30 AZCREW celebrates
Years
57 30 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
AZ CREW
LIVING SOCIAL Promoting one’s individual and professional brand to full potential By AMANDA VENTURA
58 | July-August 2015
Krystal Dill
Barbi Reuter
Christie Veldhuizen
R
emember when Sheryl Sandberg’s Most employers have made it a policy Face time versus Facebook “Lean In” was published in 2013? to familiarize employees with their AZCREW members seem to be There were many tips for advancing branding — what the company does and immune to the status quo. Members one's career, but one of the top five, as is working to project to potential clients. of AZCREW say a perk of joining the selected by Forbes, is to form a lean-in However, in a day and age where organization is its in-person networking. circle with one of the book’s online “circle some networking is moving to social When Lincoln Property Company’s kits.” In essence, it encouraged finding media outlets, it begs the question Krystal Dill was accepted to AZCREW a group of other professional women of just how important it is to brand four years ago, she joined the PR/ with whom to share best practices and yourself as an individual? Outreach committee. It allowed her professional stories. In 2012, CREW Network surveyed to promote herself with a microcosm For women who work in commercial 234 members and 16 executive that could be applied to her business real estate in the Phoenix Metro, level women using the Leadership environment and the larger industry. that group already exists as Arizona Potential Indicator assessment tool by “Being involved in this reputable Commercial Real Estate Women, more MySkillsProfile. The objective was to find organization can provide countless direct often referred to as AZCREW. the leadership strengths and deficiencies and indirect results of self-promotion in From its monthly luncheons to its of its members. On average, members combination with growing your network Black and White Affair, golf tournament ranked highest in “monitoring quality” of high-quality colleagues,” she says. and mentorship programming, AZCREW and “focusing on business.” Its lowest Dill says in-person networking encourages its male and female members ranked categories were “taking risk” and comprises about 80 percent of all to build a community within the “relating and networking.” professional connections, while digital industry that’s welcoming and fosters a Strengthening its membership’s skills networking is the remaining 20 percent. 12 gender-neutral equality. in the latter categories are a focus of the AZCREW President-elect Christie PEW RESEARCH Decades before the dawn of social organization’s recent whiteCENTER papers. Veldhuizen, vice president of operations at media, a professional network could only be built within the workplace and through networking groups. Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest AZCREW is one of the first such Social media matrix groups thatLinkedIn catered to all women in the and than there were % of users of each particular site who use another particular site (e.g., 34% industry regardless of trade. AZCREW, last year. Similarly, there are of Pinterest users also use Twitter) which is celebrating its 30th year as more LinkedIn users who use part of the global CREW Network, Use Use Use Use Use hostsTwitter, annual andInstagram monthly events Twitter Instagram Pinterest LinkedIn Facebook andwhere Pinterest members can network in a professional % of Twitter 58% 42% 47% 91% than there were in 2013. Finally, users who … environment. Thethere landscape networking and users % of Instagram are of more Pinterest 52% 47% 38% 94% users who … professional awareness is changing with on Instagram and LinkedIn than the increased adoption of social media, % of Pinterest 34% 43% 40% 88% users who … and members AZCREW are lookinglikely in 2013.ofThese increases more seriously at how this can integrate % of LinkedIn 39% 35% 40% 86% reflectpromotion. the overall trend toward users who … into existing % of Facebook multiple-site use described 29% 34% 34% 33% The greater good users who … above. Without visiting your company’s Pew Research Center’s Internet Project September Combined Omnibus Survey, September website, can you recite its mission 11-14 & September 18-21, 2014. statement or slogan? Can you pull its PEW RESEARCH CENTER logo’sTurning shades outto of sites a colorother wheel?than How aboutFacebook, sharing someahistory behind your significant level of company’s origins?
overlap exists between Instagram and Twitter users—58% of Twitter users also use Instagram, and 52% of Instagram users also use Twitter. Among non-Facebook sites, this is the highest rate of 59 “reciprocity” between user groups measured.
