Lisa Wise, Founder + Chief Nester Of Nest DC – A DotCom Magazine Exclusive Interview

Lisa Wise
Lisa Wise, Founder + Chief Nester Of Nest DC

Lisa Wise is the Founder and Chief Nester of Nest DC . Lisa is a thought leader, influencer, visionary, and successful entrepreneur. She provides the leadership and energy that has inspired the creation of Nest Dc . Lisa joins other leading CEOs and Founders taking part in our Leader Roundtable Interview Series. The DotCom Magazine editorial team has recently awarded Nest DC with our Impact Company of 2019 award. We are delighted to have Lisa join us for our Leader Roundtable Interview, and our popular “speed round” as well.

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Nest Dc is a boutique real estate management firm

Lisa, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day for this interview about your company, leadership, and entrepreneurship.

1. What is the “elevator pitch” for Nest Dc ?

We’re a boutique real estate management firm focused on high quality urban housing. We manage exceptional spaces which attract great residents. When folks are happy where they live, they make better neighbors. Better neighbors create better neighborhoods. Better neighborhoods lead to thriving, sustainable cities. That’s just where WE want to live.

2. What is the key to your company’s success?

Treat everyone as if they are the most valued customer. That includes our team, tenants, owners, vendors and neighbors. Oh, and a focus on innovation and building systems that have helped us scale and accommodate volume without sacrificing our best-in-class service. We’re never afraid to change the way we do things.

3. Many of our readers are just starting to build a company. What advice can you give entrepreneurs just starting out with a new venture?

Be flexible, open to ideas, pivot or refine as you need to and don’t ever hesitate to fire a client. And bill as you go.

4. For other entrepreneurs seeking to build a business as successful as yours, what advice can you give them when times get a little challenging?

Remember a successful business model still experiences lows. Build on the hard times and use them to find an even more streamlined path to a positive bottom line.

5. How important is the commitment to client satisfaction at Nest DC, and how do you make sure your customers will become raving fans of your company?

Client experience lies at the heart of our mission as a company. We work to delight at every turn. We’re not building a client base, we’re building long-term relationships. In our business, we find word of mouth/reputation is our most valuable “marketing tool.”

6. In today’s fast changing business environment, how do you stay abreast of things?

I work really hard to find thought partners in a business/social change environment. I tend to connect with these folks at industry conferences or in EO (Entrepreneurs Organization). The trick is staying open minded and remembering that there are infinite ways to improve on your model. You can’t take the feedback personally. Stay nimble as things move fast and don’t be afraid of change.

7. What is your “Why”? Why do you get up in the morning, and how do you keep yourself at peak performance to lead Nest DC ?

I want to build a legacy. I want to create a company (companies) that have a powerful and positive impact on the communities they serve and the teams that keep them thriving. I want our companies to change lives, give ’til it hurts and help build wealth for those who never thought it would be possible. I want an environment that’s inclusive, creative, happy and engaged in real change. As long as I’m on this path, motivation is never far.

8. Can you recommend a book that has had an influence in your career? How did it influence you?

The Millionaire Next Door. I realized early as an entrepreneur that to create real impact for teams, I had to be able to take care of myself and my family. TMND inspired me to consider my own financial freedom as essential strategy for advancing the whole. Living below my means and not ever losing sight of my own financial wellness helped me make strategic decisions for the company without too much ego or too much desperation.

9. When communicating with your staff, can you tell us the most important thing you do so that they are able to carry out the objectives that you set forth at Nest DC?

I want to connect personally with every single team member with the company. I want to ensure they have the tools, resources, environment, culture and compensation it takes to be truly committed to the work. As a service based system, my greatest resource is my team. Treating them as such is the best investment I can make in meeting our goals.

10. Can you explain what leadership means to you?

Surrounding myself with exceptional talent, creating an atmosphere of trust and empowerment and using all of the individuals that deliver excellence as a leadership compass.

neighborhood
Better neighborhoods lead to thriving, sustainable cities. That’s just where WE want to live.

We would like to have some fun and do a “speed round” with you! We will ask you ten more questions that we want you to answer in just one to three words only.

Here you go!

1. In three words or less, what makes a successful CEO?
Passion, empathy, humility

2. Describe your business in one word?
Effective

3. Describe your customers in one word?
Complicated

4. What one attribute do you look for when hiring an employee?
Empathy

5. What is the one word you want your customers to say about your company?
Ethical

6. In three words or less, describe your passion?
Pay it forward

7. In three words or less, describe what it takes to be successful?
Persistence, suspension of disbelief

8. In three words or less, describe your first year in business at Nest Dc?
Thrilling, fun, chaos

9. In three words or less, describe how running a successful company has changed you?
Loving more responsibility

10. What is the one word that you believe has the most power in the English language?
Woof

Lisa Wise, thank you so much for sitting down with us for our DotCom Magazine Leader Roundtable Interview Series. We very much appreciate the time you spent helping our readers learn more about what it takes to be a leader. We wish you, your family, and of course Nest DC , nothing but the best.

Thanks again!

Lisa Wise, Founder + Chief Nester of Nest DC , The Leader Roundtable Interview Series