What Volunteering With SCORE Ventura Taught Me About Real Estate in Conejo Valley

by Camille Marsh

As a SCORE Ventura volunteer mentor and Conejo Valley real estate professional with over 25 years of experience, some mornings remind you exactly why the work matters. This week the volunteer mentors of the SCORE Ventura chapter gathered for a celebratory brunch at Honey & Herb Waffle House in Newbury Park. It was one of those mornings that reminded me why I said yes to this volunteer work in the first place.

The event was more than just a lovely brunch. It was an opportunity to recognize the impact SCORE Ventura mentors continue to make throughout Ventura County’s small business community. It was also especially meaningful to celebrate at Honey & Herb Waffle House because this restaurant, a local business, is both a SCORE Ventura client and one of the chapter’s 2025 award recipients for significant business achievement and growth. The restaurant was bright and welcoming, and the selection of Belgian waffles was outstanding. My “Chicken and Waffles… But Make it Fancy” meal was excellent and delicious. I would gladly go back again.

SCORE is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs and small business owners through free mentoring and business education. Here in Ventura County, the SCORE Ventura Chapter serves communities including Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Camarillo, Ventura, Newbury Park, and surrounding areas. The mentors who volunteer their time come from a wide range of professional backgrounds, including former executives, retired business owners, corporate leaders, and experienced professionals who want to give back to the next generation of entrepreneurs. It was also an honor to have our Director of Field Operations for SCORE National in attendance for the event.

I’ve been volunteering with SCORE Ventura since 2016, supporting the organization behind the scenes through workshop planning, community events, and mentoring local entrepreneurs. Over the course of my career, I’ve spent more than 25 years in residential real estate, helping people navigate some of the biggest financial and personal decisions of their lives. I’ve worked with first-time buyers, growing families, downsizing homeowners, and investors through multiple real estate market cycles throughout Southern California. Along the way, my experience has also included launching a wholesale business as well as working for several major Fortune 500 companies. Those experiences gave me exposure to entrepreneurship, corporate operations, customer relationships, marketing, negotiation, and long-term business strategy, all of which continue to shape how I approach both real estate and mentoring.

While I generally avoid directly handling SCORE clients’ real estate transactions to maintain clear professional boundaries and avoid potential conflicts, my background still gives me valuable perspective when working with entrepreneurs and small business owners. Many business owners face challenges involving growth decisions, cash flow management, marketing, client acquisition, operational planning, and adapting to changing economic conditions. Those are conversations where decades of experience in real estate, business, and corporate environments can often provide practical insight.

Volunteering with SCORE has also given me something valuable in return. It has deepened my understanding of the Ventura County economy and the people building businesses throughout our local communities. When you spend time listening to entrepreneurs, you gain insight into what is helping businesses grow, what pressures owners are facing, and how economic shifts are affecting real people at the ground level. That kind of perspective sharpens your understanding of a community in ways no market report ever fully can. As a real estate professional, that matters. Real estate is never just about houses. It’s about people, businesses, community growth, financial confidence, and long-term decision-making. Staying connected to local business owners and entrepreneurs through SCORE Ventura has made me more informed, more connected, and ultimately more effective in serving my own clients throughout the Conejo Valley and Ventura County communities.

One thing that has always mattered to me is finding ways to use my experience to help others. I believe the experience and knowledge we accumulate over the years should not stop with us. There’s real value in helping someone avoid a costly mistake, think more clearly about an important decision, or simply feel encouraged during a difficult stage of building a business. SCORE provides a meaningful way to do that while staying connected to the community where I live and work.

Looking around the room at Honey & Herb Waffle House, it was clear that the people there were not volunteering for recognition. They were there because they understood that strong local communities are built when experienced professionals choose to invest in others. I'm honored to be a part of that. If you're a local entrepreneur or small business owner looking for guidance, mentoring, or business education resources, SCORE Ventura County is worth exploring. Mentoring is free, and the people who give their time genuinely care. You can learn more at www.score.org.

For me, that kind of community investment isn't separate from my work in real estate - it's an extension of it. The same values that bring me to a SCORE mentoring session are the ones I bring to every client conversation. If you're thinking about buying, selling, or navigating a real estate decision in the Conejo Valley or anywhere in Ventura County, I'd welcome the conversation. Reach out anytime. I'm always happy to be a resource for this community.

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Camille Marsh

Broker Associate | License ID: 01277020

+1(805) 387-2350