The 7-Minute Harvest

What if service partners approached every property manager as the CEO of the property?

In this episode of The 7-Minute Harvest, I sit down with Kisha Owens, Property Manager at Rosemary Glen Townhomes, a Carlisle Residential build-to-rent community in Whitsett, North Carolina.

With approximately 20 years in property management, Kisha has developed a perspective shaped by service, responsibility, and the understanding that every property operates much like its own business.

Early in her career, an owner described the property manager as the CEO of their business. Kisha never forgot it. Property managers are responsible for far more than most people outside the industry realize. Their responsibilities can include real estate law, fair housing, marketing and sales, financials, budgeting, forecasting, vendor management, purchasing, hiring, training, coaching, resident relations, and countless daily decisions affecting the performance of the asset.

Kisha's approach to that responsibility begins with service. She shares a story from early in her career about taking the time to understand and help a resident despite a significant language barrier. That resident's experience ultimately led two additional family members to move into the community.

The lesson Kisha carried forward was simple: she is there to serve.

When our conversation turns to service partners, Kisha identifies quality as the first requirement. When quality is comparable, however, communication becomes the differentiator.

Looking ahead, Kisha sees another significant challenge developing across the Piedmont Triad region of NC. Rapid multifamily and build-to-rent growth along the broader Raleigh-to-Charlotte corridor will require properties to become more deliberate about marketing while also focusing on staff satisfaction, loyalty, and retention.

In This Episode:

• Why Kisha approaches property management with a servant mindset
• How one resident interaction shaped her career
• Why a property manager should be viewed as the CEO of the property
• The many responsibilities most people never see behind property management
• Why quality must come first from service partners
• How communication differentiates partners when quality is equal
• The impact of rapid multifamily growth across the Piedmont Triad
• Why marketing will require greater attention as competition increases
• The growing importance of employee satisfaction and staff retention

Kisha's perspective offers an important reminder for anyone serving the property management industry: understand the responsibility carried by the person sitting across from you, respect their time, deliver quality work, communicate well, and look for ways to make their job easier.

The 7-Minute Harvest is produced and hosted by Eric S. Hayes, a senior sales leader and revenue strategist with more than two decades of experience developing high-performing teams and driving disciplined growth across commercial service organizations.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by Yardnique, a leading commercial landscape partner committed to creating, maintaining, and enhancing exceptional outdoor environments throughout the Southeast.

Learn more about Yardnique at Yardnique.com.

HOA and community management require balancing the expectations of homeowners, volunteer boards, vendors, governing documents, budgets, and schedules. Areesah Lassiter believes successfully navigating those competing responsibilities begins with consistency.

In this episode of The 7-Minute Harvest, I sit down with Areesah Lassiter, Community Manager with Priestley Management Company in North Carolina's Greater Piedmont Triad.

Before transitioning into association management, Areesah spent 13 years working in HOA collections law. That experience gave her a unique understanding of governing documents, compliance, and what can happen when homeowners do not fully understand the responsibilities that come with living in an association.

Today, she brings that experience to community management with a philosophy grounded in education and consistency.

As Areesah explains, every homeowner may be different, but they must be treated consistently. Community managers must also balance requests against board direction, budgets, schedules, and the overall priorities of the association.

When it comes to service partners, Areesah's expectations are equally clear: communication and accountability.

She doesn't expect everything to go perfectly. She does expect partners to communicate when something changes, acknowledge when something was missed, and take responsibility rather than leaving the community manager to discover the problem.

Our conversation concludes with what Areesah believes may be one of the industry's greatest continuing needs: education. Homeowners need to understand what they are buying into, and volunteer board members need the knowledge required to govern communities effectively.

