November 21, 2024 • 54 mins
Discover the unexpected journey of Amy Barricelli, Senior Vice President at RR Living, as she navigates the multifamily industry from a humble newspaper ad in the late '90s to becoming a key player in shaping future industry trends. Amy's career path offers insights into the evolution of marketing in multifamily housing, reflecting on a time when paper maps ruled and internet listings were in their infancy. Her story is a testament to the power of a growth mindset and how embracing change can lead to not just professional success but also personal fulfillment.
This episode promises a deep dive into the role of technology and innovation in transforming multifamily operations, led by Amy's candid reflections and experiences. Explore how AI is reshaping roles, allowing professionals to focus on more impactful contributions while technology handles monotonous tasks. Amy highlights how RR Living's rebranding under CEO Melanie French fosters a collaborative environment that encourages passion and creativity, proving that innovation and strong leadership can create a thriving workplace culture.
We also explore the significance of empowering women in leadership and creating inclusive environments that foster genuine human connections. Amy shares insights into initiatives like the Multifamily Innovation® Council and "RR Giving," which underscore the importance of community engagement and servant leadership. This conversation is a powerful reminder that when employees feel a sense of ownership and purpose, it leads to both personal and professional growth, painting a brighter, more empathetic future for the industry. Join us as we uncover these transformative themes that are reshaping the multifamily landscape.
Connect with Multifamily Women®:
Carrie Antrim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrieantrim/
Multifamily Women® Summit: https://multifamilywomen.com/
Be a Guest on the Podcast or at the Summit: https://apps.multifamilywomen.com/speakingrequest
Multifamily Women® Leadership Series: https://apps.multifamilywomen.com/join
Multifamily Innovation® Council: https://multifamilyinnovation.com/council/
Multifamily Innovation® Summit: https://multifamilyinnovation.com/
Best Places to Work Multifamily®: https://bestplacestoworkmultifamily.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Back to the Multifamily Women's Podcast.
We are so happy today to havean amazing guest, Amy Baraselli.
She is with RR Living.
She's their Senior VicePresident.
Amy, we're so glad you're heretoday.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Thank you, Lauren.
I'm really glad to be here.
I appreciate the invitation andI'm excited to chat with you
this morning.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Same here, and so let's start with how you got
into multifamily and then howyou ended up at RR Living.
Yeah, perfect, thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
So I guess everybody has a story about how they
didn't necessarily intend tohave a career in property
management and multifamily creptup on them.
So similarly, I also got intomultifamily by a means of which
maybe others did not.
I never really started out inlike a typical leasing
consultant position.
I wasn't on property initially.
(00:49):
I actually answered an ad in anewspaper back in 99.
And then I was, withoutrealizing it.
I was responding to anopportunity to be a part of a
sales team for advertising in amagazine Apartment Guide that
was free to people, for peopleto pick up when they went
(01:11):
shopping or when they went topick up their Blockbuster rental
videos.
That's how old I am.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
I remember Blockbuster.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Do you?
Okay good, all right, good,well, and I think this is the
best fun tidbit about that Okay,good, all right, good, well,
and I think this is the best funtidbit about that Back then we
were offering, you know, fullpage ad or whatever you buy, and
with it we would value, wewould provide you with a value
add, additional option of thisweird new thing called the
internet, where we were juststarting to launch this website,
(01:42):
where we had to explain topeople that there would be these
listings and maybe people wouldgo on the website and they
would find out more about yourcommunity.
Otherwise, because back thenyou know, the way that I was
able to generate the interestand overall handle my sales
responsibilities was I justdrove with a map, with a paper
map, from property to property.
(02:02):
I will say I've met so manypeople, so many people who are
still in our industry.
I see our events all the time.
The one who hired me for thatposition is still very active in
our industry.
So I started out on the side ofbeing more of the associate,
member, partner, vendor, and Idid that for about 10 years.
Eventually, because I wasselling a service.
(02:25):
I had a regional provider, agreat company.
It's Corming Communities whohad asked if I would be
interested in selling with thembecause they really provided
more of a corporate suite andback at the time this was going
back to 09, they were providingsomething nobody really was with
a lifestyle and experience, sothat was a little bit more of a
(02:47):
premium.
Now, today, I think everyone'sbeen smarter to that.
So I ended up jumping ship andcoming over on the management
owner side and since then I'vehad a couple of different
positions and, as always,different companies and, like so
many of our colleagues, I endedup here at RR Living because of
a collaborative opportunitywith another company where we
(03:09):
were going to merge and I hadworked with our CEO for years
previously.
She's the type of inspirationalCEO you want to be a part of
and partner with.
So when I had the opportunitywhich has been about a year and
a half now I came over to BarOur Living At the time it was
(03:30):
reef residential and a year ago,right before Thanksgiving last
year, we rebranded to have themissions, the core values and
our processes, our proceduresand what defines us really
become part of our namesake aswell.
So we rebranded.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Wow, what a story.
First of all, amazing, I wantto know.
So I love that you have such arobust experience and I feel
like having to knock on doors asmarketing.
That's just to me like anamazing start to having to
really think and get creativeand then introducing the
internet and seeing how farinnovations have come since then
(04:10):
.
I just love your story.
So how has that robustexperience kind of channeled in
your current role or are nowkind of having that background?
What do you take intoconsideration that you feel like
helps you be a mentor to others?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
And I'll you know, yeah, absolutely.
So.
I love this question because Iremember the first time that I
was in a training session againwith one of these marketing
partners to the multifamilyindustry was at that point.
I was I think I was with adifferent one at that point but
selling advertising, and now Ithink the majority of them are
either not here anymore or ownedby one large co-star group.
So essentially it was back then.
You know, it was before all,when there were kind of the
(04:53):
multiple options out there whenit came to print magazines.
Probably about four years, threeand a half, four years
afterwards, we had this newpotential medium that we had to
deal with called Craigslist, andthen we had this other back to
(05:13):
back about a year, year and ahalf later with social media,
and it was really just Facebookat the time.
Myspace didn't play into thingswhen it came to multifamily
marketing.
But I can remember kind ofbeing like I'm stuck in the ways
that I know work.
I was, in my mind, you know,successful.
I've been to our president'sclubs year after year.
I've done what I you know, I'vebeen promoted, I've been this
(05:34):
and that.
Why do I need to know what thissocial media is why do I have
to change right?
So it became very much thatmindset of managing to what I
knew best and the.
You know the reasons I evenstarted to learn what social
media was and the impact it wasgoing to have was due to the job
that I had at the time.
It's part of the expectation,but the empowerment that that
(05:56):
provided me and the change andgrowth mindset that I recognized
a value after that, because Ithink you know really.
I think that those days in itpartly is because, as you're
maturing and learning, you'reopen to new experiences, but I
saw the value of it right.
There was nothing that theindustry was trying to do that
was so innovative.
It was trying to catch up atthe time.
(06:17):
I think that that's what's sodifferent now.
You know, I just came back fromour leadership retreat, so we
spent this past weekend and acouple of these last few days
bringing in our best andbrightest leaders and chatting
about what we're ending the yearwith and how we perform, but
also getting our minds around2025 and how we want to make
(06:39):
sure that it is impactful,what's working and what's not.
And we had a session where webroke out into teams and we had
the dry erase boards and wewrote out what to stop doing,
what to start doing, what tocontinue doing.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
And resoundingly.
You heard of the AI, thecentralization, the
opportunities that simplifypeople's lives, not fearful of
their livelihood, you know,become the forefront and which
I'm so proud of.
I think we tried to do this.
We did this with COVID right,some of us were trying the
(07:21):
working remotely.
Or how do we integrate somebasic, beyond just chat GPT, but
some basic AI functions withchatbots?
We all tried a little bit ofcentralization and it was met
with some of our industryveterans or some of our team
members with a little bit ofconcern and is this a passing
(07:43):
fad?
What does it mean for me?
But I think every single personnow is so aware of the value
that nobody wants to do therepetitive work.
It's not empowering, it's notexciting, it's not.
We'll get up in the morning tofeel like we're contributing to,
and if that's where we're ableto steer the industry away and
provide even a better experienceand more servitude and more
(08:06):
opportunities for the residentsto feel like they're part of
something special with us, thenwe're giving the right attention
in the right places.
So, yeah, so I would say thatif it's, if I'm looking back on
it, my 25 years ago introductionto the industry has allowed me
to really see the benefits ofthe growth mindset that we need
(08:26):
today to be not just innovative,but to be courageous.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Yeah, it's amazing that you said all that, and I'm
actually really glad you wentthere, because all I could think
about when you were talkingabout the internet and us going
through such a wild change likethat, ai is going to be the
internet times a million andit's going to move 10 times
faster, right, so we all need to.
Not, this is not just a passingfad.
This is a new, a whole newplatform for which our world is
(08:56):
going to be built on.
As I told you earlier, behindme is actually our AI innovation
lab, so we're literallybuilding a space to build, to
bring companies throughinnovation and how to move
through that change, because wejust see, we have the foresight
to know that everyone's going toneed it, yeah, so I love that
you are thinking that way.
I love that your teamsrecognize that this is not just,
(09:19):
this is not going to go away.
How do we embrace it and how dowe, to your point, stop doing
those redundant tasks and startdoing the things we like to do?
Speaker 2 (09:28):
And I love that you brought an immersive experience
right, I mean until peopleunderstand it.
The unknown is always going tobe a little bit of a concern
right At best, but the fact thatyou're bringing in an immersive
lab-like experience for peopleto walk through and understand
the value, that's the best wayto learn.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Yeah, and it's truly.
We realize that there's goingto be such a level of training
that comes along and justknowledge transfer that comes
along with all of this to allmove through it together, right?
So that's why we're doing whatwe're doing.
But I love that you went therebecause I want to know what our
living thinks about.
You know how do we think abouttechnology and being progressive
(10:08):
in that way.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Absolutely so, um, but I noted that we were, we had
rebranded to our the name our,our living, which plays on our,
our parent company is Reef or,I'm sorry, Reef Holdings, so
Reef Residential was the, themanagement and operations end of
our business.
We don't want to lose that, youknow, we're very proud of it,
and ultimately, though, what wedid want to do is bring the fact
that we are an experience inproviding something special, and
that's where the living comesthrough right.
So you know, my team will tellyou that one of my famous little
(10:38):
sayings is that I don't get upand go to work in the morning.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
I go up, get up and go to life in the morning Do
what we do.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Yeah, I mean I also think, like the idea of work,
it's a negative connotation Ihave to get on a plane, I have
to get in by nine.
I, you know those are just.
That's a mindset, and revampingthe mindset allows for a lot of
that opportunity to think ofthings differently and I think
with our living we're trying toembrace that it comes from the
(11:06):
top.
We have the most, I would sayyou know, empowering and
innovative CEO that I know I'vepersonally ever had a chance to
work with and this isn't myfirst company with Melanie
French, who's very active alsowith multifamily women.
We love her.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Yeah, and I don't blame you right.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Like some of her best qualities are how trans, how
open she is and how she's soshe's everybody is.
She's available to everybody.
She's, you know, the firstperson to do the hardest job, or
the first person to do whateveris, you know, the most
challenging or frustrating, or,and I just think that the days
(11:41):
are gone where we're segmentedinto sections and we're, you
know, not as a holistically partof everybody's experience, the
day-to-day environment.
And you know, I think the daysare gone where you, like I said,
go to work and you, you know,go home and get your weekends,
because that's what you live for.
I used to live for my weekends.
My hashtag, you know, back whenthat was the cool thing to have
(12:04):
, was to create a life you don'tneed a vacation from.
I'm not claiming everything'sperfect all the time, you know.
I don't.
I'm not making this intosomething.
It's not.
