Staying Busy

There are some days that I am so busy, I don't know what to do with myself and other days that I am not busy that I don't know what to do with myself.  I have to say, I do enjoy the days most when I am busy.  I feel most at ease with my mind.  

I have always worked ever since I can remember and school has always been in the mix.  This year when I graduate, I fear I will go nuts!  I know that will free up time for me to catch up on the boxes piled up in my room and clean out the garage but I really enjoy the feeling of learning and being so busy with writing papers and reading textbooks. I do plan on going onto graduate school but I want to take the time off to make sure I pick the right program.  

In that time off I plan on taking guitar lessons, golf lessons and probably dance classes.  One thing I am happy about is going to be able to spend time with my kids and do stuff with them.  They are so understanding about my current condition (ever since they were born - and before - I have been going to school) and I am happy to give them some well-deserved time spent doing stuff they want to do.  

Only a handful of weeks until we are done with this semester!  Looking forward to it...kind of.

Going Home

This weekend I get to go home.  My hometown is Cleveland, Ohio and I am really looking forward to visiting family and seeing my husband.  We are planning to go to the Cleveland Browns vs. Oakland Raiders game at the stadium with my cousins.  I am so excited!  Nothing better than watching 2 crappy teams play football in awesome weather!  Tailgating, here I come! Go Browns!  

At one time though, going home was not something I would consider doing.  I stayed away for many years.  It was a toxic place for me to be.  While I grew up there, I never felt as if it was my "home."  I loved when I moved away for many reasons but now I am getting to a point in my life where I feel like Cleveland is my home again.  I wish I could turn back time and gone back to visit many other times over the years because I missed so much.  My family missed so much.  However, life is life, and that didn't happen.  

One thing I am really looking forward to is spending time with my mom.  Since my dad passed away, we have gotten really close.  Something I longed for so many years of my life...but we are close now.  I am going to take her shopping (something we literally have never done) and spend some much needed time together.  She is amazing and I look up to her.  She and my dad had quite a tough life but have overcome some great obstacles.  They are both deaf and my dad did everything for her.  While my mom is struggling with some things in life, she is moving forward in life without him.  He asked her not to cry.  She told me that my dad told her that on July 3.  He died the 20th of July.  She told me that she is doing her best not to cry and hugging his T-shirts when she gets really sad.  She is the strongest person I know....I'm happy to be going home this weekend.

While this posting may be random to most of you....I think I needed to get these thoughts out.  I am having a hard time with the passing of my dad and I guess this has helped.  If you have gotten this far...thanks for reading.  

:) Candace

Leadership in My Internship

How does leadership play a role in your internship?

Leadership does play a role in my internship.  While I do not have anyone that reports to me, I do drive my projects to places where I am expected to be the leader.  The public, the jurisdictions, my boss, as well as Verizon ask me as to what is happening at any given moment and I am expected to give them answers. 

Are you able to demonstrate any leadership skills?

I do.  I am able to give information in a way that is extremely processional, at times when it can be tough to do so. For example, I have a site that has some intricacies that are out of the ordinary and this particular job is top of the list in terms of priority.  I have asked my designer for changes about 2 months ago.  He has not yet finished these changes, even with some reminding from me periodically.  It is my job that this project get completed within a specific time frame so I have diplomatically spoke to, helped as well as gone out of my way to ensure the project gets done.  We are in the last leg of the project and the designer (who works for someone else) is always thanking me for being so professional and expecting nothing but the best from him. 

Along with being professional, I am organized and making sure that all my ducks are in a row is what makes me a great manager.  I am able to talk to people in a way that makes them feel comfortable and I do not ever want to come off in a condescending way.  That will not make anyone feel excited about his or her job.

How do your co-workers or supervisor display leadership capabilities?

My manager is very lax about direction.  He gives me a start and because he knows I can figure things out in ways that work best for me, he lets me go and figure out the best way to get things done.  He is very overwhelmed with work and at times, this way of managing can be frustrating but he is always available to take questions from me if I do not understand something.  And he has graciously accepted that I am a “question-asker” but hey, I want to know everything and anything that I have pop up in my brain. 

I find that the most important skill in managing is communication.  Without it, you are going to be lost and life is not fun.  I am grateful for the job I have and the open communication I have with my supervisor.  He can ask anything and I can ask him anything.  It makes for a great working relationship.

What is Precious to You?

Going to Vegas can mean losing money or waking up in a drunkeness stupor leaving yourself wondering, "what the *&^% happened last night?"  We've all been there...and I know I've had MANY great times and stories from those days!

But for me, this last trip I took meant great music and time with my husband. Since my husband does not live with me in Phoenix, time spent with him is precious.  We got to spend some much needed time together and see one of our favorite bands, Blink-182.  It was a great time.

For me, growing older has really changed my outlook on what is "precious." At one point, I felt that being strictly away from my parents and partying with my friends was the most precious thing I had.  Yeah, I must've felt that way for much of my younger years, from about 13-21.  After that, partying took over and getting the utmost amount of sleep was precious.  (ok, sleep is still precious.)

But now, I wish I had more time.  Time is precious.  My kids are getting older and my husband is far away.  My father passed away earlier this year.  All the years wasted on being away and not spending as much time as I should with him makes me reflect on how I want to live my future.  Being apart from my mom and family, my kids (they're a product of divorce, which he and I split the time), and my husband helped me to realize what is most precious in life....love.  

Hug your loved ones often.  

Have a nice day,
Candace

Interview with a Prior Supervisor

Ryan Mott, Manager at NASH Advisory Services, LLC was my manager for many years when I worked with/for him at Lennar Communities.  We developed land for residential use and he has a passion for Real Estate.  I aspire to have a position in the future that I can pursue my passion as well. 

I interviewed him last week.

What are your main job responsibilities? 

I am responsible for overseeing the real estate portfolio in the central and eastern US for my company, consisting of over 28 projects.  We are the majority equity partner in real estate development, with major concentrations in residential master planned communities and minor concentrations in mixed-use, multi-family low-rise and high-rise, condos, retail and commercial components.  Specifically, I ensure that the equity we provide receives the expected revenue from each project.  

How did you choose this career? 

A close friend brought me to work with him one day at his job in residential real estate development and I instantly became intrigued of all the moving parts and strategy that went in to building communities, with the end result of providing places for families to grow up and live.

What type of education or training is needed for this position? 

Generally, a bachelor's degree in real estate is required with 10-15+ years of experience in real estate development and homebuilding.  

What advice would you give to someone interested in this field? 

Get experience in every aspect of real estate development that you can.  Become really knowledgeable and proficient at a couple of the aspects, e.g. residential and commercial.  Gain as much experience as you can and make yourself as valuable as possible to an employer.  Learn from the ground up how the business works.

Do you notice any new trends in the field? 
Millennials and those 55+ are shaping how the residential and retail real estate industries plan and build new developments.  People are moving back into the downtown areas of major and minor cities, wanting the convenience of city services within walking distance while being close to work.  

It was a real pleasure speaking with him and I hope to have the same drive that he does.  He has achieved many goals in the past that seemed unobtainable and he strives to meet the goals he regularly sets for himself in the future.