At a Glance
I don’t have time for books, but I do subscribe to The New Yorker, and I like to read the poetry first.
What charity or cause are you passionate about?
I am always concerned about shelter, especially shelter for abused women.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
Unfortunately, I head for the refrigerator [she laughs].
What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
Nagasaki… the home of Puccini where he wrote Madame Butterfly, which is of course one of my favorite operas.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
Hmm. I guess I should probably say, because I live in Alaska, a moose, a bear, or a caribou—but that probably wouldn’t be my first choice.
At a Glance
I don’t have time for books, but I do subscribe to The New Yorker, and I like to read the poetry first.
What charity or cause are you passionate about?
I am always concerned about shelter, especially shelter for abused women.
What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day at work?
Unfortunately, I head for the refrigerator [she laughs].
What vacation spot is on your bucket list?
Nagasaki… the home of Puccini where he wrote Madame Butterfly, which is of course one of my favorite operas.
If you could domesticate a wild animal, what animal would it be?
Hmm. I guess I should probably say, because I live in Alaska, a moose, a bear, or a caribou—but that probably wouldn’t be my first choice.
Off the Cuff
mprobably, Connie Yoshimura parlayed an MFA in poetry from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop into a career finding homes for Alaskans. The owner of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Alaska Realty learned to close a deal before she ever sold a house, beginning as a waitress. “I would try to figure out what was good in the kitchen that night,” Yoshimura recalls, “and then I would try to figure out what the customers might enjoy. If I could put those two together, then I got a larger gratuity.”
As the daughter of a Japanese-American father, she grew up with her Caucasian mother and stepfather, always feeling out of place. “When you feel different, you work harder,” she says. “You try to make a place for yourself.”
Yoshimura came to Alaska to earn enough money to live as a poet, yet she ended up becoming a prominent local realtor. “I have found that real estate is every bit as creative as writing a poem,” she says. After brokering home sales in the ‘80s, by the ‘90s she started developing properties through her CY Investments, creating subdivisions like Sandhill Reserve in Sand Lake.
By making places for others, she’s made a place for herself.
Connie Yoshimura: I have a group of friends that I walk with. I like to do, on the weekends, at least 10,000 steps… And I have a neighborhood bridge group.
AB: What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
Yoshimura: Lost 100 pounds. Twice… It’s scary to lose weight because it changes others’ perception of you.
AB: What’s your favorite local restaurant?
Yoshimura: Peter’s Sushi Spot. I think they have the freshest fish, and if you’re going to eat sushi or sashimi, you want to make sure it’s fresh.
AB: Dead or alive, who would you like to see perform live in concert?
Yoshimura: Elvis in Las Vegas.
Yoshimura: I would say I have a good quotient of emotional intelligence… [but] I consider myself an adequate manager. I’ve had to learn more about management. I consider myself now at a C+… I’m an only child and I’ve never raised children and I never participated in team sports, so I sort of lack the learning experiences you have when you have to relate as a mother or with siblings or on team sports… Management is a learned skill; it’s not intuitive for me because of my background.
AB: What’s your greatest extravagance?
Yoshimura: I like fashion, but I buy everything on sale.
AB: Is there a skill you’re currently developing or have always wanted to learn?
Yoshimura: I’ve had a couple of ideas for new poems, so I’m probably going to think about spending a little more time doing that. 
