Then: I was born on the island of Pico, in the Azores, and my family moved here when I was three. I speak fluent Portuguese. This always surprises people because my last name, Bain, is  Scottish, but my maiden name is Xavier. I graduated from East Providence High School, then married and had children soon after.

Family: I have two daughters, Tiana is 28 and lives in East Providence; Shaina is 27 and lives in Los Angeles. Both daughters graduated from the University of Rhode Island.  I have a stepdaughter Lyndsey, who is 25 and lives in New Hampshire. She is studying nursing. My son Cameron is 20 and lives at home while he is taking classes at BCC with plans to transfer to UMASS Amherst. I am a proud grandmother of three! My daughter Tiana has a five-year-old girl and a 6-month-old son, and I am so grateful that they live close and I can see them often.  Lyndsey has a 3-year-old daughter and it was wonderful to have everyone over for the Easter holiday. My husband Rob and I have been together for 19 years. As Townies, we’ve known each other for decades. He's a wonderful husband, and I could not be married to better man. We live in Seekonk.

Career: I worked in customer service and sales for AT&T for twenty years, until 2005. The company started downsizing. Although I had seniority, I knew it was a matter of time before I might lose my job to a layoff. This gave me the push I needed to make a career change. I enrolled in real estate classes and earned both my Rhode Island and Massachusetts licenses. After six months of working part time as a real estate agent, I decided to leave my job at AT&T and pursue real estate full time. Some people thought I was crazy to leave an established corporation which provided good compensation and benefits, but I knew this was the right thing for me to do—the personal satisfaction outweighed the potential risks.

Why real estate: Real Estate was something I always wanted to do, but as a single mother of three, changing careers was never an option. When I took the class, the instructor suggested I start with a small agency. I was hired by Joe Botelho at Red Realty. He was a great mentor. He taught me so much, and I am so grateful to him. Then Michelle Cartwright and Todd Mosher from RE/MAX River's Edge approached me, and I thought it might be beneficial to work in an agency backed by a national name. Michelle and Todd are wonderful to work for. They are always accessible and foster a true team environment.

In my down-time: I love photography—I always have a camera in my hand. I love cooking and I like to be active, whether kickboxing or walking my German shepherd and border collie. Rob and I love to travel and have been to Mexico, Portugal, the Dominican Republic….this summer we are going to Italy's Amalfi Coast. I enjoy entertaining and spending time with family and friends.

On Work: The culture at AT&T was very disciplined—customer service, problem solving and sales—skills that I was able to utilize as a successful real estate agent. Putting my clients needs and best interests always come first. I understand that their move is incredibly important. I make myself available seven days a week. I enjoy working with both sellers and buyers, and have developed many long-term relationships with past clients. My advice to buyers and sellers? Find a professional that you trust and are comfortable with.