Scaling Smart with Marketing and Leadership In Multifamily

What if your marketing drove fewer leads and you celebrated? That is the mindset shift Debbie Rae Peters, Managing Director of Property Marketing and Leasing at Rose Associates, brings to this conversation. With more than 30 years in the New York metro multifamily market, Debbie Rae shares how qualified demand, strategic channel alignment, and strong collaboration with revenue management drive real performance across a growing Northeast portfolio.

We get tactical quickly. Debbie Rae explains how to align pricing strategy with marketing channels so each asset attracts the right renter, not just more clicks. She breaks down how auditing the renter journey uncovers broken phone numbers, clunky forms, and disconnects between corporate marketing and on site teams. We explore how chatbots and AI accelerate response times and touring, and where the critical human handoff must happen to preserve empathy, context, and trust. The result is stronger lead to lease conversion, better buy in from site teams, and marketing that actually supports operations.

Beyond performance metrics, this episode dives into culture. Debbie Rae shares how weekly one on ones, team huddles, transparency, and celebrating wins build resilience during growth and change. We also spotlight Rose Associates’ seven employee resource groups and how belonging, community giving, and intentional programming have elevated engagement scores and strengthened resident relationships. Her leadership philosophy is simple but powerful. Pause before reacting. Lead with positivity. Model the culture you want to see.

If you are responsible for marketing performance, leasing KPIs, or building stronger teams in multifamily, this conversation delivers both a strategic roadmap and a leadership playbook.

Follow the Multifamily Women Podcast and share this episode with other leaders who care about performance, culture, and building communities that thrive.

Connect with Debbie Rae on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-rae-peters/
Connect with Rose Associates: https://www.rosenyc.com/

Connect with Multifamily Women®:

Multifamily Women® Summit: https://multifamilywomen.com/
Carrie Antrim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrieantrim/
Be a Guest on the Podcast or at the Summit: https://apps.multifamilywomen.com/speakingrequest
Multifamily Women® Leadership Series: https://apps.multifamilywomen.com/join

Transcript

Meet Debbie Ray Peters

SPEAKER_00 0:20

Hi, and welcome to another episode of the Multifamily Women Podcast. I'm your host, Carrie Antrim. Today I'm so excited to welcome Debbie Ray Peters to the show. She is the manning managing director of property marketing and leasing at Rose Property Management Group. She has more than 30 years of experience in the New York Metro multifamily market, and she has held leadership roles at Avalon Bay, AMCO, Roseland, Graystar, and Beam Living. Debbie Ray now oversees lead generation, online reputation management, and resident engagement across Rose's portfolio. Debbie is also a past speaker at the Multifamily Women's Summit. She's an active member of the Multifamily Innovation Council, and she is a co-founder of Women's Employee Resource Groups and a leader in DEI initiatives within our industry. Debbie, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

Thank you so much. I'm so excited to be here.

Rose Associates’ Northeast Expansion

SPEAKER_00 1:12

Yeah, it's great to have you. I love your background there in New York. Thank you. That's the big apple. Yes. So tell us a little bit about your portfolio and what you oversee so listeners know and can understand the types of properties that you're involved with.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

Well, it's a really exciting time now for Rose Associates. We are expanding and growing into new markets. We are based in New York City. That's where we've grown. We're a hundred-year-old company. And we've recently acquired our new leasing and marketing and management assignment in Philadelphia. And now we've got communities in Connecticut, and we're expanding into Massachusetts, up and upstate New York.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Wow, that's a lot throughout the Northeast. Yeah, that's amazing. I bet that's really exciting and very busy.

SPEAKER_01 2:07

It's super exciting and lots and lots of opportunities to get into new markets and um hire new team members and get them excited about the company.

SPEAKER_00 2:18

Yeah. What does your role specifically look like day to day? Like what is a typical day for Debbie Ray?

Inside The Marketing Director Role

SPEAKER_01 2:24

You know, I don't have a typical day. Okay, I love that. With most people within multifamily, right? Right. Um so you know, I also oversee the corporate marketing. So I'm in the process of building a new website. I handle all the corporate social media channels and messaging. I work closely with Amy, our CEO. Um, but I also work really close with what I like to call my marketing superheroes on the team to make sure that all of the property marketing is working, we're driving qualified leads, and um then work with them on the transitions and to our new uh markets to make sure that all of the marketing tech is set up, that we have all of the correct marketing materials and collateral for them and setting up all of the advertising. So each day looks a little different all the time.