In This Episode:

• How 13 years in HOA collections shaped Areesah's approach to community management
• Why consistency is essential when enforcing governing documents
• The importance of educating homeowners before problems develop
• The competing responsibilities community managers balance every day
• Why board direction, budgets, and schedules affect what can be accomplished
• What communication looks like from a community manager's perspective
• Why accountability separates great service partners from average vendors
• The importance of educating volunteer board members
• How better understanding can prevent future conflict

For commercial landscaping providers and other HOA service partners, Areesah's message is especially valuable: communicate early, take accountability, understand the priorities of the association, and help educate rather than simply execute.

The 7-Minute Harvest is produced and hosted by Eric S. Hayes, a senior sales leader and revenue strategist with more than two decades of experience developing high-performing teams and driving disciplined growth across commercial service organizations.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by Yardnique, a leading commercial landscape partner committed to creating, maintaining, and enhancing exceptional outdoor environments throughout the Southeast.

Learn more about Yardnique at Yardnique.com.

In an industry increasingly shaped by automation, artificial intelligence, and digital communication, Epiphany Smith believes the future of great property management still depends on something decidedly human: making people feel seen.

In this episode of The 7-Minute Harvest, I sit down with Epiphany Smith, Property Manager at Ashton Park Apartments, a Willow Bridge property in Anderson, South Carolina.

Epiphany's journey in multifamily spans approximately 14 years, including 13 years at Ashton Park. She began in leasing, advanced into management, and ultimately stepped into leadership during one of the property's most challenging seasons. Along the way, she learned from great leaders, difficult experiences, self-doubt, and the responsibility of building a team and community where people genuinely feel valued.

Her leadership philosophy is deeply personal. She believes leaders should model the standards they expect from their teams, coach rather than simply direct, and never forget the human being on the other side of an interaction.

That same philosophy shapes what Epiphany expects from service partners.

She can tell the difference between someone pursuing a sale and someone who authentically cares about her, her team, and the needs of her property. For Epiphany, loyalty is earned through genuine relationships, consistent communication, and dependable service.

Our conversation concludes with an important challenge for the future of multifamily: embrace technology without allowing convenience to replace connection...

• Stand up.
• Make eye contact.
• Greet people.
• Listen.
• Be present.

Because residents aren't simply choosing an apartment. They're choosing a place to call home.

In This Episode:

• Epiphany's journey from leasing to property management leadership
• How difficult leadership experiences shaped the leader she wanted to become
• The importance of coaching and leading by example
• Why property managers are balancing more behind the scenes than most people realize
• How authentic service partners earn long-term loyalty
• Why communication remains essential to vendor relationships
• The danger of allowing automation to replace human interaction
• How resident experience directly supports retention, revenue, and asset performance
• Why kindness and personal connection still matter in property management

Epiphany's story is a powerful reminder that technology can improve the way we work, but people ultimately determine how a community feels.

The 7-Minute Harvest is hosted by Eric S. Hayes, a senior sales leader and revenue strategist with more than two decades of experience developing high-performing teams and driving disciplined growth across commercial service organizations.

Each episode features practical conversations with commercial property professionals, industry leaders, and trusted service partners focused on improving asset performance, tenant experience, operational excellence, and long-term business relationships.

Proudly sponsored by Yardnique, one of the Southeast's premier commercial landscape management companies, serving multifamily, industrial, office, retail, HOA, and mixed-use properties.

Learn more at Yardnique.com.

The 7-Minute Harvest is produced and hosted by Eric S. Hayes, a senior sales leader and revenue strategist with more than two decades of experience developing high-performing teams and driving disciplined growth across commercial service organizations.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by Yardnique, a leading commercial landscape partner committed to creating, maintaining, and enhancing exceptional outdoor environments throughout the Southeast.

Learn more about Yardnique at Yardnique.com.

Commercial property managers are expected to manage facilities, tenants, budgets, priorities, and emergencies—often at the same time. Bre Holden believes the strongest service partners help carry that responsibility rather than adding to it.

In this episode of The 7-Minute Harvest, I sit down with Bre, Commercial Property Manager with Eastgroup in Greenville, South Carolina. Bre shares how temporarily managing properties in the Atlanta market while her team was short-staffed stretched her abilities, strengthened her confidence, and helped define the type of property manager she wanted to become: positive, gracious, and focused on solutions.

