Day: August 4, 2025

• Stacey Lokey-Day transitioned from a stay-at-home mom to a cybersecurity analyst.
• She leveraged a cybersecurity boot camp and LinkedIn networking to secure her first job.
• She now works at Wiz and continues to engage on LinkedIn.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Stacey Lokey-Day, a 37-year-old security operations analyst at Wiz, based in Georgia. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I got married at 20 and started a family really young. My husband was in the National Guard, and I was a stay-at-home mom, and then our marriage ended.

At 29 years old, I was single and had two small boys. Reentering the workforce, I knew I needed to make $15 an hour, which is about $30,000 a year. I enrolled in a cybersecurity boot camp, and when I got my first contracting position, I made about three times that amount. Two years later, I hit my six-figure salary mark.

I picked cybersecurity because the opportunity was there

Before getting into cybersecurity, I worked as a 911 communications officer for six months. I was barely making enough to make ends meet. I was unhappy, stressed out, and it was not a good fit.

The area where I live is close to a military base, and on Facebook, people said that if you get the proper certification, you could work on the base and make good money as a cybersecurity contractor.

I looked online and found a cybersecurity boot camp that could be taken virtually. I was then committed to landing a job in cyber.

Thinking about entering the workforce in tech was a little crazy

Boot camps have had a bad reputation for being scammy, but I didn’t really have a choice. Some places have 24-week boot camps, which claim to teach you everything. Some of them guarantee that they’ll help you land a job.

I’m a little bit older, and I wanted a career, so I was determined to make this work. I looked at the local colleges. I ideally wanted to find one close to me and a reputable name, and Georgia Tech had one.

Growing my LinkedIn presence helped me launch my career

My boot camp professor told us cybersecurity is a small field, and we needed to network. I knew no one, and I thought about what I could do. One of the things I could do was use LinkedIn.

I would share what I was learning in boot camp to look like a real candidate in the cybersecurity field. A lot of those early posts were bumpy, reposts, or two-liners. I would also attend webinars and message the presenter on LinkedIn afterward and say, “Hey, I really appreciated your webinar, or I saw your video on YouTube. I really liked it.”

Slowly, that helped me gain more credibility because I was then connected to these prominent speakers.

A recruiter reached out to me after seeing my posts

I started my boot camp in February and was set to graduate in August. I started applying to places in July, and I was getting some interviews but not landing anything.

I was still posting that I’m looking for my first job, that I bombed an interview, or about other career journey experiences. At one point, a recruiter messaged me, and two phone calls later, they offered me a junior phishing contract position, which included analyzing emails to determine if they were benign or malicious.

My original goal was to get a job on base, but I needed a paycheck, and I realized I could just leverage this opportunity into something more.

Ultimately, it worked out. I worked 12-hour night shifts, and it was brutal. But I leveraged that nighttime experience to talk with and learn from other team members because nights were quieter. Ultimately, after three months, I was able to secure a full-time job with that company.

I’m now happily employed, but I still post on LinkedIn

After I was hired full-time, I was promoted to an associate security operations center analyst and then became a career security operations analyst. Then I reached a point where I wanted more.

I saw this opportunity at Wiz, a cloud security company, on LinkedIn, and because I always stay ready, I had my résumé prepped and applied immediately. I didn’t know anybody at Wiz or have a referral; I just applied. I was able to land the first and second interviews and eventually get that offer.

I’m now happily employed at the company as a security operations analyst, but I still post on LinkedIn. The tech market changes so fast, so I think it’s really important to keep showing up for yourself and for the future career that you want. Even if you’re happy right now, you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future.

Do you have a career journey story to share? Contact this reporter at aapplegate@businessinsider.com.

• Redfin released its ranking of the 10 priciest home sales of 2025 to date.
• The most expensive home sales this year are mainly located in California and Florida.
• BI spotlighted five homes with luxury amenities like grotto-style pools and private golf courses.

While homeownership is out of reach for many, the ultrawealthy continue to snap up luxury properties with ease.

