A.M.P.lified Voices by Tara Samuels Issue #3 | March 2, 2022

I'm a Relationship Building Architect with a Black Belt in Networking.

This weekly newsletter will shine a light on everything I love:

My Family (Personal and Multifamily) | Networking | Home Staging | Podcasts | Ted Lasso Life Lessons | Apps | Multifamily Industry Trends and more!

I'll highlight an A.M.P. Champ of the Week, something I learned from a Book, Article or Blog takeaways from As Seen on LinkedIn, someone who has Made an AMPression on me (in or out of the multifamily industry) a Podcast Pick and Lasso Learnings (from Ted Lasso the show, not the rope)!

It will be written the way I think - scattered, but with intention and purpose.

I'm not trying to win a Pulitzer Prize for the best writing. But, I am trying to win the honor of being my most authentic self -----> week after week!

Take a chance. Send a connection request today to someone featured in this newsletter thus increasing your network, one connection at a time!

#ampyournetwork #networking #project66 #lassolearnings #amplifyyourvoice

(1) A.M.P. Champ of the Week

nominated by: Melissa Joy, Senior Vice President, Village Green

Andy Frommeyer

Regional Facilities Director

Village Green

Describe Andy in 3 Words:

1. Dedicated

2. Patient

3. Supportive

What makes Andy a ChAMPion in your eyes?

Andy Frommeyer is a ChAMPion in my eyes because in addition to his incredible technical knowledge on the maintenance side of our industry, he is an all-around exceptional human being.?He is rapidly approaching 30 years with Village Green and he has been a constant source of support and loyalty to me and everyone with whom he interacts.?Andy has demonstrated longevity, tenacity, resolve, and loyalty that is a rarity in any walk of life.?No matter the circumstances, win or lose, Andy has always been there for our team.?When the going gets tough, I can’t think of a single time he has taken something personally or demonstrated anger/frustration.?

On the contrary, Andy has always been our team’s voice of reason.?He’s quick with a life lesson, a funny one-liner, or a reminder that sometimes you just have to try again tomorrow.?Andy has always been mature beyond his years and over the past few years he has somehow further demonstrated his value and leadership to our team, our residents, and clients.?

Lastly, it doesn’t end with Andy’s professional character traits that make him a champion in my eyes…it’s the way he balances his passion for our team and his beautiful family, who are never left out of a conversation, no matter the subject.?I’m so grateful to know and work alongside such a rare and special person!??

My takeaway:

First off, it is soooooo rare in the multifamily industry (notorious for turnover) to see someone who has 3 decades at the same company.

Secondly, what struck me the most about Melissa's description of Andy is that he reminds you that sometimes you just have to try again tomorrow.

So true and so hard to remember.

Thank you so much Melissa for sharing Andy's nomination and allowing me to feature him!

He and I are not connected on LinkedIn but, since reading this, I have sent him an invite - naturally! :-)

(2) Something I Learned from a Book, Article or Blog

One of my favorite people in my LinkedIn network, Nichole Oswald, reminded me about a book that's in my office called "The New Gold Standard," by Joseph A Michelli when she published her blog "Putting on the Ritz - Part 1" last week.

Her article asks the question:?So how can we in the multifamily industry learn from the Ritz Carlton brand??

Great question, Nichole!

I have always thought that the multifamily industry was light years behind the hospitality industry, particularly hotels.

So, I grabbed that book and thumbed through it and one page that really caught my attention is page 165.?This begins Chapter 8 which is entitled “Wow: The Ultimate Guest Experience.”

Jeanette McMurtry, Chief Strategy Officer for The Hanson Group believes that extremely satisfied customers emerge through memorable and emotional connections forged between them and a business.

She points out, “This is pretty scary news for businesses in all arenas.?Even if you have a perfect track record of accuracy, meeting delivery deadlines, product quality, and service with a smile, your customers won’t be loyal to you.”

Holy crap.

That is scary!

Jeanette continues by pointing out that “we’ve moved beyond the era of ‘delighting’ customers and are now in an era where much more is expected.”

Operating from this understanding that customer engagement is linked to consumers’ wanting “to feel a rush,” Ritz Carlton leadership calls this desired memorable and emotional connection a “Wow experience” and encourages staff to personally affect guests to achieve this level of emotional intensity.

My Takeaway:

EVERY industry can learn from The Ritz-Carlton.?Period.?

Let’s take this insight back to our teams and see what we can do to implement this immediately!??

Check out Nichole's article here:

(3) Takeaways from As Seen on LinkedIn

I love a good Life Hack!

You know, those ones on Pinterest?

But, I stumbled across something even better...

A productivity hack!

Alexine Mudawar shared a hack with her network last week that I think is GENIUS!

She labels every item on her to do list with the amount of time it will take her to complete - including watering her plants!

Alexine breaks it down a bit:

• Water plants- 5 mins
• Send follow up email- 2 mins
• Update Salesforce- 15 minutes
• Schedule partner meeting- 2 mins
• Swifter floors- 15 minutes
• Social post- 2 mins

I hope this makes you take a moment to reflect on how you can take this productivity hack and apply it to your life.

