Ask a Busy Person Rise to the Challenge A CONVERSATION WITH JEN PAPPAS, CMCA Vice President, American Properties Team, Inc. WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? I never had anything in mind other than something business-related. I just happened to fall into property management in college whenI went to work part-time for another property management company. HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO STAY WITH THE INDUSTRY? I found it challenging. And I consider myself a people person. With property management, you're dealing with a lot of different personalities, so being a people person comes in handy! WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT THE INDUSTRY? I think the best thing about the industry is that no two days are the same. And if you're a person who genuinely likes people, it can be intriguing. Problem solving is always a huge aspect of the job, so being able to think things through and fi nd solutions that everyone can agree to is a big challenge of the job. It's what keeps me ticking. WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS YOU'VE LEARNED FROM THE INDUSTRY? I have learned that there's always going to be a small percentage of people who you're just not going to be able to make happy and to not take things personally. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE INDUSTRY'S CHALLENGES? NIGHT MEETINGS ARE ALWAYS CHALLENGING BECAUSE THEY MAKE FOR A LONG DAY. AND IT CAN BE CHALLENGING WHEN NOT EVERYTHING THAT YOU PUT FORTH IS ACCEPTED BY BOARDS. THAT'S A HUGE CHALLENGE AT TIMES. 38 CONDOMEDIA November 2022