Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
![018 - Building Relationships is Our Business | Trey Stoermer, Norma Ramirez, and Felisha Perrodin [Feature Topic] image](https://media.zencastr.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=54,quality=85/image-files/605db9539a00e40074826685/733e7e3d-9d73-4dce-9fd9-65d29d14b4dd.)
018 - Building Relationships is Our Business | Trey Stoermer, Norma Ramirez, and Felisha Perrodin [Feature Topic]
5 Plays2 years ago
CORRECT EPISODE NOW UPLOADED!
The annual conference is right around the corner, and to lead up to the big event, this episode was put together by SWACUHO's Exhibits and Displays Committee. In this episode, Trey Stoermer, Norma Ramirez, and Felisha Perrodin break down the exhibit hall at conferences and hone in on how it is more a place to build and foster relationships, which sometimes happen to result in business transactions later on. For many professionals without purchasing power, the exhibit hall can be overwhelming or may seem like a waste of time... but it is far from that. This episode is ripe with commentary on the importance of building relationships, even if they aren't expected to have an immediate return on investment. We provide questions to ask corporate partners and towards the end the host attempts a failed experiment about the value of network diversity that probably should have been left on the cutting room floor.
Download the Reflection Guide! (forthcoming) - If you put anything into action from the Podcast, please consider sharing it via swacuhopodcast@gmail.com and you may get featured on an upcoming episode.
Seeking professional advice? Fill out this anonymous form and a panel of housing staff will give you their take on your situation on an upcoming podcast.
Recommended![025 - Fun Topics from the ACUHO-I Community Forum | Joel Gatti [Feature Topic] image](https://media.zencastr.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=112,quality=85/image-files/605db9539a00e40074826685/733e7e3d-9d73-4dce-9fd9-65d29d14b4dd.)
Transcript
Podcast Introduction and Acknowledgements
00:00:01
Speaker
Welcome to the Swakuho podcast.
00:00:03
Speaker
Today's episode is the last episode before the annual conference in Frisco, Texas.
00:00:09
Speaker
I want to give a big shout out to Ellie Luna and Amanda Bobo and all our friends and colleagues at Southern Methodist University who, given this conference starts in just 10 days, might be privately regretting their decision to host given all the obligatory stress that comes with these final days.
Conference Preparation and Insights
00:00:27
Speaker
As Dr. Ken Stoner talked about on episode 13, I'm pretty sure that SMU has reached critical speed and there is not enough runway to this conference to safely abort.
00:00:38
Speaker
So Bobo and Ellie, you have my personal permission to sit back, relax, and trust that all your planning is going to play out well.
00:00:47
Speaker
Now it's time to rock and roll.
Campus Housing Relationships
00:00:49
Speaker
Today we are going to talk about the business of relationships.
00:00:52
Speaker
Here in Campus Housing, we don't operate on an island and couldn't be successful without the products and services provided from the private sector.
00:01:00
Speaker
I'm talking about housing management software, key security systems, and among other things, the tens of thousands of extra-long twin beds throughout our region.
00:01:10
Speaker
These services involve people who we sometimes have long-standing relationships with or with whom we are entering brand new relationships.
00:01:18
Speaker
We will be diving into when and how we initiate those relationships and how do we facilitate those relationships over an extended period of time.
Networking and Long-Term Relationships
00:01:27
Speaker
David Berkus wrote the book, Friend of a Friend.
00:01:30
Speaker
And one quote that always stuck out to me was this.
00:01:33
Speaker
The problem with most of us when we meet someone is we assume that if they are not immediately useful to me now, then it's a waste of my time.
00:01:42
Speaker
The real point of this episode is not only to remind everyone that networking isn't a four-letter word, but more importantly, also emphasize the importance of understanding the value of building and facilitating long-term relationships, even if they may be weak or dormant ties for an extended period of time.
Key Contributors Introduction
00:02:00
Speaker
Today's episode was initiated by SWACUO's Exhibits and Displays Committee, so I appreciate them stepping up, helping shape the topical areas, and recruiting our guest list.
00:02:10
Speaker
So without further ado, our first guest is Trey Stermer, who joined Southwest contract in September of 2004.
00:02:18
Speaker
In the last 18 plus years, he has served on both the corporate partner and exhibits and display committees for the AIMHO and SWACUHO regions.
00:02:28
Speaker
When not visiting campuses, Trey enjoys spending time with his wife, Kelly, and their growing family, which will be expanding by two with the first grandchild expected in March,
00:02:39
Speaker
and a second grandchild shortly thereafter in June.
00:02:42
Speaker
Trey, welcome to the show and congrats on the expanding family.
00:02:47
Speaker
Thank you so much, JC, and thank you for inviting me and giving me the honor to attend your podcast and be one of the many.
00:02:57
Speaker
Our second guest is Norma Ramirez, Assistant Director at Texas Christian University.
00:03:02
Speaker
Norma was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas.
00:03:05
Speaker
She has a huge love for music and giving back to the community.
00:03:09
Speaker
Her passions led her to Wichita Falls, Texas, where she earned both her Bachelor's of Music and Master's in Educational Leadership.
00:03:17
Speaker
Her love for working with college students emerged at Midwestern State University, where she worked in housing and residence life for over 10 years.
00:03:24
Speaker
Life brought Norma back home in the summer of 2022 for a new adventure at Texas Christian University.
00:03:32
Speaker
Norma continues to be very involved outside of work as a volunteer in the Junior League of Fort Worth.
00:03:38
Speaker
Norma, welcome to the show.
00:03:40
Speaker
Thank you, JC.
00:03:41
Speaker
We are just so excited to be here and to be a part of all of this.
00:03:46
Speaker
And obviously, it's going to be a great time-grade adventure for us today.
00:03:50
Speaker
So thank you so much.
00:03:52
Speaker
Our third guest is Felicia Perroden, Assistant Director for Administrative Services at the University of Arkansas.
00:03:59
Speaker
Felicia has been involved in SWACUHO in a variety of roles, including the Placement Committee, Conference Host Committee, not once but twice, and
00:04:07
Speaker
program committee, Arkansas state director, Swakuho U cohort coach, and currently serves as a co-chair of the exhibits and displays committee.
00:04:17
Speaker
Felicia has attended every Swakuho since 1996 and enjoys spending time with her husband, her kitties, friends and family, and cheering on her favorite sports teams, Go Hogs, Bobcats, Packers, Bengals, and Chiefs.
00:04:36
Speaker
and attempting to read the many books that she has on her bookshelves.
00:04:40
Speaker
Felicia, welcome to the show.
00:04:42
Speaker
Hi, JC.
00:04:43
Speaker
It's great to be here, and I can't wait to spend this time with all of y'all tonight.
00:04:47
Speaker
So...
00:04:48
Speaker
The pleasure is truly mine and our listeners.
00:04:50
Speaker
So thank you all for being here.
Terminology in Partnerships
00:04:52
Speaker
But first things first, Norma and Felicia, what is the preferred terminology these days when it comes to working with outside entities?
00:05:00
Speaker
Is it vendor, supplier, exhibitor, corporate sponsor?
00:05:05
Speaker
What should we be saying?
00:05:07
Speaker
Well, I personally try to use the word exhibitor because I really and that and corporate partner.
