Since the mid-1990s, realtor Janet Lawless Christ of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage has found Rancho Santa Fe to be the perfect destination to represent her clientele. As a Ranch resident herself, she continues to be enchanted by the area.
“Rancho Santa Fe is a lovely place — it’s just wonderful, and it can be so much more vibrant than it already is,” said Lawless Christ, who is passionate about philanthropy.
For Lawless Christ, philanthropy makes life even more incredible.
“I am a true believer in that I am my brother’s and sister’s keepers — I owe it to others to help them out however I can,” she said. “And those ‘others’ can be two-footed or four-footed.”
Lawless Christ is also the co-founder of “Holli”day…AnyDay, a charitable organization in the Ranch. Janet assists her close friend Holli Lienau in the creation of experiences for silent and live auction items. And now, after years of development along with 12 other business wonder women, she is now launching a new enterprise called, “JoyWorks Network.”
Lawless Christ notes that the idea of “JoyWorks” has percolated in her mind since 1995, but recent developments in e-commerce and social media make the concept viable now.
“The JoyWorks Network is a for-profit endeavor, which has a charitable arm wherein a portion of any monies that come into JoyWorks will go toward environmental and educational causes as well as animal stewardship,” she said.
Lawless Christ believes that these causes are underserved and much can be done just by heightening awareness and funds. Twenty-seven percent of the net JoyWorks profits will go toward these charitable arms. The remaining percentage will be a business endeavor so that the organization can continue to donate.
“Our mission statement says it all. JoyWorks is a socially conscious lifestyle brand with a mission to help people choose joy and lead a life of joy through content, products and charitable giving,” she said. “We strive to inspire focus on environmental education, and animal stewardship, to promote health, fitness, and mindfulness and to empower people to support each other and achieve their potential.”
JoyWorks’ content will highlight inspiring stories on its current website, as well as its upcoming app, Instagram TV, YouTube and social media outlets. Audiences will hear stories of inspiration, beating the odds, uplifting others and more joyful acts.
“JoyWorks doesn’t mean you’re a Pollyanna and you don’t recognize that there are thorns on a bougainvillea bush,” Lawless Christ said. “It’s about focusing on the beauty, not the thorns. We’re selling what everybody is seeking for in this world. Really, everybody does want to be happy. Choosing joy is a way of life.”
Aside from the content, JoyWorks subscribers can also be part of the seasonal box experience. The environmentally friendly boxes will be made possibly from bamboo or compostable cornstarch. The JoyWorks team will curate joyous products such as flowers, organic beauty products, pet products and more.
Creating JoyWorks also inspired Lawless Christ to write a children’s book about one of her rescue dogs, nicknamed Nugget, titled, “Nugget the Nomad, Adventures of the Yoga Dog.” The release date will be in January 2019 with all proceeds going toward JoyWorks’ charitable functions.
Having been in the real estate industry for more than 20 years, Lawless Christ said her new branch manager, Brian Freeman, and Director of Growth Robert Luciano at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Rancho Santa Fem have reinvigorated her business vision. In fact, it’s trickling down to JoyWorks in a big way.
“If any real estate business comes to me personally as a realtor because someone’s heard of JoyWorks or wants to share the vision of JoyWorks, 72 percent of my net commission from a listing or buyer I represent will go to one of our charities,” she said. “This is how much JoyWorks means to me.”
Lawless Christ commends Luciano and Freeman on the business culture they instilled in the Rancho Santa Fe office.
Luciano pointed out how their company hears what their agents have to say and does what they can do to empower them. They want to support their agents while they are out there helping their clients.
“We’re all in this together, and we all have one mutual goal in mind, and that’s just to be the best,” he said.
Freeman describes the business culture as one where that have figured out ways to never say “no.”
“At Coldwell Banker, we really provide a diverse environment as collaborative — it’s supportive, and it’s fun, he said. “We’re a company that I believe not only here in the Ranch but throughout our San Diego region inspires pride to our agents.”
Lawless Christ said she was so impressed by Freeman and Luciano, that adding the element of a philanthropic enterprise through JoyWorks in her real estate business seemed like a natural segue.
“I can’t wait for what the future brings — in 2019 JoyWorks is going to come out of the gates blazing our trumpets,” she said.
To learn more about JoyWorks, visit JoyWorksNetwork.com.
