07/16/2021
🏢 In 2017, I decided to include management as a part of my real estate career here in Hawaii. I began by managing the first ever high-rise built in Waikiki called, The Rosalei.
🎤 Built in 1955, it was named after a well-known singer named Rosaline Stephenson. The “lei” at the end was a loose hapa haole nod to Hawaiian culture…(*more on this later…)
🌹 I’ve since gone on to manage other high rises in Waikiki, but this building is really where I built the foundation for the career that I now have in our AOAO/HOA industry.
👨👩👧👧 But I didn’t begin my management career in Hawaii…it started much earlier. I grew up in our family’s property management business, where dinner table discussions typically revolved around clients, maintenance troubleshooting, leases, late rent - you name it, it was covered.
🚗 Driving home from soccer practice likely included “drive-bys” of the properties we managed. My Dad would take me on ride-alongs with him and I would have to introduce myself to clients, maintenance men, leasing agents, bankers etc. as a little girl.
🤝 My Dad taught me how to have a firm handshake, the value of first impressions and how everyone always needs a friend. He would turn strangers into friends and always said, “whether they’re a CEO or a Janitor, Nicole, you treat them all the same.” And he did. I watched how my Dad did what I know now, was just business.
🔑 In my management career, I am constantly reminded of those lessons learned and how applicable all that “training” was over the years. But little did I know how valuable those conversations were until recently.
🎁 I was just selected for a prestigious recognition in my industry and was surprised at how emotional I was when I got the news.
🌸 To now come full circle in my career, it’s much like that Hawaiian lei. There is no ending or beginning, it is present and continuous, blooming and blending to the next flower, fully connected and complete.
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I am beyond honored to be chosen as a 2021 30 Under 30 recipient.
I look forward to learning more and contributing to the real estate management industry.
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🙏🏽 Mahalo nui loa to my family, friends and clients who have shaped me into the professional I am today and who continue to shape me into an even better leader tomorrow.
Growing up in Boise, Idaho, in her family's property management business, Nicole began her career early by sweeping the steps of buildings the business managed and going for ride-alongs with her property manager father. Years later, she grew to manage the company portfolio of 585 units of multi-fami...
