Let’s meet Gerilyn de Laurentys, Realtor, Mother, and Women of Worth Program Leader for the Mosaic Center in Evans…
Stacey: What inspired you or led you to your current career?
Gerilyn: Well, my current career is as a realtor. If you had asked me five years ago what I was going to be doing in five years, I definitely would not have said, “Real estate.” But circumstances in life have changed. When my husband decided to get out of real estate, I thought that it would be a shame if someone didn’t step up and step into real estate. His mom has been doing real estate for over thirty years, and she’s got a large client base. It just made me sad to think that no one would be there to take care of her clients. So, that was my initial reason for getting into real estate because I have a background in sales with my Mary Kay business that I did for over 13 years. I was really successful in that. I had about two hundred and fifty customers that I serviced skin care and color needs for, and I really enjoyed that relationship-building. I felt that my skills would transfer over into real estate, and they definitely have. This past year, I’ve chosen to step out on my own and see if I could do it on my own. It’s been a fun career. I really enjoy helping people find houses and then list and sell their house and get it done in the least stressful way possible. Selling your house is a completely stressful time. If I can make one more person not be so stressed in selling their home, then I’ve done my job.
Stacey: What is your favorite restaurant in Evans, and what do you love there?
Gerilyn: I think my favorite restaurant is Hokkaido in Evans. I love pretty much all of their sushi. It’s a nice and quiet atmosphere. It’s small, there aren’t a ton of people, and it’s usually quiet. They have good lunch specials, and they’re pretty inexpensive for sushi. Their sushi is really, really good and fresh.
Stacey: How long have you lived or worked in Evans?
Gerilyn: I have been going to church in Evans since 2008, and I’ve lived in Evans for a short while. My parents now live here in Evans, and I’ve worked in Evans for about two and a half years.
Stacey: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in Evans? Who would you like to see nominated as a Face of Evans, Georgia?
Gerilyn: That’s a tough question. I’ve met a lot of very interesting people. But I recently met an image consultant named Liz Klebba, and I had a conversation with her this past week. She’s not originally from here, but she’s lived her a long time like I have. She grew up and lived internationally like I did. She lived in Venezuela when she was in high school, and she’s also lived in Spain. She’s lived in a bunch of different places. I found her very fascinating, and I would love to have her as a candidate for the Faces of Evans.
Stacey: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be, and why?
Gerilyn: I would go to Madrid because one of my close friends is at university there, and I love Spain. If I could live there, I would.
Stacey: What is your favorite movie, or what is the first movie you remember seeing in a theatre?
Gerilyn: I don’t remember what the first movie I saw in a theatre was. One of my favorite movies is Gone With The Wind. I don’t know why, but I’ve always loved that movie since I was a little kid.
Stacey: What advice would you give to a crowd of people?
Gerilyn: I would tell people to stop making excuses for where they’re at, and take action to move forward to where they want to be.
Stacey: What is something on your bucket list?
Gerilyn: I want to travel to every country in the world. That’s on my bucket list. I want to go to every country. I think it would be so cool.
Stacey: What is your favorite music or three bands you would like to see, whether dead or alive?
Gerilyn: I’m a total weirdo. My music taste is crazy. I love Led Zeppelin, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Adele, and Sarah McLachlan. Seriously… I love rap, old school rock ‘n’ roll, System of a Down, and 311. I love so many different bands. I also really enjoy classical music if I feel like I need to zone out. I love classical music. I like jazz music. I like bluegrass – especially live. I think it’s awesome. I love the violin, and anything that has violin is amazing to me. I feel like there’s a thousand more bands that I want to tell you about. I love Madonna, old and new.
Stacey: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about Evans?
Gerilyn: Probably the Evans Diner. I don’t even think I ever ate anything there. I had coffee there once in a blue moon, but it was cool because it looked like a super old diner.
Stacey: Choosing anyone alive and a non-relative: with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? Where in Evans would you have lunch?
Gerilyn: That’s a tough question. I would probably go to lunch with one of my close friends, Jan. See lives in Auburn, and I don’t get to see her that much. So, it would be awesome to have a lunch date with her.
Stacey: Where do you see yourself in five or ten years?
Gerilyn: Still doing real estate. Killing it. Helping a ton of people. Still with the Women of Worth program and killing it there. Growing it so much that we outgrow the church, and I have to find somewhere else to have our monthly meetings because we’re that awesome. Also traveling. In ten years my children will either be out of high school or almost out of high school, so I’ll get to start focusing on traveling and maybe doing some mission trips. I love traveling.
Stacey: Even for friends or family, what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
Gerilyn: I secretly love gothic everything. If I could dress up and go to a gothic show, I one thousand percent would. I love burlesque. I think it’s so cool. I’m a total weirdo, but I seriously love it. I’m pretty sure most people wouldn’t know that about me.
Stacey: What three words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word “home?”
Gerilyn: I think of fun, laughter, and security.
