Today we’d like to introduce you to Willie and Tikila Adolph.
Willie and Tikila, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Our story began many years ago in Houston, Texas; and our story has been a roller coaster! We have been married for over 23 years. We had been dating intermittently and Tikila got anxious about the upcoming “Y2k”. With an eight-year-old and six months pregnant with another daughter, she called Willie at work and said “Let’s get MARRIED!” Willie replied…” Okay, just find out what it takes to get married.”
We went to a pawn shop to buy our rings, called our families, and went to the courthouse to get our licenses. That Friday, December 31, 1999, we were married at the little white chapel, the Harmony Chapel, off the Gulf Freeway in Houston. And today, we are still happily married and we have been working together for over 20 years as self-employed business partners in the real estate industry. We are best friends in every aspect.
Tikila was a hotel manager of a national hotel chain, and Willie was working in the oil and gas industry as a top sales consultant. We lived a few years in an apartment with two children, and we found out that we were pregnant again, this time with twins! We decided that it was time for a home. We put money down, and got denied on our loan, with no communication from the builder nor the loan officer; we lost our house and our deposit money. We had to leave our apartment so we were instantly homeless with two kids and pregnant with twins.
Willie changed jobs to become a store manager at Firestone and Tikila took on temporary jobs, yes while pregnant with twins! We had to stay with Willie’s mother. We searched rental homes in the Greensheet and found a home in Katy, Texas. Tikila called and found out that the person who owned it was a licensed real estate agent! Excitedly, we immediately handed over our deposit and monthly rent and signed the contract for one year. The twins were born. We moved in and we began our home childcare business.
Willie was approached by his cousin to work with mortgages. So we both became loan officers. During this time, we received a notice to vacate our rental house (in the middle of our lease); because the owners wanted to move back into their home. We cleaned the rental house, took pictures, and moved out. We had to switch our eldest daughter’s school to find an apartment in our price range.
We never received our deposit back. Because of the move into an apartment, it became vital that we find an income to provide and save for a home of our own. So we dove into the mortgage industry in full force! We finished our lease and moved into another rental home, we started making more income. We spent money frivolously: food, liquor, entertainment, and travel. Then one day, while traveling home from California, we decided on buying a home. When we returned to Houston; we put down a down payment and purchased our first home!
Unfortunately, we purchased it without a realtor. Less than a year, the house started falling apart. We then began the process of looking for a new home. And Tikila began the process of becoming a real estate agent. In 2004, we purchased our dream home – a new home and immediately moved in! We kept our first home as a rental home. Life was grand. We founded our AAU organization and continued with real estate and mortgages.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the mortgage industry took a major halt! It was devastating and we were not prepared! Willie and Tikila took jobs at a local church as a teacher and janitor, while working on our multi-level marketing companies to have a residual income to provide for ourselves and four children. We decided to go back into the childcare business and we put ourselves all into it!
Our AAU organization began to grow and so did our childcare, so we leased a building. After the success of childcare; the real estate industry was calling us. So we sold our childcare business and went back into the real estate industry together. We felt the calling to help people into homeownership. We decided to be more involved in our market, research and relearn real estate, and created a team – The Adolph Group.
We are now one of the top real estate teams at Keller Williams Signature. We are located in Katy, Texas; serving the Katy, Cypress, Fulshear, Richmond, and surrounding Houston area. Willie and Tikila mentor and educate others in the real estate industry. And with God’s grace and mercy, we continue to serve our communities in all real estate transactions from renting to buying to selling a home.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Struggles and obstacles are always in the mix, and many bad circumstances happen. There are times that we miss that one phone call that would have made our transaction complete and that time we forgot to follow up with someone and they went with another real estate agent. And the past few years, with the pandemic and other worldwide events, have increased our faith and trust in God.
With the interesting market shifts, we had to readjust our business plan to align with the current market. Tikila became a real estate broker and a certified real estate instructor. I became a certified Luxury Agent, a top negotiator, a successful rainmaker, a member of the Agent Leadership Council at Keller Williams, and an Eagle Award recipient.
We continue to take educational classes about the real estate industry, we attend real estate conferences and seminars, we have real estate coaches and mentors, and we read self-development books to overcome challenges. We continue to face obstacles together while knowing that our purpose is to serve others in any capacity that we can.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
The Adolph Group is defined as accountability, determination, optimism, loyalty, persistence, and honesty. We specialize in helping others achieve homeownership. Whether they buy or sell with us, our overall goal is to inspire them and educate them through credit, mortgage, and the home-buying process.
We never wanted our clients to be in the position we were in regarding any real estate transaction. We have a real estate team under Keller Williams Signature. We buy and sell real estate, we mentor real estate agents, we offer Homeownership and Couples in Business classes, we have written books, and we help with Credit Restoration.
Our team helps people with rental leases, residential, and commercial. We know real estate and credit restoration, and what sets us apart is that we know how it feels to not have everything go your way. This gives us empathy for everyone in every situation. We are proud of our team: we never give up and we give 150% to all that we do! We believe in continued education to serve our community better.
We all have different ways of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
We define success not by monetary or social status, but by what we do for others. Success is when you’re happy, but continue to do more! We are successful and we are constantly doing more to improve. Success is having a positive impact on people’s lives by doing our true passion – Real Estate.
We uplift others and inspire them in ways they didn’t consider before. Sometimes we cannot get all that our clients want and some may not even work with us, but success comes when we will have inspired them in some way to do more.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://theadolphgroup.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theadolphgroup_realestate/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theadolphgroup/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willie-adolph-64181079/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheAdolphGroup/status/1489668260622745604
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQsoEJATrxlyuhcGRpGVXqg
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-adolph-group-houston-3
- Other: https://linktr.ee/theadolphs
Image Credits
Terry Thomas Photography, OJ Images of Essence, B2ful Photography, and Jamaica with Photo Island Photography
