Rochelle Mua

I am going to say probably being able to have had the experience of being on affordable housing myself, and then being able to give back and assist other families. Like I said, now it's kind of indirectly, but still, I do have some impact on that. I think it's the passion for me - having been on the other side and now being able to help others in similar situations is what drives me and what I attribute my success to.

I've been told not to be afraid to ask for help. That's a big one and it's huge. I know it's difficult for a lot of people, but you're absolutely right - a lot of people are afraid to ask for help because they're scared they're gonna look stupid, but that's not the case. I've also been told that when I have to give guidance, to make sure it's clear. We have to give a lot of guidance in this field, so if we are giving a site or a management agent any goals, make sure we set clear goals.

The one thing I would tell them is don't take things personally. When I worked on site, residents would come in, applicants would come in, and if you would have to turn somebody away or you didn't tell them what they wanted, sometimes they would get upset. I've had people fussing and directing their anger toward me, and it had nothing to do with me. So you have to learn not to take things personally, because a lot of times people aren't upset at you - they're upset with their situation. In this business, especially when you're in the field, it's very important to remind yourself of that.

One of the biggest challenges I face is time management. I have a hard time at times depending on what task I'm working on, because you can plan your day when it comes to affordable housing, but you never know what's going to happen to derail those plans. It's the unknowns that can happen that make it challenging. As far as opportunities, there's always training available. With the company I'm currently with and all previous companies, anytime we want to obtain a certification or get some additional training, they're willing to pay for that for us. That's definitely a big opportunity. I enjoy compliance, so there's no other area in my company I want to be in - the biggest thing would be the opportunity for training.

I always believe in treating people the way I want to be treated. Kindness is important to me, as well as patience and integrity - integrity is a big one for me. Showing appreciation matters a lot. And I believe respect is probably number one, though. Respect is a big one. I also think listening to people is important - I feel like I'm a good listener, and I think listening is one of the better qualities anybody can have.