BOARD PERSPECTIVE
BY AMIE ROBERTSHAW , AAMD PRESIDENT
Don ' t Stop Believing in this Resilient Industry
For instance , a client can tell me his 300 sq ft apartment is worth $ 3,000 , but I sure as heck won ’ t be able to rent it at that , unless I also believe that value to be true . If I believe in it , I ’ d rent the heck out of that unit …
So , when I think about what is important for us and what I hope to influence – it is this idea that anything could be possible when you really truly believed …. because if not , if you have doubt , you will always stand in your own way .
So what are my initiatives ? Well this is how my one hundred ‘ presidential ’ initiatives boil down to one – you just gotta believe .
I spent a good deal of time over the last year or so trying to decide what my goals would be during my time as AAMD President . I actually spoke with several past presidents to gather their advice – and what I heard was fairly consistent – it was to narrow down my ideas to one or two top actionable initiatives , knowing that the year will fly by quickly .
Well , let me tell you , that was pretty discouraging at first because I was all over the place and quite honestly , if you know me , you know I ’ m always planning or doing like a hundred things at once . The thought of simplifying , was honestly , totally lost on me . But as I really started to consider what all my thoughts and ambitions had in common , I ended up with this one singular constant – and that was that I want us all to believe that anything is possible .
Before I dive into that , let me backtrack a bit and share a quote with you that I first heard when I was 19 years old . I had just started in the industry as a leasing consultant in Gainesville , FL , ( go Gators !) and the owner of the company I worked for appreciated quotes like no other . They were hung and sprinkled all over the place , including a uniform shirt with this particular quote on it :
“ Believe nothing , no matter where you read it , or who said it , no matter if I have said it , unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense .” – Buddha
Two decades later , I still love this quote . I think what makes these words particularly powerful is that it highlights how personal and subjective the concept of ‘ belief ’ is and that even at the root of the most brilliant and successful minds , we must always question what we are told and we must always ultimately follow our hearts . Because belief is never based on fact . It ’ s firmly rooted in our soul .
But that ’ s a funny thing in business – especially ours , right ? We are programed to work within ‘ fact ’ and ‘ reason ’ and our minds are dominated by procedures , stats , facts , goals , and metrics . And we are all measured in benchmarks , unit counts , KPIs , ROIs , NOIs , comp averages , etc .
Everyone in our industry has benchmarks that we strive to achieve . And that ’ s great – but , just because anyone can throw any goal out into the world doesn ’ t mean it ’ s actually possible . Maybe it is , or maybe it isn ’ t . I don ’ t know . What I will tell you though is that the determining factor is really how much we believe in it . How much do we believe in our ability to achieve that specific outcome .
I believe – that when we network , build relationships and lean on each other – we become stronger as an industry .
I believe – if we put in time and effort to advocate for the issues that challenge our industry – we can make a positive impact and influence generations to come .
I believe – if we stay educated that we can navigate the constant winds of change .
I believe – if we make a point to engage new members and fresh ideas , we will broaden our perspective and become an even greater force than we already are .
I also believe that we are all so very lucky to have found this place in the world . You couldn ’ t even begin to count the number of amazing things that have happened to each of us because we were a part of this . And not only the professional successes , but the personal ones as well .
Because while I know I wouldn ’ t be here if it weren ’ t for the job , you all , and your friendships and support is what has always kept me going . It ’ s what keeps us all going .
Amie Robertshaw is the Vice President of Operations at Asset Living .
6 | TRENDS JULY 2022 www . aamdhq . org