SPEAKER_00 3:14

Are you traveling a lot? Like are you going to the different properties or do you do it all from where you are?

SPEAKER_01 3:19

Um I will be traveling out because I love to inspect what I expect and see all the properties. And um, so right now, primarily all of the marketing tech is being set up from the corporate office. And then um I do have my team members who also go out and visit the properties and make sure everything is set up all right and and to meet the team members.

SPEAKER_00 3:38

Yeah. What in this whole process with all this growth and scaling, what energizes you the most? Like what do you get most excited and passionate about?

Travel, Teams, And Implementation

SPEAKER_01 3:47

I love expansion. I love the growth. I love meeting new people, I love going into new markets. And I just love bragging about, you know, rows in our history and our culture and you know, everything that we have to offer. And especially with the growth, there are growth opportunities within the organization. So being able to reinforce that message. Um and then the, you know, with different opportunities as far as leadership trainings or learning and development teams. And I just I work closely with a lot of the teams within the organization. So it's really fun to brag about all of them too.

SPEAKER_00 4:24

Yeah, absolutely. Um, now I mentioned in your intro you've spoken at the Multifamily Women's Summit before. I have to. And you're active in the Innovation Council. We love to see you at all the meetings. Why do you think it's so important to stay connected to other female leaders in the industry? Because that's what what we're doing through the summits in the council. We're all staying connected.

Why Women’s Networks Matter

SPEAKER_01 4:46

I think it's really important because we all have different experiences, but we also have shared experiences. And I think it's really important because I think us as women, we tend to think we're the only ones going through a certain situation or an opportunity. Um, and it's really nice to hear and be validated when someone else is experiencing the same thing. It's also really, really encouraging when you are struggling with an issue or going through an opportunity and getting reaching out to your network of women and getting advice or getting encouragement, or, you know, even just you go, girl, keep going. I think it's really important. And, you know, they're very powerful and empowering relationships because they stretch nationwide.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

Yeah, absolutely. That's something I hear consistently after the Women's Summit. Attendees will come out of it and be like, listen, I had no idea that this CEO of this huge company had the same struggles that I'm facing right now. And it's great to hear how she made it through and you know, the strategies and things that they can take back immediately. Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 5:57

And it's interesting to hear their journeys and where they started. And, you know, not everyone, you know, if and I don't think anyone actually really started at the top. We all had a different position within different organizations, and we've gone through different organizations and had different experiences. And I think that's where coming together and networking and keeping in touch really makes the network strong. And it's like a circle of trust.

SPEAKER_00 6:28

Right. Yeah, absolutely. Um, so you are obviously you love marketing, you're passionate about it. When, and you mentioned like not many of us just started right at the top, right? We had to work our way up. When did you know that this career path, like this was it for you? This is what you love, this is what you want to do. And did your career kind of go all different crazy ways, or did you kind of know from the beginning?

Career Path, Setbacks, And Resilience

SPEAKER_01 6:52

No, it went all crazy, different directions, ways, um, just like a roller coaster. Yeah. And I initially started leasing apartments with my mom. Um, you know, so um, you know, I I keep saying I've learned from the best. Yeah. My mom taught me how to lease apartments um at a 55, um, an older, you know, apartment community. And um, you know, I learned from there. I always said that I wasn't going to be in, I wasn't going to stay in the industry. I was going, I was going to become an engineer. I was going to build buildings. Um, and that was my passion. And I ended up falling in love with people and helping them find homes. It turned into a passion of mine. And that passion grew where I was able to leverage it and travel to different properties and go to lease ups and, you know, acquire, you know, go with the company to acquire new properties or um transition them in or out. So, and travel around the country doing it. Um, so I it it definitely um grew on me and super excited to be here. Um, you know, I've had various positions where I've changed companies and had, you know, different positions, whether it was lateral or whether it might have been, you know, a step below where I was originally. Um I've been laid off due to a reorganization with a company. And I think every time that happens, you know, it's just redirection. It's just, you know, showing that there's other opportunities out there for me that um, you know, I need to, you know, leverage and grow with. And so yeah, so it's been up and down and all around. Yeah. And throughout the country.

