What Are the Secrets Behind Successful Maintenance Leaders?

Crystal sits down with Eric Patton, Director of Commercial Maintenance at PMI in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, to unpack what great maintenance leadership actually looks like when you’re responsible for technicians in the field and results that tenants can feel immediately.

Eric’s story starts with pure curiosity and a willingness to learn, then moves through the real grind of commercial property maintenance: long days, physical wear, and the moment you realize you’re ready to guide others. We talk about mentorship, moving from hands-on work into management, and why the best leaders often understand the job because they’ve done the job. Along the way, Eric shares how he spots potential early, why an inquisitive mindset matters as much as tool skills, and how a strong “backcheck” culture helps new hires learn without sacrificing quality.

We also get practical about training and team development. Eric explains why consistent processes and procedures matter, how safety training fits into every work order, and why continuing education and certifications are valuable even when the role demands a “do a little of everything” approach. You’ll also hear what motivates technicians doing physically demanding work, from simple recognition to real support during extreme weather, plus how an open-door communication style builds trust and reduces turnover.

If you lead maintenance teams, manage properties, or want to grow your career in property management, you’ll leave with a clearer playbook for building a reliable, high-trust maintenance operation. Subscribe, share this with a colleague, and leave a review telling us: what’s the best leadership advice you’ve ever received?

Conversations and insights on property management across the real estate industry, including apartment rentals, student housing, manufactured housing, and commercial properties.

Questions or topic ideas? Contact us at podcast@rentpmi.com

Transcript

Crystal 0:01

This is Pro Talk Property Management, the podcast on everything relating to managing real estate, and today we'll be discussing the secrets to leading a successful maintenance team. I'm Crystal, your host, and today's guest has worked at every level of commercial maintenance. He started out as a janitor, and today he is the director of commercial maintenance at PMI in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. He's also just a wonderful person, and I'm so happy to have him as a guest. Please welcome Eric Patton.

Eric 0:29

Oh, thank you very much for the kind words. I'm happy to be here and be a part of this. I I think it's really interesting that you selected me for this, and I'm very excited to see how it all turns out.

Early Curiosity And Career Start

Crystal 0:39

It's such a pleasure to have you on here because I think everyone can relate to what you're going to talk to us about today, your experience, moving through the ranks, moving sideways sometimes, and now in a leadership role, hearing what you have to say from that perspective will be pretty fascinating to most people listening. So the first thing I wanted to ask you is how did your career in property management get started?

Eric 1:02

Wow. Well, I could say it started from the day I interviewed, but probably it started as I was a kid. I remember as a kid, I was very interested in in learning how things worked. And a funny story is I I got in trouble as a kid. I took the VCR apart and I couldn't quite put it back together. So I I would say it started very young, just being interested in how things worked. And as I got older, that just continued. And luckily, one day I happened to look and there was an opening here at PMI.

Crystal 1:40

You're the first guest on here who has said their career path really started as a kid from an early age. Do you see that same kind of spark in your team today?

Eric 1:49

Yeah, so I'm really lucky to be able to work with the team that I work with. A part of my job is interviewing. And in that, you're going to get a lot of different personalities, great candidates, as well as folks who have never done this before. And one thing I've noticed with a lot of the folks who have never done this before, they have that same hunger. And you can also see like a sparkle in their eye that they just want to they just want to do this so bad or they want to start on this so bad. And you can you can almost read it on their face when they sit down. So I I do see that in my team, yes.

Crystal 2:27

Do you have to slow them down sometimes? Like they want to get they want to get too involved.

Speaker 1 2:32

Yes, very much so. There's a lot that the guys want to do right away, but until you zoom out and see big picture, it's it's really hard to understand why you need to slow down. But it is very important to take it one step at a time so that you're not walking back ten steps just to go another.

Mentors And Learning Big Picture

Crystal 2:51

That's a good way to put it. So I'm gonna circle back to you now and ask you what keeps you motivated after all of these years.

Eric 3:00

Wow. What keeps me motivated? I think what keeps me motivated is just the simple fact I I want to do a good job. I want to do a good job for those around me. I want to do a good job for my team, I want to do a good job for the people above me, the people I work alongside, the people that I don't get to see often, and that was really even before we became an Aesop. That was really my day-to-day outlook from the beginning, kept me motivated and still to this day. Same motivation.

Crystal 3:32

Through your journey with PMI, because you kind of started your career with PMI and you're still continuing to be with PMI. Did anyone guide you along the way as like kind of being a mentor?