I just think that there's amindset opportunity where you
where, the more that you'reenjoying, the more passionate
that you become, because it'sit's the fun part of things
(12:24):
plenty of non-fun, but my pointin saying all of that is, the
non-fun tends to be where yourAI and change can start to allow
you to be part of the thingsthat make you grow excited and,
you know, embrace the day.
You know I don't really whetherit's a Saturday or Tuesday.
I get to do the things I wantto do versus.
And again, we have meetings andwe have goals and we have
deadlines and budgets, but wealso have that experience of
understanding the power that allof us can bring together as one
(12:47):
unified group of professionalswho are looking, as we are
growing, to surround ourselvesby like-minded individuals who
want to do what's right for theteam, who want to do what's
right for the residents, whowant to do what's right for the
ownership.
All those things are notindependent of you know,
independent of each other.
They intersect.
We believe we found exactly howthat should run.
(13:10):
We are no way, like I said, themost perfect company, but I
just think it's a specialcompany.
It empowers people to bedifferent.
We want uniqueness.
We want to challenge you, tobring magic.
You know it's actually one ofour core values.
You know that they that themagic is in the details.
We want people to do their bestand be their best.
(13:30):
Own, own your business and ownyour mistakes.
And, by the way, if you didn'tmake a mistake, are you human
and the area where you can, canyou know less afford to make
those mistakes?
Let's get AI involved in that.
You know, that's your FASs, toget really granular, that's your
, you know.
Let that be where we actuallypartnered with a great company.
(13:52):
It's called BuzzCRM BuzzAI isactually what it's rebranded to
run by Jake Lisby, and thatcompany has found such an
amazing way to bring AI into ourdelinquency and collections
that our team members are notsitting in a community all day
having to make those reallyuncomfortable calls that make
(14:14):
them more of the problem to aresident and not a partner to
the resident.
Yeah, so we've got a host ofways and a host of opportunities
for the team members in ourcommunities from our resident
relations managers, which is theposition that we feel is much
more impactful than a leasingspecialist or agent.
When it comes to titles, youknow, to somebody who's,
(14:37):
somebody who's there to makesure that that experience works
is the most upfront andprioritized item of our day, and
we do recognize and we talkabout this on a regular basis
that it is so impactful and sospecial to provide people with
homes In the world we live intoday and politics although day
(15:00):
after election aside and allthose other things it's a major
expense for everyone, whetherthey're owning or renting.
It is probably your largestexpense.
It is also going to be thething that drives you the
craziest and it's also going tobe the thing that you're kind of
hyper-focused on the most,because you're making your
memories in those four walls.
So if we make those four wallsspecial and beyond just the four
(15:23):
walls and into a neighborhoodand into an experience and you
know, we hope you choose us yearover year over year, and if
that's not the you know, ifthat's not for you, then we hope
that you have only the bestexperience while you're here for
your next chapter of life.
But there's a way to do it andnot allow it to become
monotonous.
To do it and not allow it tobecome monotonous kind of be
(15:50):
much more in the driver's seatof experience than allowing the
day in, day outs to happen toyou when you're influencing it.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Okay, everything about the way that you think I
am just taking notes because Ijust I love you just dropped
truth after truth after truthand I just I love the way that
you are approaching things.
I love the way that our livingis approaching things.
We love, obviously, we adoreMelanie she's a big favorite
over here and Jake and you areboth on the council, the
(16:18):
Multifamily Innovation Council,which is really awesome, and
that's kind of part of why we dowhat we do is to bring so many
people together.
That's kind of part of why wedo what we do is to bring so
many people together.
And now we're building thephysical space so that we can
help move people through exactlywhat you're talking about.
Right, so connect peoplerealize like issues, how can I
help solve for those?
So I think it's so important tohave connections and know that
(16:41):
you're not in this alone andtrue partners right, know that
you're, you know, not in thisalone.
And true partners, right, likewhat you just said about you
know, buzzdrm or BuzzAI, thatyou know having those partners
that you feel like are reallytruly alongside you in this
journey of rolling something outthat is truly, I think, right
there, like stuck out to me.
You know any supplier in thisindustry.
(17:02):
That's what you aim for is thatkind of relationship where it's
like I'm going to lean on you,I'm going to go to you.
That's again what we hope toaccomplish here too.
So I just think that'swonderful that you're seeing it
that way.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Yeah, absolutely.
Our partnerships are invaluableto us and we don't claim to
know it, like I said, any better, or be able to do it on our own
.
But we, just we think that thelevel of the passion that
everybody brings and theauthenticity of being part of
something that people care aboutand again it comes from the top
Our leader is very transparentwe have opportunities to
(17:40):
understand how we play into abigger picture.
We have opportunities tounderstand what we'd like to
accomplish beyond 2025.
Things that you're just feelinglike you're part of something
special.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Yeah, yeah, and that's how it should feel and I
really admire that about you.
So tell me more about as aleader, and obviously this is
our multifamily women's podcastand we have our Women's Summit.
As a leader, how do you empowerother women who are looking to
grow in their career or want totake that next step or find that
(18:12):
promotion?
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
How do you do that?
Again, that's another kind ofjust played on this a little bit
, but I think that my team willtell you a kind of phrase that I
often say is to take you ortake them on the journey with
you.
So it's my, my approach isnever to give an answer without
the why Right, so thateveryone's learning.
By the time we've spent a fewmonths together and we're in
(18:35):
processes and handling some, youknow, some needs or whatever
the case may be or launching anew project or overseeing
something new a new project oroverseeing something new the
team already kind of understandswhat's going to happen next,
because I don't ever want tojust provide the answer to the
issue or solve a problem.
I want to bring them on thejourney, even the things that
(18:57):
are outside of the day-to-day ofthe realm of my departments and
I'm fortunate because I get towork with marketing and branding
and our resident relations.
I do a lot with our centralizedteam, you know.
So I've got a hand in a fewthings and I will say that you
know I can think of.
Every leader is going to saythis.
I think every one of our teammembers is the hardest working,
most genuine human beings whoare experts and absolute
(19:21):
excellent at what they do, andeverybody wants to know how they
can be bigger or part of, in abigger way of of what we do in a
in a more impactful environment.
You know how can I continue tocontribute?
Otherwise it's redundant andbringing them on the reasoning
and the journey behind adecision or a next step, or you
know, we had encouraged thedirectors and our RVPs and the
(19:44):
team members who attended thisretreat with us this past few
days was, you know, now bringthis to the team.
These are not big secrets thatnext year we're going to have,
you know, new award ceremonies,or we're going to try this, or,
you know, we'll be centralizingsomething differently.
What we want the team to feelis the impactfulness that they
have, because nothing is to belaunched or to be kind of
(20:08):
discussed in a vacuum.
The idea is the team should bepart of it, and I can tell you
time and again when we havetaken an idea or worked with a
new procedure or process, heardfrom the team what the issues
were and instead of having thatthat's what we're doing
mentality revamped.
It stopped it, you know, tookthe team with us on the journey
(20:29):
and made sure, which isn'talways easy with 418 people.
But you know it's not that theit's less about opinions and
it's more about what is rightfor the business, because the
people are the business right.
So as long as we're able tomake it make sense in a way that
we all want to be part of it,then we're doing the job the
right way.
So I think my team would saythat I, I hope I inspire them
(20:51):
that they're part of somethingbigger and they know that, if
you know, this time, 10 yearsfrom now, they wanted to be at a
particular level or differentdepartment or whatever, that
they are influencing thatopportunity today.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Wow, that's an applause worthy answer.
I think giving them skin in thegame, just like you're saying,
you know, like just, it's sofunny because we actually spoke
about this at the Women's Summit.
We, you know, it's so easy togo to compensation as an assumed
.
You know what keeps someonearound or what helps with that
turnover, or, and really, nineout of 10 times, it really is
(21:27):
just, I want to be heard, I wantto be seen, I want to be a part
of this, and so you'd be sosurprised when you stop and you
say, well, what do you thinkthat was the best thing anyone
ever did for me in my career.
I was an assistant.
It was 12 years ago, andsomeone said to me well, what do
you think we should do?
And I, no one had ever asked methat before and I stuck at that
company for eight years.
(21:48):
I told you about it, you know,and I was, you know, I'm like it
wasn't about at that point.
It was just about having a spot, a seat, you know, and being
heard.
So I just think that that.
I think that's wonderful, whatyou're doing and how you're
empowering people.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
Yeah, the longer our table can be, the more people
can be invited to it, right?
So that's really what we'retrying to do.
It doesn't have to have thatthat exclusivity feel, has to
have that the empowermentopportunity, because our leaders
, the leaders of tomorrow, aresitting right next to us and we
know it.
So, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Wow, well, very inspirational, and I hope
everyone takes notes and takesnotes out of that book.
And I was thinking when youwere talking about, too, that
kind of traditional that I'vewitnessed working for certain
PMCs is that gap between thecorporate office and on-site
teams, and there was a lot, frommy experience in the past, a
(22:43):
lot of disconnect at those twolevels, and so it really sounds
like our living and you and yourteam are doing that, listening
to connect the dots and saywe're not just telling you you
have to roll this out, we'reasking the people who have to
use this product or service ortechnology how do you feel about
this?
Have a hand in building it?
(23:04):
How do you feel about this,have a hand in building it?
And that alone, the buy-in, therollout, all of it just kind of
comes naturally after that,versus you're just telling me I
have to do another thing.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
That's it, absolutely .
I was with one of ourcommunities in Tallahassee a
week ago and I created a newposition that is very
resident-centric and it's partof our giving program, so we've
got an entire philanthropic armwhere we're really responsible,
we think, to serve ourneighborhood, not just the
(23:36):
communities that we're residingin, but everything that we can
create as an even bigger andbetter lifestyle, which I think
everybody uses, but a bigger andbetter lifestyle and experience
, so that our resident basereally feels part of something
special.
And I was sitting down with oneof our business managers and we
were talking about a couple ofitems and I asked that specific
person now that we brought inthis new position, did it bring
(23:59):
value?
Did it bring value?
Is your day easier?
Are things being?
Is it lighter?
Now?
Not every position is needed atevery property, it's not
necessary.
But the fact that that personwas like this is the exact.
You told us that you heard uswhen we said we needed this
resident-centric and not justleasing professionals or
assistant managers handlingresident concerns.
(24:20):
And you know this was the firstwe felt empowered to understand
how we were, you know, able tosay the words and reciprocate
right away as part of that,because I remember when that
person brought it to me only amonth before that, I thought
well, why are we looking to?
Maybe, you know, replace ourthird leasing professional there
, if you're telling me there arereally some opportunities?
(24:40):
So we're open.
We want to hear from people.
We trust the team they are.
They're CEOs of theirmultimillion dollar business.
Again, we, we have reportingand we have procedures and we
have things we need to follow.
Everybody has something theywould change.
But ultimately, if you're notgetting up and, like I said,
going to life because you'reexcited to do it, because
(25:01):
there's some value in it beyondthat paycheck, as you said, then
I want to know because that'sthat's.
Nobody wants to be surroundedby people who are just kind of
there for the for the reasonsthat are that are at the lowest
level of of what makes us happy.
Right, we just just.
We all want the same thing.
We all want to be happy, we allwant to be heard and we all
want to have, you know, a littlefun while we're doing it.
(25:24):
So if we can't laugh through itand we can't smile and we can't
say yes to a resident'sridiculous request because we'll
get one, we all know it andfind a way to be that maverick
experience and come out on top.
And I just found a way to givesomebody something they never
thought they could have.
I got a bidet in a propertythat's 1980s legacy.
(25:46):
I can't actually replumb right.
These are things that peopleget excited to just be empowered
to do so.