SPEAKER_00 8:46

Yeah, I hear that. Um, was there ever like a defining moment you mentioned going through layoffs or, you know, lateral changes or even taking positions below just to get to a different place? Was there ever any kind of like defining moment that you're like, yes, I'm in the right place, I'm doing the right thing?

SPEAKER_01 9:04

Yes, it was. You know, a few years ago, I was fortunate enough to um go work for a company where I have known primarily most of the executive team for many, many, many years. Um dare I say about 20 years, I knew most of them. And it was like coming back home and working with family. And we just built this organization on trust and camaraderie. And we really walked our talk and um we led by example, and it was just such a fantastic organization and friendships and relationships that I still have to this day. And that was when I'm like, yeah, this is this is where I'm supposed to be. And then, you know, that company was the one that ended up being reorganized and you know, going to different companies and being able to help build um women's initiatives and employee resource groups um within the organizations after that, um, you know, really, really became a passion of mine.

SPEAKER_00 10:17

I love that. Um, and so you've obviously you've been leading for a long time now. You've led through market changes, transitions, brand evolutions, new lease up, you know, all of the things. What in those moments where things are changing and maybe uncertain for everybody, and especially those that you're leading, what does strong leadership look like to you in those moments?

Defining Leadership Under Change

SPEAKER_01 10:42

You know, it's interesting because there is a lot of change and there it there are so many um opportunities where you react to things because there is so much happening. And there's, you know, one thing that my mom would say, she's like, you know what? Step back for a second. Just look at the situation. Don't react and think about it. You don't have to, you know, have an answer right now. Maybe it's in an hour, but you have to, you know, take a step back and look and look at everything before you can move forward. And I think I've taken that um throughout my career actually, to not react because I have new team members, I have impressionable team members that I want to grow and I want to set that example for. So just taking a step back, looking to see what happens, and then walking through, asking the questions, um, you know, because there's always, you know, more questions to ask so that you get clarity in that next step as well. So uh that's what I've been doing, just you know, having patience, stepping back and being like, wait a minute, let's think about this for a second.

SPEAKER_00 11:48

Isn't that such a good life lesson, though? I mean, in every situation, and also like somehow the hardest thing to do.

SPEAKER_01 11:55

So hard, so hard. Because I have caught myself many times wanting to react. And I'm like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Nope, nope, nope, nope. There's a better way. There's a better way. Just wait.

SPEAKER_00 12:08

Um, yeah. Uh that with kids, with employees, I mean with everyone, partners, like that, just the okay, just let's just take a breath and like have that bigger perspective for a moment, which is hard, you know. It is hard in that yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:25

And it's also like retraining your inner voice. Yeah. Because your inner voice wants to continue and just start reacting. And oh, yeah, it's almost like that invisible little devil and the little invisible angel on your shoulders. Yeah. Which one do you listen to?

SPEAKER_00 12:38

So it's retraining that inner voice. Yeah, absolutely. Um, so when you're guiding a team through that change or these changes that are happening all the time, keeping your cool, obviously, like you said, taking a breath, taking a beat, understanding the bigger, bigger impact of what you're about to say next. What is what matters most to the team members that you're leading?

Culture Builders: Recognition And Rituals

SPEAKER_01 13:04

You know, I think each person has their own thing that they feel that's important to them. Um I want to make sure that I'm communicating with them. I have one-on-ones with them every week. And then I have a team huddle so that we all get together and we can communicate. And I want to make sure we're talking about our successes. It's so easy to talk about what hasn't been going on or hasn't been going right or issues that we have to fix. But I always want to remind them we've we're doing great things. Let's talk about things that are going right and help each other through, you know, any issues that we may have during our one-on-ones or when we're sitting back at our desks. Um, but I do take that time to recognize them for doing a great job. And because we do, we do have big jobs. We impact the entire organization. And there is a lot of you know, marketing tech set up and communicating with, you know, the site teams, and communication is key as well, making sure that we're transparent and we're clear in all of our communication. And um, but you know, some team members they love, they love food. Food's important to them. So it doesn't. I mean, take them out to to lunch, you know, spoil them a little, cupcakes, you know, work too, any kind of sweets. I have a candy cart next to my desk. And I do have a particular team member who absolutely loves the candy cart. Uh-huh. And um, we now call him wrapper. He's going to hate me for this. But um, we've nicknamed him wrapper because we can hear him unwrapping the candy. Uh-huh. I don't know how you function.

