May 2023 | News & Events Magazine

2023 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CHAIRMAN

Stephanie Liston, CAM, CAPS

CHAIRMAN-ELECT

Jenn Mulholland, CAM

VICE CHAIRMAN

Katherine Morrow, CAM

SECRETARY/TREASURER

Andrew Klahn, CAPS, CAM, HCCP, CALP

IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN

Tracey Crowe, CAM

MANAGERS REPRESENTATIVE

Tabitha Knox Gill

SUPPLIERS REPRESENTATIVE

Maria Williams

MAINTENANCE REPRESENTATIVE

Brandon Etheridge

MANAGEMENT DIRECTORS

Melanie Brink

Sundae Caudle, CPM

Lauren Hartstern

Eddie Ivey, CAPS

Alicia Jones, CAPS, CAM, CALP

Sully Lemmons, CAM, CPM

Erick Rocha, NALP

Nicole Samson, CPM

Julie Stayton

SUPPLIER DIRECTORS

Nathan Lybarger, Esq.

Jennifer McCoy, Esq.

Rusty McDonald

Lacey Smithson, CALP

Alberto Suastegui, CALP, CAM

MAINTENANCE DIRECTORS

Jeremy Byrd, CAMT, CPO

Rusty Guilliams, CAMT, CPO

IREM LIAISON

Richard Wright, CPM

LEGAL ADVISOR

M. Wesley Hall, Esq.

MDHA LIAISON

Norman Deep PRESIDENT

Ginny Johnson

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING

Katelyn Cheatham

DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP & FINANCE

Autumn Stiles

STATISTICS & MEMBER SERVICES COORDINATOR

Alexis Westergan

EDUCATION & MEETING COORDINATOR

Anne Angel ACTIVE PAST CHAIRMEN

Mary Bradley

Stephanie Burns, CAPS, CAM, CALP

Brad Cather, CPM, HCCP, SHCM, COS

Tracey Crowe

Andy Gass, ARM

Shelley James, CAM, CAPS,

Stacey Holt, CAM

Andrew Klahn, CAPS, CAM, HCCP,

Tammy Lee, CAM

Chari Lewis, CAM, CAPS,

Stacy L. Molen, CAM Nancy Morris

Susan Sherfield,

Greater Nashville Apartment Association Names New Leadership

Former Director of Education and Events

Johnson Takes Role of President

The Board of Directors of the Greater Nashville Apartment Association, Middle Tennessee’s leading trade group for operators of multifamily housing, announced the appointment of Ginny Johnson as association President.

“We’re very pleased Ginny has agreed to take on the role as president of GNAA,” said Board Chair Stephanie Liston. “At a time when Nashville is growing so dramatically, we see multifamily development as a key player in providing housing options for our community and Ginny is the right voice to represent our members and to communicate with our stakeholders in an effective and honest way.”

Johnson has worked for GNAA for the past eight years, joining the association as Membership Coordinator and being promoted to Education and Events Director in 2017. Johnson was recognized by the GNAA with the Chairman’s Award in 2015 for growing the number of units represented by GNAA members to over 100,000. In 2022, she received a second Chairman’s Award for her outstanding achievement in the area of member education.

“With more than 30,000 units under construction in Nashville, GNAA is an important part of our community’s effort to accommodate new residents,” said Johnson.

“We’re an important source of data on multifamily housing, but we also provide resources for our members to learn more effective management practices and for policymakers addressing the real housing challenges of our city.”

In addition to her previous work in training and certification for GNAA members, Johnson was instrumental in developing GNAA’s annual Women’s Conference and involving the GNAA in career fairs at local schools to educate young people about job opportunities in the multifamily industry. Johnson has also helped the association provide continuing education for maintenance teams interested in learning about new building technologies and LEAD certification.

Johnson has been married to her husband John for 23 years and they share two daughters, Katie, 21 and Abby, 15.