It could be a minor, it couldbe major, it could be
position-based, it can beopportunity-based, but that
empowerment, I think, is justreally why people are, and I
think there are a lot of ourcompanies doing this in the
industry.
I will say I think that thisindustry has gotten a lot less
(26:06):
rigid and there are time aftertime we see and hear that there
are leaders listening, reallylistening.
I just happen to personallythink that my experience over
the last seven or eight yearswith with Melanie French has
been a couple of companies thatthat she's.
She's the real deal, it's verygenuine with her.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Yeah, yeah.
And I just think that absolutelyand I completely agree with you
.
I mean, and to be thinkingabout the resident at the end of
the day, I just think isbrilliant.
First and foremost right,because that's who we're serving
at the end of the day.
You know, when you talk aboutlike, you know people, your
(26:45):
people, you talk about them likeand I hate to say this like
adults.
You know, we hired you for areason.
Yes, we hired, we trust you.
You are a community manager,meaning, like you, your job is
to manage this community and soto actively listen.
And when you actively listen,what I've noticed a lot of to
your point after, you know,after COVID shook up the way we
(27:06):
had to work and thencentralization kind of came out
and people were playing with theorg chart a little more what
you realize is, when you talk toyour people, they might say you
know what, maybe we pay ourmaintenance guys a little more
and we can run with one less andwe just bump them.
Little things like that I'mnoticing.
People are listening, makingthe adjustments, and those
(27:28):
adjustments are coming from thesite's team's suggestions, which
brilliant.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Why are we not going to listen to those who know best
?
You know, that's kind of likethat where you take the org
chart, like you said, flip itupside down I've talked about
this and get your ideas fromthose who know best, rather than
going out to communities once aquarter and claiming you know,
you know what's going on better.
I think one thing that reallydoes, though, set our living
(27:55):
apart is that our directors, ourleadership, they're expected to
be at our communities everymonth, so, and anything that
needs additional like we havelease ups that are there on a
more weekly basis for theleadership.
But I think the touch point,the partnership, is there when
you're not coming in just to doan evaluation, just to see you
(28:16):
know if you're really walkingunits, you know, or whatever.
But being there, working out ofthe office and I don't mean
working out of the back, whichmakes me crazy Sitting with your
leasing professionals, sittingwith the team and understanding
their day in, day out andcelebrating the birthday to
happen to have that week becausethey were going to celebrate it
without you anyway, but beingpart of it, not making it
something special because you'rethere, it just opens up that
(28:39):
whole partnership in a real way.
It's meaningful.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Yeah, and man on my onsite days I would have loved
to have had that representation.
I remember anytime someone fromcorporate would come to visit
or I would.
Oh, an investor must bestopping by.
That was the immediate thing,you know.
That came to your mind becauseit just was such a rarity, so I
love that.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
And I mean, like you said, when you take your team
members on that journey, I'm thefirst to say you know, we'll
walk units, whoever will pick upa piece of trash, and it's fine
.
And you know that there'ssomebody with kind of a worry on
their face and I'll say to themI'm not the VIP, in fact I'm
glad I'm the one who just sawthat trash.
You're residents of the VIP.
Worry about them, right?
(29:20):
If they would have had to getdown and pick up the trash in
front of their home, that's moreof a disappointment than
whether or not life happened andsomeone dropped, of course, a
piece of trash, even though youdid your tour walk early, you
know, and made sure that thetour path was ready.
I know life happens and that isOK, no one's in trouble, it's
(29:47):
not being documented.
It feels like this real, youknow, and then people will say
to you like can I show yousomething that's going on that I
know is going to become abigger issue, a leak, a problem,
you know, but I'm worried abouthow to present it.
And we try to blur that linebetween the corporate team.
You know the corporate team isthe team in my and I actually
talked about this a little biton the retreat my experience
certainly in our living.
Our expectation is thatcorporate team is available when
the on-site team communitymembers are, which is going to
(30:09):
mean weekends is doing more andoften is influencing without
deciding right.
So that's a little tough too tobe in a department that is
going to provide solutions tosituations that they don't know
enough about all the time totake it as this subjective
opportunity to offer somethingthat they may not now need an
(30:32):
answer to, but not becausesomebody from corporate came in
and said to do it.
It's supposed to beopportunities to learn and
present and become part ofsomething.
I mean to this day, on Tuesdaymornings, central at 10am every
Tuesday, our CEO runs a 30minute huddle and there were
(30:53):
times that that huddle was a lotof like.
You know, here are thepercentages of work orders that
were closed last week, or here'sthis or that.
Now they are slide after slideabout some excitement happening
at one of our communities, afterslide about some excitement
happening at one of ourcommunities partnerships.
You know the service aspect ofwhat we do.
(31:16):
We do not see this, as you know, a four wall and ceiling,
lifestyle, living opportunity.
I mean this.
We serve the residents in a waythat can be meaningful in their
lives.
And again, you know we don'ttake it extreme.
We understand that there aregoing to be those residents, but
when you approach things asthough this wasn't how you got
into the industry is an accidentand so everything, therefore,
(31:37):
is just happening to you, versushappening because you're
affecting it the way you want itto be affected.
It's just a different mindset.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
I'm seeing the industry change it, but I feel
like we're here, are living kindof you know, kind of powering
through, because we're pavingthe way, and paving the way you
know, lead by example, becauseeven if you know and you never
want that, but you know peoplejump from here to here, to here
all the time when somebody hasworked there and I know it you
(32:05):
know, like the types of leadersthey bred.
And so to be a company like that, which it's very much sounds
like our, our living is likeyou're.
You're a trailblazer and it'swonderful.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Yeah, we hope so.
We're listening and we don'tthink it's.
You know, it's not rocketscience.
It is doing what's right forpeople, you know and that's
really kind of and, um, you know, I think too often we talk
about serving our residents orthe experience the residents
have to us.
It starts with the team.
So if we don't have those thingsfor our team members first and
(32:37):
foremost, you know, I remember,uh well, maybe four or five
months ago, but there was a teammember from a previous company
who wanted Melanie to know wherethey had landed, not looking
for a job, just beingcommunicative, and she's sitting
there typing away and textingand I asked who she's talking to
.
I don't think I said thosewords, but you know what was
going on and she was telling mewho it was and I thought, man, I
(32:59):
just love that somebody outsideof the industry now not looking
for anything, is reaching outto somebody that they have felt
like there was just a connectionto, or a mentorship, or you
know somebody who they felt seenby, heard by and just sharing.
You know what was going on inlife right now there was no
motivation, there was no, it wasjust intrinsically a human
(33:20):
contact.
And when we get away from allthose things, there lies, you
know, I think, a lot of thefrustrations of what can
permeate any company or any, anyindustry.
But I think we're finding a way, or we've just authentically
become what makes it so thatit's enjoyable to be here yeah,
it's, and the word culture is sooverused.
(33:41):
Right, we try to get away fromit.
Maybe I'll speak for myself.
I know I do, because I used tothink company culture was like
ice cream on Fridays, you know,like that's a great company, and
I think everybody tries to bethe next company culture, and so
they think of things like let'sdo points to buy Amazon gifts
for our team, or let's do thisor that, but they're not hearing
(34:01):
.
Right, there's you're what yourteam asks you for and
everyone's different, right?
So we've got the team members.
Like you said, I certainlytreat my team like adults,
because they're better at whatthey do than I'm.
You know I would be the firstto say I would be lost with them
.
You know, we're not gonna worryabout what's happening at that
exact moment and where you are.
We just wanna be part of theexperience of making.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
I think that's great and the funny thing.
I always laugh too about theice cream parties or the pizza
parties, because when that wouldhappen and I was on site and I
was overwhelmed with my workload, the last thing I would be like
I don't have time for pizza.
We can't stop everything tohave this pizza and then take a
picture and hopefully post it on.
It's about what you're talkingabout the daily touch points,
(34:51):
the making them a part of it.
Someone is so much more likelyto put in that extra effort to
pick up the trash off the ground.
If they have personal ownershipin this company objective and
they feel like they actuallyhave a say yeah, then they'll
pick up the trash, you know.
But if it's just I'm just doingmy X, y and Z that it's
required of me, it's a verydifferent vibe, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
And same with residents, right, if it's their
home, if they love theirneighbors, if there's, you know,
different than just a breakfaston the go, which we do have, or
you know our fun evenings andthings like that, which is
wonderful.
But if we've brought inwellness, true wellness, you
know we've got a nutritionistwho comes out, we have some
faith-based initiatives, we haveopportunities for people to
(35:35):
partner locally with us, not payus to be a partner, you know
kind of what's in that.
Is it a value to our residents?
Because then we want to be apartner with you.
But when you do all that, you'refinding residents want to take
care of their homes and it's nota temporary, it's a permanent
or a more permanent place forthem.
So they take a lot of pride incleaning up after their dogs.
(35:57):
You know things that might bethe I'm the guy who's telling
you you have to do it andfollowing the letter of the law
of the lease to becoming we'reall part of this right.
I work where you live and it'snot lost on me that this is a
special place to you.
It's a special to me, but thefact that it's so special to you
that you're cleaning it up oryou're taking great care of it.
It's a win for everybody.
(36:18):
It's a win for ownership, it'sa real win.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
Yeah, and I think it's great that you're thinking
that the site, you know, thesite teams are the face of that
and that's really where thatenergy comes from.
And so when you the rightpeople in the right seats and
they're projecting that energyand then the residents are
picking up on that and they feelheard and everybody's feeling
heard, it really is just thegift that keeps on giving.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
Yeah, it really is and I think it's just, it's so
simple.
It's so simple but it may benot the ingrained way and again,
speaking from my own 22 yearold self, but, knowing I've been
in the industry for 25 years, Iknow it's not how I entered the
industry and that's not about acompany or anything.
It was just not what businesswas.
The face of business hasallowed people to flourish
(37:02):
personally, share their stories,participate and again going
back to social media, or, I hopeyou know, philanthropy
opportunities, a servant'smindsets and servant leadership,
which, again, are so key termsthat everybody makes sure they
work into conversation versusthe authenticity of genuinely
being saying what you meanbecause you know what you're
(37:33):
kind of saying is.
Speaker 1 (37:34):
You know people are catching up to this mentality.
But you know and not to brag onyou, but you've been there
already for years, right, formany, many years.
So it's almost like having theinnovative mindset that you've
grown up with, where you're kindof seeing now, okay, I have to
be on the forefront of AI, Ihave to be on the forefront of
some of these.
It kind of ties everything backtogether because the perfect
combination of being on theforefront of that next wave, of
(37:54):
where we need to get our peopleleveled up to it's all going to
seamlessly transition so nicelybecause your people trust you
and they know that you're goingto ping them and say, hey, we're
doing this AI thing, we'replaying a little and we want you
to be a part of this.
That's exciting for them.
It shouldn't be scary, itshould be exciting.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
You hit the nail on the head head and there is some
fear right.
And there's fear withcentralizing, there's fear with
AI, there's fear with any of theunknown.
Are my jobs going to be takenaway?
And here's the simple answer noAI or centralized touch point
can make a resident feel heard.
In that moment when a residentis coming to you and tears in
(38:36):
their eyes and they needsomething, because often that is
how we hear things thatresident's whole need right now.
Yes, they may have something,they may have to explain why
they're going to be late thismonth, they may have something
else, but what they really needto do is be heard and AI is too
artificial to hear.
You know, to understand thehumanity behind that.
(38:59):
We will not take away the needof the human interaction on any
of our communities where itmakes sense for our residents to
feel heard.
Will we take away or we alreadyare centralizing a number of
items that could have beensimplified or could have been
run through a program and AIcould have answered things for
us?
Of course, because those aren'tthe fun things, those at the
(39:21):
end of the month, rushes rightand all the craziness that
people kind of.
