By: Arli Lima, BmoreFab Correspondent
The term “Power Couple” is often associated with celebrity personalities such as, Jay-Z and Beyonce, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, or Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade. All are very different couples but they have one thing in common – they have mastered individual careers with many accolades and their success increased when they joined together and became a “Power Couple”. Much like the aforementioned couples, Baltimore Ravens Linebacker Jameel McClain and his girlfriend realtor Keisha Sullivan both had successful careers before meeting each other three years ago. Not only was McClain a vital part of the Baltimore Ravens since 2008, but he also worked with the Baltimore Salvation Army and the United Way lending his philanthropic talents to help local families. Sullivan has been a real estate agent for the past seven years and has continually managed to grow her clientele in the ever-changing home buying market. A coincidental meeting at a Superbowl party sparked a surprising conversation and the rest is history. Read on to find out how this couple feels about working together and their opinion on managing life and love.
Let’s begin with how you met. What is your love story?
Keisha: Jameel do you want your version or my version?
Jameel: I’ll let you give your version because yours is the right version.
Keisha: His version is a lot of fluff, he says things like I stalked him…a lot of lies, so you don’t want his version [Laughs] The real story is we actually met at a lounge and it was a Superbowl viewing party downtown [Baltimore] I was about to leave and he was just getting there. So I’m waiting at the door for my friend and Jameel walked in and asked me “Who’s Girlfriend are you?” So I say, “I’m nobody’s girlfriend.” That sparked the conversation and we started to talk. To make a long story short, we have the same birthday to the year and that freaked me out, because of that I was compelled to give him my number. I just felt a weird connection to him because we had the same birthday but as we talked we realized we were connected in a lot of other ways also. .
After you initially started dating… how did you know that this person was the one for you?
Jameel: How did I know? I knew the moment that I met her she was going to be the one for me. It’s a weird feeling and I never had that feeling before; just to see someone and to meet someone like her. I remember telling her back then “We are going to be together…you’re gonna be my girlfriend and we’re not cutting any corners with this.” So for me I knew from the first moment that I met her that this is the woman I dreamed of my whole life. Just to be able to have it all in front of me was amazing. I knew we were going to be together.
Keisha: For me I’ve learned from different relationships over the years and in my mind I thought if I could have someone that enjoys some of the things that I like to do and have the same ambitions and goals that I had for life, then I would give it a try. When I met Jameel he managed to be all of those things without me telling himwhat I wanted. Sometimes when you met people you’ll say, “I want this type of man and I want that type of relationship,” and people will try to become exactly what you want, but when we met it wasn’t like that. He listened more than he spoke, and I wasn’t looking for anything in particular he was just giving everything to me that I always knew I wanted. He fits the mold in my mind of what I wanted my dream man to have and it just ended up being him.
You both have really busy careers…How do you balance your relationship and make each other a priority?
Jameel: Well what helps us balance is we both are in tune with each other’s career. Although it was a challenge in the beginning we are in tune with each other’s careers now and it’s really nothing to balance because we are both a part of everything. If she has to show a house or check out a new house location I’m there. If have to do an appearance she’s my number one supporter or at the football games she’s my number one supporter. We are so in tune with each other’s life there is really no separation. We are usually always together.
Keisha: I think in our situation too It’s kind of easy because football is only six months a year, so we have basically have all of the other six months to ourselves. I’m always focused on my real estate business and I always have clients, but we’re just at an advantage that his job is only half the year so it makes it a little easier to balance certain things.
Do you guys work on any projects together?
Jameel: Well…we’re actually working on a project now but we are in the beginning stages, I think it will be pretty premature to talk about.
Top Secret Stuff?
Keisha: We are always in the lab thinking of things. You have no idea…there is always something brewing that is about to happen. It’ll be bigger projects to come with both of us involved meshing our two worlds together.
O.K. Sounds exciting! Now in what way would you say your significant other makes you a better person?
Jameel: O.K. Keisha, Please go first!! Flatter Me! [Laughs]
Keisha: I used to think I was pretty great. I used to think that the things I overcame in my life gave me an excuse to be kind of proud. I’m the type of person that people can’t tell me much because I feel like I’m so independent…and then I met Jameel. He’d dealt with things that I dealt with in my life but even worse. And I feel like I have a different type of respect for him because of the things he’s gone through in his life. He brought out the better things in me so I respect him enough to listen to those things. And he’ll be the first person to tell me I need to improve on something and if the person you are with can’t show you something about yourself that you didn’t see or you don’t want to see then I don’t feel like that’s the situation you should be in.
Jameel: For me I’ve always in my life believed that I had drive. I know I had drive and I always worked hard. I always worked hard to reach a destination but I never knew what the destination was. I never knew exactly what it was that I was missing. I enjoyed things in life but I never felt fulfilled in it and Keisha brings me all of those things. The best way to say it is;; she brings me purpose. What’s the point of having drive if you don’t have purpose in your drive? She gives me the thing that defines me which is love and care. All of the things that I was neglected in life and all of the things that I thought I could live without she gives that to me. So when I met her it all just swept me by storm. She made me appreciate her, she made me appreciate life and she made me appreciate family. She gave me the time to sit back to learn to love and learn to share, she gave me so much.
You’ve been together three years, that’s a milestone. How do you keep the romance alive in your relationship?
Jameel: Well for starters I’m sexy as hell! [Laughs]
Keisha: Oh Gosh [Laughs] How do we? I don’t want to give you the uncut version…no I’m joking. [Laughs] But um we date a lot.
Jameel: A lot..like a lot.
Keisha: At one point in the beginning of our relationship I would be looking forward to Friday because Friday was date night. It would drive Jameel crazy. He would always say he didn’t want to have a specific day set aside for date night. At first I didn’t get it because I thought in the beginning you need those lavish bright lights and everything, but three years later I look forward to those random nights that we just go get something to eat and chill. Sometimes I’ll get dressed up and do my makeup and my hair because you have to keep certain things fresh that way. Other times we like to go out of town. We also just make fun of anything we just like to laugh.
Jameel: My idea of keeping it spicy is being spontaneous. It’s like when you plan something you get this piece of paper and write down 10 objectives and say this is what romance will be in these 10 objectives, but if you miss two of them you are gonna feel like you missed romance. So if you just enjoy live and live day by day I think we’ve found that to be successful. I will admit sometimes we have to plan because Keisha is a planner, but we have found that balance and we compromise.
What is your personal definition of a power couple?
Keisha: I would say a power couple is two different people with two separate drives and two separate purposes. Real Estate is my passion and Football, charity, and community work is Jameel’s passion so I feel like when two people have separate passions that drive them and they come together to better each other that’s a “Power Couple”
For more information on this power couple and updates on their joint venture, be sure to check out ksullivantherealtor.com and jameelmcclain.com.
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