By Ronald Harrington
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June 17, 2025
What a week at Apartmentalize. I’m still riding the high from all of the energy, connections, and conversations that filled every hallway and stage. I had the absolute privilege of speaking alongside some incredible people and, spoiler alert, the crowd did not disappoint. First up was Unapologetic Innovators: Wild Ideas for Rebels, Dreamers, and Early Adopters with Jenny Schoellhorn, Christy Rodriguez, and yours truly. We weren’t afraid to go off-script—literally and figuratively. We dove into big ideas like subscription-based leasing models and the importance of failing forward. One of my favorite moments was encouraging the room to go back to their teams and invite people from different departments to shake things up. Diversity of thought is where innovation really begins. Then came Empowering Property Management Teams: Inclusive, Engaging, and Effective Training Strategies in a Birds of a Feather format. The roundtable format sparked so much great discussion. We talked about everything from integrating virtual teams into meetings to removing the pressure from learners to disclose neurodiversity. I shared how I approach training by looking at scores and behavioral data to truly understand each learner. We challenged the norm of traditional skills tests and proposed using application-based scenarios instead. Because honestly, when was the last time a judge asked you what year Fair Housing became law? Exactly. They care about how you apply it in real-life situations. Megan Oresar and Drew Hudson brought the energy and then some. Megan even handed out ducks to every table, each one carrying a message: Don’t Use Conversation Killers. It was quirky, memorable, and exactly what you’d hope for from a session like that. To wrap it all up, Paul Rhodes and I turned the tradeshow floor into our personal stage with Soft Skills in Maintenance: A Competitive Edge. We gave each other a hard time (as expected) but landed a powerful message with Paul’s “5 P’s” of maintenance: Person, Pleasant, Present, Personal, and Provide. It was heartfelt and hilarious, just the way we like it. And if that wasn’t enough excitement, I made a literal leap off the side of the Strat for Move For Hunger. We raised over $2,800 toward my campaign, and the greater group pulled in $35,000 total. That’s 140,000 meals going to people who need them. Talk about impact.  Apartmentalize gave me everything I needed: great people, bold conversations, and a chance to make a difference. Until next year, keep flipping the script and passing out ducks. You never know where the next wild idea will come from.