The Greater Nashville Apartment Association (GNAA) represents over 150,000 apartment homes managed by 104 management companies in Middle Tennessee as well as 364 supplier member businesses that provide products and services to its members. The GNAA is committed to enhancing professional and ethical business practices in the rental housing industry and within the association. GNAA provides information, education and opportunity to our membership, promotes the interests of rental housing owners and managers through active participation in the local, state and national political process and serves the citizens of the Greater Nashville area through active participation and assistance in the needs of the greater community. For more information visit www.gnaa.org

Multiple ESAs Need Multiple DisabilityRelated Reasons

by Angelita Fisher

The question of whether a resident can have more than one emotional support animal (ESA) for the same reason was answered in a recent fair housing complaint filed jointly with the Tennessee Human Rights Commission (THRC) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The investigation resulted in a holding by the THRC that a resident with multiple animals needs independent disability-related reasons for each animal.

In this case, the landlord had an ESA form for healthcare providers to complete. If there was a request for multiple ESAs, the form specifically asked the healthcare provider how animal #1 ameliorates symptoms of the resident’s disability and how animal #2 ameliorates symptoms of the resident’s disability. These were two separate questions on the form. The healthcare provider in this case gave the same response to both questions. He wrote, “provides a source of stress relief, reduction in anxiety, decreases propensity for self-isolation, acts as a source of calm,

aiding in concentration and focus in his job and personal life, as well as being able to function in daily life skills in a greater capacity.”

Because both answers were exactly the same, the landlord granted the request for the first animal and denied the request for the second animal. The property considered the second animal a pet which meant there was a pet fee and pet rent. The resident filed a fair housing complaint arguing he was unlawfully denied the second ESA, in violation of fair housing laws.

After an investigation, the THRC determined the landlord had not violated fair housing laws. Multiple animals need independent disability-related reasons. Both animals cannot serve the same function.

While fair housing attorneys have long held this position, there was no case law, HUD guidance, or published HUD decisions to specifically support this argument. With this case, landlords should feel more secure in insisting the healthcare provider give independent reasons for the multiple ESAs.

ANGELITA FISHER

Anything Is Possible!

by Sherrice Tapplin, Ashwood Cove

As I look back over the last 18 months, all I can say is “anything is possible.” As I left an abusive relationship in Michigan and came to Nashville, all I had was my four children and myself. The anxiety and pressure I felt was overwhelming. The YWCA Domestic Violence Shelter provided my family housing. While there I met with a counselor who signed me up for a program called Shelters to Shutters. I interviewed with the Executive Director, Chris Smith, answered a few questions, updated my resume, and waited. Not long after I got the news that I was accepted into the program. I was super excited to have the opportunity but kept saying to myself to calm down – things like this don’t happen to you!

My next step was to interview at Ashwood Cove Apartments in Murfreesboro. That is when I met my supervisor, Mr. Kevin Johnson. I was in love with this place the first time I saw it; it was just so huge and pretty. I could not believe I could live and work there. The people I met saw potential in me that I didn’t see in myself, and looking back at it now I thank them for showing me what I couldn’t see.

I began my new journey the week of Thanksgiving 2021 when I moved into my apartment and started my job as a groundskeeper. My children were happy, and I was crying happy tears. To be a part of a team, not just a team but a family, was more than I could ask for. Over the next year I was able to soar and fly, and I was so thankful for all the opportunities I was given.

Recently I was nominated to be part of the GNAA LEAD program by my regional manager and property manager. How awesome is that! I was honored that they chose me out of everybody to be a part of a program that trains individuals to become maintenance techs in the housing industry.

I love the program and the opportunities it provides. The team at GNAA wants to see you grow. They are so helpful – anything you have a question about, they have an answer. I’ve met so many people who are like me, yet different, and they want to help me become the best person I can be. This is so much more than I’ve ever expected to see. The LEAD program has given me the gift of encouragement and the belief that this is just the beginning.

Dreams are not just images we think can happen; they are images we can make happen. I now wake up every day and actually believe I can do anything I set out to do.

SHERRICE TAPPLIN Groundskeeper Ashwood Cove, Freeman Webb

April Event Highlights

HEADSHOT HAPPY HOUR

CALP COURSE

DEI BINGO MIXER

LEADERSHIP LYCEUM

Spruce Up Your Property!

by Chadwell Supply

Spring has sprung! Well…for some. For others, it will be here soon. It is not too early to take a critical look at your apartment community’s curb appeal to help ensure your property is looking its best.

