JBas Realty, LLC John Basalyga

John Basalyga holds many titles including serving as President of JBas Realty, LLC, Eastern Roofing Systems, Inc., Serenity Care Personal Care Community, Steamtown 300, LLC-Marketplace at Steamtown, Scranton Health Club dba Crunch Fitness Scranton, Olde Brook Inn, Farr Street Tavern and many others.

(For a complete list of his titles and projects please see the expanded digital article version at happeningspa.com)

Throughout each year John maintains an average of 500-700 employees. We recently chatted with him about a few topics.

Finding and maintaining valuable employees:

“I believe in a merit-based pay system where employees control what they make based on their involvement, interaction, supplementation and hard work. Being creative and incentivizing your core staff is key. It is similar to basically making employees ‘partners’ in the businesses. I never liked when there was a ‘ceiling’ above my head so I choose not to put one above my employees’ heads. The very best employee does not necessarily mean the most experienced. I have had much greater results hiring people based on character and work ethic. I also believe in promoting from within whenever possible as it gives staff incentive to stay in anticipation of a better future. Ask yourself if you would work where you want others to and you will gain all the answers you need to finding and maintaining a great staff.

On political involvement

I believe one must have the courage to say what others are thinking. Our area was once so great and that makes it easy to imagine that it can be once again. In the past our greatness came from community members, not the elected few in office. Taxes are constantly increasing while services are dwindling. Government needs a cleansing from top to bottom. I will be bold and say that I believe that it is beginning to happen but until it is completed we as a community need to be united and fight for what is ours; our families and children are at risk if we fail to speak up and demand change.

It has been too convenient to use the people as the government’s piggy bank while politicians waste our hard earned money. I encourage people to learn the Constitution again and memorize the Bill of Rights. I had always made a point to keep my personal political views to myself for the sake of not offending anyone but I now believe that the mindset of the 99% catering to the 1% has put us in the terrible position we are in today. If someone goes against the mainstream ‘narrative’ they are attacked to discourage people from speaking up even though the problems and abuse are so apparent. There are some extremely dark forces controlling the narrative to keep the majority divided and I was blessed to see through the matrix several years ago and fully understand what is happening.

Early life and motivation

I grew up in a family where my father owned several music and book stores in the former Sugarman’s locations in Eynon, Wilkes Barre and Vestal, NY. I would see my father put in countless hours working. As a young kid I would help organize records and even assist with doing inventory. As the years went by, Sugarman’s failed as did my father’s stores. I saw my father go from a confident and moderately successful businessman to someone who seemed to hate life and even give up at times. It really weighed on me that he could never get back up. My family included four sisters so we had a relatively large family that really struggled. My early motivation was to never ever live like that.

Taking risks

Taking big risks was natural for me because I never believed I had much to lose. I also never believed I would fail. I was determined to push ahead and create a life I wanted, rather than accept one that I would hate.

I graduated from North Pocono High School in 1997 and for the most part it was a good experience, however it ran parallel to our families’ worst times financially and personally. I always did well in school and was placed in accelerated programs, honors classes and later in Advanced Placement Programs. School came easily to me but I always felt that it was a bit of an indoctrination exercise, or preparation for being an obedient tax payer. I prefer more of a free-thinking dimension. I met many great friends in school and two of them work in top positions with me today. I believe schools should teach kids that they are not a failure if they decide not to go to college. I know many people that have made a happy and successful life without a college degree. I went to college for a year and felt I was wasting my time and decided to leave even though my parents were not happy. I encourage all kids to learn a trade; even if you decide to go to college, you can always fall back on the trades and maintain a good paying job.

Professional bucket list. My goal is to fix Scranton and I think it can be done but we must think and act differently.

I would like to build a great tower as a nod to our past, present and future generations; a landmark of which we can all be proud.

I realize I was born here for a reason and I plan to leave Scranton better than I found it. This will always be my home and I’m more proud of it each and every day.

