Description

• 01:35 - Meet Michele Crochetiere with One11 Advisors
• 02:39 - The value of mentorship
• 05:10 - How to find a mentor (hint: just ask!)
• 07:19 - Mentorship is a 2-way street
• 08:22 - Mentor myths
• 10:21 - When life grinds to a stop
• 17:24 - What Michele learned from her health crisis
• 19:55 - The habits (gifts!) of self-care and weekly planning
• 22:07 - Why you need to take PTO
• 23:25 - Caring for your co-workers 
• 26:00 - Final advice on work ethic, priorities, and boundaries

As kids, our favorite actor, singer, or celebrity fulfills the title of role model. As adults, we still need mentors in our personal and professional lives. Michele explains, “I’ve had a lot of really great role models…and from each person I have taken something away. You’re always able to learn from all of your experiences.”

If you’re wondering how to find a mentor—or to be a mentor yourself—here are Michelle’s tips:

1. Reach out and ask. Make sure it’s someone who will listen, encourage, and challenge you well. “If I call a mentor, I don’t want them to just tell me what they think. I want them to challenge me.”
2. Share/set expectations. “If you're asking someone to be your mentor, you wanna give them an opportunity to understand what you're asking them to do, as well as be able to say, no.” For example, offer to meet for lunch every month, or ask if they’re willing to be your “phone-a-friend” when you need business advice.
3. 2-way street. “We think of mentors as giving advice or giving feedback, but mentors get something out of the relationship too.” Share your next steps, red flags, and grand ideas with each other for encouragement and inspiration.

Michele Crochetiere has consistently valued her mentors throughout her 20 years in the property management and multifamily industry. Those relationships were a literal lifeline when she was diagnosed with idiopathic subglottic stenosis, a condition that causes swelling of the windpipe. When she was homebound and on vocal rest, those same irreplaceable mentors stepped up to the plate with work-from-home projects that required minimal talking. 

“It forced me to stop what I was doing and to think about who I was, what I was doing, and what I was here for. So that made me shift my thinking a lot.” Of course, Michele hopes you never experience an abrupt halt like she did! Instead, she hopes that you “learn from my mistakes and my self-inflicted control freak, workaholic personality.” Here’s how:

1. Self-care. Carve out time to do things that are relaxing. “I do a lot of yoga. And for anybody who’s interested in yoga, I will tell you that it is a game changer.”
2. Pray and meditate. When she was on doctor’s orders to stay home, church was her daily outing. “My faith has helped tremendously.”
3. Read. Michelle had given up reading for a long time, but now she reads lots of books. Pick any genre you like to read purely for enjoyment.
4. Calendar plan. “I always find time to plug in that self-care [into my calendar] so that I can make sure I’m balancing out my life.”
5. PTO. Hold each other accountable for taking time off. “Because if nobody asks, it’s very easy to just let it slide and not do it.”

Whether you’re in property management, multifamily leadership, or any other part of the real estate and housing industry, aim to maintain your boundaries, balance, and business relationships for a thriving work-life balance.

Thank you, Michele, for sharing your passion about mentorship and self-care with our community of Bosses! If you’re searching for more multifamily tips, then subscribe to the Boss Talks Podcast, where each episode aims to help you Manage Like a Boss. Did you enjoy this episode chock full of practical advice? Share it with other bosses in your community!

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*The views and opinions expressed on Boss Talks are those of the host and their guest(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Community Boss.