Eric 3:44

I've been very lucky. I've been very lucky to work with the folks that I've worked with. From the day that I walked in the door, I always had someone good as a contact or just as a mentor, someone to bounce ideas off of. I know initially when I came in, Rob Groman was a senior facility manager. And he, at even at that time, which is oh, I guess almost 15 years ago now, he at that time had a wealth of knowledge. And I just walked in the door, you know, bright-eyed and trying to do a million things at one time. He was actually the first person to tell me, hey, slow down a bit. Let me let me show you. And then through the years, I was lucky to have other senior facility managers and or co-workers, I mean, the whole way up to the president of the company, give me really good, solid advice. And I think that helped guide my trajectory through and and to this point.

Crystal 4:51

Thank you for sharing that. It's it's really nice to hear that you've had not just one, but several mentors in different areas.

Eric 4:57

Yeah, all different, all different aspects, which is really nice. You have you have guys that are working with their hands in the field every day telling you, hey, keep your eye out for this, but then you also have folks in the office that are are giving you a completely different perspective. So, so again, I know I had mentioned this before, but when you zoom out and look at everything big picture, you can really grasp a greater understanding of operations and and not just how we do things, but why.

Stepping Into Management

Crystal 5:26

And that's a really good point. So, was there ever a moment you realized you wanted to move into management or did it just happen?

Eric 5:35

A bit of both. I was so I'm not, I'll say this slightly, I'm not young, but I'm not old. I'm in my mid-30s at this point, and I will be honest, around 30 years old, my body, I put a lot of miles on my body. I mean, I was always a slim guy working in the field. So the other guys often would ask me, hey, we have a really tight space we need you to get in. Can can you please come over? So I always found myself bunched up, crunched up, you know, things like that. And I just looking at things, I recognized, hey, my body isn't what it used to be. Maybe I should slow down a little bit. But I think it's I think it's twofold. Not only that, but at that same point, and you start to see the natural progression of things, and you say, wow, you know, I see that that we had some really good leaders here that gave me a wealth of knowledge, I should share that too. So as people began to retire, and and my it was actually my direct boss, Charlie McGowan, he was a senior facility manager here. He was retiring and at his retirement lunch and he kind of patted me on the back and said, Hey, I think you'll do great at this. So yeah, I I think that's how or the moment I realized I wanted to move into management was when I I started to when he kind of handed it to you.

Crystal 7:07

Yeah, kind of passed the torch. Yeah. Did that make you nervous at all? Or were you like, I'm ready for this?

Eric 7:14

No. I wake up in the morning ready. I've I wake up in the morning ready, I get up early. And I've always been like that. I've always gotten up early, I just wake up and I'm ready to go. Because I view it as I'm going to get everything done today. And if I don't, I'm gonna finish it tomorrow. And if I can't, I'm gonna keep going until it's complete.

Crystal 7:33

You just don't stop. You don't have an off switch.

Eric 7:35

Well, at about 9 30 p.m. I do, but that's about it. Yeah.

Crystal 7:42

Was there ever a moment where you doubted the management stuff and you wanted to go back into more of a hands-on role?

Eric 7:49

Oh my gosh, all the time. All the time. And not to say how can how can I put this? I think everyone experiences this. I I think you do, and naturally, we doubt ourselves as people. We doubt ourselves, and sometimes we want to go back to what we're more comfortable with. But what I say to myself to keep myself going is no one ever became great in their comfort zone. So I'm going to continue to push, push the envelope, push my boundaries, try to push the limit per se, and and keep going. Because yeah, sometimes I do doubt myself, but then I should have to tell myself, hey, you can do anything.

Crystal 8:34

Right. And that's why I really asked you to be on this podcast is not just because of your experience, but you're very inspirational in the way you talk that I think could inspire some people.

Eric 8:46

Just things I see in my life and try to pass it along. We've all had a journey, and hopefully some of the stories that I've experienced on my journey I can share and help somebody else.

Crystal 8:56

Do you think your experience at different positions in commercial maintenance has influenced your decision making at the management level?

Eric 9:04

Oh, of course. Yeah, absolutely. I think that I I think it was tough to go through each role, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I wouldn't trade it. You really learn from an operational standpoint what it takes to do each job, the intricacies of each job, the challenges of each job. Because as you begin to move through all of the different jobs, you can really provide that guidance and insight to the next person, which is another reason why I thought, hey, management might be the right thing for me. I've experienced and done these jobs. I can give insight to the next guy. That way he doesn't feel like he's starting fresh.