You know my experience, I knowpeople were always initially in
the industry, kind of startingout at one position and working
at this.
You know, I go from this level,usually leasing, and then in
the office at least, and thenI'm I'm an assistant manager and
then I'm a community manager toa regional, to an RV or
(39:43):
whatever.
However, the that's not us.
You know that and I will tellyou that personally, I love to
lease right, I love, I lovespending the time with the
residents, I love the residentexperience.
I want to be at every event.
It's just who.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
I am.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Please do not make me sit down and do FASs all day,
right.
So why would the best leasingprofessional potentially be that
personality that wants to bearound your residents and wants
to be part of the touring andwalking and having a big?
What if we did a mini model?
Or what if we did a candy barinstead of a mini model?
Or why don't we find a fun wayto make it interactive with the
(40:17):
resident base?
Does that personality alwaystranslate into the person making
the delinquency calls?
So there has to beopportunities that are really
about that person and not aboutthe need of the property, so
that the personality of thatperson shines through.
The excitement is there.
So you know our I heard itrecently and I loved it we're
(40:40):
not looking for, you know, aladder to climb, but a lattice
to climb.
So there's.
The industry has so many new anddifferent opportunities on
whether it's vendors, whetherit's operators, third party
management.
I mean there's so many thingsthat you could be doing
centralizing and, um, working indifferent industries.
You told me there'd be adepartment that was just related
to resident retention.
You know, and how to make sureour experience and resident
(41:02):
relations are at the forefrontof everything we do.
That was not even aconsideration two, three years
ago.
So I think that we look at itdifferently.
As long as our team membersfeel that they have the path to
be successful, they can can'teven all define it right.
What do you want to do in fiveyears?
I would have said before I'dlike to be an RVP, but now I'm
going to say that's not mypassion, it's just what I see.
I thought I had to get to donext.
(41:24):
So maybe my passion is this andmaybe we can find a way to get
there together.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
No, I think that's brilliant and I, you know I'll.
I will acknowledge the concern,because even working in the the
world of AI now and reallytrying to sink my teeth into
it's not just AI, it'sautomation, innovation, all the
things but but really trying tosink your teeth into it, I was
afraid to.
At first I was like, is thisgoing to put, you know, me out
of a job?
Is that, I mean, marketing wasone of the first things to be
(41:55):
automated.
Right, very simple, to automatemarketing.
So even I was getting a littleconcerned, but what I realized
when I got deeper into it was itwas elevating me as a human,
and that's exactly what you'resaying is it reminds you what it
is to be human again and whatthose touch points look like.
When I'm not knee deep inbuilding out social posts all
day, I'm able to kind of riseout of that and actually be a
strategist and what you hired meto do in the first place.
(42:19):
And so that's my two cents.
I acknowledge that there issome fear that comes with that,
but I also would acknowledgethat when you lean into it, a
whole world of possibilitiesopens up for you about who you
are and what you're capable of.
Truly, that's it.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
Yeah, you hit the nail on the head.
I agree a hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (42:39):
Yeah and so, okay, let's talk.
So RR is so forward thinking.
What are some of the things onthe horizon in the future, in
your future, that you're excitedabout, or any initiatives
happening that you're excitedabout?
Speaker 2 (42:51):
Yeah, I think I mean probably my biggest excitement
right now, our focus right now,and we have a lot.
You know, we've launched a lotthis past year.
We've got a lot that we have tomake sure we are embracing in
every medium and everyopportunity and bringing it
forward.
I personally am so excitedabout what we call our giving.
I referenced that a little bitand it's not just philanthropy,
(43:12):
right, philanthropy is, you know, raising money for heaven
forbid, you know, a hurricanevictim situation.
This really is such animpactful opportunity we have,
with the support of ourownership, you know, our parent
company.
We're really creating this armof RR Giving, or, I'm sorry, arm
(43:37):
of our giving, or, I'm sorry,of our living as our giving.
That brings our team membersinto being a local servant
ambassador, and we've actuallyhired in some cases what we call
residents ambassadors andresident relation ambassadors.
That's a little bit kind ofdifferent, because their idea is
that they are going to providethe touch points in lifestyle
(43:57):
that you just don't typicallyget, and that includes a
wellness opportunity that'sbeyond the traditional yoga by
the pool.
Right, we all have a little bitof something wonderful in our
amenities, but, you know, thiscould go as far as a suicide
awareness prevention.
It could be mission-based.
It could be mission-based, itcould be.
You know, there are things thatwe're starting to build out,
(44:18):
recognizing that, you know, noneof us have our, we're not MDs
in those fields.
But if we can yeah, you know,if we can bring this to our team
members the way we want to andthen bring it to our residents
the way we envision that servingour 50,000 residents takes a
whole different meaning.
(44:38):
On We've already done a coupleof things.
So twice a year it's coming upin December, so it'll be fun
again but we actually have a daywhere we close our offices and
a lot of us do some of this.
But our teams in our 18 marketsnationally are empowered to go
where I should say 18 states areempowered to pick where they
(44:58):
can make the most impact.
What mission?
What you know, where are theyserving food, what can they do,
and take the day and, you know,be available to that need.
But then we want to bring itback, we want to have a
partnership with them and wewant to make sure that it's not
a one and done.
And again, if everybody does alot of those things like a
canned food drive or toys fortots, and those are wonderful,
(45:21):
and I hope that that's allcontinuing in our industry and
we certainly support them aswell.
But there isn't only a month anda half a year where people need
things, and they're not allalways related to just somebody
somewhere in a moment that isobviously in need.
I mean, everyone has somethingthat they have going on.
We're not all therapists, butwhat can we do to make sure
people are heard?
What dreams can we bring true?
(45:42):
What little magic can we make?
We have a number of initiativesaround it already.
So, as we're starting in 2025,we're trying to immerse our
day-to-day in with that and makesure that there's just, you
know, a giving aspect orservitude aspect, as we are able
(46:04):
to provide not just a home, andnot just a home with a nice
move-in gift, but a home with aspecialized need based on what
we understand that residentwants to either have, be a part
of or become, make us aware of,in a way, because we're now
promoting that we can do allthese things or have additional
platforms, and so we have a lotof things we're planning to
launch as part of that.
(46:25):
We'll see what sticks, see whatthe residents want, rather than
just us saying we're doing it.
You know we actually do rightnow.
I think our residents wouldlove knowing this.
But there is a dollar from allof our rent collected on every
single unit and all of ourapartment communities that
automatically goes to our givinginitiatives so that we're able
to bring in answers andsolutions for them.
(46:47):
So you know, as a phone fabricoption.
So I'm pretty excited aboutthat.
If you can't tell, that's akind of project that's got my
passion running.
Speaker 1 (46:56):
And it's so amazing because what it's really doing
is uniting people, and I lovethat you're doing what you're
starting with your teams andwhat works there.
You know giving days, or oneday day off, however often, or
what frequency you know to, totake a day off and do that, but
then bring that initiative backand we'll roll it out at the
(47:18):
community.
I think about that and I thinka community manager is so much
more likely to rally residentsto do something, whether it's a
toy drive or, to your point,handing out food, whatever it is
, if they've already been doingthat you know.
So it's like it's literallyuniting the residents, your, the
people who are, you know,serving the residents.
(47:39):
All it's bringing everybodytogether for a cause and I just
that's amazing.
I think it's wonderful.
Speaker 2 (47:44):
That reminds me of one of the um, one of the
experiences.
So we have a smaller community,you know, under 150 units, and
what we've.
We have a team member there whohas created a woman's
empowerment club, mainly singlewomen who happen to have shared
needs, and she heard about itand she started it herself and
(48:09):
they spend time together when itmakes sense and how it makes
sense and they lift each otherup and they provide each other
support and they provide eachother with other things, of
course, any needs or you know.
So that is only able to befacilitated because we've taken
the centralizing ofadministrative work away from
her day to day.
Now she's connecting.
(48:29):
How would we have otherwiseknown?
Right?
How's she ever going to knowwhat's really going on behind
the scenes?
How could you spend a half anhour speaking with your
residents about why there'ssomething going on?
That's of issue?
And it turns out there were anumber of people who would have
benefited from that opportunityto all be together in that
environment and handle thingsthe way that they've decided to
(48:49):
handle it.
It doesn't mean we do iteverywhere, but the opportunity
for that alone.
You know, our giving initiative.
That seems a little bit less.
You know heart string notedright.
But we created kind of a littlepantry area in every one of our
(49:10):
communities that has a lot ofwhat our service requests come
in asking for.
You've got the chirping of yoursmoke detector so you need
batteries, or you've got like adoorknob or you know little
things that nothing major.
You know plungers and littlethings.
I don't want anybody snakingtheir whole building.
Anything that allows them alight bulb in the bathroom.
You know little things thatallows our residents to come
(49:33):
whenever they want after hours,not have us go into their home
if they choose not to becausethey're private.
If they want to be private andit's not always, you know I need
you to come out here and wecan't get there for four days
and now they have an odd lightin their bathroom driving them
crazy or whatever the case maybe.
So we make sure that we staffthe communities.
Like I said, we have fundsthrough our giving program,
(49:55):
little things like that thatmake sure that what we hear the
residents want we're giving theresidents.
And that's not even that.
You know examples I'mconstantly giving about real
philanthropy, but that isphilanthropic.
We're hearing what you'resaying and what you need.
We're giving you the ways toyou know work or live with us
the best.
You want us to be part of yourday-to-day experience and we
(50:16):
hope we're giving a servant youknow persuasiveness.
We're hoping to persuade youinto being part of our long-term
neighborhood instead of justcommunity, because you see that
it's not our way.
It doesn't have to be our way.
You've been triaged to thelower level.
We'll get to you in a week,right, how about if we get
whatever you need from us andnot make you feel less important
(50:38):
than something else?
Speaker 1 (50:40):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, and that really takes away that,
that mentality of you knowwe're prior, we prioritize work
orders that are more importantand you know, who am I to say
that a flickering light bulb isnot incredibly important to
somebody who works from home allday, you know, and that's
driving them crazy, so, trulylike.
(51:01):
So who am I to say to sit thereand prioritize your work order
over someone else's?
Obviously a flooding, you know,ceiling, but still, at the end
of the day, I think that thatalleviates some of that tension
of like this is available to you.
I hear you, I understand thatwould drive me.
Drive me nuts too, to have aflickering light bulb in my eye
all day.
So, yeah, I love it.
I think it's great, amazing.
(51:23):
Well, I could pick your brainall day because I just think you
are amazing and I love the wayyou think and I love the way
that you've brought all of thesethoughts to our living.
I love that you and Melanie,who's, again, we're huge fans of
, are just doing amazing thingsin our industry and you're very
we're proud to have you as acouncil member.
(51:44):
We're proud to have you both,as you know, sponsors of or
people who attend our summit,and to have you there every year
.
So, thank you so much.
Is there anything that we, youwant to leave our listeners with
?
And you know any inspirationalwords for our group.
Speaker 2 (52:00):
No, I mean honestly.
I would want to say thank you,because this has been a lot of
fun.
I always love talking about ourliving and what we get to do
and how impactful it is.
I will also say one of the bestthings, though, is, you know,
we've participated at a lot ofthe events with multifamily
women, and we had such anamazing time this year that, on
the spot, we were buying tablesfor next year.
(52:23):
We already are talking aboutnot only how we can make this
something, that, of course, wewant our leaders there Everybody
does but we want to bring thisto the future right.
We want our team members thatcould be awarded something
special and maybe wouldn'talways be at a leadership level
innovation opportunity.
So we've got great plans withthe Multifamily Council and
(52:45):
Multifamily Leadership.
