Inside Cover C — October 26 - November 8, 2018 — Women in Business — Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal
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Women in Business
Janet Bortz, Julie Gralla and Joni Sweetwood The Kislak Company, Inc. recognizes its top women in business
Janet Bortz Senior Vice President The Kislak Company, Inc. Years with company/firm: 19 Years in field/industry: 21
Julie Gralla Sales Associate The Kislak Company, Inc. Years with company/firm: 8 Years in field/industry:8 Real estate organizations/affiliations: NJAA
Joni Sweetwood Senior Vice President The Kislak Company, Inc. Years with company/firm: 22 Years in field/industry: 22 Real estate organizations/affiliations: NJAA
Real estate organizations/affiliations: NJAA, Professional Real Estate Women and EWGA (Executive Women Golf Association) ell us how and when you began your career in the profession you are in: 21 years ago I changed careers, moving from product marketing to real estate. After working two years in real estate development, I joined The Kislak Company, Inc., a commercial real estate brokerage firm specializing in investment real estate, as a sales associate and was promoted to a vice president in 2006 and then a senior vice president in 2018. Since then I have continued to rank as a top producer. What is your current position? Senior Vice President Why did you choose the field/profession you are in today? After working in the corporate sector for over 10 years I wanted to move to a more entrepre- neurial environment with more independence and higher income potential. What impact has social media / networking had on your business? Excellent. The client reach is extensive and immedi- ate and facilitates all aspects of the transaction from listing to closing. The ability to use digital as well as conventional marketing serves my clients with a larger and qualified buyer pool. What were some of your early goals and did anything happen in your career /profession to enhance or change them? My initial career objective was to work in product marketing with a national company. My entry began in sales and after a few years, I joined the Continen- tal Group, working in marketing management. After ten years in the industry, I was looking for a more entrepreneurial career. Investment real estate was and remains a great fit for my skill set and personal objectives. What unique qualities and or personality trait do you feel makes you most successful in your profession? Organized, assertive, persistent, thorough and hard working. Enjoying people and having a sense of humor and a realistic and intuitive feel for what is required to make a deal. What challenges and or obstacles do you feel you needed to overcome to become as success- ful as you are today? Learning to accept failure as part of growth and suc- cess . Need to perverse over adversity. Second is to welcome constructive criticism to facilitate personal and career growth. Do you feel being a woman is an advantage, disadvantage or no advantage in today’s busi- ness world? Why? Why not? No advantage. Success is all about human relations skill development and exceeding personal and com- pany performance goals. What inspiring word of advice would you give to a young woman about to go into the field of commercial real estate or your allied field? Working hard and staying humble enough to listen and learn. T
ell us how and when you began your career in the profession you are in: When I graduated from college, I had pursued a career in advertising. After working at one of the top four global advertising agencies, I found that I did not feel fulfilled; I was often sick as the result of working long hours and despite this finance-like at- mosphere, I was not making a finance salary. It was then that my mother, Joni Sweetwood, convinced me to shadow her. I had grown up visiting Kislak, where my mother has been the Senior Vice President and one of the top performers year-after-year. Having grown up in the industry, listening to my mom deal with countless hurdles in the business, I was skepti- cal at first. However, a short time later I went for my real estate license and 8 years later, I’m still here, outperforming myself year after year! Why did you choose the field/profession you are in today? I fell into it, but with the flexible hours that allowme to work withmany different interesting people outside of an office setting, it sure does beat advertising! What was your greatest professional accom- plishment in 2018? 2018 isn’t over yet, but even despite a 5-week maternity leave earlier in the year, I am on track to surpass my commissions from 2017. How do you manage the work/life balance? As they say, I work to live, not live to work. When I look back at my life, it’s the memories and the people I’ve affected that will matter most. Not necessarily my career accomplishments. Sometimes it’s hard to put that into perspective, but it’s important not to lose sight of. I also pride myself on being organized which I think helps! Who or what has been the strongest influence on your career? My mother. I have HUGE shoes to fill! She inspires me every day to work harder and to look at each obstacle not as a failure but as a learning lesson I can grow stronger from. What were some of your early goals and did anything happen in your career /profession to enhance or change them? Early on, I wanted to make more than I did in advertising. That ended up being an easy goal so now I just focus on trying to perform each year better than the last. What unique qualities and or personality trait do you feel makes you most successful in your profession? I love being around people and genu- inely care about those I work with. I think my clients, who I truly consider my friends, can sense that about me and know I only wish for their continued success. In a dog-eat-dog world, I think that’s why my clients like to work with me. I’m not just out for myself. Be- ing invested in others’ and their success I think is the key to my success. In addition, my clients know I’m a hard worker and will do whatever it takes within my power to get a deal done, even if it means assisting in making repairs myself to secure a CO! T
ell us how and when you began your career in the profession you are in: I fell into commercial real estate brokerage. I had been handling REO (real estate owned) by Midlantic Bank (now PNC) when I was approached by the then president of Kislak. At first I didn’t like the business. However, over time it became an excel- lent choice for me. Why did you choose the field/profession you are in today? I didn’t choose brokerage. I fell into it. However I enjoy it so much that it’s become my hobby- some- thing I love to do. It’s flexible hours and pays well. I get to work with fabulous people and enjoy seeing properties. What was your greatest professional accom- plishment in 2018? In 2018 I had a career high. I sold The Pavilion Apartments, 680 units in Newark’s best location, adjacent to the broad Street train station. How do you manage the work/life balance? I have a lot of energy and enthusiasm for work and life. My motto is “life is for living.” I work hard all day long. I’m extremely organized and focused. This all comes after my family. Family is always first. I make sure every day I do something, even if small, that is fun. I fit in travel and exercise and am lucky to live a healthy, happy life. What were some of your early goals and did anything happen in your career /profession to enhance or change them? My goal has always been to establish and maintain a reputation of excellence. Once people believe in you and know that they can rely on you, everything else falls into place. What unique qualities and or personality trait do you feel makes you most successful in your profession? I’m a happy person and people like to deal with happy people. I’ve learned that no one likes those that complain. I’m also a people person and that is key to interacting with others. My perseverance is also key to my success. Do you feel there are any differences in the way that men and women develop business re- lationships and if so, what activities or venues do you participate in? Yes, men bond over golf and sports, I bond over deals and personal relationships with clients and their families. Men often feel like they can overpower women. Their initial reaction is to not take a woman as seriously as a man, however I think I’ve proven myself and avoid that. Tell us a little about your family. My daughter is following in my footsteps at Kislak and my son is doing very exciting deals with a NY real estate hedge fund. T
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