Our conversation also examines what commercial property managers truly need from their vendors. Bre values honest communication, realistic expectations, dependable follow-through, and partners who bring expertise beyond the immediate scope of work. A great partner should be someone a property manager can call with a question, rely on for sound guidance, and trust to recommend another qualified resource when the need falls outside that partner’s specialty.

Bre also discusses the growing importance of sustainability and ESG initiatives within commercial property management. As tenant expectations and operating standards continue to evolve, property teams must shift from simply reacting to problems toward proactively reducing waste, conserving resources, and improving long-term property performance.

In This Episode

• How managing an additional market strengthened Bre’s confidence
• Why growth often happens when professionals are stretched
• The many responsibilities commercial property managers balance behind the scenes
• What separates a true service partner from an average vendor
• Why honest communication matters more than perfection
• How expertise and trusted referrals create additional value
• The growing role of sustainability and ESG in industrial property management
• Moving from reactive maintenance toward proactive resource management

For commercial property managers and the suppliers who serve them, Bre’s message is clear: communicate honestly, manage expectations, bring expertise, and become a resource clients can trust beyond the immediate task.

The 7-Minute Harvest is produced and hosted by Eric S. Hayes, a senior sales leader and revenue strategist with more than two decades of experience developing high-performing teams and driving disciplined growth across commercial service organizations.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by Yardnique, a leading commercial landscape partner committed to creating, maintaining, and enhancing exceptional outdoor environments throughout the Southeast.

Learn more about Yardnique at Yardnique.com.

Property management requires confidence, quick judgment, and the ability to make difficult decisions under pressure. For Jovan Wright, growth has meant learning to trust her instincts while remaining compassionate toward the people affected by those decisions.

In this episode of The 7-Minute Harvest, I sit down with Jovan, Assistant Property Manager at Legacy Concord and a recipient of the Apartment Association of North Carolina’s 2026 20 on the Rise recognition.

Jovan shares how a leap of faith brought her from Ohio to North Carolina and opened the door to a new chapter in her multifamily career. She also speaks candidly about overcoming uncertainty, developing confidence, and learning from mistakes rather than allowing them to define her.

Our conversation turns to one of the most difficult realities of property management: enforcing policies, managing late fees and evictions, and handling challenging situations without losing kindness. Jovan explains why reliability and communication matter so much in a service partner and why a responsive vendor can remove an enormous amount of stress from a property management team.

As technology, chatbots, and artificial intelligence become more prevalent, Jovan believes the industry must protect something technology cannot replace: genuine human connection.

In This Episode

• Jovan’s move from Ohio to North Carolina
• Learning to trust your instincts and make difficult decisions
• Growing through mistakes and professional uncertainty
• Remaining compassionate while enforcing policies
• Why reliability and communication build confidence
• The importance of understanding a client’s preferred communication style
• Preserving personal relationships in an increasingly digital industry

Jovan’s perspective is a reminder that professional strength and kindness are not opposites. The strongest property management leaders bring both to the people and communities they serve.

The 7-Minute Harvest is produced and hosted by Eric S. Hayes, a senior sales leader and revenue strategist with more than two decades of experience developing high-performing teams and driving disciplined growth across commercial service organizations.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by Yardnique, a leading commercial landscape partner committed to creating, maintaining, and enhancing exceptional outdoor environments throughout the Southeast.

Learn more about Yardnique at Yardnique.com.

What if the greatest lesson in sales has nothing to do with selling?

What if it begins with serving?

In this episode of The 7-Minute Harvest, I sit down with Brandon Babyak, Regional Sales Executive with Valet Living and one of the 2026 Apartment Association of North Carolina 20 on the Rise honorees.

After nearly three decades in luxury retail, Brandon made a remarkable career transition into the multifamily industry in her fifties. Along the way, she discovered a leadership philosophy that transformed not only the teams she led, but also the way she builds relationships with clients.