Crystal 9:49

And that really speaks to the kind of leader that you are. And I want to ask, in general, are leaders better when they've actually done different roles besides the management position?

Eric 10:01

So I I will say this lightly because everyone is so very different. But I do believe, yes. I I believe that with a very diverse background, you can become a great leader. I wouldn't I wouldn't say one way versus the other, because obviously you've heard the path I took. I probably challenged myself a bit too much, but I think there is insight in each directional path you take.

Crystal 10:32

Have you done any positions outside of commercial maintenance, or has it all been under that umbrella?

Eric 10:37

Well, it's funny you ask that. Not not officially, but unofficially, yes. I've worked in with the resid alongside, that's how I'll say it, alongside the residential division. I love working with homeowners division. I also love working with manufactured division, as well as there was even a summer. We took on properties in state college, and I had experience with dormitories. They asked me if I wanted to go up to state college for the summer. I said, of course. And I went up and helped flip all of the dorm rooms up there.

Crystal 11:17

Well, I will tell you and the listeners that we I have scheduled an upcoming episode on flipping.

Eric 11:24

So my goodness.

Crystal 11:25

I am very excited and curious to listen to that because it sounds like a lot.

Eric 11:31

It it is a lot, and I I'll just keep it brief so that your listeners really are excited for the next one and can tune in. But you do not have any idea what you're walking into. Once you open that door, all bets are off. You never know.

Crystal 11:48

I'm totally like envisioning like Godzilla and Tokyo levels of just stuff happening so fast and things everywhere.

Eric 11:56

And and Godzilla's climbing out of the sink as soon as you open the door. Yeah, that's exactly what it is. You're spot on.

Training Systems And Safety Focus

Crystal 12:04

Yeah. So we'll save those topics for a different episode. But I'm glad I asked that. So now let's move into kind of team development and talk about maintenance crews as they are today. And how do you train new technicians?

Eric 12:19

So, training new technicians, the most important thing to train our new technicians on are processes and procedures to ensure that they know how we operate as well as to ensure that they remain safe. Safety is key as well as our internal operations. So how and it's interesting you say that because behind the scenes, I'm actually working on building a training platform for the commercial division alongside Carrie Lore. We're going to kind of shift our efforts. Previously, we did a lot of in-field training with the senior facility managers, and they're great at their jobs. However, you know just as well as I, one person to the next can tell you how to do the same thing, but it's a little different. To achieve consistency across the board, we're currently building a training platform so that we have a consistent message going out across to all of the new hires as well as the existing technicians and facility managers. But in my eyes, that hands-on training is always so valuable for the technicians. It gives them the opportunity to perform it themselves.

Crystal 13:33

Right. That makes sense to me. And do you, with the hands-on technician, encourage any kind of outside certifications or like ongoing technical education?

Eric 13:43

Oh, absolutely. I encourage, I encourage the continue continuation of everyone's education, whether they're maintenance or office staff, because there's so much to learn. The the man who says he knows everything knows nothing. There's always so much to learn here, as well as anywhere. So I I do encourage, and I will say this, a lot of our guys, the first thing they say is, I want to go get my HVAC certification, or I want to become an electrician. And I say, Well, that that is great. Follow it. But it may not necessarily, while we do that work, it may not necessarily be your primary work here. We do a little bit of everything, not particularly just one thing. And I think that's what makes us great as an organization. We do a lot of everything.

Crystal 14:29

And speaking of that, do you see a lot of crossover in maintenance technicians as far as divisions go? Like, does somebody start in maybe commercial maintenance and go to residential, or somebody in residential that goes to commercial, or are you all kind of share divisions?

Eric 14:43

Aaron Ross Powell I've actually i it's interesting you say that. I don't see much crossover. Now I've worked on both sides, and I absolutely there are some things that are similar, but it's very different. It's a very different atmosphere working in residential versus commercial. So in residential, you're in someone's home. And there's just a different feeling of being in someone's home versus working in an office. The responses are very different, things of that nature. But I I don't see a lot of crossover now.

Crystal 15:18

That's really interesting. So moving on, what advice would you give someone starting at an entry-level role who wants to grow? The the next Eric Patton, what would you say to them?

Eric 15:29

Never give up. The sky is the limit. Never give up. Keep going. Keep going. Because there are times, and I think anyone can relate to this, there are times when the challenge is great, it's very difficult. You reach your limit. But until you succeed, don't give up. And even through success, don't give up. Continue. Stagnation is when you when you're on a path and you stop. Obviously the world continues to spin. Keep going. Just keep going.

