Employee Spotlight: Josh Soloway Is Here If You Need a Little Chocolate
During his ten-year (and counting!) career with Campus Advantage, Josh has consistently strived to do things well, to put everything he can into whatever he’s doing, and to give his all to help everyone around him succeed. And his career path shows he’s been successful. From his first Campus Advantage role as a Leasing Associate to his current role as Regional Manager, Josh has consistently explored how to do things better, with many successful properties to show for it. But if you ask Josh, striving to do better is just part of the culture…as is chocolate.
In a few words, describe what you do for Campus Advantage.
As Regional Manager, I’m responsible for a portfolio of properties across my region. I make sure my staff has the tools and training they need to hit their leasing goals.
Qualities I look for in my team include:
- Honesty – I want my team to be able to say “Yes, I can do that,” or “No, I need help.”
- Go-Getters – The best team members are always anticipating the next step, not waiting for orders.
I think these same qualities make me successful. I’m always looking to learn new things and take on new tasks. I always try to brighten a room when I enter it, not when I leave it. I want to be of help.
As a ten-year veteran of Campus Advantage, what has kept you here?
When I joined, Campus Advantage was a new company. I’ve seen us grow from toddler to teen and so on. As we’ve grown, we’ve tried new things. Some good, some not as good. One thing I love about our values is we’re not afraid to say, “Hey, that didn’t work.” We have a fail-fast mentality and we change quickly when we need to.
What are three words you would use to describe our culture and why?
- Family – We try to grow a unique culture of working together. We’re a team, not a group of individuals. Together, we manage a group of properties that — together — help us to meet a large goal. We’re a family. We laugh, we cry, we bleed, we get sick together.
- Mojo – Our spark, our uniqueness. Mojo is what allows someone like me – not your typical-looking professional – to be successful. In other places, I might not have even been given a chance.
- Motivated – We’re all motivated to work together to reach our goals as a team. We may each have different reasons to want to reach a goal, but we’re all motivated people and we hire motivated people.
What three words best describe you?
- Eccentric
- Outgoing
- Unique
If your life had a soundtrack, name one song that would be on it.
There’s this great song by Imagine Dragons called “On Top of the World.” This is one of my triumphant songs.
What are you doing to ensure that Campus Advantage remains a leader in the student housing market?
My personal goal is to influence my properties to be as successful as they can, because the more successful my properties are, the more we have to showcase for Campus Advantage as a whole.
How do you empower your team to go the extra mile?
I give my team the power to make decisions and stand on their own two feet. I hate when people say, “That’s the decision corporate made,” so I want people to make their own decisions and commit to them. I’m here to advise, but I want my team to feel ownership.
That plus chocolate and prizes. And it never hurts to send a pizza or two.