We're excited about MultifamilyWomen next year.
So I thank you for the invite.
Speaker 1 (52:50):
This has been great.
Thank you, and that's what wewant to hear.
You know, we recently opened upgroup pricing, really because
you all were one of the firstones to be like we want to bring
a lot of people how do we dothat, that's it.
And I love that you think of itas a gift to someone to say, hey
, come here and learn and grow,and, you know, learn from others
(53:12):
who are exactly like you, and Ijust think it's wonderful.
So thank you for being asupporter we are huge fans of of
our living.
Speaker 2 (53:24):
And thanks for coming on the podcast today.
Absolutely, and I think youcould say the same about how our
living feels about everybodythere.
So, thank you, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (53:29):
All right, thank you so much.
Thanks, amy, and thank you allfor tuning in to the Multifamily
Women podcast.
Feel free to sign up for thesummit next year at
multifamilywomencom.
Back to the Multifamily Women's Podcast.
We are so happy today to havean amazing guest, Amy Baraselli.
She is with RR Living.
She's their Senior VicePresident.
Amy, we're so glad you're heretoday.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Thank you, Lauren.
I'm really glad to be here.
I appreciate the invitation andI'm excited to chat with you
this morning.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Same here, and so let's start with how you got
into multifamily and then howyou ended up at RR Living.
Yeah, perfect, thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
So I guess everybody has a story about how they
didn't necessarily intend tohave a career in property
management and multifamily creptup on them.
So similarly, I also got intomultifamily by a means of which
maybe others did not.
I never really started out inlike a typical leasing
consultant position.
I wasn't on property initially.
(00:49):
I actually answered an ad in anewspaper back in 99.
And then I was, withoutrealizing it.
I was responding to anopportunity to be a part of a
sales team for advertising in amagazine Apartment Guide that
was free to people, for peopleto pick up when they went
(01:11):
shopping or when they went topick up their Blockbuster rental
videos.
That's how old I am.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
I remember Blockbuster.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Do you?
Okay good, all right, good,well, and I think this is the
best fun tidbit about that Okay,good, all right, good, well,
and I think this is the best funtidbit about that Back then we
were offering, you know, fullpage ad or whatever you buy, and
with it we would value, wewould provide you with a value
add, additional option of thisweird new thing called the
internet, where we were juststarting to launch this website,
(01:42):
where we had to explain topeople that there would be these
listings and maybe people wouldgo on the website and they
would find out more about yourcommunity.
Otherwise, because back thenyou know, the way that I was
able to generate the interestand overall handle my sales
responsibilities was I justdrove with a map, with a paper
map, from property to property.
(02:02):
I will say I've met so manypeople, so many people who are
still in our industry.
I see our events all the time.
The one who hired me for thatposition is still very active in
our industry.
So I started out on the side ofbeing more of the associate,
member, partner, vendor, and Idid that for about 10 years.
Eventually, because I wasselling a service.
(02:25):
I had a regional provider, agreat company.
It's Corming Communities whohad asked if I would be
interested in selling with thembecause they really provided
more of a corporate suite andback at the time this was going
back to 09, they were providingsomething nobody really was with
a lifestyle and experience, sothat was a little bit more of a
(02:47):
premium.
Now, today, I think everyone'sbeen smarter to that.
So I ended up jumping ship andcoming over on the management
owner side and since then I'vehad a couple of different
positions and, as always,different companies and, like so
many of our colleagues, I endedup here at RR Living because of
a collaborative opportunitywith another company where we
(03:09):
were going to merge and I hadworked with our CEO for years
previously.
She's the type of inspirationalCEO you want to be a part of
and partner with.
So when I had the opportunitywhich has been about a year and
a half now I came over to BarOur Living At the time it was
(03:30):
reef residential and a year ago,right before Thanksgiving last
year, we rebranded to have themissions, the core values and
our processes, our proceduresand what defines us really
become part of our namesake aswell.
So we rebranded.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Wow, what a story.
First of all, amazing, I wantto know.
So I love that you have such arobust experience and I feel
like having to knock on doors asmarketing.
That's just to me like anamazing start to having to
really think and get creativeand then introducing the
internet and seeing how farinnovations have come since then
(04:10):
.
I just love your story.
So how has that robustexperience kind of channeled in
your current role or are nowkind of having that background?
What do you take intoconsideration that you feel like
helps you be a mentor to others?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
And I'll you know, yeah, absolutely.
So.
I love this question because Iremember the first time that I
was in a training session againwith one of these marketing
partners to the multifamilyindustry was at that point.
I was I think I was with adifferent one at that point but
selling advertising, and now Ithink the majority of them are
either not here anymore or ownedby one large co-star group.
So essentially it was back then.
You know, it was before all,when there were kind of the
(04:53):
multiple options out there whenit came to print magazines.
Probably about four years, threeand a half, four years
afterwards, we had this newpotential medium that we had to
deal with called Craigslist, andthen we had this other back to
(05:13):
back about a year, year and ahalf later with social media,
and it was really just Facebookat the time.
Myspace didn't play into thingswhen it came to multifamily
marketing.
But I can remember kind ofbeing like I'm stuck in the ways
that I know work.
I was, in my mind, you know,successful.
I've been to our president'sclubs year after year.
I've done what I you know, I'vebeen promoted, I've been this
(05:34):
and that.
Why do I need to know what thissocial media is why do I have
to change right?
So it became very much thatmindset of managing to what I
knew best and the.
You know the reasons I evenstarted to learn what social
media was and the impact it wasgoing to have was due to the job
that I had at the time.
It's part of the expectation,but the empowerment that that
(05:56):
provided me and the change andgrowth mindset that I recognized
a value after that, because Ithink you know really.
I think that those days in itpartly is because, as you're
maturing and learning, you'reopen to new experiences, but I
saw the value of it right.
There was nothing that theindustry was trying to do that
was so innovative.
It was trying to catch up atthe time.
(06:17):
I think that that's what's sodifferent now.
You know, I just came back fromour leadership retreat, so we
spent this past weekend and acouple of these last few days
bringing in our best andbrightest leaders and chatting
about what we're ending the yearwith and how we perform, but
also getting our minds around2025 and how we want to make
(06:39):
sure that it is impactful,what's working and what's not.
And we had a session where webroke out into teams and we had
the dry erase boards and wewrote out what to stop doing,
what to start doing, what tocontinue doing.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
And resoundingly.
You heard of the AI, thecentralization, the
opportunities that simplifypeople's lives, not fearful of
their livelihood, you know,become the forefront and which
I'm so proud of.
I think we tried to do this.
We did this with COVID right,some of us were trying the
(07:21):
working remotely.
Or how do we integrate somebasic, beyond just chat GPT, but
some basic AI functions withchatbots?
We all tried a little bit ofcentralization and it was met
with some of our industryveterans or some of our team
members with a little bit ofconcern and is this a passing
(07:43):
fad?
What does it mean for me?
But I think every single personnow is so aware of the value
that nobody wants to do therepetitive work.
It's not empowering, it's notexciting, it's not.
We'll get up in the morning tofeel like we're contributing to,
and if that's where we're ableto steer the industry away and
provide even a better experienceand more servitude and more
(08:06):
opportunities for the residentsto feel like they're part of
something special with us, thenwe're giving the right attention
in the right places.
So, yeah, so I would say thatif it's, if I'm looking back on
it, my 25 years ago introductionto the industry has allowed me
to really see the benefits ofthe growth mindset that we need
(08:26):
today to be not just innovative,but to be courageous.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Yeah, it's amazing that you said all that, and I'm
actually really glad you wentthere, because all I could think
about when you were talkingabout the internet and us going
through such a wild change likethat, ai is going to be the
internet times a million andit's going to move 10 times
faster, right, so we all need to.
Not, this is not just a passingfad.
This is a new, a whole newplatform for which our world is
(08:56):
going to be built on.
As I told you earlier, behindme is actually our AI innovation
lab, so we're literallybuilding a space to build, to
bring companies throughinnovation and how to move
through that change, because wejust see, we have the foresight
to know that everyone's going toneed it, yeah, so I love that
you are thinking that way.
I love that your teamsrecognize that this is not just,
(09:19):
this is not going to go away.
How do we embrace it and how dowe, to your point, stop doing
those redundant tasks and startdoing the things we like to do?
Speaker 2 (09:28):
And I love that you brought an immersive experience
right, I mean until peopleunderstand it.
The unknown is always going tobe a little bit of a concern
right At best, but the fact thatyou're bringing in an immersive
lab-like experience for peopleto walk through and understand
the value, that's the best wayto learn.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Yeah, and it's truly.
We realize that there's goingto be such a level of training
that comes along and justknowledge transfer that comes
along with all of this to allmove through it together, right?
So that's why we're doing whatwe're doing.
But I love that you went therebecause I want to know what our
living thinks about.
You know how do we think abouttechnology and being progressive
(10:08):
in that way.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Absolutely so, um, but I noted that we were, we had
rebranded to our the name our,our living, which plays on our,
our parent company is Reef or,I'm sorry, Reef Holdings, so
Reef Residential was the, themanagement and operations end of
our business.
We don't want to lose that, youknow, we're very proud of it,
and ultimately, though, what wedid want to do is bring the fact
that we are an experience inproviding something special, and
that's where the living comesthrough right.
So you know, my team will tellyou that one of my famous little
(10:38):
sayings is that I don't get upand go to work in the morning.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
I go up, get up and go to life in the morning Do
what we do.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
Yeah, I mean I also think, like the idea of work,
it's a negative connotation Ihave to get on a plane, I have
to get in by nine.
I, you know those are just.
That's a mindset, and revampingthe mindset allows for a lot of
that opportunity to think ofthings differently and I think
with our living we're trying toembrace that it comes from the
(11:06):
top.
We have the most, I would sayyou know, empowering and
innovative CEO that I know I'vepersonally ever had a chance to
work with and this isn't myfirst company with Melanie
French, who's very active alsowith multifamily women.
We love her.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Yeah, and I don't blame you right.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
Like some of her best qualities are how trans, how
open she is and how she's soshe's everybody is.
She's available to everybody.
She's, you know, the firstperson to do the hardest job, or
the first person to do whateveris, you know, the most
challenging or frustrating, or,and I just think that the days
(11:41):
are gone where we're segmentedinto sections and we're, you
know, not as a holistically partof everybody's experience, the
day-to-day environment.
And you know, I think the daysare gone where you, like I said,
go to work and you, you know,go home and get your weekends,
because that's what you live for.
I used to live for my weekends.
My hashtag, you know, back whenthat was the cool thing to have
(12:04):
, was to create a life you don'tneed a vacation from.
I'm not claiming everything'sperfect all the time, you know.
I don't.
I'm not making this intosomething.
It's not.
I just think that there's amindset opportunity where you
where, the more that you'reenjoying, the more passionate
that you become, because it'sit's the fun part of things
(12:24):
plenty of non-fun, but my pointin saying all of that is, the
non-fun tends to be where yourAI and change can start to allow
you to be part of the thingsthat make you grow excited and,
you know, embrace the day.
You know I don't really whetherit's a Saturday or Tuesday.
I get to do the things I wantto do versus.
And again, we have meetings andwe have goals and we have
deadlines and budgets, but wealso have that experience of
understanding the power that allof us can bring together as one
(12:47):
unified group of professionalswho are looking, as we are
growing, to surround ourselvesby like-minded individuals who
want to do what's right for theteam, who want to do what's
right for the residents, whowant to do what's right for the
ownership.
All those things are notindependent of you know,
independent of each other.
They intersect.
We believe we found exactly howthat should run.
(13:10):
We are no way, like I said, themost perfect company, but I
just think it's a specialcompany.
It empowers people to bedifferent.