Affluent homebuyers are increasingly seeking homes with amenities that promote health and well-being, like pickleball courts, spa-like bathrooms, and resort-style pools. They’re also drawn to turnkey homes where minimal renovations are needed — and they’re prepared to pay top dollar to get exactly what they want.

In July, Redfin released a list of the 10 most expensive homes sold in the US between January and July 2025. According to the company, this year’s priciest home sales were split primarily between California and Florida, with two additional sales in New York and Hawaii.

Here are five homes featured on Redfin’s list, ranging from a Spanish villa in Los Angeles to an luxury condo in New York.

Business Insider has also included the median home sale price for each city as of June, sourced from Redfin.

1140 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan, FL 33462

Sold for: $55.5 million in May

Median sale price Manalapan ZIP code 33462: $408,000

This newly built home is among the most expensive properties ever sold in Manalapan. Margit Brandt of Premier Estate Properties brokered the deal.

With its sleek, modern exterior, the waterfront estate resembles a contemporary art museum more than a traditional residence.

The property, which sits on 1.6 acres, offers 150 feet of waterfront access. It includes a 19,000-square-foot main house with nine bedrooms and a 4,000-square-foot guest house with four additional bedrooms.

Amenities include a private dock, two pools with spas, a pickleball court, and an 8-car garage.

9391 N. Carolwood Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90077

Sold for: $57.3 million in May

Median sale price in Los Angeles: $1,125,000

Originally built in the 1920s and expanded over time, this Spanish villa has been carefully preserved to maintain its original design.

It spans 15,305 square feet, has 10 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, and sits on a 3.84 acre lot.

The property is surrounded by lush greenery, with vines along the exterior walls, while the grounds are lush with bushes, shrubs, and trees, resembling a botanical garden.

150 Charles St., Unit 9A, New York, NY 10014

Sold for: $60 million in March

Median sale price in New York City: $880,000

This luxury condo is located in a favorite building for celebrities, one that stars like Bon Jovi and Ben Stiller have called home.

Financier Harsh Padia and his wife, interior designer Purvi Padia, paid $29.1 million for the condo in 2016. The Wall Street Journal reported that they sold it in March through an off-market deal.

The 5,840-square-foot unit sold for $60 million, making it the most expensive condo ever sold in downtown Manhattan.

It has five bedrooms, five and a half bathrooms, and several outdoor terraces. Residents also enjoy access to the building’s fitness center, yoga studio, and sauna.

66 La Gorce Cir., Miami Beach, FL 33141

Sold for: $60 million in March

Median sale price in Miami Beach: $570,000

This waterfront mansion is located on the exclusive, guard-gated La Gorce Island, where celebrities like Cher and Dwayne Wade have owned homes.

The home’s $6,224 price per square foot set a record high for single-family homes in Miami Beach, according to South Florida real estate website Profile Miami.

Spanning 9,640 square feet, it has a dramatic 24-foot foyer and a private elevator. Inside, you’ll find six bedroom suites, two additional staff bedrooms, and 10 bathrooms. The home also includes a dedicated office and a spacious family lounge.

A standout amenity is the private fitness studio, complete with its own terrace, steam room, infrared sauna, and a Salvatore stone bath.

71 Beverly Park, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Sold for: $63.1 million in June

Median sale price in Beverly Hills: $2,950,000

Located in North Beverly Park in Beverly Hills, the home at 71 Beverly is as luxurious as it is grand.

The 30,500-square-foot mansion sits on a 6.2 acre lot and has 12 bedrooms, 20 bathrooms, and a guest house.

Homeowners won’t have to go far for entertainment.

Along with a state-of-the-art home theater, the property has a wine and cigar cellar, a dedicated tasting and smoking lounge, a tennis court, a five-hole private golf course complete with its own driving range, and a resort-style grotto pool.