00:05:13
Speaker
And that's actually something that Norm and I are kind of working on right now in terms of even looking at the name of our committee.
00:05:18
Speaker
But I always try to use the word exhibitor and corporate partner because I really feel like those who we do business with who come to our conference.
00:05:28
Speaker
Our regional conference, our annual conference who come to our campus, they are our partners and they're helping us in our roles as housing professionals contribute to the success and satisfaction of our students on our campuses.
00:05:41
Speaker
So they're a partner with us.
00:05:43
Speaker
We can't do what we do without them.
00:05:46
Speaker
Yes, absolutely.
00:05:47
Speaker
It's been so great over the years through the different evolution and just relationships that we have built.
00:05:55
Speaker
And with that, we know it's been a collaboration, a partnership, and we really tried to lead that way and also with our committee as well.
00:06:03
Speaker
And so we continue to build those relationships and we see it all as one entity when we get ready for conference, but not just through conference, through all of the other things that Sokuho has done.
00:06:14
Speaker
to offer for our housing professionals.
00:06:17
Speaker
And so we're really excited to continue to pursue those relationships, build new relationships, and absolutely those partnerships.
First Conference Experience
00:06:25
Speaker
Great.
00:06:25
Speaker
And Trey, as the quote corporate partner guest on this show, please speak for all corporate partners.
00:06:32
Speaker
What do you prefer?
00:06:33
Speaker
Or do you even care at all?
00:06:36
Speaker
No, I agree with both Norma and with Felicia.
00:06:39
Speaker
I think the progression from truly just an exhibitor to a corporate partner really captures the spirit of that relationship.
00:06:49
Speaker
And primarily it's due to the fact that
00:06:53
Speaker
it does require both the supplier of services or products or whatnot, and the delegates and the association to come together.
00:07:02
Speaker
And so that's probably the best term for that relationship as a corporate partner, because it is a true partnership.
00:07:09
Speaker
Great.
00:07:10
Speaker
Because I agree, as soon as like, Trey, if we started talking outside of the conference, we're not in an exhibit hall anymore.
00:07:15
Speaker
So that doesn't fully capture that.
00:07:18
Speaker
But
00:07:18
Speaker
I remember the days when it was vendors and just the evolution as we continue to go.
00:07:23
Speaker
So I appreciate the definition.
00:07:25
Speaker
So we're all on the same page.
00:07:27
Speaker
Trey, you attended your very first Swakuo conference at San Antonio in 2002.
00:07:34
Speaker
As a perfect illustration of the importance of building and facilitating relationships over an extended period of time, why don't you start by telling us who the very first person you met was at that conference?
00:07:46
Speaker
I appreciate bringing that up, especially as it relates to my current age.
00:07:52
Speaker
But prior to, just a little backstory, prior to entering into higher education and essentially student affairs, my background was medical sales.
00:08:06
Speaker
And I really entered into the furniture market in a very haphazard way and whatnot.
00:08:12
Speaker
So I
00:08:13
Speaker
When ultimately from medical sales and medical furniture sales into higher education, somebody said, your first responsibility is to attend SWACUHO.
00:08:24
Speaker
And I asked them again if they could repeat that.
00:08:27
Speaker
And then I asked them again if they could repeat it again.
00:08:31
Speaker
And then someone said, it's a...
00:08:36
Speaker
division or a branch of Akuhoi.
00:08:39
Speaker
And I said, well, can you repeat that?
00:08:41
Speaker
And, you know, one acronym after another, as I stumbled on the plane and came down to San Antonio.
00:08:48
Speaker
So I gathered up my belongings and heading to what was at the time truly an exhibitor space or a vendor space.
00:08:57
Speaker
I think it was kind of
00:08:59
Speaker
old school in 2004.
00:09:00
Speaker
And as I walked into my booth, still pretty apprehensive about why I was there, what I was going to say, not knowing anything about higher education or student affairs, and barely knowing anything about the products that I was about to have to speak to.
00:09:19
Speaker
The first person that I met in the booth next to me was Craig Zamine.
00:09:25
Speaker
And it was very, very...
00:09:29
Speaker
much a David Lynch movie moment because I had not seen Craig in a,
00:09:37
Speaker
15 years, much less expected him to be there.
00:09:40
Speaker
And Craig happened to be my RA and my suite mate, my freshman year of college at University of Texas at Arlington.
00:09:48
Speaker
And we had literally not seen each other in 15 years.
00:09:52
Speaker
And that was my first experience.
00:09:54
Speaker
And Craig and I are friends to this day, staying in touch all through his tenure at American campus at the time.
00:10:02
Speaker
And now
00:10:03
Speaker
with his responsibilities at University of North Texas.
00:10:06
Speaker
So it was a great welcoming and eye-opening and probably most importantly, such an industry shift to the welcoming and the true partnership.
00:10:17
Speaker
And this goes back to kind of what we're talking about relationships.
00:10:20
Speaker
There was what I thought would be an intimidating situation was, you
00:10:26
Speaker
immediately I was put at ease.
00:10:29
Speaker
So that was kind of the start of what would be the next 18 years of a wonderful relationship at Suakuho.
00:10:36
Speaker
And like Felicia, I have not missed one since.
00:10:41
Speaker
And, you know, Craig is on the Exhibits and Displays Committee.
00:10:44
Speaker
So there you go.
00:10:46
Speaker
So anyhow, that just shows how everything goes around.
00:10:50
Speaker
And Trey, I don't know if you remember, but it might have been in San Antonio when you and I first met.
00:10:55
Speaker
And I remember talking with you.
00:10:59
Speaker
about my big black cat that I had at that time and showing you the picture because he was so huge.
00:11:04
Speaker
And I remember you saying, I went home and told my kids about this and everything.
00:11:08
Speaker
And so, you know, it is, it's truly a great space to, you know, to reconnect with people and that, you know, who maybe you haven't seen in a while on that.
00:11:19
Speaker
So I think that, again, it just shows how natural these relationships can happen.
00:11:25
Speaker
The exhibit hall is just the venue to help create that.
00:11:28
Speaker
Exactly.
00:11:29
Speaker
Exactly.
Exhibit Hall Purpose
00:11:31
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely.
00:11:31
Speaker
So for, you know, like Trey was a newcomer back in 2002.
00:11:35
Speaker
For listeners who aren't aware or are going to their first conference here in a few days, like what exactly is the exhibit hall at a conference?
00:11:45
Speaker
Like what is it?
00:11:46
Speaker
We've talked about it a little bit.
00:11:48
Speaker
Let's give the lowdown for anyone who's coming up for their first conference or has no idea what we're talking about.
00:11:52
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:11:53
Speaker
So our exhibit hall is a space where we invite all of our partners to come through that are any type of the services that were mentioned before that impact the work that we do.
00:12:06
Speaker
And so this year we are so lucky.
00:12:09
Speaker
Shout out to Bobo and Ellie for the schedule because we have this year.
00:12:13
Speaker
We're so lucky to be able to have four hours of uninterrupted time where we're
00:12:19
Speaker
all of our new participants to the conference and our returning participants get to know all of our exhibitors and sponsors in this space.
00:12:30
Speaker
And so it's this big exhibit hall where we will have booths and they will come through this space and we actually get to have lunch.
00:12:39
Speaker
That's the first thing that we get to do with our amazing partners.