Crystal 16:05

That's awesome because I imagine an entry level, a lot of mistakes are being made. Mistakes are being made at every level. But I assume as an entry level, somebody new, you make a big mistake, you think, uh-oh, there goes my job, or I need to find a new career.

Eric 16:18

Quite possibly. I'll I'll be honest. Sometimes at an entry-level position, mistakes are made. Folks don't even realize that a mistake was made. That's that's really another reason why it's so valuable to have a deep bench and a diverse team to ensure that there's a backcheck in place, right? So you have your entry-level technician, and typically he's working under a facility manager or a senior facility manager to where we can have those back checks in place to ensure quality.

Crystal 16:55

So let me ask you, what's one thing you wish every new hire understood about commercial maintenance?

Eric 17:03

Wow. One thing would probably be everything takes time and and just to simply slow down a bit. And I don't mean slow down as far as there's eight hours in a day, just work four and and walk very slowly the other four. No, just just slow down and think about everything. Because the thing that I can really say has taught me a lot was figuring out the root cause of the issue. Sometimes our days are moving so fast and we have a million things to do. Those other 999,000 things are on our mind while we're focused on one. And until you find that root cause of the issue, you truly don't know that you've fixed it. That's what I would say. Simply slow down, take your time, understand it, and put quality work, quality over quantity.

Crystal 18:05

I think that might help some people just starting out with what you just said. I think in any role, not just maintenance, just slow down and think about what you're doing. I think even now I have to do that sometimes.

Eric 18:17

I think we all do. And to your point, we all do.

Crystal 18:21

Following up with that, how do you spot potential in someone who's just starting out?

Eric 18:27

Wow. So you may not believe me when I say this. Sometimes I can see it in the interview, even before they touch a tool. You can really gauge that potential based on an inquisitive nature. Now, not uh I can't I can't say that for everyone, but because there are some there are some people that come into the interviews and are just very quiet and reserved, and that's their personality type. But through even through work beyond the interview, just that inquisitive nature. And when you review work, you can tell who's doing the right thing when no one's looking. And that's really that potential that will propel you forward to just want to do a good job all the time, regardless of what the outcome is, whether, hey, if I do a good job, I'll get a promotion, or hey, if I do a good job, I did a good job. I think that that's how I really spot it is is the guys that just simply want to do a good job.

Crystal 19:29

So it sounds like it's more personality driven for you than physically being able to use a hammer. Well, a hammer's a bad example, but but a power tool or something like that.

Eric 19:39

There's a good mixture. There's a good mixture. I absolutely love the fact that guys are very capable, but I also absolutely love the fact that guys can have a bit of a personality because in this world that we work in here in commercial, you have to interact with the tenants, you have to interact with your fellow co-owners. We're an Aesop, your fellow co-owners, just to ensure that you understand what's going on and to ensure that you address the issues properly. And you'll know that when you get that feedback from others. You'll know that you've you've done it. And like I said, combination. You wouldn't be able to fix it without the skill, and you can't really ensure that you've resolved the problems for people without that personality. Right.

Crystal 20:25

So it's a mixture of both.

Eric 20:27

Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.

Crystal 20:28

Are there or have there ever been women on your commercial maintenance team?

Eric 20:33

In a maintenance role? I don't necessarily know. I can't remember because there was a period of time where I worked at a building far out on the West Shore, and I didn't get to really interact with the team as much as I do now. I mean, I really interact with the team now. So I can't quite say from a maintenance perspective, but I will say there are some women here that work in the office that I would absolutely hire to do maintenance. Like hands down. And if I can say names, Carrie Loore is just she is just an amazing person that can do anything. Mariah Mullen, too. I mean, I remember working at our old office, and I think Mariah one day, I she had a cubicle adjacent to me. I think she came around, grabbed a screwdriver out of my bag, and went over and fixed something at her desk and just brought it back. So yeah, absolutely. I I can't say that I remember any women working in the maintenance field, but absolutely I could see it like and just even in our office.

Crystal 21:42

So you mentioned before that you spend a lot of time in the office, maybe about half and half. And how do you build trust with technicians who are out in the field every day?

