How I Made It: Ann Dashiell on selling some of L.A.'s most noteworthy homes

"I was always comfortable in that arena. Her father was a prominent landscape architect whose projects included the landscaping for the Houston Astrodome and Rice University. She grew up in a modern home that was once featured in Architectural Digest. Her father used to take her along to his various jobs."

"The business was getting ridiculous. So one day I told my daddy, 'I'm going to sell it to a store.' But breaking into the big-time proved to be difficult. Dashiell faced rejection after rejection as she pitched her jewelry to stores around town. Determined, she finally swayed a local business owner."

"It was a real journey. But I knew if I gave it a little time, I'd be just fine. By the end of her first year, she had her first sale: a vacant lot in Hunter's Creek, the Beverly Hills of Houston, that sold for more than $1 million."

Ann Dashiell is a luxury real estate agent at Pacific Union International in Los Angeles who relocated from Houston four years ago. Her career success stems from an artistic foundation—her father was a prominent landscape architect, and she grew up surrounded by design and architecture. She demonstrated entrepreneurial instincts early, starting a custom jewelry business at age 15 that she eventually sold to retail stores after persistent pitching. Dashiell entered real estate in 1992 seeking stability as a single mother, despite initial discouragement about her prospects. Her breakthrough came with a $1 million vacant lot sale in Houston's Hunter's Creek neighborhood, establishing her credibility and launching her career trajectory in luxury real estate.

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