Thanks, Alexine!

(4) Someone Who has Made an AMPression on Me

Dissecting frogs? Nope.

Dissecting words? Yes.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved taking a word love dissecting words and looking for greater meaning like the word Apartment.??As someone who's been in the multifamily industry 20 years, one of my favorite questions to ask others is: "What sets you “Apart” and why are you “Meant” for the multifamily industry?"

This is one of the 10 questions I ask when I interview someone that has made an AMPression (impression) on me.

LuAnne Acton Ross,?Executive Vice President &?Partner?at JMG Realty, Inc. answered it this way:

I think what possibly sets me apart from others in a leadership role is 1.) my perseverance and 2.) my ability to hire/retain great people. First, what I mean by perseverance is I am not afraid of a challenge. In fact, you could say I thrive on challenges. I love finding ways to overcome objectives and create success during difficult circumstances.

Secondly, in my career, I have been fortunate enough to hire and work with so many amazing people. Some of my Regional Vice Presidents and Regional Managers have been with our company 20+ years. And they are the best of the best!!

I am meant for the multifamily industry because it is all I have ever known. I started leasing apartments in college and here I am 30+ years later!

Please take a few minutes and read the rest of her interview. You'll definitely learn a thing or two!

P.S. When you reach out to LuAnne, wish her a happy (belated milestone) birthday!

(5) a Podcast Pick

So the cool thing about writing your own newsletter is that you can follow (or unfollow) your own rules.

Rather than sharing thoughts about a podcast this week, I chose a clip from the TV show, Ellen in 2019 when Tom Hanks (one of my favorite actors), shares a tip he learned from A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

First of all, if you haven't seen the movie, what are you waiting for?

Second, you'll never look at the word WAIT the same way again.

OK...back to Tom.

His portrayal of Fred Rogers was flawless - right down to the timing of the shoes switch and the cardigan zip.

Anyway, he tells Ellen that Mr. Rogers helped teach him how to listen better:

'There's an acronym that I'm using now in my own life - W.A.I.T., wait - which stands for "Why am I talking?"' Hanks said. 'You should just sit and start listening to everybody who comes your way and you'll be amazed at what you learn.'

Drop. The. Mic.

I now have this posted on a sticky note in my office!

No matter what you do for a living (nanny, sales, doctor, teacher, etc.), we can ALL benefit from remembering this acronym.

I'd bet that the majority of my subscribers have some sort of a conference call today.

Now, do yourself a favor. Write this on a sticky note and hang it somewhere in your office so that you don't forget this impactful life lesson.

{Tip: If the link starts at the beginning, jump to 2:03}

(6) Lasso Learnings (from Ted Lasso the show, not the rope)

Lasso Lesson #3

Be a Goldfish.

Ted asks a mentally defeated Sam, "Do you know what the happiest animal on earth is?"

Sam replies with a puzzled "No."

Ted answers simply, "a goldfish."

Ted elaborates that goldfish are happy because they have a 10-second memory.

Ted encourages Sam to get back in the game by saying, "Be a goldfish, Sam."

Processing that advice with bewilderment, Sam goes back in the game with a new perspective.

My takeaway:

I've heard a lot of advice over the years but THIS by far ranks in the top 5.

Why?

Because of its raw simplicity and its ability to apply to EVERYTHING in your life.

So, the next time you get cut off in traffic, pick the slowest line at the grocery store (while in a hurry), get ghosted, lose a sale - you name it...

Remember, to "Be a Goldfish!"

(7) A New App

If you haven't downloaded the app: My Industry Connect, you're missing out!

Brice Wheeler and Adrian Danila are striving to foster a sense of community on this platform - which is no small task.

It's a great place to learn from others, hear about industry trends and make new connections.

There's also an occasional contest to win gift cards for engagement.

It's a win-win!

Download it today and say hello!

It's a great way to A.M.P. up your network, one connection at a time!

(8) Multifamily Industry Trends

You get some Airpods! You get some Airpods!

If I told you that you could win Airpod Pro's just by spending 4 minutes helping BetterBot hear your feedback on AI, would you do it?

I hope so!

BetterBot, the leading digital leasing agent for the multifamily industry would like to ask you a couple questions to better understand YOUR world.

In exchange, you will be entered to win the giveaway. Please help them out!

Oh ya...and if you haven't seen a demo of their amazing Chatbot, reach out to them and tell them Tara sent you. But don't take my word for it:

Daryl Smith, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer at Kettler shared that (1) they are seeing a 30% increase in sales because they have expanded their opportunity for engagement and (2) their teams have increased efficiencies and focus on other high-priority tasks while BetterBot takes care of inquiries in the background.

Increase Sales + Increased Efficiencies could = Airpods? Sounds like a "duh" in my book!

Take the Survey Here:

++++++++++++

Until next week my friends…