Your property never gets a second chance to make a first impression. Our free Curb Appeal Checklist can guide your team on where to focus their curb appeal efforts.

Buildings

• Exteriors free from dirt/mildew

• Paint/screens/blinds in good condition

• Signs/numbers readable

• Breezeways/stairwells clean

• Building/windows structurally sound

• Exterior lights clean/photocells working

Parking Lots/Roads

• Potholes filled

• Parking/no parking areas/curbs clearly painted

• Road and street signs in good shape

• Parking space/garage numbers readable

• Area(s) well lit/bulbs abd photocells working

• Area(s) free from trash

Grounds

• Free from trash/litter

• Landscaping/mulch in good condition

• Area(s) well lit/bulbs and photocells working

• Clean from pet waste

Curb appeal is important year-round. But winter weather is tough on your landscaping and parking lots. It can leave your whole community looking drab and dingy. Start now to identify those areas and make plans to spruce up as soon as your weather permits. Download the Curb Appeal Checklist to help your team identify problem spots and make a plan.

Maintaining Your Mental Well Being

by Dee Wilson

The first thought I had when I sat down to write this article is, “How transparent should I be?” which is the exact problem we have when it comes to discussing mental health disorders. We don’t talk about it, it’s still taboo, and it continues to be seen as a weakness. So I decided I would be the exception, because not being completely transparent would be counterproductive to the change that needs to happen in this world.

The first signs I experienced were when I was around 13 years old at summer camp. One morning I felt an overwhelming feeling, my chest felt tight, and my head felt light. It was such an unfamiliar feeling, I had no idea what was happening, and then it was lights out. When I came to I was surrounded by people, my head was on a female counselor’s lap, and I had three wet rags on my head and neck. I was immediately taken to the onsite clinic where the nurse diagnosed me as perfectly fine. She said it was probably due to me not eating that morning, as I often skipped breakfast and still do to this day. Over the years I continued to experience similar symptoms, sometimes completely manageable, and sometimes not.

Growing up in an Asian household, anxiety wasn’t a legitimate topic, it just wasn’t real, so you can imagine how shocked my mom was when the doctor said my fainting spells could be related to anxiety. So naturally she made me cut out all caffeine, because anxiety wasn’t a real thing. My mom was convinced I drank too much caffeine which was causing all my symptoms. I loved caffeine, and still do, so I learned to manage it and never bring it up again so I wouldn’t be deprived of the thing I loved most. As I got older I could notice the signs, and I became good at listening to my body – it didn’t exist for me either. This is where we mess up as a society, as a world, as a culture. I continued to live with it instead of seeking help and learning more about it.

WILSON Deep Marketing

I was in my mid-20s when it started to show up again. The best way to describe what I was constantly feeling was that feeling you had as a child when you knew you were in trouble and had a knot in your stomach. It was like that, just the knot never went away. This was the first time as an adult I had any conversations with a physician about what I was feeling and immediately received two medications, one that was fast acting and to be taken as needed and one that was a daily slowrelease medication. I couldn’t wait to see if it worked, so that evening after picking up my prescription I tried my first fast-acting anxiety medication and I felt ten feet tall and bulletproof. I had one recurring thought: “Is this what regular people feel like?” It felt like someone had gone directly into my stomach and unraveled that knot, like someone had walked up to me and lifted the tons of bricks sitting on my shoulder and back. My relief was interrupted by yet another anxious thought: This can’t be good for me, or anyone; this was too good to be true, but it fixed me and that’s all I wanted…or so I thought. continued on p. 25

DEE

Rising Stars Series

MELINDA PENNY – Regional Account Executive, Zumper

Years In the Industry

In Nashville - 1.5, Total - 8

Volunteer Positions Currently & Previously Held in GNAA

I join a TON of committees! Easiest way to make friends. I’m on the Gala Committee, Apartment Tour, Trade Show, Awards, Statistics, and Membership Committee.

What brought you to the apartment industry?

My first job was with a student housing community – I had just graduated and was looking for a job. The first day I walked in, the assistant had given notice. The manager said – CONGRATS! You’ve been promoted to Assistant Manager!

