Fallon Finds Florida

Join me on all of my adventures while I start a new life and career in Florida!

  • Fallon Burger

    My Honest Review of Florida

    Since it has been one year of officially living in the sunshine state, I figured that it was a good time to give you guys my opinion of life here.

    If any of you follow me on social media, it’s pretty obvious that I love living in this state. I sometimes get asked if it’s better than living in Texas and I honestly cannot answer that. Texas will always have my heart. I grew up there, my family is there, I met my husband and got married there, started a wonderful business there that taught me so so many valuable life lessons. So short answer; no…and yes.

    I tend to think that a person can live about anywhere in the world and be happy. It really depends on the people you are with and the attitude that you have about it. Florida is wonderful, don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love it here. I mean, the beaches are gorgeous y’all c’mon. But the main reason that I personally love this place is the complete lifestyle shift that I have made since moving here.

    It took some time and is still a work in progress for sure, but the change in the way I care for myself has completely shifted. What’s crazy is that could totally have happened in Texas or anywhere else in the world! I think it just took a complete shakedown of my life to get me to see how poorly I was taking care of me, mentally, emotionally, physically. The move out of my comfort zone rocked me y’all, like I felt so unsteady on my feet. Still do sometimes actually. It also forced me to look at myself and actually sit with the stuff that I had been avoiding for YEARS.

    I have always been the type to stay very busy. It’s how I was raised and also just a part of how I am made. Being idle is not something I ever want to be long term; this girl gets bored easily haha. But there is a difference between being busy in a productive and healthy way and being busy so that you can keep your head buried in the sand so that you don’t have to face the things about yourself that need looked at so they can heal.

    Florida has done that for me. It forced me out of my comfort zone and made me slow down just enough for long enough to actually face myself. And in the facing of myself I have learned who I am and who I want to become.

    So yes, I love it here. It has broken me out of my old patterns. It has made me slow down and look inward. And the beaches certainly don’t hurt either. 🙂

  • Fallon Burger

    The power of consistency when learning to talk to people without sounding like a robot.

    I recently posted a quick story on my personal social media about the power of consistency when it comes to learning to speak with potential customers when you are working in a “sales position”. Script practice or role play is a very common practice for realtors to help them get more comfortable with prospecting for new business.

    Whether its networking events, hosting open houses, calling leads, door knocking, or any other scenario you can dream of to generate new business in sales, there is probably a script for it.

    When I first got licensed, I was a little wary of script practice because I did not want to sound, you guessed it, scripted lol. Honestly, I was a little more than wary of it. It is extremely important to me to sound and be genuine in every aspect of my life, personal and professional so the word “script” was a turn off from the start. I was wrong and here are a few things I’ve learned.

    1. Every verbal interaction with another person involves a script of some form or another. Example: “Hi, how are you today?” “I’m good thanks. How are you?”. That is a script. The words may be interchanged to some degree, the tone can vary, but it’s still a script. One that many of us use on the daily.
    2. Just because it’s a script does not mean it’s not genuine. I like to lump it in the same category with giving a speech or a talk on a particular subject. For it to sound natural, be convincing and hold people’s attention a speech or talk MUST be practiced. If it is not, the audience can almost always tell. The ummms will probably give it a way haha.
    3. Script practice has made me sound LESS salesy or robotic. Instead of following a written script word for word anymore, I just have a conversation with people. Do I have some notes highlighted when I am on the phone? Yes. But it’s just key points, not a whole sheet of paper that I read word for word. My words interchange and tone varies depending on who I’m speaking with and that makes it a feel and sound more natural because it is.
    4. I have been using scripts my whole life. Not just the simple one listed above. In my last business everything I said when speaking to or coaching a customer was some form of script or another. I just didn’t realize it because the material about that particular business was so ingrained in me, I could talk about it in my sleep. I probably literally did at times, ask Brett lol.
    5. The last point I want to make goes back to the previous one. Know your material. I recently had a successful mentor tell me to never ask a question that I don’t already know the answer to when calling For Sale by Owners. Know your material or at least know a professional that will so you can refer. The more you know, the more confidence you will have. But in order to know more, you must do the thing and talk to people.

    When it comes down to it, I have learned that in order to get better at scripts you must practice. The consistency of doing it with someone you trust several times a week, even for a few minutes is a game changer. Then, just do the thing. Make the calls. Knock on the doors. And talk to the people, they will give you the best feedback over time. Can it be hard? Yes, very. But just do the thing. I am just starting out in this new venture, but script practice has been a game changer for this introvert.