00:12:43
Speaker
So we'll get to have lunch and have conversation and
00:12:47
Speaker
We have a lot of time built in.
00:12:49
Speaker
So then that way, different participants can go through and get to know these different companies that we're working with and the people that we're working with.
00:12:58
Speaker
And that is just so valuable to be in that space, whether they are the first time attending conference and they feel like they don't have any decision making abilities to this is, you know, their business.
00:13:10
Speaker
10th plus conference and they have those interactions and they know exactly who's going to be in that space once they come through.
00:13:18
Speaker
It really is a space for everyone and all parties involved to really just mix and mingle and learn more about how we can enhance that experience for our students on our college campuses.
00:13:32
Speaker
What's also really neat is that all of us come from different backgrounds, different experiences, different types of schools, universities.
00:13:39
Speaker
And so there is something for everyone in that space.
00:13:42
Speaker
And that's that's one of the things that Felicia and I are really excited about this year as we're once we have our partners register, we are getting more and more just new people coming through.
00:13:52
Speaker
And then, of course, our
00:13:53
Speaker
are returning people.
00:13:54
Speaker
And so it'll be just a nice space to get to know those services, especially to if you aren't aware, sometimes people might get intimidated, or if it's their first conference, they're like, I don't know what I'm walking into.
00:14:06
Speaker
And so this is just a great opportunity to ease that and to have conversations and not feel rushed and to go back and forth to just get to know more about the different areas that impact our university housing.
00:14:20
Speaker
Yeah.
00:14:20
Speaker
And last year we were able to return back to our exhibit hall experience because obviously we were virtual in 2021 due to, you know, the lovely COVID.
00:14:32
Speaker
And so, you know, I think last year we were excited.
00:14:35
Speaker
We had about 27 different booths in our exhibit hall, which is about half of what we typically try to have.
00:14:43
Speaker
And I, you know, I think there were still some concerns in that last year, but having that opportunity again this year to really have people come together more, to have new people come, I think being in the Dallas-Fort Worth area this year helps out a little bit too.
00:14:57
Speaker
And so it's just exciting to be able to do that.
00:15:01
Speaker
With that in mind, Trey, let me ask you, how much business is actually done in the exhibit hall?
00:15:08
Speaker
Like, I'm signing on the dotted line for this new case goods from Southwest contract.
00:15:14
Speaker
Yeah, I want to address that.
00:15:19
Speaker
from the perspective of my time when I sat on the corporate relations or corporate partner committee in AIMHO and even the exhibit and displays committee when I was with SWACUHO on two different occasions, because I really took that approach to be the liaison between the corporate partners and the association and,
00:15:42
Speaker
And if there was as much education that needed to take place with the vendors or corporate partners posed to just being a business opportunity for people to come and create deals, if that's what you, you know, if that's when you say sign on the dotted line and whatnot.
00:16:03
Speaker
Always be closing.
00:16:05
Speaker
Yeah, we we have I've always tried to communicate this with a lot of our friends and corporate partners that it's really the responsibility of the companies that participate in the student housing market with products and services to support the professional development.
00:16:25
Speaker
and support the associations that truly support their businesses.
00:16:29
Speaker
And that's always been kind of the role when I sat on those committees to communicate that ahead of time so that when companies come to attend and come to exhibit, they're not...
00:16:43
Speaker
focused purely on generating sales or marketing leads or some other metric that may be communicated from their companies as a necessary measurement of the success of whatever that investment might be.
00:17:03
Speaker
I kind of go back to
00:17:05
Speaker
What I would communicate is kind of the three R's, and it is the responsibility, the relationship, and the respect.
00:17:13
Speaker
And that kind of goes or applies to essentially both parties in this arrangement.
00:17:22
Speaker
the companies that are participating and the delegates that are attending every aspect of that.
00:17:29
Speaker
In doing so, it does take a little bit more education because a company that does attend with the intent of receiving purchase orders for particular aspects of their business,
00:17:44
Speaker
they may be very disappointed in the results if that's the only measurement of what a successful conference would be to them.
00:17:53
Speaker
And we've had that surface during feedback and surveys, post-conference surveys and whatnot.
00:18:00
Speaker
And so in many cases, we'll do an educational session to explain to corporate partners how
00:18:07
Speaker
what the intent of the conference is.
00:18:09
Speaker
And it doesn't mean that there will not be opportunities for very constructive conversations about orders or services or future renovations or whatnot, but that's not the sole objective for exhibiting.
00:18:28
Speaker
Yeah, that's great.
00:18:29
Speaker
And I think it kind of illustrates the point is like, we're not trying to necessarily sell products or receive products.
00:18:34
Speaker
It's
00:18:35
Speaker
It's all about the relationships that are being built because, I mean, most of us are restricted by state purchase requirements, bidding processes and all.
00:18:43
Speaker
It's like, even if I wanted to, I couldn't even enter into any sort of agreement standing in this exhibit hall.
00:18:49
Speaker
And that's happened to be two other furniture companies there who are submitting competing bids at the same time.
00:18:56
Speaker
And, you know, it's just like there's a patience that's needed to cultivate the relationships that gets your foot in the door for later on, I would assume.
Guiding Principles for Partnerships
00:19:05
Speaker
Trey, I love that concept of the three R's.
00:19:09
Speaker
I actually wrote that down because I really think the responsibility, the relationship, the respect, I really think that's great guiding principles.
00:19:16
Speaker
I mean, we should do that within all of our relationships or interactions we have with others.
00:19:21
Speaker
Yeah, with everybody.
00:19:23
Speaker
In that context, it's fabulous.
00:19:25
Speaker
I love that.
00:19:26
Speaker
I wrote that down.
00:19:28
Speaker
It does kind of break down the question of expectation, both from the delegates, from the attendees, and from the exhibitors that are participating, so that
00:19:39
Speaker
And really focusing on that respect component, everyone has to understand where each party in this relationship is coming from and what their goals are for that particular time period.
00:19:52
Speaker
And so I think it's beneficial to communicate that, especially if that happened to be during a pre-exhibitor session or whatnot, which is something that we have done in the past at different conferences.
00:20:06
Speaker
Well, I think that's a fairly organic segue that if we've now established that the exhibit halls are not necessarily about sales, but more about the exposure, the connections, relationship, does that only apply to people with purchasing power or purchasing authority?
00:20:21
Speaker
Like what value is there for a hall director to participate within the exhibit halls?
00:20:27
Speaker
I think there's a lot of value, to be very honest.
00:20:29
Speaker
I mean, I think we get so focused on
00:20:33
Speaker
The work that we might be doing in terms of helping this student through this issue or this is the program we're planning or I have to talk to my RA about this specific topic.
00:20:44
Speaker
and not always taking that holistic approach to what does it really take to create that experience for our students, right?
00:20:53
Speaker
And so kind of knowing what all goes into that, I think is really important.
00:20:57
Speaker
You know, as a hall director, I don't know that I really thought about that a whole lot.
00:21:03
Speaker
And I think it just takes, you know,
00:21:06
Speaker
kind of talking to, you know, a supervisor or, you know, somebody else who maybe has, you know, some extra experience or seasoned, as I like to say.
00:21:17
Speaker
Not old, but seasoned.