Was this the career path something that was always on your radar?

Definitely not! I went to college to be an Event Coordinator. I was utilizing the degree while working for a U.S. Congressman. However, the campaign was ending, and he couldn’t keep me on after that.

Did you have any unrelated jobs growing up that unexpectedly prepared you for the apartment industry?

I think any job in customer service can prepare you for this. I had a couple of retail jobs and I waited tables.

Why is property management an attractive career path?

I love that there is always room for growth in this career.

Best professional advice you have ever been given?

Always believe in yourself.

What is your favorite thing to do on the weekends?

Anything with the family. With three kids all playing sports, we are usually at a ballpark.

Do you have any pets?

One dog, Chipper. Yes, he is named after Chipper Jones. We are huge Braves fans!

Coolest place you’ve ever traveled?

Normandy, France for the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

Give us a fun fact about you.

I coach softball.

What upcoming GNAA event are you excited to attend and why?

I’m excited for the Trade Show – it is always a blast!

Do you have a motto you live by?

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

If you could get a “do over” for something in your career, what would it be and why?

I don’t have any! Staying home with my kids while they were young and coming back to multi-family is the best!

Any advice you could give to the rising stars of GNAA?

Have fun! Put yourself out there and get to know people.

NEW MEMBERS APARTMENT

COMMUNITIES

103 Tandy Drive

103 Tandy Dr. Clarksville, TN 37042

4 apartment homes

Volunteer Properties

1104 18th Avenue South

1104 18th Ave. S. Nashville, TN 37212

10 apartment homes

Volunteer Properties

1621 Arthur Avenue 1621 Arthur Ave. Nashville, TN 37208

3 apartment homes

Volunteer Properties

1681 Baltimore Drive

1681 Baltimore Dr. Clarksville, TN 37043

4 apartment homes

Volunteer Properties

1758 Spring Water

1758 Spring Water Dr. Clarksville, TN 37040

8 apartment homes

Volunteer Properties

200 North Trigg

200 N. Trigg Ave. Gallatin, TN 37066

14 apartment homes

Volunteer Properties

203 Beech Street 203 Beech St. Clarksville, TN 37042

4 apartment homes

Volunteer Properties

3905 Alabama Avenue

3905 Alabama Ave. Nashville, TN 37209

10 apartment homes

Volunteer Properties

Acklen Square

2129 Acklen Ave. Nashville, TN 37212

13 apartment homes

Volunteer Properties

Autumn Wood (Manchester)

96 Joe Hickerson Rd. Manchester, TN 37355

51 apartment homes

931-954-0061

Volunteer Properties

Autumn Wood (Portland) 117 Jerry St. Portland, TN 37148

50 apartment homes

615-815-7530

Volunteer Properties Avenue 41 Townhomes

616 41st Ave. N. Nashville, TN 37209

23 apartment homes

615-762-6451

Volunteer Properties

Belgium Drive 621 Belgium Dr. Hermitage, TN 37076

2 apartment homes

Volunteer Properties

Belle Water 478 S. Water Ave. Gallatin, TN 37066 615-504-0168

25 apartment homes

Volunteer Properties

Colony Square

Jacqueline Evans

500 Rock Springs Rd.

Smyrna, TN 37167

80 apartment homes

615-459-2949

colonysquare.mgr@secpropres.com

Security Properties Residential

Creekside at Deer Crossing

2735 Hwy. 31 W.

White House, TN 37188

40 apartment homes

629-207-6607

creekside@volprop.net

Volunteer Properties

Element at Wilma Rudolph

2833-3 Cobalt Dr., Unit B

Clarksville, TN 37040

148 apartment homes

Volunteer Properties

Elliston Street

Elliston St.