  • Fallon Burger

    Our somewhat impromptu staycation in DT St. Pete…

    So apparently like 30% of the termites in the United States have chosen to reside in Florida. I mean, I can’t blame them, it’s nice here but also, gross.

    Our introduction to homeownership here has for the most part been pretty painless; had to replace the dishwasher and a few landscaping plants have kicked the bucket (I blame myself for this as I have been known to kill even a cactus or two). Surprise, surpise for us about a month ago though when we found signs of what we thought were termites by the front door about a month ago. Happy summer to us haha.

    A professional was called and confirmed that it was the drywood kind, the least offensive according to him. Before you ask, yes, we did get the house inspected before we bought it back in January and no, there was no evidence of the little buggers at that time. Come to find out, they like the heat and sun and occasional rain to keep thing green and pretty as much as I do so that’s when they took residence by our front door.

    Fortunately, they aren’t too hard to evict and keep out for at least the next decade. Expensive? Eh, yes, but not nearly what I used to pay in vet bills for my show horses every month. Hard? Not really. I think I’m slightly immune to expensive and hard things after owning horses haha.

    We did have to remove ourselves, the dogs and any food that we wanted to consume ever again for 3 days while the pest control company assembled a massive tent of tarps over our house and gassed out our unwanted summer visitors.

    In real fashion of Brett and I making the most of any situation we decided to take advantage of the weekend out of our house and sent the pups to camp and checked ourselves into the Mariott downtown. Which was quite nice and had a GREAT pool. The 10-minute travel time from our house to the hotel really took it out of us so we spent 3 days lounging by said pool and eating out at a new restaurant for every meal. The food options really are great here guys.

    It was a good time, and our house is now free of crawly things, and I am able to sleep without being creeped out or feeling like our squatters are eating the house down around me….they weren’t THAT bad, I’m just being dramatic.

    One final note: Don’t let this story prevent you from wanting to move here or buy a vacation home here please. Although almost every building gets treated at some point, it’s normal and the good things about this state outweigh the bad by a lot.

    The picture is on one of my runs while we were staying downtown. Had to balance out the food somehow haha.

  • Fallon Burger

    How I Stay Motivated When I’m Not Motivated.

    In the real estate industry one of the primary ways that we grow our business is through lead generation.

    Here at KW (and I’m sure this is similar in most brokerages) we are taught to “Lead Generate” for 2 hours a day, Monday to Friday. Basically, we make lots and lots of phone calls. The most common hours are from 9am to 11pm and those 2 hours are time-blocked on our schedules. If the time needs to be changed that is okay, but the lead generation must be done every day, no matter what if you want to .

    So far, I have been religious about getting my 2 hours in. It’s a grind, let me tell ya. Much like going for that workout, eating food that’s good for you or having a morning and bedtime routine the motivation to do all these things is always there for me at first.

    It’s exciting to plan and begin something new. The dopamine hit I get from starting something is unreal; I LOVE a new challenge. However, after a period of time, boredom begins to set in. The excitement of a new venture fades and my brain starts to protest the monotony. I’m sure you have been there as well.

    So how have I learned to embrace the boredom and continue plugging away with the things that I know I MUST do in order to be successful? I look at the things that I have to do daily like they are a muscle that needs to be exercised regularly. When you work out you are essentially breaking down muscle so that they can grow back bigger/stronger. There’s a lot of other science that goes with that, but that’s essentially what happens.

    Call me crazy but I look at any habit that I must form like something that needs to be broken down in order to grow. I must lift weights in order to shape my body into what I want it to be. I must eat well so I can feel good in my mind, body, and spirit and to increase my chances of having a long, healthy life. I must have a routine in the morning and at night so I can set myself up for a successful day. I must lead generate so I can grow my business and reach my goals.

    All of these things are boring when done every day and very much involve a “breaking down” of resistance. By sticking to my daily habits, things that I tend to resist, I build resilience in my brain and body so I can do the hard and boring things day after day.

    Eventually, the habits of the routine I create become so ingrained in me that I have a negative response mentally and physically when I fall off task. I get restless if I don’t get my workouts in, my self-esteem is not as good when I don’t eat well, and when I don’t make my calls…you get the picture.

    That is NOT to say that I work all the time like a maniac. In fact, I have more free time than I ever have in my daily life. These days though, I make it intentional, just like when I eat a cookie on occasion, that way I can enjoy it to its fullest.