00:21:18
Speaker
But, you know, just to kind of say, talk to me a little bit about this or, you know, how do I navigate this?
00:21:23
Speaker
Right.
00:21:24
Speaker
And I think that it's really important.
00:21:27
Speaker
I know one of the things, you know, I personally don't have any purchasing power per se in my position.
00:21:32
Speaker
But one of the things I have typically done is gone like to our director of facilities.
00:21:37
Speaker
uh, to say, Hey, is there anything in particular you're looking at right now that if we have a, you know, somebody who's at the exhibit hall at SWACUHO that I could take a look at, you know, or I would, and, and, and kind of to get that right out there to say, what, is there anything in particular, a helps educate me on what is my department looking at, but also is there something I can do to help them out in terms of maybe making, you know, getting some information brochures or business cards or whatnot.
Opportunities for Young Professionals
00:22:05
Speaker
Um,
00:22:06
Speaker
And I think that's really important.
00:22:07
Speaker
I remember being at a Kuhoi several years ago.
00:22:11
Speaker
I think it was back in Seattle several years ago.
00:22:14
Speaker
And my assistant vice chancellor at that time was there at the conference as well.
00:22:19
Speaker
And we were walking around the exhibit hall there and there was a moving cart company.
00:22:23
Speaker
And I was like, oh, this is really interesting, you know, for.
00:22:26
Speaker
And so I took I took that information to her.
00:22:29
Speaker
We ended up buying some of those carts where we're using them.
00:22:32
Speaker
And that, but, you know, but kind of saying, this is a really interesting thing.
00:22:36
Speaker
Why don't I share this information with the person who does have that purchasing power to say, take a look at this.
00:22:42
Speaker
How can this help benefit our students and help them in this case, their moving experience?
00:22:49
Speaker
Yes, I'd also like to add that I remember going into the exhibit hall for the first time in 2013 as a hall director.
00:22:57
Speaker
It was my new experience.
00:22:58
Speaker
And thinking through that, I wish somebody would have told me then that it's not as intimidating as it might seem.
00:23:05
Speaker
And you go in and build relationships because in my head, it was more than that.
00:23:09
Speaker
And I just thought, you know what, like,
00:23:12
Speaker
I'm going to walk around, but I don't know that I have really any power in this space.
00:23:15
Speaker
And so what I would say to the new professionals out there is this is a great learning opportunity for you to not be intimidated by the exhibit hall.
00:23:25
Speaker
There's this idea of identity capital.
00:23:28
Speaker
And so as you're working through your journey as a hall director or entry level staff, you're going through different experiences and
00:23:36
Speaker
to learn more about yourself, to figure out what type of person you want to be, to figure out what type of professional you want to be.
00:23:42
Speaker
And as you're building your identity through our professional network, it's a great opportunity to get out of your comfort zone.
00:23:52
Speaker
I know with COVID and just other things that has made us a little bit more hesitant about going up and talking to people or being in a space and being
00:24:02
Speaker
That being said, we want it to be an inclusive space, a space where anybody can feel like they can come into.
00:24:07
Speaker
And it's just a great opportunity.
00:24:08
Speaker
The conference is all about learning and meeting new people.
00:24:12
Speaker
And that is true to be in the exhibit hall as well.
00:24:14
Speaker
So as you're figuring out what kind of professional do you want to be, that could also mean is maybe you start out as a hall director and you meet someone in the exhibit hall, you meet a corporate partner, and who knows, you might end up in a field that's related to the
00:24:31
Speaker
higher ed and student affairs, but you may not stay in the same area that you're in.
00:24:36
Speaker
And so it's really important to put yourself out there and get to know people.
00:24:41
Speaker
A lot of our corporate partners that we work with have some housing background experience.
00:24:48
Speaker
And so that's really neat to see professionals transition as well.
00:24:52
Speaker
So you just never know kind of what opportunity is around the corner.
00:24:56
Speaker
You just have to put yourself out there and find out.
00:24:58
Speaker
So it's really exciting.
00:24:59
Speaker
Norma, I think you really, I took a note here earlier when you mentioned a space for everyone.
00:25:08
Speaker
It truly, truly is a space for everyone, both corporate partners and for the attendees, regardless of level.
00:25:15
Speaker
So, I mean, that truly is the space.
00:25:18
Speaker
The space for everyone, regardless of whether you're an entry level, whether you're a mid-manager, whether you're a...
00:25:40
Speaker
In many cases, I always hear this, well, I didn't want to walk through the exhibit hall because I'm an introvert or I don't have any purchasing power or I don't use any of these products or any of these services in my day-to-day work.
00:25:56
Speaker
I never come in contact with any of those things.
00:25:58
Speaker
There's still an opportunity for every single individual to learn and grow from those interactions with people
00:26:08
Speaker
both exhibitors, but then also with some of their colleagues as they hear some of the conversations as a bystander and hear what are the questions and what are the topics that are being discussed.
00:26:23
Speaker
A lot of times I'll hear entry-level professionals ask, well, what should I ask the exhibitors or the corporate partners if I do?
00:26:33
Speaker
I'm not involved with furniture or I'm not involved with architectural services or laundry services or whatever the case.
00:26:41
Speaker
And my suggestion always has been ask them and make the approach to find out what.
00:26:49
Speaker
What do they know about the day-to-day issues that you're facing?
00:26:55
Speaker
Because I do believe this kind of goes back to that responsibility.
00:26:59
Speaker
I believe it's a responsibility of the corporate partners to understand not only the segments of their business, but more importantly or equally important,
00:27:07
Speaker
the day-to-day scenarios that take place on a college campus outside of the products and services that they're providing.
00:27:14
Speaker
It is truly their responsibility to understand what your pinch points are on a college campus, because that will lend themselves to providing solutions, whether it's with their own products or
00:27:28
Speaker
with products and services from another company.
00:27:30
Speaker
But that's how an entry level individual could approach a vendor and say, do you know some of the things that we're facing and start that conversation that way.
00:27:42
Speaker
And you know, Trey, we get questions sometimes from some of our exhibitors, our partners who say, can I go to program sessions?
00:27:49
Speaker
And we're like, absolutely, because that way they are learning about what are some of the topics that are out there on a higher ed campus.
00:27:58
Speaker
It gives them a better understanding of our students.
00:28:00
Speaker
The student of today is way different than the student of 20 years ago.
00:28:05
Speaker
And technology's changing, trends are changing, how students communicate is changing.
00:28:11
Speaker
And so I think that's a great opportunity, hopefully, for our exhibitors to learn as much about, like you said, what we're doing on a daily basis as well as us learning about how this product or service can best benefit our students.
00:28:28
Speaker
Well, a couple of notes.
00:28:29
Speaker
Trey, when you were talking about students or people growing the most when they're challenged, I think you're set up to teach a student development higher ed course anytime.
00:28:40
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:28:42
Speaker
So if you're ever looking for a little segue into a new career field, we got you covered.
00:28:47
Speaker
Let me know, Trey.
00:28:48
Speaker
I'll sign up.
00:28:50
Speaker
And then, Trey, another one of the things I hear, I loved your list of examples of, like, why people don't want.
00:28:55
Speaker
Another one I hear is, like, well, if I don't have any purchasing power, I don't want to waste the time of the corporate partners when they could be talking to someone who might be purchasing.