Weighing heavily on the mind

I have a huge responsibility to the men and women that work for me as well as the residents, customers and patrons we serve. I need to operate at my very best and make the best decisions with their livelihood in mind. I also feel I need to set a good example as a member of the community to our neighbors and youth. I am very proud of the businesses I have created. But I am also extremely proud of the person I have become over the years. My goals have always been vast but my reasoning is different now. I believe there is a higher purpose for everything we do and we have the power to achieve whatever we desire. I started out on my own at 20 years old with basically the remnants of my last paycheck and never looked back. Whenever we are of the mind that we have failed it is time to rearm and rethink. A bad day is a day in which I stand in the same spot as the day before. A good day is when I inch or leap ahead. There are no days that I move backward.

I tell all my employees to do the very best they can; to have pride whether they are installing a roof, framing a wall or making a sandwich. It is a team effort; your best is always good enough.

Purpose-driven living

When I was younger I was motivated by money and a strong competitive attitude. Youth is often warped with materialistic thoughts developed through societal programming. As I matured, it became much more about improving the community. I see the very best in Scranton and every move I make today has the philosophy of making Scranton Great Again. I love seeing something fixed, beautified and becoming a communal asset. I have been much more successful and happier not being captive to the dollar.

Off the clock

I am never off the clock and that’s ok with me. I have so many different businesses and many operate 24/7 so there is always a level of availability and accessibility. Nights and weekends are definitely calmer but I use that time to look back on what we can improve so we can ultimately plan ahead. Often I use these times to respond to many emails and research multiple topics affecting current and future endeavors. I also do plenty of reading.

The Serenity Care Projects

I considered building and operating senior living centers many times, especially with some of my apartment projects. We were contemplating the development of strictly 55+ communities, but I always ended up building them with the premise of availability to all ages. (Why be limited by a demographic?) I got involved in Personal Care Facilities after an industry friend informed me that several existing facilities were going up for sale. I had an immediate interest. First, however, I needed to understand why they were failing so I would know how to fix them, taking not just a facility standpoint but also an operational one.

The problem ultimately was a low residency or census as it is referred to in the industry. I saw what I needed to see and made an offer that was accepted.

After closing on the five facilities in late 2020, I asked each administrator a simple question: ‘Would you move your mother or father into these facilities?’ They each answered ‘no.’ I told them that when we were finished with the projects, their answers would be emphatically different.

I developed a rehabilitation plan for each building that included carpet removal and replacement of bedding and mattresses, etc. We made the common areas resemble a living room rather than an institutional hospital room; we added fireplaces, bigger TVs and all new furniture, and created new outside areas as well as new cafeterias with chef-inspired menus. Everyday the facilities get better and the staff gets stronger. Picture a facility that smells good, feels good, is bright, clean and has a positive vibe. That is what you will find at Serenity Care.

I always remind our director to make it known to the staff that if they do not like what they do, the door is open but never, ever neglect our wonderful residents. I am proud that we can make a change in people’s lives for the better.

Personal Life

I had always been more of an introvert but in the last few years I have decided that I need to get my messages out to the public more. I have participated in numerous podcasts and speaking engagements. The community means an awful lot to me and I enjoy spreading positive messages about our region. I firmly believe that you receive back what you have given out.

As a Father

Lessons I try to instill in my daughters (ages 4 and 6) are to be respectful, honest, hardworking and thankful, to never give up and trust in God. Whenever they say they cannot do something I remind them of when they were learning to walk. ‘You fell thousands of times, but you always got back up and kept trying and eventually learned to walk on your own; you never stopped trying. You did it when you could not even talk so I am sure that you can do whatever you are struggling with now. Keep going!’

I make a point to have my girls visit our restaurants and thank the staff and patrons whenever they can. I show them how to see the value and good in people and to always maintain a positive outlook.

A teacher recently shared with me that one of my daughters learned that there was a little boy in her class who was cold. My daughter gave the boy her jacket to keep him warm and when she did the other children also wanted to behave kindly and began sharing their crayons, snacks and toys. The lesson is, of course, that kindness is contagious; positivity yields positivity.

Here is a final thought I’d like to leave with you: What if everyday each one of us did something kind for someone else? It could be as simple as asking how someone is doing, to simply making an effort to hold doors open for people. We could all raise our collective vibration and change the world for the better in 24 hours. Think about it and H