Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeni Calhoun.
Jeni, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
# Christina Barclay
Christina Barclay is a real estate broker, community developer, speaker, and healing practitioner whose life’s work has been shaped by resilience, faith, and a deep commitment to helping people transform their lives.
Raised between Detroit, Michigan, and Nashville, Tennessee, Christina experienced adversity at an early age. After completing her first year of college, she made the decision to move permanently to Nashville in 2005—a decision that became the beginning of one of the most transformative chapters of her life. Her mother had relocated to Nashville years earlier in search of a fresh start, and Christina arrived carrying the weight of childhood trauma, emotional walls, and a deep distrust of others.
Searching for healing, she turned first to her relationship with God. Through prayer and Scripture, she began rebuilding her life from the inside out. That spiritual foundation led her to discover yoga, breathwork, meditation, and eventually transcendental meditation. Alongside professional therapy, Christina spent nearly a decade intentionally unpacking the effects of adverse childhood experiences and developing healthy coping strategies that would forever change the trajectory of her life.
As healing unfolded, so did her creativity.
Writing music and poetry became one of the first ways she learned to express emotions she had never been able to put into words. Over the course of several years, Christina became an active artist in Nashville’s independent music scene, performing at iconic venues including Exit/In, The End, Café Coco, Sunshine Pizza, community festivals, and numerous local showcases. Her music also took her to Chicago, where she performed multiple times at the historic Subterranean. Those experiences taught her the power of storytelling, authenticity, and using art as a vehicle for healing.
What began as a personal journey soon became a calling.
Believing God had given her a blueprint for healing, Christina felt a moral responsibility to share what she had learned with others facing similar struggles.
She accepted the role of Executive Director of the Moms Over Murder Program at Nashville Peacemakers, where she worked directly with families impacted by violence. During her time there, she received facilitator training through SPACES (Safe Places for the Advancement of Community and Equity), equipping her to lead trauma-informed healing circles for youth throughout Nashville. She also organized hip-hop concerts, poetry showcases, and community events that raised awareness while creating safe spaces for healing and connection.
Her commitment to community leadership continued through Gideon’s Army, where she first served on the strategic planning team before later serving approximately three years as a member of the Board of Directors.
Christina’s work continued to evolve as she began creating healing spaces specifically for women. Inspired through the Yoni Poppin community founded by Ty Steele, she organized gatherings in local parks, churches, and private homes where women could safely process trauma, learn mindfulness practices, participate in guided meditation, and engage in honest conversations about healing, identity, and purpose.
Over the past decade, her work has expanded to include healing retreats, grief support, Bible studies, prayer calls, workshops, community gatherings, and two podcasts—*Keys to the New Ages* and *Art Is Healing*. She also produced the documentary *Chasing Butterflies*, which explores the journey of healing from grief through personal testimony and authentic storytelling.
While her healing ministry continued to grow, another calling emerged.
In 2017, Christina entered the real estate industry with a vision that extended far beyond buying and selling property. She saw real estate as another form of healing—one capable of restoring neighborhoods, creating generational wealth, and helping families build stable futures.
As founder of Buy Back The Neighborhood and a Realtor with eXp Realty, Christina has become a multi-million-dollar producer, mentor, and developer focused on residential, commercial, and community-centered development projects. Her long-term vision is to create developments that combine affordable housing, economic opportunity, and spaces where communities can thrive.
By 2025, however, Christina recognized that years of simultaneously leading a growing real estate business while carrying the emotional weight of healing work had left her exhausted. Rather than continue serving from depletion, she made the courageous decision to take a sabbatical.
That season became another lesson in healing.
She learned that true leadership is not measured by how much you give away, but by your willingness to replenish yourself. Today, Christina believes that the healthiest leaders serve from abundance rather than burnout. She no longer pours from an empty cup—she serves from her overflow.
Whether she is mentoring agents, developing neighborhoods, facilitating conversations around healing, or helping families purchase their first home, Christina’s mission remains the same: to restore people, strengthen communities, and leave every place she touches better than she found it.
Her story is ultimately one of redemption—a testament to the belief that healing is possible, purpose can emerge from pain, and the greatest legacy we can leave is helping others discover hope, ownership, and wholeness.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No road in life is smooth . The path to success is riddled with lessons that masquerade as failures. You could be on top of the world today and dodging the repo man tomorrow . During my journey I have been homeless , broke , hated , loved, lied to and manipulated , honored ,respected and disrespected all at the same time. I have been the under dog , the hero and sometimes even the villain in my life story.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I think I went a little too in depth on my first question. You should be able to draw your answers from that . The only thing I left out was during my time in Detroit I worked for my High school paper having several pieces published in the Detroit Free Press . I also worked as an apprentice at the Detroit Free Press upon graduation.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
My Relationship with God and my resilience. Having the ability to bounce back from anything has taken to places I never dreamed I would be. Also having compassion and being eager to learn .
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenicalhoun
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/147734419222534/user/1547884168/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinabarclayrealtor/
- Youtube: https://music.youtube.com/@Artishealingtoo
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jeni-calhoun
- Other: https://www.loopnet.com/commercial-real-estate-brokers/profile/christina-barclay/z7myppxb
