Check Out Cece Buonya’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cece Buonya. 

Cece, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in Raleigh, NC and my story begins as a daughter of 2 hardworking immigrant parents. Growing up, I watched them work several jobs at a time in order to support our family and this upbringing instilled the work ethic, perseverance and dedication I have today. Throughout my career, I have worked many jobs, spanning across a variety of industries, all of which taught me lessons that helped me grow.  But the most pivotal part of my professional journey started when I began working at a financial firm. I had the desire to make more of an impact. Throughout my experience working towards a leadership role, I hit a few brick walls, heard many “no’s” and even failed at times. However, that journey resulted in much needed self-reflection, unexpected personal growth, and revealed a level of grit that at times I didn’t even know I had. All of those obstacles helped to build character and a level of resilience that made me confident I could achieve anything I put my mind to. 

These experiences really helped to shape my desire to lead and to give back in other areas and in different ways. One of the main lessons I’ve learned is what makes a true leader. Leaders have the ability to influence, drive change, and motivate others. Being a leader that serves and shares their wealth of knowledge has the ability to make more of an impact than the person in a leadership role who isn’t willing to leverage that platform to uplift or help others. As I continued to progress, I thought to myself…How can I help others who may be going through the same thing? How can I help others overcome similar obstacles? How can I support other people in achieving their goals and dreams as I’ve had people do for me? How can I motivate and uplift others? What can I do to drive positive change that can be sustained over time? Asking myself these questions led to my pursuit of other entrepreneurial endeavors. Now, with an almost 2-year-old son, I would consider myself a “mompreneur”, balancing the responsibilities of being a mother, with the demands of managing several businesses and passion projects simultaneously. 

I am currently a professional coach, realtor, business investor, and author. I have a passion for helping others achieve their goals, pursue their dreams and the desire to help tell a story of my indigenous culture and the Montagnard people. 

When I purchased my first home, it was a daunting task and scary going through alone. There were many things I struggled to grasp during the process and expensive lessons I learned afterwards. That experience is what motivated me to pursue real estate and I am now a realtor with Keller Williams Preferred Realty focused on helping others achieve their dreams of home buying, or navigating the sale of their home in today’s market. My goal is to ensure my clients are informed, comfortable and confident about their options throughout each step in the home buying and/or selling process.  

My own career and business growth challenges is what motivated me to be a coach and consultant to others, helping them obtain increased effectiveness and efficiency. This involves meeting individuals and businesses where they are, coming from a place of understanding, helping them self-identify opportunities and executing against creative solutions. In addition, my desire to give back to the people and community is what inspires me to invest in small businesses, helping to plant the seeds that will eventually turn them into successful and sustainable operations. 

Lastly, my parents’ struggle as Montagnard refugees and my son turning almost 2 and loving to read is what inspired me to co-author a children’s book. The “Exploring with Eman” brand of books tells the story of many other refugees and the Montagnard culture while also teaching my indigenous language in a way that families can enjoy together. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

It has not always been a smooth road but I’ve learned from all of the challenges so far and I know there are many more lessons to be learned. The journey isn’t done! Throughout life, I’ve had to persevere after being told no over and over. I am a believer that all things work out the way they should, even if it’s not on my time. Both timing and opportunity have to come together and intersect for success to come to fruition. When things don’t go as planned, that is an indicator for me to take a step back, reflect, and try to identify what I can learn from the experience. I ask for feedback, implement change, follow up and remain steadfast in my pursuits. 

As a natural introvert, I’ve had to overcome personal challenges around putting myself out there and taking more chances. I learned the value of networking and why it’s important to be comfortable being uncomfortable! 

My real estate career has gone through ebbs and flows. With the market, being dual career and balancing motherhood, I have had to learn the importance of work/life balance, the value of preparation, setting proper expectations and maximizing the time you do have. 

As a self-publishing author, it can be difficult identifying where to start, especially when you don’t know what you don’t know. The key is just to start somewhere with something, being okay with good enough, and striving for pace over perfection. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

It was hard to choose one category over another as I am involved in many things. If I were to summarize what I do in a nutshell, I’d say I am a “mompreneur” and culture carrier. If I were to strip down all of the different roles I have, what would be left at its core is the desire to make my son proud and the passion to truly help others. 

I am the lucky mom of a toddler, working full time in corporate America while also running a real estate business, coaching and consulting others on business effectiveness and efficiency, and authoring a bilingual children’s book to share stories that represent my Montagnard culture. 

I am most proud of the work and progress made on self-publishing “Crossing the Mekong River”, one of soon to be several “Exploring with Eman” children’s books. It is a bilingual’s children’s book that not only shares the dialect of one of the Montagnard tribes, but it’s also a way to share the culture of the Montagnard people with the existing Montagnard community, the younger generation, and anyone else who can align with the story, strength, and challenges of being a culture carrier. 

What sets me apart from others is my grit and perseverance. I am not afraid of adversity, pressure, or hard work. I am willing to continue pushing past barriers, comfortable with failing early to learn the lessons that will drive success later, am motivated and inspired to leave a legacy behind for my son and passionate about providing others with the tools and resources necessary to build generational wealth. 

How do you think about luck?

I like to think about luck in a different context. What some may consider “good luck”, I consider a blessing. What some may consider “bad luck”, I consider a learning opportunity. I’ve been blessed enough to meet great people who were willing to give me constructive criticism, difficult feedback, mentorship, equipped me with knowledge, gave me a chance, and/or a platform that opened other doors. With that, I’ve also learned that sometimes success doesn’t always happen the first time around. I believe there is a lesson to be learned in every experience; there are no losses – only learnings. And even through failure, you gain character, expand your learning, and grow further into the person you are capable of being. 

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website:cbuonya.kw.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/cbuonya
• Facebook: Facebook.com/cecebre
• Other: instagram.com/exploringwitheman & Facebook.com/ExploringwithEman