    In short, embrace the monotony, have a routine, and lean into the resistance so you can build up resilience and reach your goals. Nothing worth having is easy and not every moment in life has to be filled with excitement in order for it to be fulfilling.

  • Fallon Burger

    St. Petersburg’s Birthday

    While scrolling on Facebook this morning I learned that today is St. Pete’s 121st birthday! Here are a few facts about St. Pete and hopefully, it will encourage you to visit this beautiful place.

    1. In 1903, St. Petersburg incorporated as a city even though it only had a population of a few hundred people.
    2. St. Pete is also known as the “Sunshine City” as it’s the Guinness World Record for most consecutive days of sunshine (768 days)!
    3. Tourism is a significant industry in the area and, in 2023, visitors had a total economic impact of $10.8 billion dollars in Pinellas County.
    4. St. Petersburg, Florida, is known for its stunning award-winning beaches, offering visitors and residents alike a chance to enjoy pristine white sand and clear waters year-round.
    5. Downtown St. Petersburg’s iconic waterfront structure, known as “The Pier,” has undergone several transformations over the years. The most recent iteration, the St. Pete Pier, opened in 2020 and has 26 acres that boasts a variety of amenities, including restaurants, shops, and recreational spaces.
    6. One of St. Petersburg’s oldest attractions, Sunken Gardens, is a botanical paradise featuring lush tropical plants, waterfalls, and winding paths. It has been open to the public since 1936 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

    Visitor information: visitstpeteclearwater.com

    Real Estate Information: fallonburger.kw.com

  • Fallon Burger

    An Organized Home Makes Me Sane

    There is just something about an organized, clean space. Decluttering and becoming more “minimalist” in my life has given my brain space to be more creative and productive.

    When we move to Florida from Texas the amount of “stuff” that we had accumulated was appalling. Granted, a lot of it was useful things from my business, but the amount of personal clutter was a bit surprising. The process of selling/donating about 80% of our things before we moved made it feel even more like we were starting over.

    When I pulled into the parking lot on our storage unit in St. Pete with our two dogs, the truck and U-Haul full of things we thought we needed to bring from Texas Brett, who had moved to Florida 5 weeks earlier, was surprised at the amount of “stuff” I had decided to keep. Honestly, I thought that I had done really good at getting rid of what I did…lol.

    After unloading (and filling up) the storage unit and then living in fully furnished Airbnb for 6 months before we bought our house, I realized how many things we did not need. Even after moving into our house this year our storage unit was mostly full. Yes, we bought furniture and replaced some kitchen items, but how were there so many boxes that I couldn’t even remember what was in them? It was truly bugging me, so I decided last month that storage was going bye bye.

    We emptied and canceled the unit and then stared at our very full dining room of “stuff” for a couple of weeks before working up the nerve to tackle it head on last weekend. And it felt amazing. Like, I had a sudden burst of energy after we finished. Brett did not get said burst of energy and thought I was crazy (not a new thought for him I’m sure). I found some treasures, yes, but I would say that another 80% of the stuff I thought we needed back in Texas did not serve me any longer.

    Long story short. We live in a society that values consumption and that is okay if that brings you joy. I find that I am the opposite. Less brings me joy. Less gives me clarity. Less frees up my time and space for things that matter to me. Less keeps me sane. I challenge you to try and declutter a space in your life. Even if it’s one drawer in your kitchen or the junk emails on your phone. I can almost guarantee that it will feel good.

  • Fallon Burger

    Florida Manatees: The Gentle Giants of the Sea

    Florida manatees, also known as “sea cows,” are fascinating creatures. Besides the fact that they are incredibly cute here is some more information about them:

