Black Friday Traditions

A few weeks ago, I happened upon a Facebook post from a family friend espousing her disappointment that stores are opening on Thanksgiving evening again this year. She went on to say people who shop then are losing out on being with their families and how they are materialistic above all else. I dismissed it and did not comment or “Like” the post, but now that the big Turkey Day event is upon us in only a few days, her words keep echoing around in my already overloaded head.

Here is why I choose to shop on Thanksgiving evening and Black Friday. Years ago, I was really struggling to make it on my meager salary and being a single mother with two kids who had lists of electronics and clothing and gadgets dancing in their heads, I was determined to get a couple of deals. So, yes, I stood in lines and waited my turn and scooped up some bargains. But I didn’t stand in the lines alone. No, with my son being in the care of my best friend’s husband, she, along with my teen age daughter joyfully spent those hours TOGETHER. At that time, it was a matter of getting up and out before the crack of dawn. Now, we head out in the black of night.

We strategically plan the entire trip, including snacks and meal breaks. We laugh and share jokes and take all the time we want. It is a bonding experience like no other. And it doesn’t matter that we don’t have a lot of money to spend, that it may be minus degree temps, snowing, raining, unseasonably warm, that we gained weight or lost weight or lost a job, changed jobs, struggled through an illness. It just doesn’t matter. We are together. We are united in our efforts to keep in touch.

We have weathered the storms of life together and shared so many laughs. And it is absolutely a joy that my daughter joined our ranks and is part of this tradition. If not for her, the shopping trip would not be so enjoyable because she is the one who maps it and puts it all together, and I love her for that. I love that my best friend and her husband have come every year for at least 20 years every Thanksgiving. These are two people for whom I am thankful. And the feeling of thankfulness continues every single day thereafter.

Wouldn't it be a nice touch if our Leasing Offices opened up in those wee hours of the morning with a coffee and donut breakfast on-th-go on that most important day of sharing with a new Black Friday tradition?

Which Would You Rather Be?

You know what? Confident people are NOT Perfectionists. They don’t have to be. Confident people have come to terms with their shortcomings and understand there is always room for improvement. I kept wondering why one of our Leasing Consultants was so non-committal about planning Resident activities. It was really bothering me, to the point where I was actually wasting moments of my driving time pondering the “Why?” instead of singing at the top of my lungs to the radio (which is what I usually do when I am driving.)

Last Friday, at one property, the Leasing Consultant who is a real firecracker, planned a breakfast event for the Residents. I showed up a few minutes after she did and helped with pouring batter and toasting waffles. It was a lot of fun and happily, there was a steady stream of Residents coming in to enjoy a free waffle or two or four. Who’s counting, right?

I would glance periodically out the Clubhouse glass doors toward the parking lot but the other Leasing team member did not arrive until her normal hours. Eventually, I casually asked why she hadn’t arrived early to participate. Her answer? “Well, since I didn’t really plan it, I was afraid it would be a bust.”

Huh??????

I finished the sentence: “… and I don’t put my name on things I cannot control because they may not turn out perfect.”

I see.

Does your team have an individual like this? I am still debating whether or not there is value in having someone who feels unless she is in control then an event will not turn out “perfectly.” Even if no one had shown up and eaten a single waffle, would it have been the end of the world? Of course not. Life is all about taking chances and exploring why a plan is successful or a failure, and I can tell you, we learn more from our failures than we do our successes. But if one cannot even trust and let go of his fear, I think he will remain stuck. That is NOT a good place to be.

Let's Get This Party Started!

PARTY! Five simple letters thrown together creates the reason for laughter and fun. This is a pretty important part of Resident Life when living in an apartment complex, and one of the primary reasons the “complex” turns into a community. I’ve read all kinds of suggestions for the kind of events and parties apartment Community Managers should host for their residents. However, I feel it doesn’t matter what the heck kind of party you host, you should Just Do It.

From this time LAST YEAR when I arrived to take over the South Bend Region, I have looked forward to developing a team that actually enjoys hosting and planning Resident Events and Parties. In fact, this is one of the considerations I use in evaluating whether or not a potential candidate is offered a position on the team. I want the happy person who is truly a social butterfly.

I didn’t imagine though that the Leasing team would have such diverse ideas about how to go about planning a Pool Party. As it turns out, in the Student Housing market, summer is NOT the time to actually plan events. It is just too hectic and busy to spend extra moments figuring out all the little details that make for a successful event. Or, is it?

Let me tell you, a successful event can take off pretty easily as long as you have food, music, and prizes. The South Bend Region hosted its first party that only took a few days to pull off – and it was extremely successful! Although, truth be told, we had talked about this event several months ago, and when it came right down to it, with 300 move-ins in a two week period, there really wasn’t a lot of time to put in a lot of details like handmade invitations, we were able to get the word out through emails and posted flyers and little reminders taped to the apartment doors. We planned a lot of easy prepared foods rather than all the homemade fare we originally planned, plus our Maintenance Supervisor agreed to grill hot dogs (surprisingly there are a lot of people who like burnt dogs!) and no one went away hungry, not even the vegetarians. Called a friend who is a professional DJ and paid him way more than he asked for, but way under the going rate. Plus, we used ALL of our CORT Points to purchase prizes like a TV, headphones and Fitbits. We did have sandwich coupons donated from a local Penn Station to also pass out (because like kindergarteners, everyone wants to leave a party with some kind of Goodie!) Another vendor provided beach balls which we blew up in less than thirty minutes.

It was crazy – there were the early arrivals and the late arrivals; there were professors and their families, the “Cool Kids”, International student residents (some with families, too) and a lot of Singles mingling around and getting introduced. We posted pictures on Facebook and asked all in attendance to “Like” our pages, follow us on Instagram and Twitter and if they could give an honest review, please do so, too.

It wasn’t a lot of work and the pay-off was big. We had way more people show up than we expected (I was hoping for a mere 10, but there were many, many, many more than that. I had said if we got at least 50, then I would consider it a coup. Afterwards I considered it wildly successful.) When your result is so fantastic, it definitely motivates you to plan more events!

So sometimes you just have to throw your idea of perfection out the window and open the door to RELAXED expectations. To top it off, I received several Thank You emails from those who attended. Worth every minute spent putting it together.