We want uniqueness.
We want to challenge you, tobring magic.
You know it's actually one ofour core values.
You know that they that themagic is in the details.
We want people to do their bestand be their best.
(13:30):
Own, own your business and ownyour mistakes.
And, by the way, if you didn'tmake a mistake, are you human
and the area where you can, canyou know less afford to make
those mistakes?
Let's get AI involved in that.
You know, that's your FASs, toget really granular, that's your
, you know.
Let that be where we actuallypartnered with a great company.
(13:52):
It's called BuzzCRM BuzzAI isactually what it's rebranded to
run by Jake Lisby, and thatcompany has found such an
amazing way to bring AI into ourdelinquency and collections
that our team members are notsitting in a community all day
having to make those reallyuncomfortable calls that make
(14:14):
them more of the problem to aresident and not a partner to
the resident.
Yeah, so we've got a host ofways and a host of opportunities
for the team members in ourcommunities from our resident
relations managers, which is theposition that we feel is much
more impactful than a leasingspecialist or agent.
When it comes to titles, youknow, to somebody who's,
(14:37):
somebody who's there to makesure that that experience works
is the most upfront andprioritized item of our day, and
we do recognize and we talkabout this on a regular basis
that it is so impactful and sospecial to provide people with
homes In the world we live intoday and politics although day
(15:00):
after election aside and allthose other things it's a major
expense for everyone, whetherthey're owning or renting.
It is probably your largestexpense.
It is also going to be thething that drives you the
craziest and it's also going tobe the thing that you're kind of
hyper-focused on the most,because you're making your
memories in those four walls.
So if we make those four wallsspecial and beyond just the four
(15:23):
walls and into a neighborhoodand into an experience and you
know, we hope you choose us yearover year over year, and if
that's not the you know, ifthat's not for you, then we hope
that you have only the bestexperience while you're here for
your next chapter of life.
But there's a way to do it andnot allow it to become
monotonous.
To do it and not allow it tobecome monotonous kind of be
(15:50):
much more in the driver's seatof experience than allowing the
day in, day outs to happen toyou when you're influencing it.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Okay, everything about the way that you think I
am just taking notes because Ijust I love you just dropped
truth after truth after truthand I just I love the way that
you are approaching things.
I love the way that our livingis approaching things.
We love, obviously, we adoreMelanie she's a big favorite
over here and Jake and you areboth on the council, the
(16:18):
Multifamily Innovation Council,which is really awesome, and
that's kind of part of why we dowhat we do is to bring so many
people together.
That's kind of part of why wedo what we do is to bring so
many people together.
And now we're building thephysical space so that we can
help move people through exactlywhat you're talking about.
Right, so connect peoplerealize like issues, how can I
help solve for those?
So I think it's so important tohave connections and know that
(16:41):
you're not in this alone andtrue partners right, know that
you're, you know, not in thisalone.
And true partners, right, likewhat you just said about you
know, buzzdrm or BuzzAI, thatyou know having those partners
that you feel like are reallytruly alongside you in this
journey of rolling something outthat is truly, I think, right
there, like stuck out to me.
You know any supplier in thisindustry.
(17:02):
That's what you aim for is thatkind of relationship where it's
like I'm going to lean on you,I'm going to go to you.
That's again what we hope toaccomplish here too.
So I just think that'swonderful that you're seeing it
that way.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Yeah, absolutely.
Our partnerships are invaluableto us and we don't claim to
know it, like I said, any better, or be able to do it on our own
.
But we, just we think that thelevel of the passion that
everybody brings and theauthenticity of being part of
something that people care aboutand again it comes from the top
Our leader is very transparentwe have opportunities to
(17:40):
understand how we play into abigger picture.
We have opportunities tounderstand what we'd like to
accomplish beyond 2025.
Things that you're just feelinglike you're part of something
special.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
Yeah, yeah, and that's how it should feel and I
really admire that about you.
So tell me more about as aleader, and obviously this is
our multifamily women's podcastand we have our Women's Summit.
As a leader, how do you empowerother women who are looking to
grow in their career or want totake that next step or find that
(18:12):
promotion?
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
How do you do that?
Again, that's another kind ofjust played on this a little bit
, but I think that my team willtell you a kind of phrase that I
often say is to take you ortake them on the journey with
you.
So it's my, my approach isnever to give an answer without
the why Right, so thateveryone's learning.
By the time we've spent a fewmonths together and we're in
(18:35):
processes and handling some, youknow, some needs or whatever
the case may be or launching anew project or overseeing
something new a new project oroverseeing something new the
team already kind of understandswhat's going to happen next,
because I don't ever want tojust provide the answer to the
issue or solve a problem.
I want to bring them on thejourney, even the things that
(18:57):
are outside of the day-to-day ofthe realm of my departments and
I'm fortunate because I get towork with marketing and branding
and our resident relations.
I do a lot with our centralizedteam, you know.
So I've got a hand in a fewthings and I will say that you
know I can think of.
Every leader is going to saythis.
I think every one of our teammembers is the hardest working,
most genuine human beings whoare experts and absolute
(19:21):
excellent at what they do, andeverybody wants to know how they
can be bigger or part of, in abigger way of of what we do in a
in a more impactful environment.
You know how can I continue tocontribute?
Otherwise it's redundant andbringing them on the reasoning
and the journey behind adecision or a next step, or you
know, we had encouraged thedirectors and our RVPs and the
(19:44):
team members who attended thisretreat with us this past few
days was, you know, now bringthis to the team.
These are not big secrets thatnext year we're going to have,
you know, new award ceremonies,or we're going to try this, or,
you know, we'll be centralizingsomething differently.
What we want the team to feelis the impactfulness that they
have, because nothing is to belaunched or to be kind of
(20:08):
discussed in a vacuum.
The idea is the team should bepart of it, and I can tell you
time and again when we havetaken an idea or worked with a
new procedure or process, heardfrom the team what the issues
were and instead of having thatthat's what we're doing
mentality revamped.
It stopped it, you know, tookthe team with us on the journey
(20:29):
and made sure, which isn'talways easy with 418 people.
But you know it's not that theit's less about opinions and
it's more about what is rightfor the business, because the
people are the business right.
So as long as we're able tomake it make sense in a way that
we all want to be part of it,then we're doing the job the
right way.
So I think my team would saythat I, I hope I inspire them
(20:51):
that they're part of somethingbigger and they know that, if
you know, this time, 10 yearsfrom now, they wanted to be at a
particular level or differentdepartment or whatever, that
they are influencing thatopportunity today.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Wow, that's an applause worthy answer.
I think giving them skin in thegame, just like you're saying,
you know, like just, it's sofunny because we actually spoke
about this at the Women's Summit.
We, you know, it's so easy togo to compensation as an assumed
.
You know what keeps someonearound or what helps with that
turnover, or, and really, nineout of 10 times, it really is
(21:27):
just, I want to be heard, I wantto be seen, I want to be a part
of this, and so you'd be sosurprised when you stop and you
say, well, what do you thinkthat was the best thing anyone
ever did for me in my career.
I was an assistant.
It was 12 years ago, andsomeone said to me well, what do
you think we should do?
And I, no one had ever asked methat before and I stuck at that
company for eight years.
(21:48):
I told you about it, you know,and I was, you know, I'm like it
wasn't about at that point.
It was just about having a spot, a seat, you know, and being
heard.
So I just think that that.
I think that's wonderful, whatyou're doing and how you're
empowering people.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
Yeah, the longer our table can be, the more people
can be invited to it, right?
So that's really what we'retrying to do.
It doesn't have to have thatthat exclusivity feel, has to
have that the empowermentopportunity, because our leaders
, the leaders of tomorrow, aresitting right next to us and we
know it.
So, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Wow, well, very inspirational, and I hope
everyone takes notes and takesnotes out of that book.
And I was thinking when youwere talking about, too, that
kind of traditional that I'vewitnessed working for certain
PMCs is that gap between thecorporate office and on-site
teams, and there was a lot, frommy experience in the past, a
(22:43):
lot of disconnect at those twolevels, and so it really sounds
like our living and you and yourteam are doing that, listening
to connect the dots and saywe're not just telling you you
have to roll this out, we'reasking the people who have to
use this product or service ortechnology how do you feel about
this?
Have a hand in building it?
(23:04):
How do you feel about this,have a hand in building it?
And that alone, the buy-in, therollout, all of it just kind of
comes naturally after that,versus you're just telling me I
have to do another thing.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
That's it, absolutely .
I was with one of ourcommunities in Tallahassee a
week ago and I created a newposition that is very
resident-centric and it's partof our giving program, so we've
got an entire philanthropic armwhere we're really responsible,
we think, to serve ourneighborhood, not just the
(23:36):
communities that we're residingin, but everything that we can
create as an even bigger andbetter lifestyle, which I think
everybody uses, but a bigger andbetter lifestyle and experience
, so that our resident basereally feels part of something
special.
And I was sitting down with oneof our business managers and we
were talking about a couple ofitems and I asked that specific
person now that we brought inthis new position, did it bring
(23:59):
value?
Did it bring value?
Is your day easier?
Are things being?
Is it lighter?
Now?
Not every position is needed atevery property, it's not
necessary.
But the fact that that personwas like this is the exact.
You told us that you heard uswhen we said we needed this
resident-centric and not justleasing professionals or
assistant managers handlingresident concerns.
(24:20):
And you know this was the firstwe felt empowered to understand
how we were, you know, able tosay the words and reciprocate
right away as part of that,because I remember when that
person brought it to me only amonth before that, I thought
well, why are we looking to?
Maybe, you know, replace ourthird leasing professional there
, if you're telling me there arereally some opportunities?
(24:40):
So we're open.
We want to hear from people.
We trust the team they are.
They're CEOs of theirmultimillion dollar business.
Again, we, we have reportingand we have procedures and we
have things we need to follow.
Everybody has something theywould change.
But ultimately, if you're notgetting up and, like I said,
going to life because you'reexcited to do it, because
(25:01):
there's some value in it beyondthat paycheck, as you said, then
I want to know because that'sthat's.
Nobody wants to be surroundedby people who are just kind of
there for the for the reasonsthat are that are at the lowest
level of of what makes us happy.
Right, we just just.
We all want the same thing.
We all want to be happy, we allwant to be heard and we all
want to have, you know, a littlefun while we're doing it.
(25:24):
So if we can't laugh through itand we can't smile and we can't
say yes to a resident'sridiculous request because we'll
get one, we all know it andfind a way to be that maverick
experience and come out on top.
And I just found a way to givesomebody something they never
thought they could have.
I got a bidet in a propertythat's 1980s legacy.
(25:46):
I can't actually replumb right.
These are things that peopleget excited to just be empowered
to do so.
It could be a minor, it couldbe major, it could be
position-based, it can beopportunity-based, but that
empowerment, I think, is justreally why people are, and I
think there are a lot of ourcompanies doing this in the
industry.
I will say I think that thisindustry has gotten a lot less
(26:06):
rigid and there are time aftertime we see and hear that there
are leaders listening, reallylistening.
I just happen to personallythink that my experience over
the last seven or eight yearswith with Melanie French has
been a couple of companies thatthat she's.
She's the real deal, it's verygenuine with her.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
Yeah, yeah.
And I just think that absolutelyand I completely agree with you
.
I mean, and to be thinkingabout the resident at the end of
the day, I just think isbrilliant.
First and foremost right,because that's who we're serving
at the end of the day.
You know, when you talk aboutlike, you know people, your
(26:45):
people, you talk about them likeand I hate to say this like
adults.
You know, we hired you for areason.
Yes, we hired, we trust you.
You are a community manager,meaning, like you, your job is
to manage this community and soto actively listen.
