Women who do business in the domestic sphere: Julie Bonacio
Julie Bonacio is vice president of Bonacio Construction and recently launched a boutique real estate brokerage, Julie & Co. Realty LLC in Saratoga Springs. Julie’s partner in business is her husband, Sonny Bonacio.
What led you to this business?
My father sold modular housing. I ended up working there for a summer, and then I ended up running his business. I had no idea that was the direction I was going to go. I went from answering to the phones to meeting with the clients. … I just fell into it, and it just took legs of its own. And then, of course, I met my husband and then Bonacio construction started.
Did you have any women mentoring you in the business?
I worked with a bunch of guys, actually. And you know what? I really liked what I did, and it just came naturally so I was doing well at it, and I just really learned a lot from them. … I was younger, they were older, and I would just sit and listen and watch, and I learned a lot. I had a lot of older wisdom that I just kind of soaked in and incorporated with my techniques with sales and closing deals.
Has the industry changed for women since you’ve been in it?
I’ve been in since 1990, been in sales many years. It feels like a lifetime. I see a lot of successful women, which I love. My boutique right now (November 2015), it’s just getting started, but I’ve currently got six agents that are women, we have our first gentleman. I think women are a wonderful driving force. I think they know what they want, they work hard, and they’re big achievers, and I’m seeing women are rising to the top, which I love. They continue to educate themselves and be in the know, which is important in this business. You now have to. The clients are so educated with going online and what they have access to.
What’s it like working so closely with your spouse?
He started (Bonacio Construction) right before we got married, and then it really took off when we got married. It doesn’t work for everyone — working with their husband. It works for Sonny and I because we’re able to separate business from our personal lives, and we talk it through. We bounce everything off each other, and we don’t take offense to constructive criticism, and we’ve got a great team. I ask his advice on a lot of stuff. Once we make our decision, we just put our head down and run.
What do you like about the business?
I like to see the whole process from start to finish, and know (customers) actually have their own specialized touches in it, and it’s going to be their home. It’s one of the major purchases of your life, and it’s going to be where you’re going to raise your family and spend a lot of your time.
Article from TimesUnion.com