My Word for 2026: Grateful
One word keeps rising to the top for me as I step into 2026 — Grateful.
I can’t begin to express how grateful I am for the life I get to live. Not just the opportunities, but the way I get to live them.
What makes this season of my life even more meaningful is knowing where I came from.
For nearly 20 years in a previous career, I dreaded going to work most of the time. I did what I needed to do to provide, but deep down I knew I wasn’t walking in what I was created to do. During that season, my wife, Terra, prayed that one day I would be able to sell real estate full-time — doing what I truly love. She never stopped encouraging me to keep working toward that dream, even when it felt far away.
Today, my career doesn’t feel like work — it feels like my hobby. It’s something I genuinely enjoy. I take it seriously, I work hard at it, and I care deeply about serving people well. But I also know this: if it ever turns into something I dread, I’ll find something else to do — because life is too short to live outside your purpose.
Along the way, I was blessed to work with some incredible leaders and brokerages who shaped my journey:
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Morrie Sheppard – Metro First Realty
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Jim Fischetti – Keller Williams
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Rob Allen – Sage Sotheby’s
Each one taught me different things that helped build the foundation of my real estate career. I am truly thankful for these men and the impact they had on my life. They were blessings to me, and I will always be grateful.
Every morning when I wake up, I look at the day ahead and simply thank God that I get to do exactly what I want to do — serve people, build relationships, solve problems, and be part of meaningful moments in their lives.
I am grateful for my business partner, Wyatt Poindexter, who took a chance on me as his partner when we opened The Agency in Oklahoma City and in Tulsa. Wyatt, I’m thankful not only for our business partnership — I’m also thankful for your friendship. I’m blessed to sit beside you, learn from you, and pick your brain. This has been an incredible journey as we grow The Agency into something we never imagined we could build on our own. You and Angie are a blessing to so many people, and Terra and I are deeply thankful for you both.
I’m also grateful for my parents, Donnie and Katie Kirby, and my in-laws, Terry and Imogene Fowler, for always showing me that building relationships, treating people the right way, staying humble, and living with integrity is what truly matters in this life. I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to learn from them.
Most of all, I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead my boys, Luke and Nick, and show them that business can be done differently than most of the world does it — with integrity, honesty, and heart. My words to them are simple:
Boys, treat people the way you would want to be treated.
Grateful for my family.
Grateful for my past.
Grateful for the people who poured into me.
Grateful for the clients who trust me.
Grateful for the opportunities that continue to open doors I never could have planned myself.
If 2026 teaches me nothing else, I hope it keeps teaching me gratitude — because gratitude changes how you see everything.
And I am truly, deeply, undeniably grateful.
Wayne Kirby
Managing Partner- The Agency OKC & Tulsa
405-550-5252
www.thekirbygroup.agency