Eric 21:52

Well, so I'll actually turn this into a bit of a story. When I first came into the office. And I'm just going to touch on that that doubt that I mentioned earlier. You know, when you stop doing a job, at least when I stop doing a job or stop doing something over and over again, I kind of question, do I still have it? Can I still do it? Right? Am I still good at it? So coming into the office, working on my craft or or working on my skill here, and some of that does go out of the window, but then you go back out into the field. And now let's say it's been, let's say some time has passed, and and there are new hires in the field that have not worked alongside me back when I used to be out in the field every day, and they have questions, and let's just say their boss is on vacation that week. I take a lot of pride in my ability to step in and help out. So that's what I do. And this is a true story. I had a guy call me up and he said, Hey, my boss is is gone for the day and I have a really big problem here, a big plumbing problem. Do you know who I should call? And I said, Yeah, me. You already did. You call the right guy. I'll be right out. And I met up with him at one of our commercial locations, saw what the issue was, explained to him in detail what we were about to do, and he looked at me like, Are you, Are you sure? Can you do this? And I kind of gave him the yeah, buddy, let's let's go. We came over, got tools, and within an hour we had the problem resolved. He learned something he had never seen before, and no major catastrophe. So I think the way that I build trust with the team in the field is showing them that, hey, I know I'm in the office, but I have your back. I'm here for you. My job is to be here for you. And I think that whether it's getting them documents or ensuring that, you know, their times are correct or going into the field and getting my hands dirty, they know they can rely on me.

Crystal 24:06

Yeah. I think they do. And uh you mentioned when you're out in the field and you you sometimes teach them your texts some things. Do they ever teach you back?

Eric 24:16

Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And and even outside of this, my just outside of work, my approach is everyone has a unique skill set. Every every individual, doesn't matter who they are, they have a unique skill set that maybe not everyone else has, and there's always a learning experience. So I'm always learning, whether it be from someone that in the in the hierarchy of things is above me in a leadership role, or whether it's someone I work alongside, or whether it's someone that's just coming in the door, there's things to be learned from everyone, everyone every day.

Crystal 24:58

Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I believe everybody has something to offer. And talking about your team and being out on the job, how do you motivate that team who does a very physically demanding job? I mean, we've talked about a lot of things, but we didn't talk about the physical needs. You went into it a little bit.

Eric 25:14

It can be challenging. It can be really challenging. And and it's it's sometimes it is hard to keep guys motivated. I I will say this, whether it's the field or in the office, because I have I now have a team in both locations. My office team, and this is this is something we did last year to keep the guys motivated. My office team decided, hey, it's really stinking hot out. We got guys working out here. Let's do something nice for them. So we went, grabbed Gatorades, snacks, loaded everything up in a van, a PMI van, and drove around site to site and handed everything out. And the guys were just so thankful. And, you know, we do send out mass emails when there's extreme temperatures advising guys, hey, if it's really hot or really cold, prepare this way, make sure you have water, make sure you have warm clothes. But I I think that that day, and actually I think we sent you some pictures from that day. The guys were just so thankful to have a nice cold Gatorade and some snacks and recognition. I think recognition goes a long way in keeping everyone motivated because you know you do a job over and over and over again and you know how to do it. You've mastered the craft, but at a point you start to look and say, Well, does anyone care that I'm doing this? So I think recognition goes a long way, and we do try to recognize great work at our division meetings. We actually have something fun where we do raffles for tools and things. And you should see the guys' faces light up when they win. It's it's so nice to see them just really be happy about what they're doing.

Crystal 27:01

And that's really fantastic because I know, you know, I know people that work for other organizations and they tell me, well, if I don't hear anything bad, then that means I'm doing a good job. And they don't get appreciation. So it's nice that PMI and you and your team do show, you know, hey, we appreciate you. Thank you for everything you're doing.

Eric 27:21

Yeah, absolutely. And I'm I'm a firm believer of communication is key because to your point, I have heard the saying, no news is good news, but I often try to communicate openly with everyone on the team, and I let them know I have an open door policy. Feel free, come on in, tell me what's on your mind.

Crystal 27:43

But it sounds like a great culture to be a part of. And with talking about the teams out in the field, what feedback do you hear from them about management and about leadership?

