Joycilyn George Has Soared in Real Estate

Written by Elizabeth McCabe | Photos by Nested Tours

“Joycilyn, you're not meant to be a dietitian." 

Most people would have been crushed by those words. Joycilyn George had already invested years of her life earning a master's degree in dietetics. She had taken the registered dietitian exam eight times, missing by just a point or two each time. She had worked tirelessly toward a dream that simply refused to become reality. 

Today, she looks back on that season with gratitude. Why? Because if she had passed that exam, she may never have discovered the career she believes she was truly created for. 

With her focus and faith in God, anything was possible. 

Lessons Learned From Mom

Some of Joycilyn's earliest memories are of following her mother to work. A single mom since Joycilyn was a teenager, her mother has spent decades cleaning homes. But to Joycilyn, she was never "just" a housekeeper. 

She was someone clients trusted. Many of those same clients have stayed with her for nearly 40 years, watching their own lives evolve from apartments to family homes to multimillion-dollar properties while Joycilyn's mother faithfully served them every step of the way. Watching that left a lasting impression.

 "My mom gave me perseverance and an incredible work ethic," Joycilyn says. She also demonstrated something even more valuable: relationships matter more than transactions. People come first. 

She entered real estate through a social media post from her personal REALTOR®, Heather Schleeper, asking if anyone had ever considered a career in real estate. Having bought and sold homes with Heather before, Joycilyn decided to take a leap of faith. During their first meeting, Heather told her, "I think you'll be great." 

Joycilyn took her encouragement and she silently enrolled, studied, took the licensing exam without telling anyone, and passed on her first attempt. She was elated. After all, standardized testing hadn't exactly been her friend. She immediately called Heather with the news. Just like that, a new chapter of her life had begun.

A Tough Beginning

Passing the exam turned out to be the easy part. 

"The first year and a half was probably the hardest," Joycilyn admits. 

She questioned whether she belonged in the business. There were moments she seriously wondered if she had made another wrong career choice. Then something changed. Instead of focusing on sales, she focused entirely on people. 

"My clients' goals became my goals," she says. 

That shift transformed everything. Today, she's known for solving problems behind the scenes, thinking strategically, and advocating fiercely for the people she represents. Real estate stopped being about buying and selling homes. It became about helping people move into the next chapter of their lives. 

Confidence Comes From Knowing Your Craft

Success eventually led to another opportunity Joycilyn never expected: mentoring new agents. She has recently been serving in a leadership role at Heather & Company Realty Group, helping agents build both confidence and competence. Interestingly, she doesn't begin with prospecting or sales techniques. She begins with contracts. 

"We want them to become contract specialists," she says. 

While many agents shy away from paperwork, Joycilyn embraces it. She believes understanding every page of a contract gives agents the confidence to better serve clients, navigate negotiations, and solve problems before they become crises. 

Joycilyn’s heart for service, combined with her dedication to mastering the purchase contract and addendums as a contract specialist, helped her business flourish. Over the past three years, her relationship-first approach and organic word-of-mouth referrals have consistently positioned her among the top producers in her area. 

Drawing inspiration from podcasts like Hustle Humbly and the wisdom of her own broker, Heather Schleeper, she guides new agents through their early days, instilling confidence, consistency, and deep contract knowledge.

"I heard a quote recently that stopped me in my tracks: Strive to be the person you needed in your darkest days, and never stop talking about what you learned on that journey," says Joycilyn. "Whenever I needed someone, I had Heather. Now, I get to give my agents what she gave to me."

Joycilyn knows exactly what that means. She remembers having someone believe in her before she believed in herself. Now she hopes to offer that same encouragement to the agents she mentors. Seeing former clients become REALTORS® themselves, and even mentoring some of them today, is one of the most rewarding parts of her career. 

It's proof that investing in people creates a ripple effect.

Faith Over Fear 

Every morning begins the same way. Before emails, contracts, showings, and phone calls, Joycilyn spends time with God through prayer and her daily devotional.

 "It's what keeps me grounded," she says. 

Her faith has shaped not only her outlook on life but also the way she approaches business. Early in her career, she prayed for as many clients as possible. Eventually, that prayer changed. Instead, she began asking God to place the clients in front of her whom she was meant to serve. 

"Everything changed," she says. 

She believes closed doors often protect us from missing the ones that matter most. Looking back at her unsuccessful attempts to become a dietitian, she now sees God's direction rather than failure.

Making a Difference

Joycilyn also serves alongside her brokerage through Heart & Home, helping to furnish homes for individuals and families rebuilding their lives after hardship.

 “We do makeovers for individuals who have suffered from unique circumstances,” she explains. The stories are striking. When people get back on their feet, they may go home to nothing more than an air mattress, a lamp, plastic utensils, and paper plates. “When we come in, that changes. They leave with a fully furnished home.” Everything is included, even bath towels and kitchen utensils. 

The goal is to remove one more burden from someone already carrying enough. Small acts of kindness can change the world.

At Home

Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Joycilyn enjoys spending time with family and outdoors whenever she can. She and her husband love exploring nature, hiking scenic trails, and discovering places they've never visited before. 

Looking back, Joycilyn sees God’s hand in every closed door that led her to where she is today. 

“Four years ago, I didn't know if this would work based on my track record,” Joycilyn says with a smile. “But I wouldn't have it any other way. I finally found what I was meant to do, and I am just so grateful I get to do this.”