In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Alex LaFlam, National Account Executive at WithMe, for a fast-paced and heartfelt conversation about smart spending, scalable partnerships, and staying rooted in real on-site experience. Listen in to hear Alex:

• Share her 15+ year journey from an eager leasing agent in Sacramento to leading national strategy at a cutting-edge proptech company—and how she found love (and her husband!) along the way in the halls of multifamily
• Reflect on the challenges and grit of running high-demand lease-ups in San Francisco, how the pandemic reshaped her leadership, and why operators need tech that actually works for site teams
• Break down how WithMe is helping owners future-proof amenities, control costs through smart software, and deliver reliable resident experiences—with ROI that’s measured in trust, efficiency, and NOI impact

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Kevin Owens, President of Property Management at RKW Residential, for a compelling conversation about confident leadership, intentional tech adoption, and creating a Ritz Carlton-level resident experience. Listen in to hear Kevin:

• Share how his unconventional path—from a psychiatric hospital program director to senior housing and then multifamily—shaped his calm urgency, people-first mindset, and relentless drive to grow and lead with perspective
• Reflect on his decision to join RKW after a transformative year in consulting, and how the company’s alignment of tech and heart, powered by Alfred, convinced him it was the right next chapter
• Break down his belief in starting innovation at the user level, building tech that elevates—not replaces—people, and why true differentiation in multifamily means balancing high-touch care with high-tech tools

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Kelley Brine, President of Rose Valley Management, for a dynamic conversation about culture-driven leadership, embracing change, and leading with authenticity. Listen in to hear Kelley:

• Share how she unexpectedly fell into real estate 25 years ago—and how her journey from a leasing agent in New York to President of a $2 billion portfolio was shaped by grit, empathy, and a passion for purposeful leadership
• Reflect on her first year at Rose Valley, including navigating a “tornado on fire,” building culture from the literal ground up, and aligning teams around a shared vision of operational excellence and human-first values
• Break down her approach to work-life presence over balance, championing women in leadership, and why she believes survival, simplicity, and strong support systems are the secret weapons of sustainable success

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Mitzi Hoag, Vice President of Compliance at Gateway Management Company, for a powerful conversation about redefining affordable housing compliance through innovation, collaboration, and compassion. Listen in to hear Mitzi:

• Share how a chance encounter in a grocery store led to a 24-year career in affordable housing—and how her early experiences on site shaped her passion for training, process improvement, and resident-first solutions
• Break down Gateway’s cutting-edge compliance strategy, including a first-of-its-kind AI file review tool that’s eliminating inconsistencies and helping site teams accelerate move-ins with clarity and trust
• Reflect on the role of centralized leasing, digital applications, and income averaging in meeting the urgent needs of today's workforce—and why every compliance file represents more than paperwork: it’s a family waiting for a home

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Cristy Abud, Director of Training and Compliance at Priderock Capital Management, for an insightful conversation about scaling support teams, training with heart, and balancing people with process. Listen in to hear Cristy:

• Share how she went from a temporary leasing agent to leading a nationwide training and compliance team—and how saying “yes” shaped her career and earned her a custom-made role on the corporate team
• Break down her team’s role as the “fixers,” including how she uses data, grounded goals, and deep relationships with operations to create targeted support for struggling sites
• Reflect on the challenges of 100% travel roles, how she safeguards team mental health, and why prioritizing empathy, structure, and growth keeps her team (and portfolio) thriving

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Ryan Calhoun, Regional Director of Operations at Landmark Properties, for a compelling conversation about legislative advocacy, student housing operations, and personalized leadership. Listen in to hear Ryan:

• Share how he fell into student housing and built a thriving career focused on fast-paced operations, strategic innovation, and regional leadership across diverse markets—including navigating the demands of high-turn student assets
• Explain how a local ordinance in Ann Arbor sparked his passion for legislation, and why he believes operators must have a seat at the table to shape policies that impact affordability, development, and fair housing
• Break down his “catered coaching” approach to leadership—tailoring mentorship to individual learning styles—and how combining radical candor, extreme ownership, and empathy is creating more connected and effective teams across Landmark’s portfolio

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Chasity Sadowy, Vice President of Property Management at Birge and Held, for a powerful conversation about operational strategy, affordable housing, and bold centralization. Listen in to hear Chasity:

• Share how she rose from receptionist to VP overseeing 20,000 units—and why she believes being the voice for site teams is the key to sustainable leadership
• Explain why property management should start with development, and how her team is shaping prototypes and product decisions to better meet market and QAP needs
• Break down Birge and Held’s ambitious centralization rollout—including tech-enabled support roles, fully offloading administrative tasks, and redefining success through standardization and strategic hiring

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Donald Davidoff, Co-Founder and CEO of Real Estate Business Analytics (REBA), for a thoughtful conversation about platform thinking, pricing innovation, and building technology that puts operators first. Listen in to hear Donald:

• Share how his path from revenue management in hotels and gaming led to pioneering multifamily pricing systems—and why he believes success starts with persistent problem-solving
• Explain why REBA was built from the ground up as a connected analytics platform, and how intentional design and humility helped shape a product that works with operators, not just for them
• Break down the misconceptions around algorithmic pricing and antitrust concerns, and why using clean, first-party data is both a legal safeguard and a smarter business strategy

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Marc Hershberg, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Topaz Capital Group, for a candid conversation about entrepreneurial grit, investment discipline, and innovating in multifamily real estate. Listen in to hear Marc:

• Share how his path from corporate finance to real estate investing was driven by a desire to build tangible, generational wealth—and how Topaz Capital was born in the honeymoon suite after his wedding
• Explain why he underwrites markets before deals, and how that approach has helped Topaz navigate risk and identify long-term growth opportunities
• Reveal how his team is staying ahead of the curve by pivoting to newer assets, investing in proptech, and partnering with local developers to creatively structure deals in Florida’s evolving multifamily market

In this episode, Kerri Davis, CEO and Founder of Fortress, sits down with Steve Boyack, Chief Operating Officer of JVM Realty, for a thoughtful conversation about strategic transformation, team empowerment, and building a resident-first mindset in multifamily. Listen in to hear Steve:

• Share how a summer job in high school led to a wide-ranging career across nearly every role in property management—from maintenance tech to COO
• Reveal why he believes “clean before you redecorate” is the secret to successful innovation, and how process mapping unlocks lasting operational change
• Explain how rethinking maintenance roles, focusing on specialization over centralization, and seeing the resident as the true client are reshaping JVM’s future-facing strategies