Any pets?:
I have a Basenji rescue dog named Kevin.
Favorite Nashville restaurant(s):
Nashville is quite a foodie town in my opinion so there are so many great options. I made a very deliberate effort of trying to try as many Nashville restaurants as I could for a couple of years. While I covered some ground, I still have plenty more to go. If you want to go expensive, one can’t beat Kayne Prime. Adele’s is nice and not as expensive at Kayne Prime. For some places with milder prices, I like Jack Brown’s for burgers, Agave’s for cheaper Mexican, Prince’s hot chicken (it originated Nashville Hot Chicken), and my controversial favourite Ooh Wee BBQ.
What do you love about being the Founder and CEO at Apartment Insiders?
I founded Apartment Insiders to totally change the apartment searching experience in Nashville and beyond by being customer obsessed. It’s building upon and growing past my success as the founder of another successful apartment locating company in Nashville that I sold to out-of-state tech investors.
Why do you do what you do?
I have a passion for leading people to reach their goals and pushing themselves beyond what they ever thought possible. I also enjoy changing the way things work for the better through building things (or companies) that never existed before.
What do you love about the culture at Apartment Insiders?
The Parrot culture we have at Apartment Insiders is essentially our DNA. It’s how we behave and why we even do this. It drives all of our decision making at every level of the company and helps attract the right people to roles at the company. Our culture is very deliberate, and I believe we are in the minority of companies that truly lives and breathes the company culture everyday rather than just putting a blurb about it on our website and forgetting it exists.
Favorite Thing About Living in Nashville
The people. A lot of the people here are self-selected immigrants from other parts of the US or world that specifically moved to this city to make a better life for themselves. You can easily find that energy here.
What brought you to Nashville?:
Real estate and music. I learned about the Nashville real estate market during a class during my senior year of college in 2007 when I was able to work on some large commercial real estate deals here. I’ve been paying close attention to it ever since then.
Favorite Nashville activity:
Boating, fishing, going to Loser’s the bar, learning new things about the city, and meeting some of its awesome people. Cheering on the Titans can be fun too.
What’s at least one professional and/or educational accomplishment that you’ve had?
I brokered $7 million worth of residential investment real estate while still a full-time college student in my very early twenties. Right after that, I earned some pretty notable investment real estate designations called the CCIM and CPM. It usually takes people longer to earn those. That early success helped set the tone for all of the endeavours and success I have had in real estate and entrepreneurship since then. I have a few other things in the works that I might be able to report on soon as well!
Who are you or what do you do outside of work
I love spending time with my two nephews, crappie fishing (especially with the nephews), boating, and hanging out with a diverse group of friends from a variety of backgrounds. I am pretty involved in helping budding entrepreneurs grow to the next level as well.
Is there something people might be surprised to know about you?
I was on Oprah for a nonsensical reason in 2008. I also read several newspapers and magazines each week.
What are some of your key personal values and how do they affect your work?
I am a strong believer in always doing my best. Your best looks different for different people depending on the task at hand. Nonetheless, if you always do your best and give it all you’ve got, you’ll be at peace with yourself a lot regardless of whether you win or lose. Additionally, I believe in constantly maintaining a winning mindset rather than that of a victim.
Favorite food/drink:
Diet Mountain Dew, Miller Lite, and Ribeye Steak.
Favorite Band/Music Artist:
Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jimi Hendrix