    1. Gentle Giants: Manatees are large, slow-moving marine mammals known for their gentle nature. They are herbivores, primarily feeding on aquatic plants.
    2. Endangered Species: The Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) is a subspecies of the West Indian manatee and is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
    3. Habitat: They inhabit the shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals, and coastal areas of Florida, particularly during the winter months when they seek out warmer waters.
    4. Warm-water Refuges: Manatees are sensitive to cold temperatures and can suffer from cold stress, so they rely on warm-water refuges such as natural springs and power plant outflows during colder months.
    5. Slow Reproduction Rate: Manatees have a slow reproductive rate, with a gestation period of about 12 months. They typically give birth to a single calf, which remains dependent on its mother for about two years.
    6. Threats: Manatees face various threats, including habitat loss due to waterfront development, boat strikes, pollution, and entanglement in fishing gear. These threats have significantly impacted manatee populations over the years.
    7. Conservation Efforts: Conservation efforts have been put in place to protect manatees, including speed zones for boats in manatee habitats, wildlife refuges, and rehabilitation centers for injured or sick manatees.
    8. Research and Monitoring: Scientists closely monitor manatee populations through aerial surveys, satellite tracking, and photo-identification techniques to better understand their behavior, movement patterns, and population dynamics.
    9. Legal Protection: Manatees are protected by state and federal laws, including the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act, which prohibit harassment, hunting, and harm to these creatures.
    10. Cultural Importance: Manatees are iconic animals in Florida and play a significant role in the state’s culture and tourism industry. Many visitors come to Florida to observe manatees in their natural habitat, contributing to ecotourism efforts and raising awareness about their conservation.

    For more information about the conservation of these amazing animals click on this link Florida Manatee Program | FWC (myfwc.com)

  • Fallon Burger

    The Overwhelming Task of Starting Something New

    I have to tell you; the process of starting a new business feels like a big mountain to climb over. It’s a (mostly) fun big mountain, but a mountain all the same. I think starting something completely new after having success in another field can be overwhelming for almost anyone. I am not a one step at a time kind of girl. Once I decide to do something, I tend to jump in the deep end and figure out how to swim along the way or climb that proverbial mountain all in one go with no rest and certainly no looking back.

    To be honest, this way of tackling things can be a double-edged sword for me. Single-minded focus is a good thing to have in our world full of distractions, but I am also training myself to slow down and take life one bite at a time these days so I can enjoy the experience a little more.

    One thing I learned from my previous business is the importance of having a business plan. This was something that I did not take the time to do before that I eventually regretted. This time around, I took the time to make a plan before I even got my real estate license. Although that plan can always change as things evolve, having some sort of structure starting out has been very helpful in keeping me focused and on task as well as enabling me to enjoy the journey of starting something new.

    Another thing that has been key to starting this new thing is the disciplined action of doing the hard things first every day. Those tasks that must be done in order for a business to be successful are usually the hardest to make yourself do, (aka lead generation…inward groan). I have learned to make the time needed for those particularly uncomfortable and sometimes unpleasant, but necessary things sacred time that is always scheduled first thing in the morning, no matter what. Much like my hard workout first thing in the morning, I don’t think too hard about it, I just take immediate action before my brain can convince me to put it off. Our brains REALLY like convincing us to put off hard stuff.

    Lastly, and this is the hardest for me, I let go of the need for everything to be perfect or the need to know everything about a certain subject before I take action. You may ask, how does she jump in with both feet and also feel the need for perfection? Trust me, I ask myself this all the time and I have yet to figure it out completely. What I mean by perfection though is the tendency to NEED to have that perfect website, logo, social media post, business card layout, flawless punctuation on an email, etc. I like to call this perfection procrastination. The act of doing a lot of hours of work and getting very little actually done. This was one of the biggest reasons for me starting this blog. I told my husband that a minimum of one post per week was going out, no matter what. And if it’s not perfect, it’s still getting posted because action trumps perfection and perfection comes with taking actually action and learning from the mistakes that inevitably happen.

    To sum it all up, jump in with both feet, but remember to have a plan so the journey can be savored, do the hard shit first every day and keep that time sacred, and stop trying to make everything look, sound, or feel perfect before you just take action. Best of luck to anyone starting something new and kudos to you for having the courage. 💙

  • Fallon Burger

    My St. Pete Top 3

    Since I have been living in St. Petersburg for 10 months now, I feel like I have gotten a good idea of my top 3 things to do here. This list could obviously change over time, but these are the places that I keep going back to over and over again despite the many numbers of adventures to be had here.

