Tell us about yourself – what do you like to do? Where do you live? What’s your career path been?
I grew up in Houston, Texas and moved to NYC after I graduated from university to work in the financial industry. However, I quickly learned that I was more entrepreneurial than corporate. I had a love for travel and really wanted to experience the world and all its possibilities. I decided to escape the hustle and bustle of NYC and moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina. I planned on going for 4-months, and had to work hard to find accommodation and figure everything out on my own. From that expat experience, I began to draw on the struggles I endured while trying to find quality accommodation and amenities. This got me thinking about creating a solution for what I had experienced, which started my journey into the industry in 2007.
What brought you to the corporate housing space?
Oasis Collections gradually moved into the corporate housing space because there was a need within the markets we were already operating in. Over time we realized that on the B2C side there are a lot of options. However, on the B2B side, there are very few companies that offer the consistency, branding, quality control, and experience that Oasis Collections does exceptionally well. We found an opportunity to address the corporate need, especially at the international level, while providing a first-class service and experience to our customers.
How have you seen corporate housing change in your career and how do you see it changing in the future?
Throughout my career I have seen a lot of changes to the various types of accommodations out there. The first option was simply hotels, and then that grew into corporate housing which offered options like furnished apartments for extended stays, and then hotels started to offer extended apartment style stays as well. I see the most impactful changes coming from technology because of how digital minded everyone is now and I see that helping move people more freely around the globe. Technology is the main driver for change because now people don't have to work from offices, they can work from anywhere, which has allowed people to work from remote locations globally throughout the year. The key is to get ahead of trends as quickly as possible and be a first-mover.
Tell us what corporate housing means to you and the impact you see it have on the economy, people, and places?
One of my realizations was how impactful hospitality and housing is on a traveling business person's quality of life. The longer the stay, the more impactful the experience will be. At Oasis Collections we purposely think about, “How to put ourselves in the shoes of our customers” followed by, “What would the optimal experience be”. The entire package is really important to the individual and company because they are going to grow from those experiences and keep those memories with them for a lifetime. I have found that the key factors to corporate housing are making sure that someone can hit the ground running and have complete peace of mind when they relocate.
What is one fun fact about yourself?
I once owned a sandwich shop in NYC and attended the Quiznos school in Denver for two weeks to learn the ropes!