Sponsored by Paducah Main Street Organizational Committee, WKCTC Business Advisory Board, Paducah Chamber of Commerce Membership and Marketing Committee, Paducah Young Professionals Member, Paducah Professional Women Member & Membership Committee Chair, Charity League Secretary, Keller Williams Culture Committee Describe a challenge in your career and how you overcame it. When I started in real estate, my biggest challenge was the one thing I couldn’t shortcut—experience. I was new, I didn’t have years of closings behind me, and in a community like ours, people work with agents they know. I had to earn my way into rooms where I hadn’t been before, and I had to do it without pretending to be someone I wasn’t. I decided early on that I would rather be honest and patient than aggressive. I told clients the truth even when it wasn’t what they wanted to hear, did the slow work of following up and following through, and treated every transaction like it mattered because it did. That approach was slower at first, but it built something more durable than a quick sale ever could. What kind of legacy do you hope to leave in your career or community? I hope my legacy is tied to this place. Paducah is where I’ve chosen to build my life and my business, and I want my work to be part of what makes it thrive. I’ve put my own hands into that by restoring a home that has stood since 1897 and giving it new life. I also get to welcome people from all over the country and help them see what makes this town worth choosing. A career in real estate is a career in belonging. I’m helping people find where they fit, where they’ll raise their kids, open their businesses, or start over. If, years from now, there are families rooted here who first arrived because I helped them find their place, then I’ve done something that outlasts any single sale. What advice would you give to other young professionals striving for success? My biggest piece of advice is simple: do the work. Nothing is going to fall into your lap. No one is going to hand you clients, a reputation, or a career. You have to make it happen for yourself. When I started out, I didn’t have a book of business or years of experience to point to. What I had was the willingness to show up every single day and put in the work, even when it wasn’t paying off yet and no one was watching. Success isn’t one big break. Maizie Martin Realtor, Marrs Property Group, Keller Williams Co-Owner, Stay at 515 Kentucky Proud Member, Kentucky Farm Bureau Member Describe a challenge in your career and how you overcame it. The biggest challenge every year is dealing with the weather. The last couple of years, we have had early springs, causing our peach trees to start blooming. Then, we would get another hard freeze that would kill off the blooms, threatening the future harvest. This is something we have no control over, although it is very frustrating. We deal with the weather throughout the season, and it can have damaging effects on certain crops that are in season. We just say, “Oh well,” and keep going because it’s out of our hands. Thankfully, we have our restaurant to fall back on financially in case we take a hard hit from weather impacting our main crops. What makes you stand out in your industry or field? I would be considered the minority of the minority in my industry—a young, female, Hispanic farmer. This industry isn’t for everyone. You have to love what you do because I put over 80 hours a week into this place, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. My farm, store, and dad come first. Who inspires you, and how has that influenced your professional journey? My father, Danny Garrett. He has done everything from training racehorses for the sheikhs in the Middle East to row cropping and everything in between. He is the hardest- working man anyone will ever meet. He has so much love and has dedicated his life to this farm. The best thing is that he and I are able to do this together every single day. Even when they were counting down his days here on Earth while he had cancer, he was still doing everything he could to be a part of the farm and the business. Two days after he had his stomach removed, he was riding around the farm, enjoying his and God’s creation! At 73 years old, he still works hard in the fields every single day, and I’m so happy to be able to learn from him and continue his legacy until the day I die. What kind of legacy do you hope to leave in your career or community? I hope to inspire people to shop local, support local, grow their own food, justify paying more for fresh, local food, and, most importantly, I want the community to be educated on the hard work and long hours that farmers go through to make sure America is being fed. Co-Owner, Garrett’s Farm Market Mariana Garrett SEPTEMBER 2026 23