    1. Paddleboarding at Shell Key Preserve. This has got to be my number 1 favorite. Brett and I have paddled from Fort De Soto over to Shell Key several times and we have seen something new every time we go. From manatees and flamingos to stingrays, crab and large schools of redfish and trout, the marine life is abundant. The beauty of being on a paddleboard is the number of animals that are unbothered by you passing through and when you are standing up (and wearing polarized sunglasses) the view through the water is outstanding. We love to pack a small cooler with lunch and just hang out on the protected beach for a few hours enjoying nature. There are several places to launch that are safe to paddle over to shell key. We like to go via Fort De Soto, but there is another spot to launch on the Pinellas Bayway. There’s info about launch places on the Shell Key Preserve website.
    2. Brunch at Uptown Eats followed by a morning walk at Vinoy Park. Located on MLK Street just North of Downtown. This is one of my favorite brunch spots near downtown. The have a set menu as well as daily specials like a frittata that changes every day, (but is always delicious) and a variety of bakery items (I recommend the GF jam bars). They also serve a variety of coffee and tea choices. Only open until 2pm, this is a true brunch spot and definitely get their early on the weekends because there is usually a line out the door. I promise that it is worth the wait! Head to Vinoy Park downtown afterward to enjoy a walk through the lively, waterfront sidewalks.
    3. Sunset on the beach and dinner at 82 Degrees. Anywhere on the beach is great for sunset, but my favorite spot also just so happens to be within walking distance of my favorite place to eat in St. Pete Beach. Park at the north end of St. Pete Beach at Upham Beach Park (parking can be limited here) and walk to 82 Degrees for a fabulous dinner (with a view if you’re seated on the second floor) and a tasty cocktail (or 2) if that’s your thing. I am a big fan of their flatbreads personally. If you are an early dinner eater like I am there will be plenty of time to head to the beach for a sunset that is always beautiful.

    That’s it for now everyone! Please leave questions about my top 3 in the comments. I would also love to hear about what’s on your top 3 list’s as well!

  • Fallon Burger

    Welcome.

    This is a site that goes beyond just a singular subject. I want to dive deeper into discovering places to live or vacation, spots to gather, food to be tasted and adventures to be found in the St. Petersburg area along with a sprinkling of thoughts about life.

    Let me start by introducing myself. My name is Fallon, (bet you could have guessed that from the site name lol). In spring of 2023 my husband, Brett and I made a decision to wipe the slate clean so to speak. Although we loved our lives in Central Texas, we had everything there, both sets of parents, lifelong friends, a comfortable home on a beautiful ranch and a thriving horse training business, we felt the urge to seek out a new adventure. An opportunity had fallen in our laps that led us both, along with our 2 dogs, to St. Petersburg, Florida.

    Let me tell ya, it was scary, and stressful, and anxiety inducing, and there was a bunch of thoughts along the lines of “Are we crazy?”, but we did it anyway. And it was one of the best things that we ever did for ourselves, for our marriage and even for the relationships with our friends and family back in Texas. To give you the short version for the sake of NOT trying to turn this blog post into a novel. We were burnt out. The candle was burning at both ends, we felt like we worked 24/7 and despite the massive number of blessings that we had, we were usually too tired to enjoy them. And we didn’t even know it until we made the decision to start over.

    I can remember the moment in vivid detail because it felt like 1 million pounds had been lifted off my shoulders. I took what felt like my first deep breath in years and I have taken many, many more since then.

    Shortly after moving here, the opportunity that fell into our laps didn’t quite go as planned (does anything ever?). Thank God Brett had a great career as a journeyman lineworker to fall back on and he just so happened to have an old friend from apprentice school looking for a lineman to add to his crew. A big bonus is that I was able to not work with Bretts full support.

    So began what I like to call my “housewife” phase of life. Also known as, Fallon needs to catch up on sleep, detox, and destress for the next 6 months. And I am thankful that I was able to do it. And I slept A LOT. And played with our pups. And cooked (which made Brett very happy). When I wasn’t doing all of that I was exploring our new home and rediscovering things that I used to enjoy. I have even found some new things that I love to do.

    Although my 6-month hiatus from reality was incredible, by December 31, 2023, I was officially bored out of my mind. We were driving through the neighborhood where we now live, looking at the house that we had under contract, that we now own and live in, and I told Brett I was ready to get after it again. This time it wasn’t going to be training horses though. This time I wanted to go into real estate.

    This wasn’t a completely new idea; we have a good friend in Texas, who is a successful agent, that had been encouraging me to get licensed for a while and it sounded like it would be a good fit. and it has been. I love the hustle and the challenge, but most of all I enjoy helping people. I was taught from young age that hard work and dedication are the keys to making anything successful. This new venture gets to grow from the start with all of the knowledge that I gained in my last business and that makes me excited to get out of bed in the morning.

    St. Petersburg has become my happy place. I have re learned how to breathe here. The possibilities are endless here and I am excited to share them with you.