Eric 27:54

Well, I actually heard from we have a gentleman on our staff. His name is Scott Miller. And I think Scott's been with us oh, I don't want to get this wrong, six to eight months. And and I recognize that Scott had real talent in the interview, you know, just that talent that you can't teach, and he had it. And, you know, through this process, we've worked closely together. And the other day, he was in my office and he just had nothing but great things to say about the management. He said, This is the best management that I've ever had. And he looked me right in the face and said, Buddy, I've worked a lot of places. And I and I really do think that we care. We all care, and it shows. And I think that our our staff in the field works directly with their seniors, and I think it's a trickle-down effect. You know, you have that open door policy, you have those communications in place, you put all that in place to show people this is a two-way street. We both can do this. And I think that they really appreciate that because I have worked other places before. It may not seem like I have, because I've been here for quite some time now, but I've worked other places, and I I don't want to put the other places down, but it was not like working at PMI. The the the culture was just very different, and the open door policies and things like that, and and it's not a policy in the handbook, but just the the fact that you can schedule a meeting with your manager and actually have a real conversation and things come from that goes such a long way.

Crystal 29:44

Right. And not just having that open door policy in words or in text, but actually living it and providing that opportunity for anyone to come speak to you, I think sp is why you don't see a lot of turnover from your team.

Eric 30:00

Right. Yeah, I think that they can really, just like myself, really see a difference from other places that they may have worked or been and and coming into PMI immediately. Even I was a young guy coming into PMI, and I I recognized it right away. This is this is different. And even at that point in time, I didn't necessarily have the words to say why, but I knew from that moment I I want to retire here. This is a place I can see myself retiring.

Crystal 30:29

Aaron Ross Powell I'm sure there are some days you're like, oh, I want to retire tomorrow.

Career Secrets And Closing Resources

Eric 30:32

Everybody has those days. And I think that I think that that challenge is what keeps it fresh.

Crystal 30:39

So we're about ready to wrap up this podcast, and I kind of want to take it full circle and ask you what are the secrets to having a successful career in property management?

Eric 30:52

The secrets? Well, you're gonna have to pay me for that. No, I'm joking. I'm joking. You already do pay me for that. Um the secrets I think I've outlined them all. Really, just don't give up. Pay attention to what you're doing. Do things with a purpose. Don't just go out and say, Oh, I'm gonna go paint today. I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do that. Do do things with a purpose. Set your day up so that so that there's purpose behind it. Continue on, understand where you're headed, have a plan for yourself. I I think that that's really the secret. And and a good a good team is invaluable. I mean, I wouldn't be in my role today without the team that I started with, the team that I worked alongside, the team I have now, the team that I hope to have in the future. I I wouldn't be anything without my team. So I really think that the secrets are having a a really good, solid team, well-versed, well-rounded, and that's not just maintenance. I mean, that's all of the services we provide: accounting, all the various bookkeeping that they do, and budgeting, the property managers, ensuring that all of the leases are in place and and ensuring that they know exactly what ownership wants, what tenants need. Our division manager, Brianna really does an amazing job of navigating so much to kind of steer the ship. So the secrets are are really in the recipe, right? The secrets are in the recipe, and I think we have a really good recipe for success. So as you listen back to this, I think all the secrets, I think all the secrets are there. Don't ever give up is is probably the biggest thing.

Crystal 32:49

Oh, that's great. I mean, it's proof that growth is possible when you stay committed to yourself and a strong team with you supporting you can really take you to levels you don't imagine.

Eric 33:02

Yeah, I never, even though I thought I would sit in the seat that I sit in now, I never thought like, oh yeah, that's really possible. But I dreamed. I definitely dreamed and said, you know, I'm gonna try. I'm definitely gonna try. And look, you try hard enough and and your dreams can come true.

Crystal 33:20

Aaron Powell Right. And and everything you're saying is so inspiring. And it's not just a statement of buzzwords. What you're saying does have meaning to it, and I think it's because you've lived it. I mean, you've gone through all these positions, you've dreamed of being in a management leadership role, and here you are doing it.

Eric 33:37

Yeah, I live it every day from four like four thirty in the morning till nine thirty at night. Live it every day.

unknown 33:43

Right.

Crystal 33:43

And I I don't think we could end on a better note than that. Eric, thank you so much for being here. You've been a wonderful and terrific guest.

Eric 33:51

Oh, thank you for having me. And look, if you ever want to have me back, feel free, let me know. I will gladly come back anytime. This was great. Thank you very much.

Crystal 34:00

I am absolutely going to have you come back. So for any of our listeners, if you have questions or comments for Eric for the next time he comes back, you can email podcast at rentpmi.com. To learn learn more about Property Management Inc., just head over to mgmtpmi.com or you can visit PMI on LinkedIn. And thanks for listening.

Eric 34:23

Yep. Thanks and have a great day.