Her Story
About Yuliya
I fell into property management like most people in our industry - nobody really plans to get into it. I actually missed an email where Microsoft hired me when I was young, and one of my friends got me into leasing. It just really resonated with me. I liked the idea of the financial aspect of things and dealing with people, and it opened my life up to this whole new experience that I didn't think I could have that young. I grew through the industry really quickly - in about 2 to 3 years I went from leasing to leasing manager, assistant manager, and property manager. There are people that it takes 5 to 10 years to do that, so I was really proud of myself for that. I'm really good with numbers, so that helped a lot. I've always worn many hats in this industry because when you start, you still have to remember how to do all the jobs you're managing below you - that spans into financials, leasing, maintenance, capital improvements, dealing with vendors, and getting quotes and bids. After a hiatus as a stay-at-home mom, I found myself in a challenging portion of my life and came back to the industry as a brand new single mom with full-time, full custody.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Yuliya
01What do you attribute your success to?
I have an amazing support system that spans across my family and new friends. One of my best friends has been there through everything and has talked me down multiple times. I think resilience comes from my family and from the fact that I get to wake up every day and see my son and understand that I made a specific choice to make sure that 10 years down the road, he and I could have a better life. It's not pretty now and it's going to take a couple of years, but if you remember that you have the love and support of people, then I think that's just something that is so beautiful and will help you with everything. Sometimes looking in the mirror also really helps - I know that sounds silly, but sometimes you look at yourself and you're like, you know what, I look great, I feel great. My resilience is coming from within. It's not coming from anybody's external validation.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Not to take anything seriously, I think that's my biggest takeaway as far as how people communicate with you or to you, because you're dealing with the top 3 most important things in people's lives - their family, their money, and their home. Sometimes people get a little cranky with that, so I would just say focus on being pleasant but also delivering a very real and raw truth without getting your emotions kind of riled up, because when the other party is riled up, you have to be the calm one. And then also just believing in yourself. I know that sounds kind of corny, but if you know what you're doing and if you have the backup of your team, then you can't go wrong.
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