Hello friendly faces! It’s a new Chicago North Shore Moms spotlight brought to you in part by Mary Gifford of Gifford Law.
If there’s anyone who knows about moving, it’s Ali Wenzke; the Wilmette mom of three has relocated 10 times in 11 years across the country. Now hunkered down in the charm that encompasses the North Shore, Ali has turned her personal experience into a passion-forward career as a realtor with Compass in Winnetka where she specializes in helping first-time buyers, relocators, and downsizers navigate today’s competitive housing market. Complimenting all this, she’s also the author of the best-selling book The Art of Happy Moving, sharing expert tips on making transitions smoother and more joyful.
Get to know Ali, more on her journey to becoming a North Shore Realtor, her fun YouTube series that supports and promotes Wilmette small businesses, her own favorite local businesses and few television recs. Welcome, Ali!
Hi Ali, please introduce yourself. Where are you from originally? What city do you live in now? What brought you here?
Hi, everyone! I’m originally from Miami, Fl, and I now live in Wilmette, where my family and I have lived since 2011. My husband, Dan, and I moved 10 times in 11 years around the country, living in MA, MD, OH, CA, TN, and IL. We moved because Dan went to medical school, I went to law school, and we moved for jobs. We ended up in IL for Dan’s medical residency at Northwestern.
We have 3 awesome teenagers, and I cannot believe we’ll be empty nesters in two years (cue the tears!). My oldest daughter is in college, and she loves creating music and art. You can find her songs wherever you listen to music, and she just opened an etsy shop for her artwork. My son is finishing his senior year, and he loves watching soccer, especially FC Barcelona. He’s also really interested in computer science and math. My youngest daughter is a sophomore in high school, and she’s currently training for her first half marathon. She loves dancing and is looking forward to getting her driver’s license!
What are one or two fun facts to know about you?
I grew up in Miami speaking Spanish and I love my Zumba classes.
What are your favorite North Shore places, spaces and eats to frequent?
There’s not enough time for me to list all of my favorite North Shore places! I host a weekly video series on YouTube called “Welcome to Wilmette,” and I love *all* of our local businesses. You can often find me at Central Station Coffee & Tea, Chia Leah Clean Eats, The Book Stall, Pit & Tap, Napolita, Fajita Pete’s, and Ichi by Torino.
What are you reading and watching?
I’m currently watching Severance streaming on Apple TV and Clarkson’s Farm streaming on Amazon Prime. I have a stack of books to read on my nightstand, but I most recently finished The Husbands by Holly Gramazio. A really fun read.
Your mantra?
Be grateful, help others, and focus on relationships.
Let’s get down to business. Please introduce your real estate business via Compass! What are the current challenges homeowners and home buyers are facing right now?
I am a Realtor with Compass in Winnetka, and I specialize in first-time home buyers, relocation, and downsizing. I’ve been a Realtor since 2021. The current challenge that homeowners and home buyers are facing right now is low inventory. Since there aren’t many homes on the market, some home sellers are waiting to sell their homes because they don’t know where they would move. However, even though there aren’t as many homes for sale as in years past, there are beautiful homes available, but they go fast. That’s why it’s more important than ever to be working with a real estate agent to help you through the process.
Say more about the importance of decluttering and staging.
I recently worked with a home seller who had lived in his home for 30 years and planned to downsize. He took my advice about decluttering and home staging to heart, and we worked hard to get his home ready for sale. It can be daunting to go through 30 years of memories and to let go of furniture or wallpaper or knick-knacks. My client understood that the work would be worth it. And, it was. His home sold within days for $200,000 over ask. Hard work pays off!
You’re a best selling author, congratulations! And it has to do with moving, of course. Tell us more about your book.
My best-selling book, The Art of Happy Moving: How to Declutter, Pack, and Start Over While Maintaining Your Sanity and Finding Happiness, came out in 2019. My top two book moments were: (1) the day my book topped a Harry Potter book on amazon and (2) when I was a guest on Live with Kelly & Ryan. Kelly Ripa & Ryan Seacrest interviewed Michelle Pfeiffer right before me, so the guest sign next to the stage said “Michelle Pfeiffer” and “Ali Wenzke”. That was pretty cool.
I love watching your YouTube Wilmette interview series, what gave you the inspiration to do this?
Thank you, Ellie! During the pandemic I started an Instagram Live series called “Happy Moments”. I interviewed anyone who inspired me and made me happy – from comedy writers to authors to chefs to business owners. That video series helped me maintain my sanity during difficult times. Once the world reopened, I wanted to interview local business owners because I love entrepreneurs and hearing their stories. Plus, it’s a great way to give back to the community and to tell everyone about these incredible businesses we have in our backyard! Now I focus on Wilmette businesses in my series called Welcome to Wilmette.
Optimum Fitness Formula 7, CEO Sirree Riza
Do you have any moving resources you’d like our audience to know about?
I have a blog, The Art of Happy Moving, that provides a one-stop resource page for anyone who is thinking about moving. You can find it here.
Ali, Is there anything else you’d like us to know about you?
My book, The Art of Happy Moving, focuses on positive psychology research. TLDR – The secret to happiness: (1) practice gratitude and (2) focus on relationships. If you do these two things, life will treat you well.
Patrician Gallery and Gatherings: Patti Schumann and Patrice Bazianos
Thanks so much for chatting with us! What are your contact details?
I can be reached at 847-691-9854 or [email protected]. I also love connecting on Instagram @AliWenzke or LinkedIn. My Compass website is https://www.compass.com/agents/ali-wenzke/ and my blog, The Art of Happy Moving is https://www.artofhappymoving.com/.
About our Meet of Mom Sponsor
A very heartfelt thank you to CNSMoms’ Meet a Mom sponsor, Lake Forest mom of three and owner of Gifford Law, a solo Estate Planning Firm (wills and trusts). Mary, we appreciate your support of local moms in our North Shore communities! Learn more about Mary by visiting her Meet a Mom spotlight here! Contact Mary directly here: [email protected].