And when you actively listen,what I've noticed a lot of to
your point after, you know,after COVID shook up the way we
(27:06):
had to work and thencentralization kind of came out
and people were playing with theorg chart a little more what
you realize is, when you talk toyour people, they might say you
know what, maybe we pay ourmaintenance guys a little more
and we can run with one less andwe just bump them.
Little things like that I'mnoticing.
People are listening, makingthe adjustments, and those
(27:28):
adjustments are coming from thesite's team's suggestions, which
brilliant.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Why are we not going to listen to those who know best
?
You know, that's kind of likethat where you take the org
chart, like you said, flip itupside down I've talked about
this and get your ideas fromthose who know best, rather than
going out to communities once aquarter and claiming you know,
you know what's going on better.
I think one thing that reallydoes, though, set our living
(27:55):
apart is that our directors, ourleadership, they're expected to
be at our communities everymonth, so, and anything that
needs additional like we havelease ups that are there on a
more weekly basis for theleadership.
But I think the touch point,the partnership, is there when
you're not coming in just to doan evaluation, just to see you
(28:16):
know if you're really walkingunits, you know, or whatever.
But being there, working out ofthe office and I don't mean
working out of the back, whichmakes me crazy Sitting with your
leasing professionals, sittingwith the team and understanding
their day in, day out andcelebrating the birthday to
happen to have that week becausethey were going to celebrate it
without you anyway, but beingpart of it, not making it
something special because you'rethere, it just opens up that
(28:39):
whole partnership in a real way.
It's meaningful.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Yeah, and man on my onsite days I would have loved
to have had that representation.
I remember anytime someone fromcorporate would come to visit
or I would.
Oh, an investor must bestopping by.
That was the immediate thing,you know.
That came to your mind becauseit just was such a rarity, so I
love that.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
And I mean, like you said, when you take your team
members on that journey, I'm thefirst to say you know, we'll
walk units, whoever will pick upa piece of trash, and it's fine
.
And you know that there'ssomebody with kind of a worry on
their face and I'll say to themI'm not the VIP, in fact I'm
glad I'm the one who just sawthat trash.
You're residents of the VIP.
Worry about them, right?
(29:20):
If they would have had to getdown and pick up the trash in
front of their home, that's moreof a disappointment than
whether or not life happened andsomeone dropped, of course, a
piece of trash, even though youdid your tour walk early, you
know, and made sure that thetour path was ready.
I know life happens and that isOK, no one's in trouble, it's
(29:47):
not being documented.
It feels like this real, youknow, and then people will say
to you like can I show yousomething that's going on that I
know is going to become abigger issue, a leak, a problem,
you know, but I'm worried abouthow to present it.
And we try to blur that linebetween the corporate team.
You know the corporate team isthe team in my and I actually
talked about this a little biton the retreat my experience
certainly in our living.
Our expectation is thatcorporate team is available when
the on-site team communitymembers are, which is going to
(30:09):
mean weekends is doing more andoften is influencing without
deciding right.
So that's a little tough too tobe in a department that is
going to provide solutions tosituations that they don't know
enough about all the time totake it as this subjective
opportunity to offer somethingthat they may not now need an
(30:32):
answer to, but not becausesomebody from corporate came in
and said to do it.
It's supposed to beopportunities to learn and
present and become part ofsomething.
I mean to this day, on Tuesdaymornings, central at 10am every
Tuesday, our CEO runs a 30minute huddle and there were
(30:53):
times that that huddle was a lotof like.
You know, here are thepercentages of work orders that
were closed last week, or here'sthis or that.
Now they are slide after slideabout some excitement happening
at one of our communities, afterslide about some excitement
happening at one of ourcommunities partnerships.
You know the service aspect ofwhat we do.
(31:16):
We do not see this, as you know, a four wall and ceiling,
lifestyle, living opportunity.
I mean this.
We serve the residents in a waythat can be meaningful in their
lives.
And again, you know we don'ttake it extreme.
We understand that there aregoing to be those residents, but
when you approach things asthough this wasn't how you got
into the industry is an accidentand so everything, therefore,
(31:37):
is just happening to you, versushappening because you're
affecting it the way you want itto be affected.
It's just a different mindset.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
I'm seeing the industry change it, but I feel
like we're here, are living kindof you know, kind of powering
through, because we're pavingthe way, and paving the way you
know, lead by example, becauseeven if you know and you never
want that, but you know peoplejump from here to here, to here
all the time when somebody hasworked there and I know it you
(32:05):
know, like the types of leadersthey bred.
And so to be a company like that, which it's very much sounds
like our, our living is likeyou're.
You're a trailblazer and it'swonderful.
Speaker 2 (32:17):
Yeah, we hope so.
We're listening and we don'tthink it's.
You know, it's not rocketscience.
It is doing what's right forpeople, you know and that's
really kind of and, um, you know, I think too often we talk
about serving our residents orthe experience the residents
have to us.
It starts with the team.
So if we don't have those thingsfor our team members first and
(32:37):
foremost, you know, I remember,uh well, maybe four or five
months ago, but there was a teammember from a previous company
who wanted Melanie to know wherethey had landed, not looking
for a job, just beingcommunicative, and she's sitting
there typing away and textingand I asked who she's talking to
.
I don't think I said thosewords, but you know what was
going on and she was telling mewho it was and I thought, man, I
(32:59):
just love that somebody outsideof the industry now not looking
for anything, is reaching outto somebody that they have felt
like there was just a connectionto, or a mentorship, or you
know somebody who they felt seenby, heard by and just sharing.
You know what was going on inlife right now there was no
motivation, there was no, it wasjust intrinsically a human
(33:20):
contact.
And when we get away from allthose things, there lies, you
know, I think, a lot of thefrustrations of what can
permeate any company or any, anyindustry.
But I think we're finding a way, or we've just authentically
become what makes it so thatit's enjoyable to be here yeah,
it's, and the word culture is sooverused.
(33:41):
Right, we try to get away fromit.
Maybe I'll speak for myself.
I know I do, because I used tothink company culture was like
ice cream on Fridays, you know,like that's a great company, and
I think everybody tries to bethe next company culture, and so
they think of things like let'sdo points to buy Amazon gifts
for our team, or let's do thisor that, but they're not hearing
(34:01):
.
Right, there's you're what yourteam asks you for and
everyone's different, right?
So we've got the team members.
Like you said, I certainlytreat my team like adults,
because they're better at whatthey do than I'm.
You know I would be the firstto say I would be lost with them
.
You know, we're not gonna worryabout what's happening at that
exact moment and where you are.
We just wanna be part of theexperience of making.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
I think that's great and the funny thing.
I always laugh too about theice cream parties or the pizza
parties, because when that wouldhappen and I was on site and I
was overwhelmed with my workload, the last thing I would be like
I don't have time for pizza.
We can't stop everything tohave this pizza and then take a
picture and hopefully post it on.
It's about what you're talkingabout the daily touch points,
(34:51):
the making them a part of it.
Someone is so much more likelyto put in that extra effort to
pick up the trash off the ground.
If they have personal ownershipin this company objective and
they feel like they actuallyhave a say yeah, then they'll
pick up the trash, you know.
But if it's just I'm just doingmy X, y and Z that it's
required of me, it's a verydifferent vibe, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
And same with residents, right, if it's their
home, if they love theirneighbors, if there's, you know,
different than just a breakfaston the go, which we do have, or
you know our fun evenings andthings like that, which is
wonderful.
But if we've brought inwellness, true wellness, you
know we've got a nutritionistwho comes out, we have some
faith-based initiatives, we haveopportunities for people to
(35:35):
partner locally with us, not payus to be a partner, you know
kind of what's in that.
Is it a value to our residents?
Because then we want to be apartner with you.
But when you do all that, you'refinding residents want to take
care of their homes and it's nota temporary, it's a permanent
or a more permanent place forthem.
So they take a lot of pride incleaning up after their dogs.
(35:57):
You know things that might bethe I'm the guy who's telling
you you have to do it andfollowing the letter of the law
of the lease to becoming we'reall part of this right.
I work where you live and it'snot lost on me that this is a
special place to you.
It's a special to me, but thefact that it's so special to you
that you're cleaning it up oryou're taking great care of it.
It's a win for everybody.
(36:18):
It's a win for ownership, it'sa real win.
Speaker 1 (36:21):
Yeah, and I think it's great that you're thinking
that the site, you know, thesite teams are the face of that
and that's really where thatenergy comes from.
And so when you the rightpeople in the right seats and
they're projecting that energyand then the residents are
picking up on that and they feelheard and everybody's feeling
heard, it really is just thegift that keeps on giving.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (36:39):
Yeah, it really is and I think it's just, it's so
simple.
It's so simple but it may benot the ingrained way and again,
speaking from my own 22 yearold self, but, knowing I've been
in the industry for 25 years, Iknow it's not how I entered the
industry and that's not about acompany or anything.
It was just not what businesswas.
The face of business hasallowed people to flourish
(37:02):
personally, share their stories,participate and again going
back to social media, or, I hopeyou know, philanthropy
opportunities, a servant'smindsets and servant leadership,
which, again, are so key termsthat everybody makes sure they
work into conversation versusthe authenticity of genuinely
being saying what you meanbecause you know what you're
(37:33):
kind of saying is.
Speaker 1 (37:34):
You know people are catching up to this mentality.
But you know and not to brag onyou, but you've been there
already for years, right, formany, many years.
So it's almost like having theinnovative mindset that you've
grown up with, where you're kindof seeing now, okay, I have to
be on the forefront of AI, Ihave to be on the forefront of
some of these.
It kind of ties everything backtogether because the perfect
combination of being on theforefront of that next wave, of
(37:54):
where we need to get our peopleleveled up to it's all going to
seamlessly transition so nicelybecause your people trust you
and they know that you're goingto ping them and say, hey, we're
doing this AI thing, we'replaying a little and we want you
to be a part of this.
That's exciting for them.
It shouldn't be scary, itshould be exciting.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
You hit the nail on the head head and there is some
fear right.
And there's fear withcentralizing, there's fear with
AI, there's fear with any of theunknown.
Are my jobs going to be takenaway?
And here's the simple answer noAI or centralized touch point
can make a resident feel heard.
In that moment when a residentis coming to you and tears in
(38:36):
their eyes and they needsomething, because often that is
how we hear things thatresident's whole need right now.
Yes, they may have something,they may have to explain why
they're going to be late thismonth, they may have something
else, but what they really needto do is be heard and AI is too
artificial to hear.
You know, to understand thehumanity behind that.
(38:59):
We will not take away the needof the human interaction on any
of our communities where itmakes sense for our residents to
feel heard.
Will we take away or we alreadyare centralizing a number of
items that could have beensimplified or could have been
run through a program and AIcould have answered things for
us?
Of course, because those aren'tthe fun things, those at the
(39:21):
end of the month, rushes rightand all the craziness that
people kind of.
You know my experience, I knowpeople were always initially in
the industry, kind of startingout at one position and working
at this.
You know, I go from this level,usually leasing, and then in
the office at least, and thenI'm I'm an assistant manager and
then I'm a community manager toa regional, to an RV or
(39:43):
whatever.
However, the that's not us.
You know that and I will tellyou that personally, I love to
lease right, I love, I lovespending the time with the
residents, I love the residentexperience.
I want to be at every event.
It's just who.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
I am.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Please do not make me sit down and do FASs all day,
right.
So why would the best leasingprofessional potentially be that
personality that wants to bearound your residents and wants
to be part of the touring andwalking and having a big?
What if we did a mini model?
Or what if we did a candy barinstead of a mini model?
Or why don't we find a fun wayto make it interactive with the
(40:17):
resident base?
Does that personality alwaystranslate into the person making
the delinquency calls?
