David Lemon had been living the busy corporate life for years, raising two little girls with his wife Susan in the midst of a hectic life in Baton Rouge. The day eventually came when, despite being a big LSU fan, he knew it was time for a change. He just wasn’t sure what that change would be.
One Thursday evening, David had just gotten home from a long day at work when his wife handed him an itinerary for a weekend getaway to Memphis. He threw out all the objections he could think of, but his wife had planned for them all. Before he knew it, they were headed to Memphis, and for the first time ever, he passed right through Chattanooga.
Toward the end of their vacation, during a prayer with his wife in the hotel room, David closed with, “Please protect us as we head home to Chattanooga.” After the “amen,” his wife looked at him and said, “Chattanooga? Where’s that?” To this day, David doesn’t know why “Chattanooga” came out of his mouth that night, but he describes it as an open door he knew he needed to step through.
A year later, David and Susan moved their two little girls, Daniel and Alex, to the unfamiliar city. He found himself drawn to real estate because of the opportunity it offered to help people find a home – something he could relate to.
In 2013, David’s new vocation led him to join The Edrington Team, where he has become a seasoned agent. Less than 10 years ago, David had never heard of Chattanooga; now he finds himself part of the top producing team in the area. He takes pride in belonging to a team that’s effective in doing the very thing that attracted him to the business; helping people.
While David has witnessed many changes in the industry over the years, his initial passion to help people find their home has remained constant. He says, “Though I love to work with sellers, buyers are the best. I like to see the look on my clients’ faces when they open the door to their new home for the first time.”
As the oldest person on The Edrington Team, David brings a special set of values to the table. In the midst of the team’s innovation, development and expansion, he reinforces the “old-school” mentality that “making time for people is the most important thing you can do. Make time for date night, your children’s dance recitals or games, your clients, and yourself.” David knows that, “fostering relationships and keeping them strong” is vital in all relationships. This, paired with his belief that “patience is key to success,” is a refreshing approach to the hustle and bustle of the culture around us.
As I picked David’s brain in preparing for this article, the importance of peace and patience in his life became apparent. I learned one of his favorite things to do is spend the evening looking out on Harrison Bay with his dog Lucy and his two daughters. When he looks out across the huge bay, only minutes from so much activity and adventure, all he sees is peace.
David tries to make all the areas of his life reflect that peacefulness, from the personal to the professional. When a client is moving to Chattanooga, they often find themselves overwhelmed with change. David enjoys easing their worries. As a Chattanooga transplant himself, he knows the anxieties that accompany relocation, whether from a different city or down the street. He also knows, however, that just like the waves rolling across the bay, the water always returns to a still calm at the end of each day, ready to start anew.
We can all learn a thing or two from David Lemon. Not just on the outlook of his business, but in life. Trust that when one door closes, another will open. Trust that when Chattanooga comes upon your horizon, you can know there is no better place to raise a family! Trust that the sorrow of closing one chapter in life is the beginning of the joy of the next.
Today, looking out across Harrison Bay, David can have the peace he covets. For a man who stepped out in faith a decade ago to find where he belonged and a better life for his family, he found both.