People often ask me the same question:
“How are you happy all the time when your entire job is dealing with problems, complaints, and angry tenants?”
It’s a fair question. Property management is a profession built on solving issues—AC units fail in the middle of July, toilets overflow at 2 a.m., residents get frustrated, owners get anxious, and the pressure rarely lets up. For most people, that sounds exhausting.
But here’s the truth:
Happiness is a muscle. And like any muscle, you can train it.
Let me explain how I built mine.
1. The Story That Forced Me to Build Emotional Intelligence
When I was younger, I went through a relationship that wasn’t healthy. Even after the relationship ended, the negativity didn’t stop. For years, I dealt with bad intentions, unnecessary drama, and emotional hits that I didn’t ask for and couldn’t control.
That period of my life sent me down a path I never expected:
I started studying emotional intelligence and human behavior.
Not as a hobby.
Not out of curiosity.
But as survival.
I wanted to understand why people acted the way they did, and more importantly, how to keep their chaos from becoming my chaos. I started treating my mind like a muscle—one I needed to strengthen so I could become impervious to the anger, frustration, and negativity that had nothing to do with me.
Over time, I built what I call my shield: a mental barrier that protects my happiness from outside events. I learned a foundational truth:
Your experience in life isn’t shaped by what happens to you.
It’s shaped by how you react to what happens to you.
That mindset became my first superpower in property management.
2. The Generator: How I Recharge My Happiness Every Single Day
But here’s the thing about shields:
No matter how strong they are, they wear down.
In property management, you get hit with negative events over and over again. Angry tenants, scared owners, emergencies, floods, broken air conditioners, surprise repairs—you name it.
Just like muscles tear down with use, your emotional shield breaks down with repetition. So I learned something critical:
You need a generator. A source that recharges your happiness.
For me, that generator is my wife.
She loves me and supports me exactly as I am. That energy she gives me—her belief in me, the way she anchors our family, the way she shows up for our kids and for me—it fills me up every single day.
Because of her, my shield regenerates.
Because of her, I can take on tough conversations without carrying them home.
Because of her, I can stay centered even in the chaos of property management.
She is my daily reset button.
3. Remove the Energy Vampires: Protect Your Peace at All Costs
There’s one more reason I stay happy:
I identify the people who constantly drain energy and I remove them from my life.
You know exactly who I’m talking about—the takers.
The vampires.
The ones who want, want, want… and never give gratitude or support in return.
These people don’t just drain your energy; they break down your emotional shield faster than anything else. And no matter how hard you try, you can’t make them happy.
Instead of pouring energy into bottomless pits, I redirect that energy into:
- meaningful relationships
- supportive team members
- amazing clients
- my family
- and building value in my company
Removing energy vampires doesn’t just protect your peace—it fuels your purpose.
So Why Am I Happy All the Time?
Because I trained for it.
I built a shield through emotional intelligence.
I recharge daily through the support of someone who loves me deeply.
And I removed the people who were breaking me down instead of building me up.
Those three things allow me to not just survive property management—
but actually love it.
And that happiness?
It spreads.
Owners feel it in how I communicate.
Tenants feel it in how I handle their concerns.
Coworkers and vendors feel it in every interaction.
Happiness is contagious—but only if you protect it, nurture it, and rebuild it every single day.