SPEAKER_00 14:40

How do you function with a candy cart next to your desk? That would be a danger zone for me.

SPEAKER_01 14:45

I I don't eat a lot of it, but I love the fact that I have it because people come over and talk all the time. Like they come over, they want to they want a nice little sweet treat. Yeah. And I make sure that I have it there for them. I keep it stocked. I love that. That I love that. That's great.

SPEAKER_00 15:01

Well, can I come work in your office?

SPEAKER_01 15:03

Absolutely. Absolutely. I have a disco ball too.

SPEAKER_00 15:06

Oh my god, well, so do I. Oh my gosh. Okay, well then. I don't know how much work we would actually get done though. That's that would be the problem.

SPEAKER_01 15:12

We still work.

unknown 15:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 15:14

All right. So on the marketing side, from your perspective, um, what differentiates like really strong marketing that's going to make you stand out from just the average, what you know, maybe everybody's seeing or doing?

Strategy Over Spray-And-Pray

SPEAKER_01 15:28

I think um it's the strategy. And we really work closely with our revenue management because, you know, we need to understand how our apartments are being priced. And, you know, someone who is going to rent a$36,000 a month apartment versus one who's going to rent a$2,500 a month apartment are two different, you know, demographics, two different um customers. So we need to make sure that our digital strategy is attracting the right customer to the right product. And I think we really work hard and work really well partnering with our digital agencies to ensure we're doing that because we've seen year over year that our lead-to-lease conversion has increased just based on the fact that we're driving more qualified leads. There may not be as many as there were in previous years, but the ones that are coming in are more qualified. Um, so we do work really closely in it with revenue management, but also with the site teams and communicating with them, hearing what customers are saying when they come in, what are they liking about the ads that they're seeing? How did they search for us? And that helps us understand how we need to tweak or adjust our marketing efforts.

SPEAKER_00 16:45

Yeah, and Lee Gen has evolved so much, you know, throughout the years. What are you seeing right now in the market? Like what's working?

SPEAKER_01 16:54

You know what? Um, we are finding that um, you know, the chatbots, the AI, um, lead nurturing, those are really working well that because the the customer is experiencing, you know, immediate satisfaction or immediate results from questions that they have because the site teams are so focused on resident experience and working with residents on any issues they have or touring that the AI has really helped us improve our touring and you know, setting those appointments and then leasing those apartments.

SPEAKER_00 17:32

Yeah, they're getting that instant gratification, right? They can ask a question, get an answer, or they can schedule a tour and it's like done. I I mean, I'm a proponent. I love that being able to just get stuff done quickly without having to pick up. Exactly. Um, what are some of the biggest blind spots you're seeing when auditing a portfolio's marketing performance?

AI, Chatbots, And Tour Conversion

SPEAKER_01 17:53

Um, biggest blind spots, that's a great question. I think some of the blind spots are the lack of transparency when it comes to working with the site teams because sometimes the site teams, you know, may not know where all of the advertising is, what the ads look like, or, you know, um, like for example, with geofencing and and targeting certain maybe competitors or um offices or companies, they need to be just as involved in that process. And I'm seeing that there has been a disconnect there, or um, you know, a disconnect in some of the um maybe some of the actual advertising where one ILS or internet listing service has been cut and they don't know about it. Um, or you know, some of the signage may the phone number for whatever reason may not work. So there's been a disconnect in, you know, making sure that things are audited, that the communication with the site team, that they're aware of what is being marketed, where we're being marketed, and what those ads look like.

unknown 18:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:59

Because then you get buy-in and then they're like they really excited and they they work closer with us.

SPEAKER_00 19:05

Yeah, exactly. And they're more they're more passionate about, you know, getting the leads nurtured and handled and in and the tours and all of that when they understand the whole process. Like you said, taking a step back, seeing the whole uh perspective of the the journey, the renter journey, right?

SPEAKER_01 19:21

Yep, the renter journey, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 19:23

Yeah, that's great. Where do you see friction still existing in the leasing process for these potential renters?