Influenced by the teachings of Dave Ramsey and Simon Sinek, Brandon explains why servant leadership has become the foundation of her professional life. When people feel seen, heard, safe, and valued, extraordinary things happen.

Our conversation also explores the growing pressures facing today's property managers, the difference between a transactional vendor and a trusted partner, and why authenticity and integrity will never be replaced—even in the age of artificial intelligence.

In this episode:

• How servant leadership transformed Brandon's career
• Why people perform best when they feel seen, heard, and safe
• The increasing demands placed on today's property managers
• What separates a true partner from an ordinary vendor
• Why authenticity and integrity still matter
• Building relationships that last beyond the transaction
• How AI may reshape the future of multifamily while preserving the human connection

Whether you're a property manager, supplier, business developer, or leader, this conversation is a powerful reminder that the strongest relationships are built through service, trust, and genuine care for people.

The 7-Minute Harvest is produced and hosted by Eric S. Hayes, a senior sales leader and revenue strategist with more than two decades of experience developing high-performing teams and driving disciplined growth across commercial service organizations.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by Yardnique, a leading commercial landscape partner committed to creating, maintaining, and enhancing exceptional outdoor environments throughout the Southeast.

Learn more about Yardnique at Yardnique.com.

What happens when a flooded commercial building threatens to shut down business overnight?

For Erin Stickle, Property Manager at Trinity Partners in Columbia, South Carolina, the answer wasn't panic.

Her response was preparation.

In this episode of The 7-Minute Harvest, Erin shares the story of an unexpected building flood early in her career that forever changed how she approaches property management. That experience taught her that successful property managers don't simply react to emergencies—they prepare for them long before they happen.

Throughout our conversation, Erin also highlights the importance of communication, reliability, and strong vendor relationships. In her view, the best service partners don't just complete work orders—they respond quickly, communicate consistently, and follow through on their commitments.

As the conversation concludes, we also explore how emerging technologies like artificial intelligence may influence the future of commercial property management.

In this episode:

• How one unexpected emergency shaped Erin's leadership
• Why preparation is one of a property manager's greatest assets
• The importance of communication during a crisis
• What separates a trusted service partner from an average vendor
• Why reliability builds long-term trust
• The daily balancing act of commercial property management
• A look ahead at AI's potential impact on the industry

Whether you're a property manager, commercial real estate professional, or service provider, Erin's perspective is a reminder that the strongest partnerships are built long before they're ever tested.

The 7-Minute Harvest is produced and hosted by Eric S. Hayes, a senior sales leader and revenue strategist with more than two decades of experience developing high-performing teams and driving disciplined growth across commercial service organizations.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by Yardnique, a leading commercial landscape partner committed to creating, maintaining, and enhancing exceptional outdoor environments throughout the Southeast.

Learn more about Yardnique at Yardnique.com.

The best salespeople don't think of themselves as salespeople.

They think of themselves as partners.

In this episode of The 7-Minute Harvest, I sit down with Austin Love, supplier partner for Pro Sports Fitness Equipment and New Creation Charlotte, and one of the 2026 Apartment Association of North Carolina 20 on the Rise honorees.

Austin shares the lessons he learned from entering the multifamily industry at a young age, including one realization that transformed his career: You don't have to become someone else to succeed. You simply have to show up as yourself.

Throughout our conversation, Austin explains why every relationship matters, why every person deserves the same respect, and why today's leasing consultant may become tomorrow's regional manager.

He also challenges every supplier to stop thinking like a vendor and start acting like a true business partner.

In this episode:

• How authenticity transformed Austin's career
• Why relationships always outlast transactions
• The importance of treating everyone with equal respect
• What separates a business partner from an ordinary supplier
• Why communication, kindness, and follow-through still matter
• Navigating today's competitive multifamily market
• How AI may reshape the future of supplier relationships

Whether you serve multifamily communities, commercial real estate, or any customer-facing business, this conversation is a powerful reminder that trust isn't built through a sales presentation—it's built through authentic relationships, one interaction at a time.