AZCREW
How To Master LinkedIn Crystal Washington, owner of CWM Enterprises, is a social media guru. She has helped large companies such as Google and Microsoft harness the utility of the Internet’s networking tools and find freedom from any hesitation professionals have about promoting themselves on a limitless stage. Here are her top tips for women in commercial real estate.
Crystal Washington
1. Use LinkedIn. LinkedIn is more male dominated, but it’s the one social network that is 100-percent business. 2. Use keywords. Keywords are not just for website SEO. LinkedIn runs off keywords, so users should put extra thought into the terms that appear on a profile. Ask: Are these words I expect my clients to use when searching for my services? 3. Use contacts. The second-most popular way to find people on LinkedIn is through similar connections. A profile will appear higher in searches if there is some degree of connection between the searcher and your profile. 4. Use groups. Groups consist of a target market. It helps profiles wind up higher in a search queue when they have groups in common. 5. Use good photos. Don’t use your daughter’s “my first Barbie camera” picture of you or a cute picture of a Cancun vacation. Invest in professional head shots. These can be creative. You don’t want to look theme-y or like you’re at a magazine shoot, but using a head shot can be enough to catch someone’s eye. Also, use current head shots. If you’ve gained or lost 50 pounds, go ahead and update your photo.
DTZ, says the split is more 90-10 for her. “Personally, I prefer in-person networking…but I do like that through LinkedIn I am able to stay connected with people I am introduced to,” she says. It’s more important, she says, for her company to have online promotion. “For DTZ, online promotion through our company website and social media is very important and something we continue to expand,” Veldhuizen says. “However, I understand that with company success there are more opportunities for individual success, so promoting one is not mutually exclusive to promoting the other.” 60 | July-August 2015
Dill, who handles marketing for LPC says there is room for improvement. “I greatly support social media outlets as a marketing source, communicator to the masses and promotional tool for professional purposes,” Dill says. “Personally, I have not yet utilized them to their fullest. While the outlets serve as a great supplement for networking and promotions, the in-person touches and interactions will always be essential.”
Tuned in, Linked up According to Pew Research Center’s Internet Project Survey in 2014, half of all LinkedIn users have college
educations. This is the first time such information has been reported. More than half of all adults who use the internet are active users of two or more social networks. While Facebook is the most popular of the social media sites, Twitter and LinkedIn have seen jumps in usage by adults year over year since 2012. In fact, according to the study, LinkedIn is the second-most used social media network after Facebook. “The thought leadership in CRE on social media seems male dominated, so room exists for female voices in the conversation,” says Barbi Reuter, COO of Cushman & Wakefield | PICOR, and Tucson CREW and CREW National board member. “I’m surprised not to see more, as we are typically connectors, and engagement is key to success in the social sphere. I do see a higher presence for women in LinkedIn than Twitter. Women’s voices are more predominant in Twitter in the retail and marketing spheres, than in finance and pure brokerage.” It may just be about getting it right. “Some users abuse social media by utilizing the outlets to post content that is not ‘public worthy,’” says Dill. “Unfortunately, these spammers affect the overall perception of social media in today’s culture. This has led to misunderstandings that using social media is ego-driven and selfish. Social media should be used to be promote confidence and personal publication via meaningful content. “One of the best aspects of this industry are the incredible women mentors at our fingertips,” Dill says. “Their counsel and expertise has been invaluable as I’ve navigated my way through my career thus far. With their guidance, I have successfully asked for raises and/or modifications for my position. Social media has served as the communication tool to inform the market of my promotion and/or title change(s). These days, I believe this is how most of our network is informed. It creates community and a sense of place among the industry. I should have done those things sooner!”