• Rajaa Chraibi earns $22,000 monthly by renting pools via Swimply in Los Angeles.
• Chraibi, a real estate agent, started using Swimply in 2021 after seeing a billboard ad.
• Outsourcing tasks and clear communication are key to her success in this side hustle.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Rajaa Chraibi, a 35-year-old real-estate agent and broker in Los Angeles who also has a side hustle as a host on Swimply. It’s been edited for length and clarity.

Since 2016, I’ve been a real-estate agent and broker at High-End Estates in LA. My side hustles include flipping houses, and, since 2021, working as a host on Swimply at the properties I own.

Through Swimply, I rent out the pools in the backyards of the house I live in and other properties (one of which is currently for sale) and make some money on the side.

In 2021, while driving through LA, I saw a billboard ad for Swimply

The concept of renting your pool by the hour immediately resonated with me. Several of the properties I owned at the time had pools, so when I got home, I downloaded the app and used some of my existing listing photos to list my first pool.

Given my background in real estate, the entire process was very intuitive for me. My first listing went live in less than a day. Now I use Swimply to rent out five pools and beautiful backyards across LA.

I rent out the pools for $75 per hour, and Swimply takes a 20% cut. My backyard pool at my home brings in $5,000-$6,000 a month, and all my pools combined bring in around $22,000 a month.

Most of the time, when guests are using the pool at my home, I leave the house.

Building my side hustle with Swimply was a very simple and easy process

From the beginning, I outsourced pool maintenance, property management, and cleaning to various vendors. I spend about 5% of my earnings on automating management.

My teams check my pools before and after each booking, restock any disposable items, and clean everything. Guests can book instantly through the app.

I’ve found that clear communication with guests, a well-maintained property, smart pricing, and great photos lead to success. You need to respond to guest questions quickly. I’m usually able to respond within minutes.

There are certainly improvements they could make to the Swimply app

For example, automated messages for check-in/check-out would make my life much easier. Airbnb, where I’m also a host, offers this feature, and it’s so helpful.

Overall, my Swimply side hustle is a great way to maintain any property I purchase. My earnings pay for the mortgages, so I don’t have to stress.

Because of my Swimply earnings, I can invest in other properties, travel, and enjoy life. I love that it’s basically passive income.

This pool-renting gig doesn’t require a lot of work on my end

Each day, I make sure that the listings are up-to-date and inquiries are answered. That’s really it. I put maybe three hours a week into this, but outsourcing and automating the majority of the work has been so helpful.

During the first year, the work felt a bit more seasonal, but today it’s always on — people book for professional events, baby showers, and even winter parties. We’ve seen a lot of productions and commercials shot in my backyard. A lot of movies, music videos, birthdays, weddings, and even proposals have happened there, too.

This summer has been very busy — nearly every weekend has been booked and will be until October, and because we offer discounts during the week, weekdays have also been fairly busy.

My best advice for those looking to rent their pools on Swimply would be to have great photos

Photography matters, so I always recommend investing in professional photos. Lighting is key as well, and everything looks better at sunset, so we typically shoot during twilight hours.

Communicate well and promptly. Have a simple listing. Some listings can be confusing — it’s unclear what’s included. Is it just the backyard? Do they get access to the house and kitchen, too?

At the pools I rent out, every guest has access to the pool, backyard, and bathrooms. They can also add the kitchen or a bedroom (to change or give a baby a nap).

It’s very important for guests to have a great experience. Over time, you’ll see that not only will you have return guests, but the friends they bring with them will book with you, too. It’s a business where success breeds success.

This side hustle has even helped with networking

Recently, we hosted a great event attended by Swimply’s CEO, Bunim Laskin, and Zillow CEO Jeremy Wacksman. I was not only hosting but also invited to the party.

I didn’t expect real estate networking opportunities to come from this side hustle, but events at my listings have given me face time with huge industry players.

One of my Swimply guests became a client, and I helped her purchase a single-family home here in LA. Funny enough, it has a pool, too. They really liked the idea of Swimply and saw a pool as an investment opportunity because of it.