Peter Lohmann's Mailing List - Issue #45

I Spent 4 Nights with Another Man’s Company — Here’s What I Learned

Recently, a business owner friend of mine invited me to come along for his company’s all-hands annual retreat.

They are in the software space and have around 40 employees, fully remote. Having spent just a few years working for others before striking out on my own 10 years ago, I was very curious to get up close and personal with another entrepreneurial company and see what I could learn.

I came away humbled.

This group has captured lightning in a bottle. But more importantly — the caliber of their team, the quality of their leadership, and the authenticity with which they live their company core values reset something deep within my brain. The “setpoint” that I had in my mind around those things was incorrect; my understanding of what was possible in those arenas was far too low. It turns out that:

• You can, in fact, build a team of nearly all A-Players.

• You can, in fact, assemble all-star leaders that drive the business forward.

• You can, in fact, sustain a culture that embodies the company’s core values.

It feels really silly to type out those bullet points; and it’s almost embarrassing to admit that I had doubts about those facts. We’ve struggled with all three of those items, at one time or another, at my own companies. I’ve never gotten to experience what’s like to have all 3 in place at the same time, and for whatever reason, made up that it just wasn’t possible (or was down to luck).

Now I know that it is possible, and my limiting beliefs around this have been totally blown away. I will be forever grateful for this opportunity to embed myself in another company. If you ever get a similar opportunity — do it.

Other takeaways from the event:

1. Building something truly great takes a LONG time.

2. Obsess over customer needs to win.

3. If you do manage to assemble a great team & culture, the momentum is palpable and feels unstoppable.

4. Get on the plane. Get them (your team) on the plane, too.

5. Uncover an infinite game within the “current thing” you’re doing - or go find one elsewhere.

6. Time spent recognizing major life events of team members is never wasted.

7. People Operations (aka HR) is possibly the most important department at a small business, once you reach a minimum size.

8. Silly company competitions and team awards can have deep value if approached with thought and care.

9. Just assume that everyone that works at your company is giving 100%. Not because it’s true, but because it’s useful.

10. Leadership isn’t about being the smartest person or having all the answers.

11. Humans are hard-wired to code every single experience as good or bad. If you can reorient your perceptions to evaluate the utility of what’s going on by default, rather than the moral value, you will become free.

12. Goals & intentionality matter. “What you aim at determines the hierarchy of values that emerge in your nervous system.” -Dan Tocchini

13. Your first customer is your team.

Processes Built For Profit - Recording Now Available

I was a guest on Evernest’s new webinar series a couple weeks ago, and they just released the recording for free! This one was really fun and we went deep on several very relevant topics for property managers. Here’s some more info about what we discussed:

To excel in property management, having the right processes is crucial. Without them, managing properties can be overwhelming, leading to high-stress levels and ultimately causing client (and team) churn and burnout.

The key to success lies in setting up your operations for growth and scalability while ensuring that your processes are not hindering progress.

Watch this webinar recording to learn how you can optimize your property management processes and prepare your company for sustainable growth.

This week’s issue is sponsored by AppFolio.

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A Few Programming Notes

I love writing this newsletter, and I love hearing from readers. Many of you have taken time to share with me the value you’re getting from these. THANK YOU.

Just a few notes about this newsletter and where I’m going with it:

• As of today we’re at 2,769 subscribers. Wow!

• More than half of you are opening and reading every single issue.

• I’ve settled on Fridays for releasing new issues. That said, there won’t be an issue every Friday. Look for around 3 per month moving forward. I don’t want to fill up your inbox with fluff!

• I’m taking off the month of June again (I did this last year too - listen to this if you want to hear my lessons learned & takeaways). No newsletters in June.

• I’m working with a select group of vetted sponsors (1 per issue) to help connect my audience with folks doing interesting and useful things in the property management space. Currently booking for Q3. Interested? Just hit reply.

Free Coaching Application Deadline THIS SUNDAY

I’ve decided to give away 3 months of free coaching to one lucky winner!

If you’re a female or minority property management company owner interested in scaling up your business or streamlining operations, please consider filling out the application. The deadline to apply is Sunday, April 23rd and I will announce the winner on Friday May 5th.

Please share this opportunity with anyone you know in the industry who you think could benefit from working with me.

Not qualified, but still interested in working with me? I don’t currently have any availability for new coaching clients outside of this promotion, but continue to watch this newsletter for an announcement when space opens up again.

Industry News & Events

• Attending NARPM Broker/Owner next week? Meet up with me at the AppFolio Mixer on the Main party. Register here.

• Rob Hahn, aka The Notorious Rob, has started an online marketplace for real estate called Decentre Property Exchange (DPX). Read more here. Rob is speaking at broker/owner by the way!

• Registration for SMBash is still open (starts April 27th in Austin). Going? See you there. This event was SO fun last year.

Closing Thought

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Property Management Coaching: No availability - check back soon! Just need an hour or two? Book here instantly.

Looking for a longer-term partnership, private community, my full Notion package and more? You may be a good candidate for our Property Management Business-in-a-Box program. Apply here.

That’s all for this week! -Peter