Pay It Forward: "Surround Yourself With Good People" Advises AQUILA's Kendall Guinn
Kendall Guinn is Chief Marketing Officer at AQUILA, a commercial real estate firm in Austin, Texas, and focuses on the implementation of design and execution of sales and marketing strategies.
What has been your biggest challenge or obstacle as a women in your particular role/? In an industry where a majority of producers and leaders are male, my biggest challenge hasn’t had anything to do with gender. The challenge is achieving sales and marketing alignment. In many commercial real estate organizations and traditional companies in general, the marketing team may be viewed as a cost center rather than a value producer. I believe you don’t have to be a “make it pretty” marketing team. We consistently show our leadership the value of the marketing dollar. We urge them to consider strategies based on target audiences, brand values, and campaign goals. At some companies, there may be some resistance at first, but in time as leads come in, deals are made then trust is built. I try to teach the marketers who work with me to do the same. By working together with our brokers, our team has achieved far greater success for our company and our clients.
Where would you say commercial real estate needs to improve for women? Accountability is the key word. Over the course of my career, I have seen discrimination. It is less common today than it was 10 years ago, but it still happens. In some cases, these situations involve a top producer or important client who is not held accountable for their behavior. Where commercial real estate needs to improve is to assure each person is held accountable for his or her actions. I believe that accountability lies as much with peers as it does with leadership. It’s important that real estate professionals stand up for each other, regardless of gender. How can women better position themselves for success both in general and in your specific area of focus? It’s not about being a woman. It’s about being smart, savvy, understanding your role, and getting the job done efficiently and effectively. It’s about being creative and hard-working and thinking outside the box.
It’s also about leadership. One of my favorite axioms is “Hire better than yourself.” Surround yourself with good people who you like, who do good work, and that you enjoy being around. You need a team that you can motivate, and they can motivate you. Assemble a team that “clicks” and your success knows no bounds.
What is the best piece of advice you have received that has helped you succeed in your industry? And what is your advice for the next generation? “People can deal with bad news, but not bad information.” That’s a quote my father said often, and it’s a really good way to do business. When you are delivering a product or a service to a client – internal or external – if you discover you can’t deliver it in the time or under the conditions originally put forward, explain the situation immediately. Do not try to place blame or skirt the issue. Figure out when you can deliver and then deliver. But don’t say you can when you can’t.
Would you advise your daughter to begin a career in CRE? Like my parents did for me, we will encourage our daughter to follow the career path that she is passionate about and wants to pursue. If that path is commercial real estate, her father and I will absolutely support her. In fact, it’s highly likely she will at least look at commercial real estate as a career – so many people in our family are involved in this business. I think real estate is an industry that will be relevant now and in the future.
What would you advise young people to do to get a foothold in the industry? I plan on encouraging both my children – my daughter and my son – to get involved in the industries that interest them. Young people need to participate in internships and summer jobs that will serve them in the future. Some of my most respected colleagues in this industry started out as summer interns.
To my children and to young people in general, I can’t stress enough the importance of networking and building relationships among peers and with their elders. My network of friends, teachers/professors, and even my parents’ friends have been instrumental in helping me make contacts and move ahead in my career.
I feel very fortunate to call commercial real estate my industry. I’ve learned so much and had the ability to grow my expertise. People took a chance on me and I look forward to paying that forward.