Old Hickory, TN 37138

2 apartment homes

Volunteer Properties

Elmington Park Flats

2526 Sharondale Dr.

Nashville, TN 37215

24 apartment homes

615-762-6451

Volunteer Properties

Emily Lane Apartments

113 Emily Ln.

Portland, TN 37148

32 apartment homes

Volunteer Properties

Flats at Donelson

110 Hickory Hill Ct.

Nashville, TN 37214

44 apartment homes

615-504-0168

amartin@volprop.net

Volunteer Properties

Flats at Wilkinson

300 Wilkinson Ln.

White House, TN 37188

40 apartment homes

615-559-0227

theflatsatwilkinson@volprop.net

Volunteer Properties

Golf View

813 Golf View Pl.

Clarksville, TN 37043

13 apartment homes

Volunteer Properties

Highway 259 Apartments

104-114 Hwy. 259

Portland, TN 37148

29 apartment homes

Volunteer Properties

Landings at Riverside

1104-A Plymouth Rd.

Clarksville, TN 37040

104 apartment homes

931-237-7477

thelandings@volprop.net

Volunteer Properties

Metropolitan

Sherri McDonald

101 Brixworth Ln.

Nashville, TN 37205

216 apartment homes

615-385-4408

mgrmet@brooksideproperties.com

Brookside Properties, Inc.

Modera Gulch

Cassie Olson

810 Division St. Nashville, TN 37203

378 apartment homes

615-639-1150

moderagulch@millcreekplaces.com

Mill Creek Places

Oxenfree at WeHo

This is a new build and application did not include physical address. Membership will obtain and update. It is confirmed this location is in Nashville.

Phoenix on 51st

904 51st Ave. N.

Nashville, TN 37209

19 apartment homes

615-238-0686

Volunteer Properties

Reserve at Kirkwood

Hope Amanatidis

3000 Dalton Smith Ct.

Clarksville, TN 37043

264 apartment homes

615-679-2256

reservekirkwoodmgr@greystar.com

Greystar

Reserve at Royster

3301 Royster Ln.

Clarksville, TN 37042

112 apartment homes

931-552-3239

reserveatroyster@volprop.net

Volunteer Properties

Robertson Avenue Apartments

6228 Robertson Ave.

Nashville, TN 37209

22 apartment homes

615-762-6451

Volunteer Properties

Rowan

Niki Moody

5200 Hickory Hollow Pkwy.

Nashville, TN 37013

80 apartment homes

404-835-1475

vmichael@liverangewater.com

Rangewater Real Estate

Sycamore Villas

550 McCrory Creek Rd.

Nashville, TN 37214

33 apartment homes

615-504-0168

Volunteer Properties

Thompson Place

1100 Thompson Pl.

Nashville, TN 37217

84 apartment homes

615-366-7599

Volunteer Properties

Medication is only one part of maintaining mental health, and when you look at the big picture medication is one minimal part of maintaining your mental health. I learned this the hard way. I was on anxiety medication for six years before I received a proper diagnosis for what I was battling. I had dealt with weight gain, immunity to medication, switching medication, night sweats, fatigue, filters on my emotions and so much more, yet I thought I was healed. On the inside I was still struggling, I was still in pain, and I was still covering up and dealing with the things the medication didn’t make go away. This is why I said medication is only a small part of maintaining mental health.

Six years after starting anxiety medication, I was officially diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and PTSD. People don’t talk enough about what happens to you when you receive your official diagnosis. Something about someone confirming how screwed up you are is hard. Realizing how pain and experiences have affected your entire life is defeating. This is a process all its own, a process that requires a very strong support system. The real work happens when the pain reappears. Therapy is tough. I tell everyone therapy sucks before it ever makes you feel better, but it’s supposed to. Your body and brain have a natural way of protecting themselves. Sometimes that involves shielding and suppressing memories, and therapy makes you face those all head-on. I can’t explain how many times I left my therapist’s office thinking, “I thought this was supposed to make me feel better,” but eventually it did. After years of crawling through and out of memories and pain in one-hour increments, I started to notice a major change in myself. It was nothing anyone else could see but everything I could feel. The voice inside me started to sound different, my narrative started to change and I felt more enlightened than I had ever felt before.

Therapy doesn’t make anything go away, it teaches you about why you react and feel the way you do. I noticed I was able to understand my myself more, I was able to understand why I was feeling a certain way, but most importantly I started to understand the alarms

and messages my body sent me. These feelings are instincts and created to protect us, to alarm us and to get our attention. For some of us, those alarms go off a lot more than others, sometimes completely irrational, sometimes completely rational.

