When most people think of a second career after retirement, they think of putting a skill to good use - - Maybe dusting off those gardening skills to work in a flower shop or using the knowledge they have of fixing cars to help out a local mechanic part-time.

One usually doesn’t think of opening up a bail bonds office, which is exactly what retired teacher Nancy Kelly did. After twenty-five years teaching in Fort Myers, FL public schools, Nancy opened up Get Smart Bail Bonds, LLC. Initially, that might seem like a big change in careers, but as Nancy puts it, she uses a lot of the skills she learned as a teacher and applies them in the bail bonds business, “Show people respect and go above and beyond the call of duty,” she says.

With a solid network of connected friends within her community, Nancy will find whatever her clients need: an alcohol treatment facility? She’ll find one. Someone needs to watch a client’s pet? She’s on it. They need a job? She gets the word out. When the difficult time is behind her client, she’ll take them by the shoulders, look them square in the eyes and say, “This is over with – Now start doing good things and watch your life change.”

As a middle-school teacher, she learned a thing or two about patience and trying to help those who can, at times, be hard to handle. She observes that a kid who was rowdy in junior high and who didn’t get some sort of intervention at that age will end up walking through her door now. This is why Nancy pours every ouch of energy she has into helping her clients. More often than not, because of her care and guidance, they will check in with her and give her updates on their progress.