Stephenie Flood: Woman of Influence for 2026
Gold Nation COO and REMAX Gold Vice President of Operations, Stephenie Flood, was honored as a 2026 HousingWire Woman of Influence for the sixth year in a row! Congratulations Stephenie on this amazing accomplishment. We sat down with Stephenie to discuss her journey to where she is today.
What does it mean to be a Woman of Influence?
“It's a real honor to me to be able to represent for women in our industry. Our industry is two thirds female, but the leadership ranks are lacking and not as representative of our population. It’s my absolute pleasure to be able to represent for all the women that are out there working hard and finding success in our field.”
When you started at your position as an administrator at REMAX Gold in 1997, did you think you'd be here today as a leader in the industry?
“I never thought I'd be in real estate, ever. I knew nothing about our industry. I knew what REMAX was, because everybody knew the balloon. I was going to school at the time and the schedule worked around my classes. Everything just came together at the right time, and it was clearly meant to be. I have had so many amazing opportunities all because I said yes to try my role back in 1997. Saying yes has changed my life.”
With almost 30 years at REMAX Gold, how have you seen yourself grow?
“It’s crazy looking back; I never thought I could do what I’ve done. I have to think about what I can do differently. I go to Orangetheory Fitness and what coaches always say is that you're stronger than you think you are. You can do hard things. And it's funny because in business, we don't really say that. We say that in a physical sense, and then if you apply that to business, it makes it so much easier to see what you're capable of doing. Professionally, we don't seem to think that we can do anything; we need to realize that we're strong enough. When you change it into a physical sense, it makes it obvious. If I can run this fast or lift this heavy, then I can have that conversation, or I can do this thing, or I can learn this new way. Looking at it that way has really helped me realize that I can do anything I put my mind to.”
What is one of the most valuable lessons you learned in that tenure?
“I feel very fortunate to have been mentored by some incredible leaders in my time here at Gold Nation. One of many things that I try to emulate is from our CEO, James O’Bryon. He has always helped me when something could have been done better—we talk about it once and then move on. When something doesn't go right, it's so hard and it’s scary to admit making a mistake. It is meaningful to have the support and to know that it's okay. I appreciate the support when something hasn’t worked out, and I do that with my team because it's important to feel safe and empowered. You must be willing to fail to grow, and to know that you have that support and if you fail, you can't lose.”
What milestones stand out to you?
“In August 2020, Gold Nation expanded into its 2nd state. We had just been California up to that point, and a second state was a big step. We grew into Nevada and got to work with those incredible agents. It was mind blowing to start thinking about licensing in a different state and how that works, having been very California focused for so long. Another time that stands out is going into 2005, we hit such incredible milestones at the height of the market and then coming down from the high and into the recession, we had some unbelievably challenging years. It was the bounce back from that recession that was incredibly powerful. When you look back at 2011, we turned the corner and started fully trending in the right direction, and we saw that chapter was closed. And not just closed, but having survived and gotten through that wildly difficult period in our industry, to make it to the other side and look back and be able learn from those years was a big milestone.”
What do you love most about working at REMAX Gold?
“The people! I realize when I get to talk to any of our agents or staff, it reminds me of why I do what I do: because our team is the best. We have incredible practitioners and good people. The more I get to talk to our agents, brokers, and staff, the more I'm reminded of why we do this. I love getting to be out in the field and connecting with our people. As we continue to grow and hit milestones of growth and more agents, we get to hear the impact that the company makes on them, it feeds me to keep going and keep doing all the things because it makes a difference in the lives of our agents and staff.”
You worked with and in a lot of the departments at REMAX Gold and Gold Nation, how has that influenced your leadership?
“It has made me evolve and grow over the years and adapt based on the people and the area. When I took over operations for Northern California in 2014 officially, I had worked alongside so many people that are still here that still run those departments. I had to learn different areas of the company, new languages for those departments and different people and different skill sets. I had to learn how to support them and what the needs were for everyone because it's never the same. It's learning how people communicate, how they take information in and process it, and meeting them where they are, because that's how they're going to be successful. There's a learning curve to figure out how everybody works and communicating with them in the best way possible to make sure that they can be successful. At the end of the day, that's what I'm here to do: to create that environment where our people can be successful! The partnership with Children’s Miracle Network has also influenced me greatly. I have led the Gold Nation partnership since 2015 and have seen the incredible impact our donations make. The generosity of our agents and staff is so powerful; it reminds me how much change we can bring to people’s lives. My leadership has been so positively affected by feeling what we can do and growing our relationship with CMN. I feel so fortunate to have met so many families we have helped.”
Which women have influenced you in your career?
“Bev Kendall was the moral compass of the organization for so long and influence me greatly. She was a leader who embodied always doing the right thing. I remember Bev always gave great advice: to take a breath when you're upset. Walk away, and don’t send that email. Write the email first, then delete it. She used to always say, ‘what would happen if that email got published on the front of the New York Times? Would you be proud of it?’ I just learned so much of that from her. The way that she listened to what other people would say and take it all in was amazing. She has this incredible ability, to tell people that they are completely wrong, and to say it in a way that the person would understand and thank her.
Carrie Foley had a great impact on me too. She reminded me that life is a balance, and to always be focused on your family. The way that she was involved with her kids was impactful to see how she balanced everything. She managed to do amazing things professionally and stay engaged with her family. Watching how she juggled all of that as a single mom for most of those years was powerful since I was also a single mom.”
What advice would you give to women aspiring to leadership?
“We need to be strong, tough, and brave. It doesn't mean that you must have a really hardened exterior, not have emotions, not be a kind person who will communicate with people, but you must be ready for the challenge. Get involved, get out there, do something; you can go through the leadership academy at the local associations, state associations, or even WCR has leadership programs that are for anyone. Try something, get involved, see if you like it. It’s a great way of giving back to our industry and taking care of those that are coming up as well. If you like it, then just keep doing more things: take more on, try more things, go to that next level to get involved. Our industry needs more strong female leaders, so we are always looking for the next generation. I'm here for it, and I want to help anyone who is interested however I can as other leaders did for me.”
Gold Nation, comprised of REMAX Gold, REMAX One, REMAX Alliance, REMAX Premier, REMAX Associates, REMAX Integrity, REMAX Northwest, and REMAX Equity Group, is represented by over 2,900 of the industry’s most productive agents at over 130 Offices in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.