A REally Determined VJM JEM
by Cate Murway
“The Real Estate market has been crazy. There’s no inventory. It’s a sellers’ market with a lot of bidding wars.”
First-time buyer demands still seem to outmatch the inventory recovery but REALTOR®, Team Associate, Michelle Allison Bresnahan, VJM ‘11 is undaunted. She conscientiously and optimistically faces the mixed bag of housing affordability challenges and opportunities.
Michelle exudes class with the mindset of an athlete and the heart of a child.
Resilience is defined best as "the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness," and is clearly an underpinning of her success.
“Perspective is everything. Instead of focusing on the negatives, I focus on the positives of the situation instead,” assured Michelle.
“From a distance all these mountains
Are just some tiny hills…”
from one of Michelle’s favorite PINK songs, ‘Cover Me in Sunshine’.
She works mainly in the tri-county areas of Chester, Montgomery, and Delaware
counties as a valued representative of the Tom Poole sales group team of 30+ agents. They meet weekly to discuss market trends.
“Working in real estate, I want to master this craft as an independent contractor and become the best agent I can be. I am learning, growing, and practicing to master what I am choosing to do in life,” confirmed Michelle.
“I now understand how to better write a contract, and I now understand how to make my offer “cleaner,” which leads to a smoother transaction,” she explained.
Michelle was born in Trevose in a home built by her Uncle Joe Nottingham. She is the only child of Colleen [Bannon], Executive Assistant to Vice President at The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., and Michael P. Bresnahan, an established Real Estate Agent at Remax Millennium.
“I owe a lot to my parents for their guidance. My Mom is the strongest person I know. She is overall kind and caring, and she never expects anything in return.”
Her parents used their polished professional skills and their joined backgrounds in working with people and sales to enhance and encourage Michelle’s abilities.
“And after watching countless years of HGTV and home renovation shows, I was always interested in homes and design!” Michelle confirmed.
Her first job ever was working as the beverage cart girl at the Makefield Highlands Golf Club in Yardley.
“I drove the cart around with drinks and snacks,” she laughed.
She took piano lessons as a youth and oftentimes played at local nursing homes.
Pachelbel Canon, one of the most famous pieces of classical music that has become a fixture at many weddings, was a favorite piece.
Michelle was also a Girl Scout through the 12th grade, earning the Presidential Award for her community service that included providing meals for the homeless.
Michelle attended Villa Joseph Marie, the premier, private, all-girls college preparatory, academically comprehensive experience in Bucks County.
“I loved English, public speaking, and creative writing, and I truly learned
effective communications. I learned how to write well and annotate. I really loved Mrs. Jennifer L. Noll. She was an excellent teacher.”
Michelle feels that she was encouraged to actually express herself, and tap into her creative side, while learning different parts about herself. Michelle also appreciated journaling that helped her with her personal development.
Mutual student/ teacher respect and appreciation is confirmed.
“I’m not sure it’s possible for me to condense my thoughts about Michelle into just a few sentences. Where should I begin? With her kindness? With her courage? Or with her talent and drive?
Michelle was my student each year while she was a student at Villa Joseph Marie High School, and for four years I had the honor of watching her grow as an individual. I have been grateful that social media has enabled us to keep in touch after she graduated, and I am not surprised to see that the traits she demonstrated as a young woman have only strengthened in adulthood. Michelle is a model of quiet courage and steadfast resolve, and her integrity and strength of character are unmatched,” shared former VJM English teacher, Jennifer L. Noll.
After graduating, VJM XC/ Track & Field Captain Michelle attended Towson U., Maryland's University of Opportunities, on a track scholarship. She continued competitions performing her favorite events of long jump, and hurdles.
Michelle had actually run track throughout elementary school at St. Bede’s, now St. Katharine Drexel Catholic School, from the 4th grade.
Michelle’s mother, Colleen added, “The hurdles and mountains Michelle has climbed both physically and mentally throughout her life make me so proud to call her my daughter. Her strength, dedication, love, caring, many talents, as well as her intelligence, formed her into the amazing young woman she is today.”
Oxoxlulul [*Colleen’s signature to her beloved daughter with every text].
After much thought, Michelle transferred to Temple U., starting as an English major, where she ultimately earned a degree in Journalism and Communications.
She worked first at a private airline company after graduation, assisting in the
scheduling of flights, but she was still anxiously searching for a better, more stimulating and fulfilling position for her success.
Michelle intuitively realized that she had responded well to her mandatory weight lifting regime in college, so she inculcated that element back into her life, just for fun.
She started body building and training at Greg Long’s Gym in Feasterville, as well as helping her friend, Chris Zimmerman with his legging company.
Michelle was committed and she then began training for her first NPC figure competition. The National Physique Committee is the premier amateur physique organization in the world.
“Back and biceps were two of my favorite muscle groups to train.”
She met up with established photographer Brian Moss with the Animal Pak Supplement Company, Performance Complex Health and Immune Support, and he invited her to do Instagrams and photos for his business.
Many of his photographs of bodybuilders shot for advertising campaigns have become iconic, and have influenced the way bodybuilders are now portrayed in ads.
Michelle began her photo shoots in a gym in NYC.
When she earned a Universal Nutrition sponsorship, she had the opportunity to travel to Vegas, Germany, and Miami.
She then began to look at body building as more of a job.
She truly wanted to dictate her own hours and create her own future outcome. “You get what you put in! I thought of returning to school for a grad degree in Psychology, but ultimately decided to do Real Estate!”
Michelle has a resilient and persistent nature and she always valued living in a place that feels like a "home" should. She grew up in a neighborhood in Bucks County that was conducive to her overall well-being and personal development.
Michelle now feels that she is “overall in a great spot, and comfortable as a person. I feel solid and a balance in my life now.”
While her favorite foods may still be burgers and fries, she is a confirmed griller, so she consistently eats healthier. But her mom does make irresistible pork tenderloins with apples that are generously glazed with cinnamon.
“Nothing in life comes easy, but as long as we learn, grow, understand this fact, and implement necessary changes from here on out, nothing can stop us.”
One piece of advice she would offer to younger girls is to never strive to be perfect. “Perfect is a myth; it is something we create in our own minds based off of our perception of what we think “perfection” may be.”
Michelle is a most visible proof that VJM graduates are empowered young women, well prepared for responsible and moral leadership.
Cutting Edge…. NOT Cutting Corners!
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