Partridge got started in real estate the old-fashioned way—knocking on doors and making cold calls. The former theater student had lived in the area only six months and was nervous about knocking on FSBO doors. After she knocked, “I’d run back to my car after a few seconds so that I wouldn’t have to talk to anyone,” she recalls. Today, however, stage fright is a thing of the past. In 2006 her closed sales volume topped $15 million.

Tech plays a starring role: Partridge has embraced a wide range of tech tools, including a five-minute DVD presentation “so prospects can meet me without actually meeting me.” She creates a unique domain name for each listing and runs 30-second commercials featuring her listings several times a month on cable channels—a first in her market, she says. In addition, buyers get personalized home tours on DVD.

Giving back: Inspired by stories of others, Partridge now spends a considerable amount of time on volunteer activities. In 2005 she chaired a governmental affairs committee for the Utah County Association of REALTORS®. She also participates in humanitarian aid projects with her church and coaches girls’ volleyball and basketball teams. The girls benefit from her leadership, and there’s an upside for her, too: “The older I get,” she says, “the better I play.”