The 7-Minute Harvest is produced and hosted by Eric S. Hayes, a senior sales leader and revenue strategist with more than two decades of experience developing high-performing teams and driving disciplined growth across commercial service organizations.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by Yardnique, a leading commercial landscape partner committed to creating, maintaining, and enhancing exceptional outdoor environments throughout the Southeast.

Learn more about Yardnique at Yardnique.com.

Great leaders are rarely self-made.

They are shaped by the people who invest in them.

In this episode of The 7-Minute Harvest, I sit down with Ally Sack, Property Manager at Novel River District, one of Charlotte's most distinctive multifamily communities. Ally was recently recognized as one of the 2026 Apartment Association of North Carolina 20 on the Rise honorees, a recognition celebrating emerging leaders who are making a significant impact on North Carolina's apartment industry.

As Ally reflects on her career, she credits both exceptional mentors and difficult leaders for shaping the manager she has become today. Her willingness to learn from every experience has created a leadership philosophy built on humility, self-awareness, continuous growth, and genuine care for people.

Our conversation also explores one of the biggest challenges facing today's multifamily industry: standing out in an increasingly competitive market. As Novel River District continues its lease-up, Ally shares how differentiation isn't simply about beautiful amenities—it's about creating meaningful experiences, building authentic partnerships, and becoming part of the larger community.

She also offers a powerful perspective on vendors: The best vendors don't act like vendors. They become business partners.

In this episode:

• How great mentors—and difficult ones—shape exceptional leaders
• Why self-reflection is one of a leader's greatest strengths
• The challenges of leasing in an oversaturated multifamily market
• What separates a true business partner from an average vendor
• Why feedback is essential to building trust
• How communities can become better neighbors
• The importance of parks, trails, conservation, and creating places where people love to live

Whether you're a property manager, supplier, commercial real estate professional, or business leader, Ally's perspective is a reminder that great communities are built by leaders who never stop learning and partners who genuinely care about the people they serve.

The 7-Minute Harvest is produced and hosted by Eric S. Hayes, a senior sales leader and revenue strategist with more than two decades of experience developing high-performing teams and driving disciplined growth across commercial service organizations.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by Yardnique, a leading commercial landscape partner committed to creating, maintaining, and enhancing exceptional outdoor environments throughout the Southeast.

Learn more about Yardnique at Yardnique.com.

What if one of the most important leadership qualities in commercial property management isn't operational excellence. It's kindness.

In this episode of The 7-Minute Harvest, I sit down with Tiffany Quinnette, Association Director at Cusick Community Management, one of the Carolinas' leading HOA management companies.

As our conversation unfolds, Tiffany shares a refreshingly simple perspective on leadership. While community managers navigate budgets, board meetings, vendors, resident concerns, and the growing influence of social media, she believes the foundation of every successful community is built on partnership, respect, and kindness.

She also offers an important reminder about the volunteer board members who give countless hours serving their neighborhoods. Behind every well-run community are people investing their time to make life better for others.

For those of us who serve community associations, Tiffany's perspective is both practical and timely.

In this episode:

• Why every successful community begins with partnership
• The importance of respecting the time of volunteer board members
• How kindness influences leadership and decision-making
• Navigating criticism in the age of social media
• Why great vendors become trusted partners
• The continued shift toward digital community management

Sometimes the most profound leadership lessons aren't complicated.

Sometimes they're simply reminders to treat people well.

Whether you're a community manager, board member, business developer, or service provider, this conversation offers a timely reminder that professionalism and kindness are never mutually exclusive.

The 7-Minute Harvest is produced and hosted by Eric S. Hayes, a senior sales leader and revenue strategist with more than two decades of experience developing high-performing teams and driving disciplined growth across commercial service organizations.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by Yardnique, a leading commercial landscape partner committed to creating, maintaining, and enhancing exceptional outdoor environments throughout the Southeast.

Learn more about Yardnique at Yardnique.com.