Therapy allowed me to learn more about myself and my defensive reactions so much that after three years I made a big decision to go off my medication. Medication helps; in some situations medications are required to keep us alive and healthy, but for the most part medication isn’t supposed to be a permanent fix, it’s the bridge that takes you from one side to the other, and I felt I had reached the other side.

Here’s something else a lot of people don’t talk about: When you stop taking anxiety or depression medication, you’re going to feel. You’ll feel a lot of things, you’ll feel things you should have felt in the moment, and you’ll feel things you should have felt in the past. Anxiety and depression medications suppress a lot, and that’s not always healthy. The best thing I learned through my journey with therapy is you’re supposed to feel things. You’re supposed to be angry, mad, sad, happy, and you’re supposed to feel them all the way through.

I needed something positive to replace the medication I was on, so I started running. Running helped eliminate the feeling of stress and anxiety in my body, lifting weights helped me reduce feelings of aggression, and working out created endorphins that battled the feeling of depression. I had to learn how to be bigger, better, and smarter than my triggers, and what that meant for me was being able to walk away from things, people, and situations that weren’t good for me. I had to be able to recognize a toxic situation instead of trying to challenge myself that I’m strong enough to stay in one. I had to know when to turn the world off, I had to learn when I needed to get off social media because I was already looping negative thoughts. I had to learn when I could be a sounding board and when I didn’t have the mental capacity to be there for others, I had to learn when to rest, I had to learn to say no, I had to learn my toxic traits, and I had to be stronger than that too.

I stopped fighting my mental health disorders and started working with them, but alongside working with them I realized as much as it feels like a negative in my life my mental health disorders do come with a lot of positives. My PTSD increases my level of affective empathy, meaning I’m better equipped to understand the mental state of others and respond appropriately. I have found this to be particularly helpful when I was in a leadership role and as a speaker and trainer. One of my character traits is being a problem solver – as soon as something happens I’m on to “what’s the next step?” instead of dwelling on the problem. This is often a trait employers look for in leadership roles.

Data shows that those who suffer from anxiety process threats differently, using areas of the brain that are responsible for taking action. Anxious people tend to react quickly in times of danger and tend to be more comfortable with uncomfortable feelings. Everyone has some anxiety; this can normally serve as an internal alarm system. I just have a more sensitive alarm that makes me hyperaware of things happening around me. I can often notice a shift in energy, and as a trainer this is especially helpful because people won’t always say

New Members, cont. from p. 21

Village at Hermitage

4223 Nepal Dr. Nashville, TN 37076

78 apartment homes

615-707-2730

thevillage@volprop.net

Volunteer Properties

Villages of Evergreen

123 Mason St. Portland, TN 37148

40 apartment homes

615-815-7530

Volunteer Properties

Westgate Apartment Homes

1407 Toshiba Dr.

Lebanon, TN 37087

84 apartment homes

615-449-3363

roakes@volprop.net

Volunteer Properties

Woodland Manor Condominiums

1700 Wedgewood Dr. Columbia, TN 38401-3553

22 apartment homes

Volunteer Properties

SUPPLIERS

Gatsby Designs

Marcie Ivey 334-320-5288

marcielivey@gatsbydesigns.info

Decorating Services; Graphic Design

Envirospark Energy Solutions

Jennifer Mansell

1050 Crown Pointe Pkwy., Suite 500

Atlanta, GA 30338 770-833-1062

jennifer.mansell@envirosparkenergy.com

they are overwhelmed or that they don’t understand something in front of a large group. That hypersensitivity allows me to check on that person one-on-one which often opens them up to talk to me. There have also been studies that have found people with diagnosed depression were less likely to make social misjudgments and tend to reduce biases. While the human mind tends to believe that what people do fundamentally reflects who they are, symptoms of depression seem to counteract that, possibly by appreciating that there’s more to other people than their external behavior – a critical perspective for healthy relationships.

None of my mental health disorders restricts me from living a normal life, being a good person, or a hard worker; in fact, for me it does the complete opposite. But I had to learn a lot about myself and my disorders to figure that out. Everyone’s battle with mental health is their own, this is just my experience. One day I hope we can live in a world where we stop seeing mental health disorders as a weakness and instead lean on those people for their strength, their ideas, their understanding, and their ability to connect with others.

