Joseph Wisenall Career Background
What is your biggest career achievement?
- Surprisingly, my biggest career achievement was the decision to leave my previous employer. Immediately after college, I worked as a Property Accountant/Regional Controller for a golf management company close to my hometown. From the outside looking in, everything in my life appeared set for a successful future. I had a wonderful job in an exciting industry with an up-and-coming company. Oddly enough, something didn’t quite feel right to me. Towards the end of Fall 2020 I came to terms with the fact that I wasn’t fulfilled in my daily work life. In addition, my hometown didn’t offer much in terms of growth and advancement.
Despite societal challenges with COVID and unhappiness in my career, I knew I needed change. It was time for me to look towards new and exciting opportunities on the horizon. As a child of a non-English speaking immigrant, I knew that I needed to step outside of my comfort zone, and chase something I’d always dreamed of. I was moving to the beach and finding a “job” that felt more like a passion versus a chore. Over the next few weeks, I traversed the internet and was blessed enough to land with my employer, Lawson. The corporate office was conveniently only 15 minutes from the Virginia Beach oceanfront and the website tag line is “Value. Community. Impact.” From the first day, I knew that I’d found a company to call home. All employees are given charitable, paid time off work to volunteer in the community, and we believe that our success must include having a positive impact on the communities we serve.
Ironically, choosing to leave my old job and saying goodbye to my hometown ended up being the career achievement I’m most proud of. During my time in sales, I was one of the region’s top producers. In the military, I received Medals of Achievement. Finding a job that without question puts a smile on my face every morning when I wake up is the most rewarding thing that I could ask for.
What is your ultimate career goal within the rental housing industry?
- The question, “What is your ultimate career goal within the rental housing industry?” is likely the most challenging of the prompts to answer. I’ve never been the type of person who strives for a shiny new car or the large corner office. Money, job title, and status are things that have never really been fulfilling or my source of daily motivation. My ultimate career goal is something that I am not sure I will see or experience in my lifetime, however I plan to strive towards accomplishing it while completing smaller milestones along the journey. I believe that all humans (and pets of course) deserve a place to call home. Within a few months of joining the industry, I jumped at the chance to take a Low-Income Housing Tax Credit course and realized the government support does exist for those who can't afford housing by typical means. It’s up to the industry and our organizations dedicate the time and resources. This goal, by no means, is an easy task. Through commitment, hard work, and innovation, I am confident that the talented young professionals in our industry will one day achieve the milestone of housing for all.
What's one rental housing trend you have your eye on?
- Some emerging trends and technologies are groundbreaking in the scientific community but do not always serve a purpose in the real world. A technology/trend that I believe we’ve only scratched the surface of is the use of digital funds and cryptocurrency in the rental and housing industry. Working on the accounting side of the business, I’m privy to a multitude of monetary challenges that many companies face. Here are a few examples: money orders not being accepted by the bank, checks not clearing the account, and mailed refunds taking weeks or months to reach prior residents in the mail. These problems can easily be resolved by utilizing different forms of currency.
I’m a major supporter and believer in housing for all individuals, but sometimes the less fortunate cannot set up and utilize a traditional banking platform. Within the last few years, different options have become available to collect and/or transfer money that are much more user friendly. Most of these programs only require a cell phone or computer with internet access to hold and transfer funds. Some examples include Cash App, Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, Bitcoin, etc. As these forms of currency/transactions continue to gain momentum in the marketplace, I believe the rental and housing industry will suffer by not adapting to accepting payments of all types. Organizations adopting this new wave of transactional technology will reap benefits yielding a quicker, more efficient experience, saving time and money for all parties involved.