It’s Meet a Mom Monday! This week, we are THRILLED to introduce Cindi Sodolski – our new realtor partner. Cindi is a seasoned mom of 4, and is an absolute wealth of knowledge when it comes to raising kids in the city. Meeting her in person was a true joy! it’s clear that she is incredibly passionate about her family, as well as helping families in Chicago find their perfect neighborhood & home. You can find Cindi at her main website, but also at her fun project Cindi And The City where she shares tours of many Chicago neighborhoods! Keep reading our interview below, where Cindi shares more about mom life, some tidbits about raising kids in Roscoe Village, and how she got started in Real Estate! Thank you Cindi for sharing with us today!
If you are a local mom that would like to be featured in our “Meet a Mom” series, please send an email to [email protected]
Hi Cindi! We’re so excited that you are our new realtor partner, as you have so much valuable wisdom to share with our community. Once you told me that you raised your children in the city, I instantly wanted to pick your brain and ask you 100 questions! For starters, can you share how many kids you have and their ages?
Thank you, Kelly. I am also very excited to be joining this great community. You are correct, we chose to raise our kids in the city. Believe it or not, the kids always thank us for allowing them to grow up with everything around them and the diverse nature that the city brings. We have four children: a set of triplets, Ben, Sam and Luca, and my “little” guy, Nate. Our triplets are 29, and my youngest is a junior at Purdue studying Data Science.
Have you always lived in Chicago? What brought you to the city?
I am originally from Youngstown, Ohio but have lived in Chicago for over 30 years. Since my husband and I both grew up in small towns (he is from New London, Wisconsin), we decided to give our kids the opportunity that we never had and to learn what it is like to live in a big city. My career in medicine (specifically in Ultrasound, Vascular, and Cardiology medical sales) led me to Chicago. I originally lived in the Loop for 3 years, then Lincoln Park for 10 years, and finally have been in our home in Roscoe Village/North Center for 22 years.
You raised your children (and currently live!) in the Roscoe Village area. What has been your favorite part about living in Roscoe Village?
Where do I start? We have met the most amazing people in Roscoe Village and North Center who, happily, are still part of our lives. With all the kids playing sports, we love how so many great parks surround us. The Riverwalk is also a huge plus and really fun to take long walks with our dog. My husband, Sid, coached football and baseball for years at Welles Park and we got to know so many families from all over the Northside. We live very close to Bradley Place’s children’s venues, such as Goldfish Swim School, IK Gymnastics, and Chicago Fire Pitch. It feels like we are in the suburbs, yet we remain in the heart of the city. We love all of the shops and restaurants on Roscoe and Lincoln Square which we frequent often.
Your children all attended CPS schools, including selective enrollment high schools! What was your experience like? Do you have any advice to share with parents currently starting their school search process?
Yes, all four went to Bell Elementary School but started at St. Josaphat and Lincoln Park Co-op in Lincoln Park before moving up to Roscoe Village. Sam and Luca went to Whitney Young High School and Ben and Nate went to Lane Tech, all Selective Enrollment High Schools. The selective enrollment process is tough. It is a lot of work for the kids and they need all A’s and high test scores to gain entrance to the Selective Enrollment High Schools. However, we have found that it really prepared them for college and the college application process. There are also some great alternatives. Every child is different and it all ends up working out. I have endless advice about navigating the schools, getting involved and volunteering on different school committees and ensuring that your kids get a great education. Part of our business model is that we attend numerous school tours in Chicago to learn about them intimately and feel fortunate that there are so many great options for the kids in Chicago.
Tell us more about your Real Estate background, and how you started the Cindi Sodolski group!
I got interested in real estate when I built a new construction home in Roscoe Village. I was fascinated by the process in the beginning to end result and all of the steps along the way. I used my past medical and medical sales background to strengthen my real estate career based on knowledge, trust, honesty, hard work and putting the client first. I have been selling real estate for 13 years now and love it! I have helped many people start new journeys and have assisted countless individuals in moving on. My clients become my friends and I am very grateful for this. I work with Compass real estate which is an amazing company with the best technology, support and marketing. My office is based in Lincoln Park where I spend a good amount of my time.
We’d love to hear more about how you balanced career & motherhood throughout raising your children. Would you be able to share more about this?
Well that might take some time 🙂 Spending time with my family is very important. I dedicate a very long day to my clients but will always make time for the kids and cherish every opportunity to do so. It is true what they say about time. The days are long but the years go by fast. Whether it was cooking, cleaning, helping with homework, pickups, drop offs, and more, I always tried to give each child individual time – especially the triplets. We would have outings and I would call it their “special day”. I had some flexibility in my schedule where I was able to schedule events, games, special occasions and more to make some incredible memories.
You are super involved in several community/charity endeavors. Can you tell us more about these, and let us know how moms in our network can get involved as well?
I have been on numerous school committees such as fundraising arms like auctions, booster club: more assisting like allergy, inclusion committees, homeroom mom, etc… Also charities like Autism Speaks, Michael Rolfe Cancer Foundation, Agents against Cancer, Starfish Foundation, and many more. The best way to start volunteering is to figure out who needs you the most, what interests you, and what you are most talented in, such as raising money or lending a helping hand.
Rapid Fire Round:
Go-to coffee shop: Coffee Joint
Advice you’d give your younger self: Travel, travel and more travel. Spend money on experiences, not material things
Favorite vacation destination: Anywhere in Europe, especially Italy
Chicago neighborhood where you’d like to spend more time exploring: Andersonville
Thing you can’t leave home without: Chapstick
Best way to unwind after a long day: Talking with my kids or playing with our Goldendoodle, Archie