The CREW Network A majority of members have more than 11 years of experience
More than 70 percent are presidents, CEOs, partners or senior managers of their companies
72 percent have given
a referral from another member in the last year
54 percent reported
receiving a referral from another member in the last year
60 percent have an
annual income of more than $100,000
Who is AZCREW? Membership’s Professions (percentage) ACQUISITIONS / DISPOSITIONS
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
2.6
15.7
ADMINISTRATION
COMMERCIAL LENDING
MARKETING & PR, CRE
AFFILIATE - CONSTRUCTION SUBCONTRACTING
CONSTRUCTION
OTHER
AFFILIATE - PROPERTY MAINTENANCE
CONSULTING, COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
PROGRAM / PROJECT MANAGEMENT
ARCHITECTURE
CORPORATE REAL ESTATE
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
ASSET MANAGEMENT
FINANCE
REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT
BROKERAGE
INTERIOR DESIGN/SPACE PLANNING
TITLE/ESCROW
<1
3.47 <1
1.74 8.7 6
14.8
5.2 5.2
2.29 5.2 8.7 <1
LAW
2.6 <1
1.74 9.6
1.74 <1
61
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AZCREW
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CREW NETWORK PAYS IT FORWARD By Amanda Ventura
A
lot can happen in 15 minutes. Advice can be offered. New appointments saved. Minds can be changed. Coffee can be retrieved between meetings. For many executives, time is priceless. Time is how many members of AZCREW “pay it forward” these days, through mentorship programs and networking functions. However, AZCREW’s national parent, CREW Network, has been, quite literally, paying it forward since 1998.
64 | July-August 2015
Awareness and donations are rising among CREW chapters, according to the 2014 CREW Foundation annual report, which illustrated a recordbreaking year. “We’re very proud of our foundation,” says Maureen Anders, the founder of CREW Foundation and its chair in 2004. She is part of a group known as the Women of Vision. Each member has personally given $10,000 to CREW Foundation. Anders has given four times the minimum entry.
“We regrettably find women don’t hear about careers in commercial real estate unless their families or someone they knew (worked in the industry),” says Anders. Current CREW Foundation President Gail Ayers is also a "woman of vision" and says the scholarship selection committee has nearly 40 chapters represented. Many of the chapters are also donating more to the cause of funding young women’s pursuit of a commercial real estate education. “The foundation’s role is to ‘pay it forward’ and encourage more women to get involved in the commercial real estate industry,” says Christie Veldhuizen, president-elect and Foundation Champion for AZCREW, and designated broker of operations at DTZ. AZCREW’s chapter goal for 2015 is to get 50 percent of its membership to donate to CREW Foundation, she says. AZCREW is a silver supporter, meaning it donated between $5,000 and $9,999.
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AZCREW
“Look at what we can accomplish when we put 10,000 women’s focus in one direction.” – Gail Ayers
Maureen Anders
Gail Ayers
Samantha Pinkal
Christie Veldhuizen
In addition to scholarship opportunities, Ayers says, members sometimes will host CREW Career workshops for young women, where they can learn through a project development simulation about the different roles available in commercial real estate. You can never make connections too quickly, Anders adds. “I’ve been a (CREW) member since 1988 and would continue forever,” she says. “My success was the fact that I was so well-connected. Anytime my company needed anything in the country (I could call on CREW). Law 68 | July-August 2015
enabled me, but mostly CREW.” Samantha Pinkal, senior predevelopment and marketing manager for Weitz, has been a member of AZCREW for two years and chairs the programs committee. She says her career was greatly influenced by female mentors in college, including Jokake’s Rozlyn Lipsey and Caliente Construction’s Lorraine Bergman. “(It’s valuable) for women, especially young women looking at their career options, to see role models,” says Pinkal, who mentors Arizona State University students and interns at Weitz. Pinkal, who graduated with a degree in construction management, began her career at Weitz as a project engineer. She said it was through the mentorship of project managers that she realized she wanted to shift into business development. “They helped me do a lot of personal development coming out of college,” she says. “They really helped guide me to this position that suits me better.” Pinkal recommends other young professionals also build alliances with senior managers who can see and build upon an individual's strengths often before she knows what they are. “Without mentors, you have no light down the path you’re going down,” says Pinkal. “You’re just following this path you’re going down. … They offer you advice, (such as) ‘Here are your strengths and things I recommend you explore,’ rather than learning the
hard way.” When CREW was founded, Anders says, it was to create a solid entity through which members could share, mentor and give back. “We provided many ways for the women to give back,” Anders says. “They do it anyway, but we wanted to have it more organized in CREW. You can either give to the foundation monetarily or you can become directly involved like UCREW or CREW Careers. … I love helping other women succeed. So … every dollar I have given them was extremely well-spent. … Paying it forward is essential, but I’m still available whenever…if (mentees) need something, they call me. It’s about always being there.” It’s not hard to sell the executive salary, which, according to CREW’s most recent benchmark study, falls around $175,000. In 2013, more than $120,000 was donated to yield $50,000 in scholarships. CREW has worked with more than 60 scholars, and every graduate has had a job. Many of them end up working after an internship. “Look at what we can accomplish when we put 10,000 women’s focus in one direction,” Ayers says. That said, men are the fastest growing sector of CREW. There are currently two male presidents of CREW chapters. Gail even hints that she has bought up a few domain names in case the group becomes more gender neutral.