Fixing Blind Spots With Site Teams

SPEAKER_01 19:31

You know, I think there might be a little friction when it comes to um, you know, AI and how when is when does that transition happen from, you know, the um virtual assistant over to the site team? And I think that we're still working through. Um, and that might be, you know, I've seen some posts where that has been an issue where all of the follow-up, all of the connect, you know, um contact has been through the AI bot, um, where some of those personal questions haven't been answered. And I think we need to remember that this is a personal experience. Like everyone is le this is their home. So it's really important that we make sure that we're timing that transition correctly so that we can still create that personal experience.

SPEAKER_00 20:19

That's a fascinating point because you're right. Like the ease of the chat bot and getting in the door, like that's wonderful, you know. But then yeah, at some point there's a kind of a tightrope there where you have to be like, okay, well, now we need to transition into a human, you know, the exact leasing agent needs to answer these deeper questions or whatever.

SPEAKER_01 20:41

Exactly. And treating that AI um or virtual assistant as a team member so that when it's you know, in in our teaching our leasing teams that it is a team member, so making sure that they are also monitoring what's happening um, you know, with the virtual assistant so that when it does when that customer does come over to speak to them directly, they know everything that has gone on. And I think giving them the tools to actually do that um makes that transition much smoother.

SPEAKER_00 21:11

Yeah. Now, when you see marketing trends, and obviously you've been in the industry for a while, when you see them come and go, how do you know or do you know when there's a trend worth following or jumping on, you know?

Human Handoff In The Leasing Journey

SPEAKER_01 21:23

You know, again, we work really closely with our digital agencies and they help us with this. Um, so you know, we're getting feedback all the time, whether it's, you know, from um or digital agencies, whether it is from, you know, social media influencers or whether it's from our site teams, what they're seeing. Um, but also, you know, just from our industry colleagues and what they're seeing, because we like to keep in touch, you know, with a lot of our colleagues, you know, with the with different companies. Um, so we definitely keep in touch that way. And, you know, video is big. Um, you know, again, and at one point it was all the virtual tours, you know, that was big. Um, so we we like to keep on top, you know, we that's how we keep in touch with, you know, what the trends are doing and and sometimes we have a little fun with it.

SPEAKER_00 22:10

I love that. I think that that shows uh personality and culture really well when you when you're able to have fun with it. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Are you tapping into your on-site teams at all to help with marketing? Are they, you know, brand ambassadors or doing any influencing things like that?

Trendspotting And On-Site Insights

SPEAKER_01 22:29

Absolutely. We always are, you know, we pretty much talk to our teams at least once a month, if not, you know, on a weekly basis. And we tell them, you're our marketing experts. You know, we want to listen to you. We want to hear from you. You're the one on, you know, boots on the ground and hearing what the customers and, you know, our residents are saying. You know, what's important to them and how can we help you and support you so that, you know, the experience from that lead coming in to the resident experience is all like a seamless journey, a happy journey that, you know, these folks want to stay with us.

SPEAKER_00 23:07

Yeah. We get so much information from our some of our employees who are renters and our friends who go through the process and they're like, oh man, this was great, or this was like a nightmare, you know. And it's just interesting to see the different experiences people have.

SPEAKER_01 23:22

It is. And we also like to go through and do our audits. So we'll go through, um, we'll go from a lead and submit a lead form, um, submit an appointment, and we want to see what that experience is like. And every once in a while we'll pick a property and we'll do that and go through the application process and how that is working, just so that we know um and we can actually speak to that. And if there's any glitches, we can go ahead and be proactive and take care of it.

SPEAKER_00 23:51

Yeah, that I think that that is very smart. Um, I want to talk to you about the initiatives that you lead at Rose Associates, because I know that that's a big part of your um your day and how you're building culture. Can you tell us more about that?

Auditing The Renter Journey

Building Belonging: ERGs At Rose

SPEAKER_01 24:06

Yes. Belonging at Rose, um, we have a collection of employee resource groups that are completely, you know, team member driven. And we have planning committees, we have um executive sponsors, and there are seven ERGs currently um within Rose Associates. And um I am a co-sponsor of Being Women of Rose, which is our women's initiative. Um, being Women is what I love lovingly call our beehive. And um super excited that March is Women's History Month. So um lots of activities planned for that. Um, we have Impactful Hands, which I am a co-sponsor of as well. And that is um a group of people who we give back to our communities and we partner with various um organizations within each neighborhood to give back um to our to our communities, and we also get our residents involved. Uh we have melanated, which is um for all of our team members and their allies, um, people of color. Um we have our Unidos, which is our Latino um organization and their allies. We have Embrace, which is our LGBTQ community, and then we have NAPA, which just recently had an amazing event with um Lunar New Year. Um, so it's a network of Asian uh Pacific Americans. And we have Caring Together, which is our group that supports um team members who are balancing taking care of loved ones along with work and how and they have a ton of resources that help our team members through that as well. I think I named them all. That is unbelievable.