J Squared Systems

2724 Buckner Ln. Thompson’s Station, TN 37179 702-232-8859

jim@jsquaredsystems.com

Lighting

JLG

Kara Stevenson

1021 Summer Ln. Pleasant View, TN 37115 615-636-1236

karamaries95@gmail.com

Air Deodorizers; Air Quality Testing; Asbestos Abatement/Testing; Balcony Railings; Biohazard Waste Cleanup; Commercial/Insurance Restoration & Reconstruction/Repair; Drainage Repairs; Drywall Repair; Environmental Consulting/ Cleanup; Fencing; Floor Restoration; General Contractor (Remodeling/Repair); Mold Abatement; Odor Removal; Paint Contractor; Pressure Washing; Roofing Contractor; Siding; Structural Repair; Water Extraction/Damage; Waterproofing

SparkleWash of Middle Tennessee

Jacob Shumaker

633 Henry Ln. Nashville, TN 37211 615-250-7866

jshumaker@sparklewash.com

Cleaning Services; Leaf Removal/ Equipment; Pressure Washing

From Insanity to Sanity with Lauren Hartstern

by Chris Smith, Shelters to Shutters

How to maintain sanity in the fast-paced world of property management is the question we asked of Lauren Hartstern, a 20-year veteran in the industry. Lauren started as a leasing agent in 2003 and has been a community manager for the past eight years. She presently serves as the Community Manager for Tapestry at Brentwood Town Center.

When asked to list the greatest stressors in her job, Lauren said.

• Not being able to give people what they want, from constant noise complaints to granting relief of an early termination fee.

• Being understaffed is a chronic problem.

• There is not enough time in the day to get everything done that needs to be done.

• The everyday pressure of being responsible. While the vendor is the one who did not get the job done in a timely fashion, she is the one who must face the unhappy resident.

Lauren offers these suggestions for practicing self-care and keeping your sanity.

Develop thick skin. This lesson took 15 years to learn but it is an invaluable one. “I figured out the upset resident is not mad at me but at the lease they signed. It really does not bother me anymore.” This advice is particularly significant because Lauren also says, “I love my residents.” She is a people person who smiles and talks to others because that is who she is, not because it is a part of the job. She adds, “I can listen to the resident and console them, but I still have to collect the rent.” She has learned how to enjoy others while not being co-dependent on their happiness or in need of their approval.

CHRIS SMITH Shelters to Shutters

Exercise. Lauren exercises regularly and runs in the Nashville half-marathon every year.

Take time off. Lauren is a real believer in taking full advantage of time off and vacations. She was going to Disney the day after our interview, had been to Vegas earlier in the year, and has another trip planned for the summer. She expressed gratitude for Greystar’s generous vacation and leave policy. She does not resent the occasional work item that has to be done while away and says she maintains a healthy work/life balance. She did admit, however, to catching up on episodes of “Succession” while answering emails at the same time.

Let it go. Lauren describes herself as an over-achiever who loves to work. Earlier in her career it bothered her that others, from bosses to her employees, did not always share her work ethic. She learned that everything is not black and white, was able to adapt to others, and did not expect everyone to be exactly like her. In the words of “Frozen,” she chose to “let it go” while acknowledging that her hard work has not been for naught and has been rewarded over the years.

Love what you do. While at first this may sound like a cliché, there is significant truth in these words. Lauren has the skill set to be an excellent community manager – good with people and details, appreciates the fast pace, team builder. She is good at what she does and thus it truly does not feel like work, at least sometimes. Others are not similarly blessed. Their job does not fit their skill set, and it feels exactly like what it is – work. Perhaps the word for the rest of us is to either focus on the parts of our jobs that bring joy or find a job that is not as draining.

Teamwork. Lauren is a firm believer in the power of a team. She constantly asks, “Do you need any help?” and encourages co-workers by reminding them “we will figure this out together.” When she says every problem has a solution, one may be tempted to think she is pouring on the positive vibes a bit too much. But what she means is use your vendors, ask other employees, and take advantage of the resources at your disposal. By creating a positive work environment – controlling what she can control – she in the process practices self-care.