00:29:05
Speaker
Yeah, and I have heard that –
00:29:09
Speaker
This was an example at the AIMHO conference when I was part of that corporate partner committee.
00:29:16
Speaker
We tried to come up with a different approach to the exhibit hall.
00:29:21
Speaker
And we, I forgot what year it was, but basically all of the delegates were assigned to teams and there was a senior housing officer with every team and it might've had seven or eight other younger professionals.
00:29:38
Speaker
And they would go specifically to booth to booth, every single booth.
00:29:42
Speaker
And it was on this rotation that was timed and it was about a 12 minute or eight minute rotation.
00:29:50
Speaker
And the goal there was to break down that barrier of intimidating, an intimidating experience for the younger professionals.
00:30:00
Speaker
I will tell you it was a great case study.
00:30:03
Speaker
It was a one and done scenario because you literally talked for a
00:30:10
Speaker
about a two and a half hour time period, there was a break for lunch and then another hour and a half so that everyone could get to every single booth.
00:30:17
Speaker
And it didn't allow for some more meaningful conversations.
00:30:22
Speaker
And what happened was it became just a presentation.
00:30:25
Speaker
And that takes away from a lot of the organic conversations that you'll have that involve people
00:30:33
Speaker
the true relationship.
00:30:35
Speaker
In many cases, some of the best conversations that take place within the exhibit hall are not about products and services.
00:30:40
Speaker
They truly are about individuals and their families and their careers and their challenges and new developments and whatnot.
00:30:52
Speaker
And so I think that's something that's really important for young professionals to understand is that
00:30:58
Speaker
Yes, there are companies that have a responsibility of providing services or providing products, but they want to know and get to know about Felicia's large black cat at home or someone's vacation or their children or whatnot.
00:31:17
Speaker
And those truly are moments where you establish a relationship that may lead to a potential business relationship later on down the line.
00:31:27
Speaker
Well, and you also want to know like who these because, I mean, we buy beds or furniture or like lock boxes.
00:31:34
Speaker
Like we're going to be using these for a decade, two decades or more.
00:31:38
Speaker
It's like we're going to be working through these for a long period of time.
00:31:43
Speaker
It's not just like, hey, thanks, Trey.
00:31:45
Speaker
We'll never we'll see you in 20 years when we're ready to replace everything.
00:31:48
Speaker
Like it's a really ongoing, like like any relationship as maintenance and, you know, touching base, product checks, affirmations and those kind of things.
00:31:57
Speaker
Like it's I mean, this is skill development at its finest right here.
00:32:01
Speaker
Yeah, I really think, JC, you hit the nail on the head in that for young professionals as well.
00:32:07
Speaker
They can truly evaluate the they may not be making mistakes.
00:32:12
Speaker
purchasing decision or entering into a purchasing decision, but they can truly evaluate the integrity of the companies that they may want to work with later on down the line when they become in a position where they can make some decisions or whatnot.
00:32:28
Speaker
And it's kind of that scenario of treat others how you would like to be treated.
00:32:34
Speaker
The way that, and I've heard this constantly over the last 18 years of senior housing officers who have come up through the ranks where they have said XYZ company is a company I would never speak with based on how I was treated at that first conference because I was dismissed as a young professional.
00:32:56
Speaker
And
00:32:56
Speaker
It's like a pretty woman moment.
00:32:58
Speaker
See these bags?
00:32:59
Speaker
Right.
00:33:00
Speaker
Yeah.
00:33:02
Speaker
And in many cases, you know, it does go back to that.
00:33:05
Speaker
It always comes back to that respect component of it.
00:33:09
Speaker
And the companies that I believe are...
00:33:15
Speaker
And you can measure success in a variety of different ways.
00:33:18
Speaker
And it's not just transactions, as you mentioned.
00:33:21
Speaker
It's not a single transaction.
00:33:22
Speaker
It's a developing of a relationship.
00:33:25
Speaker
And those companies really do approach every individual that comes through that exhibit hall, as Norma said, a space for everyone.
00:33:34
Speaker
And those are our conversation.
00:33:36
Speaker
There is a conversation that can be had by everyone in an exhibit hall, regardless of their status or position on campus.
00:33:46
Speaker
Well, and I think, Trey, we met back in I think it was 2007 when I was one year into my first full time job.
00:33:54
Speaker
And we opened a new residence hall at Park University in Missouri.
00:33:58
Speaker
And I certainly didn't have any purchasing power back then, but I think I was the person tasked with doing the focus groups, gathering student input for like real shared governance, new build type experience.
00:34:08
Speaker
And then fast forward 15 years, and I still don't have the purchasing power, but we've stayed in touch over the years.
00:34:15
Speaker
And I think there's also people out there, it's like they don't have purchasing power, but they have influence.
00:34:18
Speaker
Yeah.
00:34:20
Speaker
And I'm sure you've seen people that have come through that are like, I can tell you don't have purchasing power, but I know you've got the ear of the person who does.
00:34:29
Speaker
And I think that's also a skill to like build upon of like, how do you exert influence when you may not be in a position of authority?
00:34:37
Speaker
Is that something you've noticed before?
00:34:40
Speaker
Everyone.
00:34:40
Speaker
And I, I,
00:34:41
Speaker
I kind of hate to use the word power because that gets thrown around so often almost as a term of dominance or whatever the case.
00:34:52
Speaker
And due to my will.
00:34:55
Speaker
And in many cases, what everyone needs to understand, both corporate partners and delegates alike, is that while some individuals may not have the ability to say yes, almost everyone has the ability to say no.
00:35:10
Speaker
And have that influence.
00:35:12
Speaker
And I think that's important for a especially important for a corporate partner to understand is that while that individual based on their position, they may not be the one that is signing on the dotted line, but they can definitely communicate what their experience is within the exhibit hall or.
00:35:31
Speaker
Even the education that was provided, whether or not it was sufficient to give them an understanding of the products and services that are being provided, and if that fell short, that would probably most likely get communicated to the individuals above.
00:35:47
Speaker
Just like Felicia said,
00:35:48
Speaker
She was, in many cases, given a task to find out what can you bring back from that conference to someone who couldn't attend.
00:35:58
Speaker
And it's important for the corporate partners to understand that as well, that every individual may have some form of education that they would like to experience so that they can communicate that back on campus.
00:36:12
Speaker
Yeah, I would like to add to I like this idea of influence and, you know, working with our hall director teams here.
Influence of Social Media on Relationships
00:36:20
Speaker
We have a lot of new professionals and influences is big.
00:36:24
Speaker
And I always like to tell people when you interact with someone, good, bad or ugly, you're influencing their experience, that interaction.
00:36:32
Speaker
Right.
00:36:32
Speaker
And so we have to be mindful of what does that look like in the world of social media?
00:36:39
Speaker
whether we have new professionals or, you know, seasoned professionals that have been here.
00:36:44
Speaker
I think there is that piece of the world looks a lot different in 2023.
00:36:51
Speaker
And there are things that are very tangible.
00:36:54
Speaker
And we have an awesome new entry level group that's coming through that has access of influence
00:37:05
Speaker
in those spaces, but expanded outside of what that conference will be.
00:37:10
Speaker
I can guarantee you myself and other people, they're gonna be sharing their experiences on social media very quickly, good, bad, or ugly of whatever's going on there, but it's this idea of connection.
