Meet Shayne Zutavern, Real Estate Agent for BigIron Realty (bigiron.com).
Tell us a little about your business. – I am a Real Estate Agent with BigIron Realty focused on selling farm, ranch and commercial development ground. BigIron has over 738,000 registered bidders on our platform which is what sets us apart from all others. More Bidders = More Competition = More Money in Your Pocket.
How did you get started in the business? – My family sold about 4,000 acres of pasture back in 2016 with a “premier” farm and ranch real estate agency and they really didn’t do squat to help out our sale. I made all the cold calls, I did all the showings and brought all three bidders to the auction. The auction did OK, but only because I had recruited an outside investor into the bidding. On that day I told my mom, I am going to get my own Real Estate licensee, so that when we sell more ground we would make sure that it was done RIGHT. Between that day and 2021 I met Ron Stock, the CEO of BigIron and went to one of their live auction events and I was absolutely blown away with how well their auction platform worked, I was amazed seeing all the bidders, bidding from people in the same town, to people from three states bidding! On that day I was sold on the company’s services and Ron offered me a job on the spot and he put a yellow shirt on my back.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? – When we first started out in the publishing business, we were just shy of starvation for several years while getting it off the ground. But we persevered and our hard work and dedication finally paid off; all the ramen noodle meals are like dust in the wind now!
What has been your most important achievement professionally? – I would say it would have to be the launch of Strictly Business Magazine in 1993 and being one of the very first publications in the world to have an online presence in 1997.
Tell us a little about your family. – I have been married my high school sweetheart Paige for over 37 years, and we have been business partners for over 30. She has been and is the rocket fuel behind the success of Strictly Business magazine. We have two sons, Schyler and Zane, who are natural-born entrepreneurs. I have no doubt they will eclipse my business accomplishments tenfold.
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? – Hang out with my family, and helping my boys develop their businesses.
What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? – In 1997, my website team built one of the very first secure online shopping websites in the whole Midwest. It was instantly a huge success, receiving multiple awards almost overnight and was even featured on late night TV.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? – Don’t stop working on your goals, especially when you’re just two inches from gold. This is the same statement I made to my father, when I was starving that convinced him to give me an atta boy and keep funding the dream and keeping it alive.
If you could choose any other profession to be successful in, what would it be? – Professor of Marketing and Advertising.
What local non-profit organization(s) are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why? – I know so many special people who enrich my life daily and greatly were an “accident.” So causes like the Pregnancy Center have a special place in my life.
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – (402) 770-1220 | szutavern@yahoo.com.