities, Seanne and Richelle share not only a professional bond but a shared mission to inspire others.
Richelle owns several investment properties, including a serene retreat space she has cultivated recently. There, she guides others through practices of inner transformation, real estate ownership, budgeting, and financial freedom. Her teachings extend beyond the business side of real estate, encouraging individuals to find peace, joy, and balance in their lives—whether through owning property or simply taking a moment to rest. Find her interview below:
Q: Can you share about your background and passions in Real Estate?
A: I’m Richelle Taylor and I have been in real estate since I was 18. I got my license in North Carolina. I was going to an HBCU in Raleigh, got licensed, and worked for a Black female real estate company for a couple of years. While I was there, it was really impactful. I don’t think I realized at the time how impactful it was, but I have grown to have so much appreciation for that [experience] and her. I’ve been in real estate basically my whole adult life. I just recognized more and more how difficult it is for people to get out of the day-to-day grind and just “making it”. I see that and I see that I have some tools to share.
My passion and what drives me is to allow people release that pressure. To have people be free to be who they are, to have financial freedom, to have freedom in their minds and their days to be able to spend them the way they’d like. I think that that helps all of us.
Q: How do you think a person’s home environment can impact their overall well-being? And how can realtors help clients prioritize that wellness aspect?
A: Several things. For example, yesterday was another long, busy day. When I came back home and laid in bed, “it’s all okay when I get back here,” came out of my mouth. It’s all okay now because I get to come back here and rest my head.
From a realtor perspective, not encouraging people to buy a house at the very top of what they qualify for is a first step. If you don’t know how to take care of a house, it doesn’t automatically go up in value. It very well can go down in value, and all of a sudden you have a $350,000 debt around your neck that you didn’t have before. I always tell people that lenders when they’re qualifying you, are not looking at how you live. They don’t know if you like to travel, or if you like purses, or if you’re a foodie and you have to go to every new restaurant that comes out. They’re not looking at that. They’re looking at what’s on your credit report and that is not a reflection of how we live. Making sure that people are budgeting so that their house is not a debt around their neck is important.
Q: What sorts of recommendations do you have for incorporating mindfulness or movement practices into the home, whether in a house, apartment, or with roommates?
A: It’s about having an environment that is peaceful if you are sharing space with people. It is also about time management. Many people get up before others, or stay up after other people have gone to bed. Find time where there is peace and quiet and if peace and quiet is not in your home, is sitting in your car, or sitting under a tree an option? We all just need a degree of stillness in a day. I think that it’s less about where you are, and more about who you are in your mind.
We’re so caught up with all of this extra stuff that’s pushed onto us from the culture, from the TV, from the radio, from the music we listen to, the conversations we have. All of these things perpetuate this busy-ness. Truly the peace starts from within and we have everything that we need outside of our basic needs, like housing, food and water. A circle of people that are supporting us and uplifting us are so important, and so I think that people in this industry are so vital. It’s like you all are helping to create a foundational support system for people, right? We help people turn a house into a home.
Q: Have you seen any trends where people are designing their homes with wellness in mind? What might those key elements look like in a wellness-friendly home?
A: I’ve seen people take their sunrooms, and have a three season porch or adapting that. They’ll put plants in those spaces. People also are taking their bonus rooms, what we think of as a guest room or an office, turning it into a sanctuary where they go for peace. People will also use spaces in their basements for gyms. Sometimes I need to ground the people I work with. If it’s just “you and your son” what do you plan on doing with four bedrooms? Or maybe instead of an extra bedroom, could it be a loft? Lastly, people love those extra rooms for their craft. I believe strongly in people living in their gift. Maybe it’s for yoga, meditation, a sanctuary, or just somewhere where they go to be in flow. They can go there to give back to themselves while honing in on their craft.
Some questions I ask are: What are you doing with your home? What are your goals? How long are you gonna be here? Where do you see yourself in two years or five years? That kind of thing starts to pull out some of this, and what we are looking for in our home with intentionality.
Q: Since you enjoy renovating homes, what is your favorite room to renovate? Which is your favorite room in your own home?
A: My kitchen, for sure! Well, my favorite room in my house is my room. I like my kitchen, too, though. Everything outside of the kitchen and bathroom is just a box, right? In your kitchen, you can do all kinds of fun stuff with the appliances, with the hood, or you can put a cabinet up there, or a built-in microwave. From coordinating the hardware, to the knobs, different cuts, there are infinite combinations. Every little detail makes a huge impact. There are so many options and the bathrooms are the same way because you have to figure out the vanity, the lighting, the tile, the flooring. And I like to bargain shop. So, if I can find some tile for 58 cents, I’m like, “we’re going to start here and then we’re going to find some other stuff to go with it.”
My bedroom is mine because everything around it is with purpose and intention. I have what basically have become altars all over. My plants, my books, I have motivational quotes, which are more like peace for me. My wall says, “let it all go, expect miracles.” It’s just my environment that I’ve curated and it’s perfect. I made a lovely bookshelf out of cinder blocks and wood. It’s got everything, it’s my favorite place.
Q: Do you feel like you’re fulfilling your purpose with real estate?
A: I would say my purpose is to help people to live their best life. I think it’s almost one of those things that becomes trendy and something that’s just said, and doesn’t always have the action behind it. I want to feel like I have been fortunate. I grew up in North Minneapolis with a single mother and a turbulent childhood. Having been through what I have been through, through all the trials and tribulations, I have evolved and grown. I’m a writer. I read a lot. I feel like I’ve been building up pieces to say, ‘this book is really good for what you’re going through,’ or ‘try this technique.’ I just want to be able to share that experience and have my trials not be for nothing and try to lighten somebody else’s load as best I can.
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Richelle’s approach to real estate is deeply intertwined with her philosophy of transformation, healing, and creating spaces of peace. Whether she’s teaching financial freedom through property ownership or guiding others to find rest and renewal during her retreats, her mission remains clear: to help others build lives and homes where they feel safe, nurtured, and empowered.
As Richelle says, “I think our homes lend themselves to our sanctuaries. It’s the place where you can go and say, ‘Here, I am safe. It is peaceful. Here, we are going to be loving and kind.’ Sometimes, it’s not your whole house. If you’ve got little kids, there might be chaos outside, but having a space to retreat to—whether it’s your bedroom, your bathroom, or even just a warm bath—can be everything. For years, my sanctuary was just my bathtub. Even if my kids would kick down that door, I needed that time to myself. We all need those moments of peace.”
From real estate investments to retreats centered around healing and renewal, Richelle’s journey is about cultivating spaces that allow people to breathe, grow, and thrive—whether that’s through finding financial freedom or simply learning to rest.
To learn more about Richelle Taylor’s retreats and connect with her, visit her Facebook, Instagram, or her website at richelletaylor.com. For details on her upcoming free retreat in April, be sure to check out FullerLifeRetreat.com.