00:37:22
Speaker
And so I just remember, kind of thinking back through my experience is there's a lot of times when people communicate and we feel like we're being talked at versus like that sense of connection and engagement.
00:37:32
Speaker
Did I, was I engaged in this conversation?
00:37:36
Speaker
Did the other person actually listen?
00:37:39
Speaker
Did they care?
00:37:40
Speaker
Did, or were they just, you know, sharing whatever was going on in that moment?
00:37:44
Speaker
And so it's this idea of making it less transactional and more like, how are you as a person, as a being and being truly engaged?
00:37:53
Speaker
And I think that as I think back through my experiences, even as I'm working through different
00:37:58
Speaker
I'm working with different people this year through the committee and also with our corporate partners.
00:38:03
Speaker
It's that engagement level that really sets aside like what type of interaction did I just have?
00:38:08
Speaker
And our new professionals are definitely taking that in as well.
00:38:12
Speaker
I can guarantee that people, you know, they're going to show up to the conference and they're going to be excited.
00:38:16
Speaker
And as they continue to have conversations, as they attend sessions, it'll be interesting to see.
00:38:23
Speaker
And we hope that they have a great experience.
00:38:25
Speaker
But
00:38:25
Speaker
Either way, they're going to have an experience.
00:38:27
Speaker
And I think it's up to us to make sure that we educate and that we work to provide an amazing experience for all parties involved.
00:38:34
Speaker
But it's really neat to kind of think through that idea of influence.
00:38:38
Speaker
Well, and Trey, going back to kind of flipping what you said in the Norma, I think really illustrated of that.
00:38:45
Speaker
Everybody has the power to say no, whereas like, you know, there's that relationship of too much drama, like, or you didn't treat us well.
00:38:54
Speaker
We're done with you.
00:38:55
Speaker
Let's flip that and talk about have you ever interacted with like staff – and you don't have to name any names, but like, wow, this staff is drama.
00:39:05
Speaker
I hope we don't get this bid because I don't want to have to deal with them.
00:39:10
Speaker
Can I name names?
00:39:11
Speaker
Of course.
00:39:11
Speaker
Please.
00:39:12
Speaker
You know, the –
00:39:17
Speaker
I appreciate the question because, again, I hate to continuously go back to those three R's that we talked about, but this also really hits that respect component because it is two-way respect.
00:39:31
Speaker
Sometimes we have experienced those scenarios as corporate partners that you should be lucky that we do business with you.
00:39:39
Speaker
And that does take place in certain scenarios and whatnot.
00:39:43
Speaker
So there is a level of respect that should be exhibited to everyone in the room.
00:39:50
Speaker
And a lot of times I'll use definitions because it helps my simple brain communicate kind of some of those aspects.
00:39:58
Speaker
And I look at the word relationship and the root being relation.
00:40:03
Speaker
And I wrote this note down that it's a logical or natural association between two or more things, relevance of one to another, and then a connection.
00:40:14
Speaker
And that's what takes place within an exhibit hall, within a corporate partner organization.
00:40:20
Speaker
and attendee connection, both in the conference and then outside of the conference.
00:40:25
Speaker
And it's, it all goes back to that.
00:40:27
Speaker
And, and the respect has a strong component of it both ways.
00:40:33
Speaker
I love that.
00:40:34
Speaker
And Trey, if you keep bringing up the, and please do keep bringing up the three R's, we're going to have to add one repetition.
00:40:40
Speaker
And that's how we build habits.
00:40:42
Speaker
So there you go.
00:40:44
Speaker
And I just want to say everyone in the room keeps talking about all the notes they're taking.
00:40:47
Speaker
I think this is like the most like engaged learning between each other.
00:40:51
Speaker
Everyone's like, Oh, I'm going to take notes on that.
00:40:53
Speaker
So, you know, I'm glad that all the, all of us are getting something from this as well.
00:40:58
Speaker
But I think that's an important point to think about is like, whether we like it or not in any relationship, whether new, old, or whatever, it's like,
00:41:07
Speaker
even our subconscious actions have influence, whether we good, bad, or indifferent, like somebody said that, you know, how we behave reflects on good, right?
00:41:19
Speaker
Or otherwise, like it reflects on the department.
00:41:21
Speaker
I think that's just something to keep in mind and,
00:41:24
Speaker
Like Norma, you were saying, like, it's all on social media that so, but no business out there is going to blast on social media and individual participant.
00:41:33
Speaker
But I know they're going to be talking about it behind the scenes or sharing like, whoa, this is something to be mindful of.
00:41:40
Speaker
But that's where I think the respect is not always, or the respect might be a little bit more extended with grace and generosity from the corporate partners than some of our professional staff.
00:41:51
Speaker
So.
00:41:52
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:41:52
Speaker
And I would also add that I think, you know, you think about that, that one moment where you're like, maybe I wasn't at my best or, you know, whatever have you whenever you're having engaging with other people.
00:42:05
Speaker
But I also think about kind of the ripple effect.
00:42:07
Speaker
Right.
00:42:08
Speaker
So if you have a great experience.
00:42:10
Speaker
Let's say you, you know, do business with somebody and you have a great experience.
00:42:14
Speaker
I just bought a house.
00:42:16
Speaker
So that was really exciting for us.
00:42:17
Speaker
And I was like, hey, I had a great experience with my people.
00:42:20
Speaker
And so I am very much sharing all of those things.
00:42:23
Speaker
I think the same thing can be true in the exhibit hall or, you know, between conversations between corporate partners and universities and, you know, different things that they're doing.
00:42:33
Speaker
But I think that the other is also true.
00:42:36
Speaker
to where if you don't have a great interaction, that can also spread.
00:42:40
Speaker
And so really, it's just being mindful of like, what is it?
00:42:44
Speaker
What's the message that that we want to get out there?
00:42:48
Speaker
And I don't think it's intentional.
00:42:49
Speaker
I don't think anybody goes intentionally saying, hey, I had a bad experience.
00:42:52
Speaker
I think as you have conversations of like, hey, how is your week or how is doing business with this individual or this company, those conversations just come up.
00:43:01
Speaker
And so
00:43:02
Speaker
We can't ever take for granted that each time we have an interaction with somebody new, depending on whatever side you're on, it is going to have an influence and an impact.
00:43:11
Speaker
And it could be brought up and it could be shared.
00:43:13
Speaker
And then it just, you know, hopefully it's good news to get shared with everyone.
00:43:17
Speaker
And so it's really something to think about.
00:43:19
Speaker
You know, one of the things that Norma and I have tried to do in our roles is really
00:43:24
Speaker
to have conversations with our exhibitors and our partners about what they want their exhibit hall experience to be like as well.
00:43:32
Speaker
And I think that's really important because if we continue to provide the same type of exhibit hall experience that would be provided 20 or 20 some odd years ago, then we're not benefiting
Evolution of Exhibit Halls
00:43:43
Speaker
them.
00:43:43
Speaker
And so I think that's really important.
00:43:45
Speaker
Again, and I think part of that is we can do that because we have some we are working on and have built some relationships in our roles as co-chairs with these exhibitors.
00:43:55
Speaker
And I think that's really critical to listen to them, to make them feel like they are valued, which I think has been a really great thing.