SPEAKER_00 26:03

That's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 26:05

It is, it is, and we've seen that through the programming and the messaging from all of these phenomenal groups that our employment survey scores have gone up. They feel like they belong, that there are um there's networking events, you know, for them where they can get to know their colleagues and interesting ways to learn about different cultures or different, you know, um resources that they may need. Um, we also we have um an offshore team as well that we like to also include. So we are always providing a Zoom link so they can um attend virtually. Um so we've had them attend as well, um, especially, you know, whether it's for an ERG event or even our company events, whether it's our town halls or our um Rockstar Awards. So it's it's been amazing to be able to do. And I just love it. I love including everyone. Um, I love that it has such a powerful impact on the company.

SPEAKER_00 27:14

Yeah, something I learned early in my career through the Best Places to Work multifamily program, which you guys ranked recently. Congratulations on that. Yay, thank you. Um, is the amount of good work that these apartment communities are doing in the neighborhood for the residents, for the world in general. And that was not some, that's not something that's on billboards or that you see in movies, you know, it's the landlords are always like the bad guys or whatever, but you don't see how much amazing work is happening in our communities through property management companies doing all of these things. And you mentioned that as one of your initiatives. And I just that was an eye-opening thing for me when I first started, and I just love it. I applaud that. And I see that every year through the best places to work in multifamily because those are the companies that are doing these things and having these ERGs and just making the culture uh somewhere that people want to stay and win and thrive, you know.

SPEAKER_01 28:09

Exactly. And where people can make a difference. Yes. And, you know, it it was so powerful over the holidays we had our season of giving. And each month we partnered with a different organization where we gave uh we donated food or we donated coats or the toy drive. And this year's numbers well exceeded previous years. So each year there's more participation, um, there's more awareness. Um, and the the team members get really excited for it and they prepare for it and they and the properties participate. So it is amazing. I love it. I love it. It's just something I love to do, something I love to brag about.

Impact Beyond Walls: Community Giving

SPEAKER_00 28:52

Uh as well you should. I mean, here's the platform. Like you absolutely should brag about that. That's wonderful. I love that. What has your experience as a woman building a long career in this space? What has that been like? And how are you uh mentoring or you know, modeling this for future leaders?

SPEAKER_01 29:11

You know, there's definitely been challenges, as we've all had. And I think what has what I've done, again, you know, um, with my mom and and even my dad, you know, how can you take that issue or how can you take that challenge and turn it around into a positive? So I always think of it as though um, if I was in that position, how would I react? How would I support this person? So I am now taking all of my experience and um trying to continue with the good habits and the great leadership and empowerment that I've had in my past and turn around some of those challenges so that I don't reproduce those challenges on any of my team members or colleagues, as a matter of fact. Um so I always think about that, you know, before I go in, or if I've seen um, you know, in previous companies a leader act in a certain way. Like there was, you know, a leader who wouldn't say hi to anyone when they came in. And um, I was like, wait a minute, I don't want to be that person. Like I want to be the person that says hi, like hi, sunshine. How your how's your day going so far? So I make it a point to say good morning to everyone when I come in. Um, and it's a small gesture, but it's something that can go a really long way because you never know what someone else is going through. And just that one smile, just that one hello, um, can make a world of difference.

SPEAKER_00 30:44

Well, especially coming from someone in a position of, you know, leadership, having, you know, someone like you like walk in and Debbie Ray says hello to me every morning. That's amazing, right? Like that's gotta feel good.

Evolving As A Woman Leader

SPEAKER_01 30:57

I hope so. I hope so. And now I'm seeing it more, you know, around the company where more people are saying hello to everybody. And like, for example, you know, I always like to start my emails with, you know, happy Friday or, you know, happy Monday. And I'm seeing more people starting to do that as well. Um, so that, you know, helps along with messaging and and positivity and and just keeping the morale going.