So there has to beopportunities that are really
about that person and not aboutthe need of the property, so
that the personality of thatperson shines through.
The excitement is there.
So you know our I heard itrecently and I loved it we're
(40:40):
not looking for, you know, aladder to climb, but a lattice
to climb.
So there's.
The industry has so many new anddifferent opportunities on
whether it's vendors, whetherit's operators, third party
management.
I mean there's so many thingsthat you could be doing
centralizing and, um, working indifferent industries.
You told me there'd be adepartment that was just related
to resident retention.
You know, and how to make sureour experience and resident
(41:02):
relations are at the forefrontof everything we do.
That was not even aconsideration two, three years
ago.
So I think that we look at itdifferently.
As long as our team membersfeel that they have the path to
be successful, they can can'teven all define it right.
What do you want to do in fiveyears?
I would have said before I'dlike to be an RVP, but now I'm
going to say that's not mypassion, it's just what I see.
I thought I had to get to donext.
(41:24):
So maybe my passion is this andmaybe we can find a way to get
there together.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
No, I think that's brilliant and I, you know I'll.
I will acknowledge the concern,because even working in the the
world of AI now and reallytrying to sink my teeth into
it's not just AI, it'sautomation, innovation, all the
things but but really trying tosink your teeth into it, I was
afraid to.
At first I was like, is thisgoing to put, you know, me out
of a job?
Is that, I mean, marketing wasone of the first things to be
(41:55):
automated.
Right, very simple, to automatemarketing.
So even I was getting a littleconcerned, but what I realized
when I got deeper into it was itwas elevating me as a human,
and that's exactly what you'resaying is it reminds you what it
is to be human again and whatthose touch points look like.
When I'm not knee deep inbuilding out social posts all
day, I'm able to kind of riseout of that and actually be a
strategist and what you hired meto do in the first place.
(42:19):
And so that's my two cents.
I acknowledge that there issome fear that comes with that,
but I also would acknowledgethat when you lean into it, a
whole world of possibilitiesopens up for you about who you
are and what you're capable of.
Truly, that's it.
Speaker 2 (42:36):
Yeah, you hit the nail on the head.
I agree a hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (42:39):
Yeah and so, okay, let's talk.
So RR is so forward thinking.
What are some of the things onthe horizon in the future, in
your future, that you're excitedabout, or any initiatives
happening that you're excitedabout?
Speaker 2 (42:51):
Yeah, I think I mean probably my biggest excitement
right now, our focus right now,and we have a lot.
You know, we've launched a lotthis past year.
We've got a lot that we have tomake sure we are embracing in
every medium and everyopportunity and bringing it
forward.
I personally am so excitedabout what we call our giving.
I referenced that a little bitand it's not just philanthropy,
(43:12):
right, philanthropy is, you know, raising money for heaven
forbid, you know, a hurricanevictim situation.
This really is such animpactful opportunity we have,
with the support of ourownership, you know, our parent
company.
We're really creating this armof RR Giving, or, I'm sorry, arm
(43:37):
of our giving, or, I'm sorry,of our living as our giving.
That brings our team membersinto being a local servant
ambassador, and we've actuallyhired in some cases what we call
residents ambassadors andresident relation ambassadors.
That's a little bit kind ofdifferent, because their idea is
that they are going to providethe touch points in lifestyle
(43:57):
that you just don't typicallyget, and that includes a
wellness opportunity that'sbeyond the traditional yoga by
the pool.
Right, we all have a little bitof something wonderful in our
amenities, but, you know, thiscould go as far as a suicide
awareness prevention.
It could be mission-based.
It could be mission-based, itcould be.
You know, there are things thatwe're starting to build out,
(44:18):
recognizing that, you know, noneof us have our, we're not MDs
in those fields.
But if we can yeah, you know,if we can bring this to our team
members the way we want to andthen bring it to our residents
the way we envision that servingour 50,000 residents takes a
whole different meaning.
(44:38):
On We've already done a coupleof things.
So twice a year it's coming upin December, so it'll be fun
again but we actually have a daywhere we close our offices and
a lot of us do some of this.
But our teams in our 18 marketsnationally are empowered to go
where I should say 18 states areempowered to pick where they
(44:58):
can make the most impact.
What mission?
What you know, where are theyserving food, what can they do,
and take the day and, you know,be available to that need.
But then we want to bring itback, we want to have a
partnership with them and wewant to make sure that it's not
a one and done.
And again, if everybody does alot of those things like a
canned food drive or toys fortots, and those are wonderful,
(45:21):
and I hope that that's allcontinuing in our industry and
we certainly support them aswell.
But there isn't only a month anda half a year where people need
things, and they're not allalways related to just somebody
somewhere in a moment that isobviously in need.
I mean, everyone has somethingthat they have going on.
We're not all therapists, butwhat can we do to make sure
people are heard?
What dreams can we bring true?
(45:42):
What little magic can we make?
We have a number of initiativesaround it already.
So, as we're starting in 2025,we're trying to immerse our
day-to-day in with that and makesure that there's just, you
know, a giving aspect orservitude aspect, as we are able
(46:04):
to provide not just a home, andnot just a home with a nice
move-in gift, but a home with aspecialized need based on what
we understand that residentwants to either have, be a part
of or become, make us aware of,in a way, because we're now
promoting that we can do allthese things or have additional
platforms, and so we have a lotof things we're planning to
launch as part of that.
(46:25):
We'll see what sticks, see whatthe residents want, rather than
just us saying we're doing it.
You know we actually do rightnow.
I think our residents wouldlove knowing this.
But there is a dollar from allof our rent collected on every
single unit and all of ourapartment communities that
automatically goes to our givinginitiatives so that we're able
to bring in answers andsolutions for them.
(46:47):
So you know, as a phone fabricoption.
So I'm pretty excited aboutthat.
If you can't tell, that's akind of project that's got my
passion running.
Speaker 1 (46:56):
And it's so amazing because what it's really doing
is uniting people, and I lovethat you're doing what you're
starting with your teams andwhat works there.
You know giving days, or oneday day off, however often, or
what frequency you know to, totake a day off and do that, but
then bring that initiative backand we'll roll it out at the
(47:18):
community.
I think about that and I thinka community manager is so much
more likely to rally residentsto do something, whether it's a
toy drive or, to your point,handing out food, whatever it is
, if they've already been doingthat you know.
So it's like it's literallyuniting the residents, your, the
people who are, you know,serving the residents.
(47:39):
All it's bringing everybodytogether for a cause and I just
that's amazing.
I think it's wonderful.
Speaker 2 (47:44):
That reminds me of one of the um, one of the
experiences.
So we have a smaller community,you know, under 150 units, and
what we've.
We have a team member there whohas created a woman's
empowerment club, mainly singlewomen who happen to have shared
needs, and she heard about itand she started it herself and
(48:09):
they spend time together when itmakes sense and how it makes
sense and they lift each otherup and they provide each other
support and they provide eachother with other things, of
course, any needs or you know.
So that is only able to befacilitated because we've taken
the centralizing ofadministrative work away from
her day to day.
Now she's connecting.
(48:29):
How would we have otherwiseknown?
Right?
How's she ever going to knowwhat's really going on behind
the scenes?
How could you spend a half anhour speaking with your
residents about why there'ssomething going on?
That's of issue?
And it turns out there were anumber of people who would have
benefited from that opportunityto all be together in that
environment and handle thingsthe way that they've decided to
(48:49):
handle it.
It doesn't mean we do iteverywhere, but the opportunity
for that alone.
You know, our giving initiative.
That seems a little bit less.
You know heart string notedright.
But we created kind of a littlepantry area in every one of our
(49:10):
communities that has a lot ofwhat our service requests come
in asking for.
You've got the chirping of yoursmoke detector so you need
batteries, or you've got like adoorknob or you know little
things that nothing major.
You know plungers and littlethings.
I don't want anybody snakingtheir whole building.
Anything that allows them alight bulb in the bathroom.
You know little things thatallows our residents to come
(49:33):
whenever they want after hours,not have us go into their home
if they choose not to becausethey're private.
If they want to be private andit's not always, you know I need
you to come out here and wecan't get there for four days
and now they have an odd lightin their bathroom driving them
crazy or whatever the case maybe.
So we make sure that we staffthe communities.
Like I said, we have fundsthrough our giving program,
(49:55):
little things like that thatmake sure that what we hear the
residents want we're giving theresidents.
And that's not even that.
You know examples I'mconstantly giving about real
philanthropy, but that isphilanthropic.
We're hearing what you'resaying and what you need.
We're giving you the ways toyou know work or live with us
the best.
You want us to be part of yourday-to-day experience and we
(50:16):
hope we're giving a servant youknow persuasiveness.
We're hoping to persuade youinto being part of our long-term
neighborhood instead of justcommunity, because you see that
it's not our way.
It doesn't have to be our way.
You've been triaged to thelower level.
We'll get to you in a week,right, how about if we get
whatever you need from us andnot make you feel less important
(50:38):
than something else?
Speaker 1 (50:40):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, and that really takes away that,
that mentality of you knowwe're prior, we prioritize work
orders that are more importantand you know, who am I to say
that a flickering light bulb isnot incredibly important to
somebody who works from home allday, you know, and that's
driving them crazy, so, trulylike.
(51:01):
So who am I to say to sit thereand prioritize your work order
over someone else's?
Obviously a flooding, you know,ceiling, but still, at the end
of the day, I think that thatalleviates some of that tension
of like this is available to you.
I hear you, I understand thatwould drive me.
Drive me nuts too, to have aflickering light bulb in my eye
all day.
So, yeah, I love it.
I think it's great, amazing.
(51:23):
Well, I could pick your brainall day because I just think you
are amazing and I love the wayyou think and I love the way
that you've brought all of thesethoughts to our living.
I love that you and Melanie,who's, again, we're huge fans of
, are just doing amazing thingsin our industry and you're very
we're proud to have you as acouncil member.
(51:44):
We're proud to have you both,as you know, sponsors of or
people who attend our summit,and to have you there every year
.
So, thank you so much.
Is there anything that we, youwant to leave our listeners with
?
And you know any inspirationalwords for our group.
Speaker 2 (52:00):
No, I mean honestly.
I would want to say thank you,because this has been a lot of
fun.
I always love talking about ourliving and what we get to do
and how impactful it is.
I will also say one of the bestthings, though, is, you know,
we've participated at a lot ofthe events with multifamily
women, and we had such anamazing time this year that, on
the spot, we were buying tablesfor next year.
(52:23):
We already are talking aboutnot only how we can make this
something, that, of course, wewant our leaders there Everybody
does but we want to bring thisto the future right.
We want our team members thatcould be awarded something
special and maybe wouldn'talways be at a leadership level
innovation opportunity.
So we've got great plans withthe Multifamily Council and
(52:45):
Multifamily Leadership.
We're excited about MultifamilyWomen next year.
So I thank you for the invite.
Speaker 1 (52:50):
This has been great.
Thank you, and that's what wewant to hear.
You know, we recently opened upgroup pricing, really because
you all were one of the firstones to be like we want to bring
a lot of people how do we dothat, that's it.
And I love that you think of itas a gift to someone to say, hey
, come here and learn and grow,and, you know, learn from others
(53:12):
who are exactly like you, and Ijust think it's wonderful.
So thank you for being asupporter we are huge fans of of
our living.
Speaker 2 (53:24):
And thanks for coming on the podcast today.
Absolutely, and I think youcould say the same about how our
living feels about everybodythere.
So, thank you, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (53:29):
All right, thank you so much.
Thanks, amy, and thank you allfor tuning in to the Multifamily
Women podcast.
Feel free to sign up for thesummit next year at
multifamilywomencom.
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