00:44:02
Speaker
important piece for us as well, is we want to make sure that our exhibitors feel like that coming to SWACUHO and exhibiting is a valuable experience, is an experience that is of value to them, not just for their business, but for them personally.
00:44:18
Speaker
And so I think that's critical.
00:44:20
Speaker
I think Norma kind of addressed it early on about the upcoming conference and mentioned the dedicated time that was being spent
00:44:30
Speaker
And we talk about, Felicia, about the evolution of what that exhibit hall space looks like, you know, going back 20 years to today.
00:44:39
Speaker
I was commonly asked sitting on these committees, how many days should we
00:44:45
Speaker
open the exhibit hall up and how many hours should we keep the exhibit hall open for?
00:44:50
Speaker
And obviously there's a financial component of support level or whatnot where everyone is trying to satisfy everyone's expectations.
00:45:00
Speaker
And for many years it was, well, for this contribution amount, we want to make sure that the exhibitors have
00:45:08
Speaker
plenty of time with the different delegates and whatnot, even at the expense of potentially conflicting times with programming, other programming, and working that into a conference.
00:45:19
Speaker
And one of the greatest evolutions that I've seen in the last couple of years has been that truly focused time period, because it is a quality of time versus a quantity of time where exhibitors don't
00:45:32
Speaker
They definitely are corporate partners gain from being in an exhibit hall where everyone can come into the space and lots of conversations and there isn't something competing.
00:45:42
Speaker
And it doesn't have to be stretched out over three days.
00:45:45
Speaker
And so that has evolved really well.
00:45:48
Speaker
And with that being said, it's a dedicated time period.
00:45:51
Speaker
So it is important for those people.
00:45:54
Speaker
maybe young professionals to understand it's not necessarily the time to go check your TikTok, as JC mentioned earlier, or catch up on email or whatever the case.
00:46:07
Speaker
It is truly, that is the value of time for those corporate partners during that dedicated period.
00:46:15
Speaker
Well, Trey, you talked about quality of time.
00:46:18
Speaker
And I bet, you know, the way the Southwest booth is always set up, it's got like, you know, your couches and your chairs.
Human Connections Post-COVID
00:46:24
Speaker
Like, I bet you've overheard some real meetings of the minds at your station throughout the years where just random people come together and just start chatting about whatever.
00:46:35
Speaker
What's the most interesting conversation you've ever been a part of related to housing business, not furniture related?
00:46:43
Speaker
Wow, that's a great question.
00:46:49
Speaker
I think probably the most important, and I don't know if this would be the, well, let's put it this way, probably the most important happened to be last SWACUHO because it was finally an in-person event where we had all been cooped up and secluded and isolated, not only from a
00:47:12
Speaker
corporate partner standpoint, from a business standpoint, but also even from a staff standpoint.
00:47:17
Speaker
I mean, I still over 2020 and 2021 met with staff members who had not seen their other staff members because they were working alternating days and alternating hours and remote and things like that.
00:47:31
Speaker
So probably the most important time period or discussion or gathering was
00:47:37
Speaker
was truly last year at Swakuho, where we got to get back to the relationships and see the friends.
00:47:45
Speaker
It had, and I speak for almost all corporate partners in the sense of it had nothing to do with products and services.
00:47:52
Speaker
It had everything to do with human beings.
00:47:54
Speaker
And that's not unlike any other year, but it definitely was the priority of last year.
00:48:02
Speaker
And really the question is, and
00:48:04
Speaker
And almost the biggest conversation of that is not what do you need, but or how can we help?
00:48:11
Speaker
It was how are you doing?
00:48:14
Speaker
And as student affairs professionals, and I lump myself in, even though I.
00:48:19
Speaker
I don't have the academic background as a student affairs professional.
00:48:24
Speaker
I still call myself a student affairs professional based on the number of years and the conversations that I've had and seeing the stress and the toll that
00:48:36
Speaker
COVID and shutdowns and openings and modified openings and long hours, the toll that that took, gathering at Swakuho was just kind of a big...
00:48:50
Speaker
relief and just the ability to hug friends and see colleagues that we hadn't had a chance to see and gather together.
00:49:00
Speaker
So by all means, that's probably the most important.
00:49:03
Speaker
That's a long, long winded answer to what was the most important moment in an exhibit hall and even within the Swakuho conference history that I've been attending.
00:49:12
Speaker
And I was going to say earlier that when we were talking about word spreading and the organic development of these relationships, that sometimes it's like one of my favorite times of the year was always at the Swakuho Southwest contract dinner where Lee senior would get up and he would talk about how they've never, you all have never invested a dollar in advertising.
Relationship-Driven Business Model
00:49:31
Speaker
And it's always been about the relationships and building from that on.
00:49:35
Speaker
It was just a, you know, a perfect illustration.
00:49:37
Speaker
And I think your story there talk like,
00:49:39
Speaker
perfectly encapsulates that we really are all in this together.
00:49:43
Speaker
The family aspect and the friends, the friendships is what drives it more than anything.
00:49:48
Speaker
So, yeah, it's, it's not only, it's not a, we like to tell that story as a company and as a family, but it applies to everyone.
00:49:58
Speaker
When we go back to, again, responsibility,
00:50:02
Speaker
We've always stated that we invest in people, not in paper.
00:50:07
Speaker
From an advertising standpoint and a marketing standpoint, we feel like, again, it is the responsibility going back to all of our corporate partners to support the professional development of young professionals, all the way to bid managers, all the way to senior housing officers, because without the development, our business is non-existent.
00:50:30
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:50:31
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:50:32
Speaker
So, Trey, you've talked about AIMHO, SWACUHO just now.
00:50:36
Speaker
Tell us truthfully.
00:50:37
Speaker
You've been to a lot of conferences in a lot of regions.
00:50:40
Speaker
What's your favorite regional conference to attend?
00:50:43
Speaker
You know, just between the four of us.
00:50:47
Speaker
Just because no one else is going to hear this conversation.
00:50:49
Speaker
Exactly.
00:50:51
Speaker
I would absolutely, you know, it's not right to pick, but, you know, I'm old enough now where sometimes I can probably communicate and not worry about the consequences.
00:51:03
Speaker
I don't know.
00:51:03
Speaker
Not in this day of social media and everything else.
00:51:06
Speaker
Who knows what that is?
00:51:07
Speaker
But I really do.
00:51:09
Speaker
I'm not just saying it because we're here.
00:51:11
Speaker
I have to say that Swakuho just has a special place in my heart because, again, it goes back to
00:51:17
Speaker
That day in 2002, being introduced into the marketplace and making those connections.
00:51:24
Speaker
And I was the introvert and intimidated individual and unprepared and apprehensive and anxious.
00:51:35
Speaker
And I was walking in to an exhibit hall.
00:51:38
Speaker
without knowing anyone.
00:51:41
Speaker
So it's not unlike a lot of the same scenarios for a lot of young hall directors for their first attendance.
00:51:47
Speaker
And then they don't know what Swakuho means in many cases.
00:51:51
Speaker
So, you know, I experienced that exact same thing.
00:51:55
Speaker
And
00:51:56
Speaker
Instantly, I was welcomed with open arms.