SPEAKER_00 31:21

So what I'm hearing is you are the trendsetter in your office, which is a great thing.

SPEAKER_01 31:27

I love it. There's a few of us, but yes.

SPEAKER_00 31:32

That's great. What has helped you, you know, facing these challenges and things like that throughout your your tenure, what has helped you stay so confident and so excited and passionate every day?

SPEAKER_01 31:44

Well, um, you know, I I have to say that confidence is a challenge because you always have that imposter syndrome, you know, going on. And um it's not a fake it till you make it because I never want to fake anything. But I always want to take on a challenge with, you know what, I can do this. Um, and and again, it comes down to those voices in your head that you have to like quell the ones that say, Oh, are you sure you can do this? No, maybe you just sit back and watch somebody else do it. But it is, um, it's real. Um, and I do fight, you know, myself with the confidence every day. Um, so thank you for thinking that I'm, you know, confident in everything I'm doing.

SPEAKER_00 32:28

You are, you absolutely are.

SPEAKER_01 32:30

But, you know, and I always want to remain positive. I always want to remain the person who is going to come out of this optimistically or with a solution versus pointing out an issue and not being able to solve it. Um, and even if my solution is wrong, that's okay. I came, I came with one, right? Hey, at least I showed up to the party, right? Exactly. Exactly.

Confidence, Optimism, And Action

SPEAKER_00 32:56

That's great. Um, what advice would you give to women who are thinking about big decisions? You you've, you know, had different companies you've worked for, you've had to make some big decisions, as you mentioned previously in the episode. What do you have any advice for people facing that right now?

SPEAKER_01 33:12

You know, and I heard this um from a celebrity recently, and she said, you know what? I look at my 85-year-old self, and what would she say? Um, you know, if if she were to look back on her life. And a lot of times people are like, I wish I had done this, I wish I had done that. And I look at it now like, you know what? I'm gonna do it. What's the worst that can happen? You know, I get to try something new. I have a new challenge, I have a new skill. And I just say, again, you sit back, you know, depending on what it is, but take a moment, but also like, yeah, you know what? I should do it. Why not? There's nothing to lose here and everything to gain.

SPEAKER_00 34:00

I find myself, uh, you said, what's the worst that can happen? I find myself doing that with my own children because I see them facing big big decisions, you know. And I think back to when I they're 14 and 16 when I was a teenager, like, okay, well, let's talk about this. What okay, what's the worst that could happen? It's embarrassing, or you know, you audition for the play and you don't make it. Okay, well, then you join the the crew or something, you know, like and those, you know, those are teenage decisions. And obviously we're adults and we're making, you know, big girl decisions and stuff. But I love that. Like just thinking, you know, what would happen if I don't take this challenge? Well, I'm just still here. Is that where you want to be? Or do you want to go you want to challenge yourself?

SPEAKER_01 34:40

Exactly. And there's nothing wrong with when big decisions come about being a little vulnerable and reaching out to your network of friends and saying, Hey, I have this. What do you think? Can you give me some advice? Have you gone through it before? Right. Um, but in the end, it's, you know, go for it. Yeah. As long as no harm is done.

Big Decisions And Future Self

SPEAKER_00 34:59

Right. Right. Again, and that's where the what's the worst that could happen here? Okay. Yeah. Am I going to do the zipline? I'm not sure. Well, we'll come back to this. Well, yeah, there's that. Um, and then along those same lines, how has your definition of success changed over time? Was it one thing when you started and now it's different? How does that evolve?

SPEAKER_01 35:19

It has, because, you know, I think as and I and it evolves. I think when you're younger, it's all about um, you know, the title and the money and that next position. And as you grow into your career and your journey changes, now it's about, am I happy? Um, are the people who are working with me and around me happy? Like that to me is a success. Um you know, I have a phenomenal title. I work with an amazing group of people for a you know, a fantastic company. And, you know, I literally the other day getting on the ferry uh right after the blizzard, I was on the ferry and I'm like, you know what? I get to come in to work every day. I get to come into the city and you know, go to work. And I think that um it's really important to change that mindset and to really um, you know, look at it optimistically and just yeah, yeah, I love that.

SPEAKER_00 36:28

Um as an Arizona girly, you're speaking a foreign language to me when you say things like lizards and fairies. But I love it. We don't have this.