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AZCREW
Q A
&
By Amanda Ventura
PHOTO BY MIKE MERTES, AZ BIG MEDIA
CREW Network holds an open door for women A ZCREW may be celebrating its 30th anniversary as a CREW Network chapter, but its sister chapter to the south has only been around since 2003. Barbi Reuter, a charter member of CREW Tucson, has held numerous roles in CREW Tucson, including two stints as director of the board and is currently serving a two-year term on the national CREW Network Board of Directors. Through this affiliation, CREW Tucson is helping put Arizona real estate on the national stage of an organization with 9,500 members in the U.S. Â
Why did you join CREW Network and what keeps you a member? Besides being a joiner and serial networker, I joined CREW Tucson to be part of a senior network of commercial real estate professionals intent on driving business in a supportive environment. The idea of being part of a start-up chapter was energizing. Â 70 | July-August 2015
Barbi Reuter, a charter member of CREW Tucson and a member of the national CREW Network Board of Directors.
How do the local chapters’ relationship with the national network affect Arizona and local industry members? Local chapter members, whether from Tucson, Phoenix or any of our other 70 chapters, tap a powerful network available at a moment’s notice. CREW Network members represent every discipline needed to complete a transaction or a ground-up development. I’ve received inbound referrals from members of Pittsburgh and Denver CREW chapters and have referred business out to members of CREW New Mexico, CREW Los Angeles and many others. Because CREW has experience requirements, the membership base is very senior – skilled, professional and diligent. Nearly half have more than 15 years of experience, while more than a third of our members have 20+ years in the business. Nothing beats face time and networking “in real life” in this electronic world, so attending CREW Network’s annual convention in the fall is always a power-packed, energizing event, as are the two leadership summits held each year.
What are some of the topics or advocacy efforts CREW Network works on that Arizona could benefit from? CREW Network is known as the industry’s thought leader when it comes to women in CRE. We lead from facts and conduct benchmarking studies every five years, including 2015. Results highlight compensation, career satisfaction, work-life balance, career advancement, and other issues, differentiated by gender, within the CRE industry. We are also publishing a white paper on working with executive recruiters, developing a leadership certificate program, and, through our foundation, funding scholarships for women in the industry. From an advocacy standpoint, CREW Network has a seat at the real estate roundtable – an exclusive group of industry and association leaders guiding policy with a cohesive industry voice.
Are there any issues that you think should see more of a dialogue in the next 12 months? Improved financial results for firms with diverse leadership from the board room to other senior ranks receives well-deserved attention now. Expanding this message and the systems to ensure paths of opportunity are a high priority, in my mind. This ties well with the timing of the white paper.
Has CREW Network had a direct influence on your professional growth? CREW Network has done so very much for me. Not long after participating in CREW’s C-Suite Mentoring Program, I was promoted to COO of my firm. Leadership opportunities at the local and national level hone my skills, expand my learning and connections and open doors. In turn, I am thrilled when I can open doors for others. 71
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