Deep Thoughts from ASM

excerpt.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time…One task. One follow-up. One win at a time.

Over the past year, my family and I took on what felt like one of the biggest projects of our lives — a full home renovation. I didn’t expect my personal renovation experience to mirror the challenges property owners and managers face. But throughout the process, the parallels became impossible to ignore.

So yes, I’m turning 50 at the end of January…and I’m walking into it with gratitude, with a little bit of humor, and with a whole lot more respect for the most limited resource I have.

Life is big and busy with no guarantees on when the ride is going to end. My birthday on the horizon has given me a lot to think about. Time is moving, in case I’d forgotten. Whether you’re 4 or 40, I feel like these milestone birthdays are a good time to “renew your vows” with the world. For me, that means, to BE IN IT!

You’d think that after all these years I’d be some kind of travel ninja…breezing through TSA, sleeping upright on a plane like a meditating monk, waking up refreshed and ready to go. Nope. Somewhere along the line, the game changed.

At a well-run property, success doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens when you’ve built a strong, interconnected support system—people who know their roles, respect each other’s strengths, and work toward the same goal.

The truth? Done right, budgeting is less about filling in rows on a spreadsheet and more about building a living playbook that shapes the financial health, culture, and competitive edge of your properties.

Like every June, Apartmentalize rolls around marking the 1/2 way point of the year that has already flown by. I rolled into Vegas early Monday afternoon, full of the usual anticipation but with a new strategy in tow.

The Apartmentalize NAA (National Apartment Association) Conference will be held June 19-21, 2024 in Philadelphia. To make the most of this opportunity to network, learn, and explore the latest trends and innovations in the multifamily housing industry, it’s essential to have a well-thought-out plan that covers every stage of the event, from preparation to follow-up.

When the opportunity came to join the ASM team, it felt like a natural progression. ASM brought me on board to continue doing what I was familiar with—laundry!  But I quickly discovered there was going to be more to this job, than simply doing the laundry. 

This year, I’ve decided to keep things simple. Instead of focusing on becoming someone, my resolution is about embracing the same me, but with a little more intention.