This week we sat down with Senior Real Estate Specialist Josh Juneau and Associate Real Estate Specialist Emily Seils. Two peas in a pod, we learned about their hidden athleticism, proactive attitudes and eerily similar families.
Where are you from?
Josh: Well, we’re both from different places. I’m from the South, she’s from the North.
Emily: I’m from the smallest town in the world right outside of Syracuse, New York.
J: I’m from a small town in the northwest Florida panhandle called Destin, Florida. Destin-ation .. unknown.
E: Josh came to my town for Thanksgiving so he wouldn’t have to fly to Florida. He and my other friend both came and he said, “this is the town you see in horror movies.”
J: Just a quick tangent, let me explain. Emily’s house has all these giant windows, she’s in the middle of nowhere, and there’s not one curtain on any of the windows.
E: There are curtains on some of them!
J: There are these giant openings for anyone to look in.
E: But the only people looking in are deer! And cows.
So, did you know you were always Destin-ed for New York?
E: I did. I always wanted to be in a city. I thought Boston for a while, but then I went to Boston and thought that idea was silly. So then I thought New York
J: I actually thought I was going to go to LA after I left school. I ended up coming home one day and one of my best friends called me and said, “let’s move to New York.” And I agreed. I asked my mom and she said, “Do it!” Because I’m an adult.
E: Because adulthood
J: Two weeks later, my friend and I moved up.
Cool! So growing up what did you guys think you were going to do?
J: Whale trainer at Seaworld. Hands down.
Have you seen the documentary ..
J: Big Fish? Black Fish?
E: He’s like, “I’ve seen the movie Big Fish and seen the documentary Black Fish, which one are we talking about?”
J: Yes, I did. It made me so glad to not be a whale trainer.
E: He also didn’t become a whale trainer because he had a nightmare he fell into a whale’s mouth while they were doing a trick.
J: The other reason I’m glad I did not become a whale trainer.
Were you reading Moby Dick?
J: No, I just had very vivid dreams growing up and I still do. The whale and I were doing this side-by-side routine where we go in the air together and dive down as a team. When we went up, he opened his mouth and I fell straight in. That’s when I woke up.
E: It’s funny because I’ve heard this story multiple times and he tells it with exactly the same hand motions every time. I wanted to own hotels growing up. Not nearly as exciting, but I travelled all the time for most of my life, staying in hotels almost every weekend. That sounds really weird out of context, but I was.
J: In context, it’s because of skiing. And racing.
E: Either way, I thought hotels were really cool so I wanted to do that. Then I began to stray away from that, although I think that real estate is pretty similar since its hospitality based.
What’s your favorite hotel?
J: Ho Jo’s. Super 8.
E: My college ski team used to stay at a Ho Jo’s all the time. There was a diner attached to it so we would go and eat so much. Don’t write this. It’s so embarrassing.
When you say, “don’t write this,” it makes us want to write it more.
E: That’s so good to know.
J: So then don’t write that I’m extremely good looking.
Alright, so we’re not going to write that last part.
E: It’s funny that Josh is the only one that laughs at Josh’s jokes.
J: And my Mom!
E: My actual favorite hotel. I love the Atlantis in the Bahamas. Their private hotel there is called “The Cove” and they have a private pool for 18 and over, so you go to the rest of Atlantis and there are children everywhere, which is fun for four minutes. Then you go to the private area. We used to stay at this really sketchy hotel in Lake Placid, NY. It was an old house and it’s the type of hotel run by bed and breakfast people who actually want to hang out with you. And collect your hair after you leave. Do you know what I’m talking about? Like in the movies?
J: I like Hiltons, so .. no I don’t know what you’re talking about. Alright .. moving forward.
Describe your families.
E: I’m obsessed with my family.
J: Our families are very similar.
In what sense?
J: In the sense that both our families are extremely close. We talk to everyone in our families on the daily. If not, every other day for sure. We all have group chats with our families we wish we weren’t in but are so glad we are.
E: We both come from big families. I’m the youngest of five – I have three brothers and a sister. They’re probably the craziest family ever but I love that about them.
J: I’m also the youngest of five.
E: We’re collectively the youngest of .. ten. I haven’t met Josh’s family other than through FaceTime. He’s coming home for my sister’s baby shower next weekend. I’m so excited to explain to upwards of 75 people that Josh is not, in fact, my boyfriend.
J: I’m excited to be drunk with her family. Her family is so funny. My family is cool. Just a whole bunch of Southern people.
And you’re from the same area as Austin?
J: Yeah. Austin, Tyler and I all grew up in city-adjacents in the panhandle at different points. I grew up a large part of my life in the panhandle, Tyler had a short stint there and same with Austin.
Check out Part II of our chat with Josh and Emily tomorrow on Julep. They’ll share some funny TripleMint stories and talk about what they like to do in their free time.