Redefining Success And Joy

SPEAKER_01 36:39

Yes, yes. I think I have the best commute ever because I get to to float on a boat across the Hudson River um into the city to get to work. Yeah. So um, yeah, it's you know, I and yeah, leadership and the the mentality of it does change as you as you go through your career and and through that journey. Um, but yeah, I think most of all being happy and then just, you know, what's your passion? Like, what is it that you're passionate about and can you work towards that? Because we all have talents, we all have skills, but are you passionate about it?

SPEAKER_00 37:13

Yeah, and are you going home at the end of the day feeling like, yes, I accomplished something, or you know, I made a difference, I made an impact, like you said, for your employees who are doing all these amazing things. Like they get to go home and be like, Yeah, I did some pretty cool stuff today.

SPEAKER_01 37:26

You know, I yeah, exactly. Exactly. And making sure that, you know, my team members get to go home and and say, hey, they're proud of the work that they've done for the day and they're happy and they want to come back.

unknown 37:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:38

That's a great feeling, I'm sure. Exactly. I'm like, yeah, my team's back. Yeah. What are you absolutely the most proud of?

SPEAKER_01 37:49

Um you know what? There's so many things to be proud of. Um, I am proud of where I am today. Um, you know, I'm proud of the group of friends and the network of girlfriends that I have. Um, it's it makes such a difference. Um, you know, I'm proud of, you know, just yeah, like of every, you know, everything I am right now. I was not this person when I was younger. I was shy. I would not be speaking on a podcast. I would not be in the position I was in. Um, but I just kept going. And, you know, I had, you know, my mom continuing to encourage me, and you know, my dad with you know, those little notes of positivity, and that kept me going. So I am extremely proud of, you know, where I am right now.

SPEAKER_00 38:47

Yeah, that's great. And what's next for you? What are you excited about on the horizon?

What’s Next And Staying Grateful

SPEAKER_01 38:56

Our growth. Um, because I just think that it is it speaks volumes to our organization and what we're able to accomplish. I'm excited about the Women's Summit coming up. Um that's just gonna be so much fun. And me and and five of my Rose Associates colleagues get to attend. And I'm excited about, you know, my birthday is just a week before that. So get to get to go, you know, another trip around the globe. Right, you know, so yeah, I, you know, and just be grateful. I'm grateful every day for something and just the different, you know, opportunities that I'm able, like even speaking to to people on the street and saying hi and or complimenting someone. Um yeah, just all of the things.

Connect With Debbie And Closing

SPEAKER_00 39:44

Yeah, that's great. Um, okay, so listen, we're coming up on the end of our time. But for leaders listening who want to improve their marketing strategy and resident engagement, um, or they just want to connect with you because you're such a positive force in the world. Um, what is something they should be thinking about? How best can they reach you?

SPEAKER_01 40:06

Oh, they can reach me on LinkedIn. Okay. They can reach me through our company website. Okay. Um, they can reach me through email, um, which we could provide them as well. Um, or phone number, like any way they would like to reach to me, reach me, I am more than happy um to set up time to chat or email or respond back. And um, yeah, anytime.

SPEAKER_00 40:31

Okay. And that is something I appreciate you saying that and being open and willing, because this is a podcast that's gonna go everywhere to the whole world. So ready. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Even on Instagram, like social media, wherever. Yes, I do follow you on Instagram and you you post the best stuff on your stories. You find the cutest memes. I love them. I find some fun memes. Yeah. And I relate to everything. I'm like, yep, that's Debbie right. Yep, I relate to that.

SPEAKER_01 40:56

Everyone.

SPEAKER_00 40:57

Everyone. Yes. Well, thank you so much for sharing the time. I cannot wait to see you at the Women's Summit. Um, it's been a great podcast today. Thanks for being on the show.

SPEAKER_01 41:07

Yes, thank you so much for having me, and I'm looking forward to seeing you as well.

SPEAKER_00 41:11

Yes, absolutely. All right, so that wraps another episode of the Multifamily Women Podcast. Thank you so much for joining us today. Please share this episode with a friend or colleague, anyone who you think might benefit from what Debbie Ray had to say. And be sure to get registered for this the summit. That is at multifamilywomen.com. Get registered today, and we'll see you in the next episode.