00:52:00
Speaker
And that's why similar that experience and similar experiences for the last 18 years have allowed me to stay or given me the reason to stay within student housing, because it's a it's a very, very unique profession and.
00:52:21
Speaker
You deal with humans day in and day out, and you treat those who you come in contact with with the same level of genuine respect and care.
00:52:32
Speaker
And so that's why it's an unbelievable marketplace to have the honor to be able to serve.
00:52:38
Speaker
Well, we're getting close to wrapping up.
00:52:40
Speaker
I have what I hope is going to be kind of a fun little exercise to demonstrate the power of extended networks and how network science research actually tells us that there's often more value into tapping into the diversity of your extended network of weak and dormant ties compared to your active network echo chain.
00:53:01
Speaker
So we'll see how this goes.
00:53:03
Speaker
If it doesn't work out, it'll get cut.
00:53:05
Speaker
But...
00:53:06
Speaker
Some of our res ed colleagues get frustrated when nobody comes to a program they spent countless hours planning.
00:53:14
Speaker
On this side of the table, we are in the education business, so everything's an education problem.
00:53:19
Speaker
We didn't educate them enough about the program, so they didn't understand the value.
00:53:22
Speaker
We didn't market well enough, but we marketed free food.
00:53:26
Speaker
I'm going to give a program prompt, and then we'll go around the circle, and you have one sentence to sell this program.
00:53:36
Speaker
Use your expertise to sell the program where residents will peer review each other's English one essays.
00:53:43
Speaker
If you're standing in the exhibit hall selling this program to other housing professionals, how would you sell it?
00:53:51
Speaker
This program that this, this podcast, is that what you're, no, no, no.
00:53:58
Speaker
The res life function has made a program where they're, they're bringing students together to peer review each other's English essays or 100 level essays.
00:54:09
Speaker
It's an English class.
00:54:11
Speaker
Okay.
00:54:11
Speaker
And they're going to peer review each other's essays.
00:54:13
Speaker
So when they turn them in, they're going to be stronger and it's going to be academic gains all over the place.
00:54:19
Speaker
Everyone's GPAs are going to go.
00:54:20
Speaker
Oh, no, now I'm selling it.
00:54:22
Speaker
Oops.
00:54:23
Speaker
I don't know if this is going to work.
00:54:26
Speaker
I have one, but I have to look it up just to make sure.
00:54:29
Speaker
I'm pondering.
00:54:33
Speaker
I'm accepting this challenge.
00:54:37
Speaker
My one sentence would be, and I think I have this correct.
00:54:40
Speaker
Welcome to the world of chat GPT.
00:54:49
Speaker
ChatGPT.
00:54:54
Speaker
It is, if you write it down and look at it, it is, from what I understand, it is artificial intelligence to the billionth degree where you can literally type in, fix my resume.
00:55:11
Speaker
And within 30 minutes, your resume is completely...
00:55:15
Speaker
It's used the power of the internet and search material and everything else.
00:55:23
Speaker
It's way beyond my, and I hope I don't ever have to rely on it.
00:55:29
Speaker
Okay.
00:55:30
Speaker
I think we might need a poster explaining that one to our residents.
00:55:33
Speaker
Yeah.
00:55:35
Speaker
I don't know if this is perfect, but come join your neighbors and learn how you can get that A-plus essay for English 101.
00:55:44
Speaker
There we go.
00:55:45
Speaker
Okay.
00:55:46
Speaker
And Norma, wait, I think you're the only one like in ResEd here.
00:55:50
Speaker
So.
00:55:51
Speaker
Yeah.
00:55:51
Speaker
So I'm going to take a different approach.
00:55:53
Speaker
Mine, if I had one sentence, I would say, I want to hear your story.
00:55:59
Speaker
Let's go on an adventure.
00:56:00
Speaker
Oh, I like that.
00:56:03
Speaker
All right.
00:56:04
Speaker
That's much better.
00:56:05
Speaker
That's so much better.
00:56:08
Speaker
So all of our ResEd people, you got something to play with from every area.
00:56:13
Speaker
Okay.
00:56:14
Speaker
Any closing thoughts from the three of you about today's topic?
00:56:17
Speaker
JC, can I make a shameless plug?
00:56:20
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:56:21
Speaker
That's what this podcast needs more of actually.
00:56:24
Speaker
So the amazing Norma Ramirez and I are doing a program session at 10 a.m.
00:56:31
Speaker
on Monday, February 13th called Bring Your A-Game to the Spokuho Exhibit Hall, where we are actually going to in-person talk
00:56:41
Speaker
Talk very similarly about some of the things we've talked about tonight, but again, just as a way for particularly targeted new professionals, but just a way for just for us to actively talk about this in person before they enter into the exhibit hall for lunch that day.
00:57:00
Speaker
Absolutely.
00:57:01
Speaker
And we will have members of our corporate partners there.
00:57:06
Speaker
So we are excited.
00:57:08
Speaker
It won't be just us talking.
00:57:09
Speaker
So for those of you that are like, oh, my gosh, not part two, it really will be more about their experience and kind of what to expect.
00:57:15
Speaker
And you get to hear from more of our corporate partners, which we're really excited about.
00:57:22
Speaker
And again, this, I think, well, some of that expectation setting and it really kind of this idea came about through conversations we had with some of our corporate partners in terms of maximizing the experience.
00:57:34
Speaker
So we're really excited.
00:57:35
Speaker
We were it's great.
00:57:39
Speaker
talking with our corporate partners, having the email exchanges or the phone calls.
00:57:43
Speaker
I had somebody call me today and ask me a couple of questions.
00:57:47
Speaker
And for some of them, we've not met them.
00:57:49
Speaker
And it'll be great to see them hopefully in person here very shortly.
00:57:53
Speaker
Trey, any closing thoughts?
00:57:56
Speaker
I'll just focus on the three R's.
00:57:59
Speaker
Responsibility, relationship, and respect.
00:58:04
Speaker
You got it.
00:58:05
Speaker
And that's a wrap.
00:58:07
Speaker
I want to thank Felicia and Norma for putting this together on behalf of the Exhibits and Displays Committee.
00:58:12
Speaker
And a big shout out goes to Trey from Southwest Contract for volunteering some of his time.
00:58:18
Speaker
While we joked about Trey speaking on behalf of all corporate sponsors, I do have to share personally that Trey and all of Southwest Contract are a really special group of people.
00:58:28
Speaker
You'll find no finer group of people who go above and beyond, but also care more about the people than the products.
00:58:35
Speaker
In fact, a lot of people have been asking me how I managed to support my computer equipment while I record these podcasts.
00:58:41
Speaker
I don't know what I did before I found this pedestal desk case goods from Southwest Contract.
00:58:47
Speaker
Make sure to mention this podcast on your next purchase and Trey will personally throw in 50 extra long twin mattresses for free.
00:58:55
Speaker
Yeah, that will hit the edit floor for sure.
00:58:59
Speaker
No, I'm kidding on that.
00:59:01
Speaker
But I've always wanted to say something like that.
00:59:05
Speaker
We will see you in 10 days for what is sure to be a lively event at the annual Swakuho Conference.
00:59:12
Speaker
Make sure to stop by and visit all our corporate sponsors and minimally thank them for supporting the conference because without them, there would be no conference.
00:59:21
Speaker
And with that, I say to you, good day.