Mid Atlantic Real Estate Journal — Executive Women in Business — October 25 - November 7, 2013 — C
www.marejournal.com
Executive Women in Business
Carol Shelby, Managing Director Meridian Capital Group, LLC Years with company/firm: 22 Years in field: 22 Years in real estate industry: 22 Tell us how and when you began your career in the profession you are in?
Nicoletta M. Pagnotta, Vice President Meridian Capital Group, LLC Years with company/firm: 9.5 Years in field: 9.5 Years in real estate industry: 9.5 Tell us how and when you began your career in the profession you are in?
I have always had strong analytical andmathematical skills and was successful academically in this area. I originally startedwork- ing in the fashion industry and enjoyed the creative aspect of it, but found real estate to be an excellent hybrid of both skill sets. What challenges andor obstacles do you feel youneeded to overcome tobecome as successful as you are today? Working in a constantly moving market environment always presents a unique set of challenges. It’s extremely hard to sell something that has potential to change materially, even overnight due to any number of external variables. Meridian has proprietary products and prides itself on excellent client service and as such, every transaction is treated with importance and a sense of urgency. Do you feel being a woman is an advantage in today’s business world? Why? Why not? I do think that there is an advantage as female leaders are very typical these days and this recent relevance creates a rising tide. Women continue to prove themselves as terrific leaders in the business world. There are more and more examples of women in leadership roles in a variety of industries, including real estate, validating that women are gaining more recognition and power within the business community. Do you feel there are any differences in the way that men and women develop business relationships and if so, what activities or venues do you participate in? I think that men and women do develop business relationships differently. Speaking for myself, I am fastidious when it comes to detail. Not to say don’t participate in big picture strategic thinking, but I am very detail-oriented and believe that to be an invaluable qual- ity in this industry. Frankly, men and women communicate differently and often times the fact that I am a female makes it easier to communicate with my clients. What is the funniest, most unique situation you have faced / conquered during your business career? Themost unique situation I encountered duringmy business career occurred during Super Storm Sandy. I was working on a loan that had to close and fund during the storm; it was approaching rate lock expiration, maturity expiration, almost every deadline imaginable. Due to the fact that everything was shut down from the storm, I picked up papers from the assigning bank and walked them over the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan and delivered them to the title company. I actually did this twice because they forgot something in the first round. I am happy to say the loan closed on time as necessary so it was all worth it! . n
I originally started with Meridian when I was 18 and just out of high school as a secretary to one of the partners. I learned so much about the industry in my first two years here and decided that I wanted more responsibility. As a result, I had the oppor- tunity to assist a different partner and simultaneously was encouraged to build my own client base. What challenges and or obstacles do you feel you needed to overcome to be- come as successful as you are today? When I began my real estate career, I was one of a handful of women in the industry. I always found working on my deals extremely exciting and intriguing, but it was admit- tedly difficult to walk into a room filled with men and not be intimidated. I asked lots of questions, told myself I was capable of being successful, and bit the bullet. It took a lot of time and effort to get men to trust me with large and important transactions, but over time, I won over their confidence and was able to prove that I was capable of working on challenging and complex transactions. Do you feel being a woman is an advantage in today’s business world? Why? Why not? I don’t think being a woman is an advantage at all. While women have definitely grown in the business world and men respect us more, the number of women in real estate demonstrates clearly that this industry is still male-dominated, especially at the top. So while I don’t necessarily believe that being a woman is an advantage, I don’t think it’s a disadvantage either. At this point in inmy career, I’m viewed as an equal by my colleagues and clients. If you are the primary caregiver to your childrenwhat obstacle and challenges do you meet on a day to day basis? Everybody (children, family, friends, and clients) will always need you; you just need to find out who needs you the most at that time. Who do you feel was most influential in your life when choosing this profession? Meridian’s founders were most influential to me because they gave me the opportunity to learn the business and grow with the company from its inception. What do you feel is the key to your success? I think the key to my success was seeing that the real estate business was an exciting place to be and pushing through the boundaries and overcoming the obstacles in order to get to the point I am at today. n
Congratulations Carol Shelby
Congratulations Nicoletta Pagnotta
Meridian Capital Group, LLC proudly salutes Carol Shelby on being recognized in the Mid-Atlantic Real Estate Journal’s 11th Annual Executive Women in Business
Meridian Capital Group, LLC proudly salutes Nicoletta Pagnotta on being recognized in the Mid-Atlantic Real Estate Journal’s 11th Annual Executive Women in Business
1 Battery Park Plaza New York, NY 10004 | 212 972 3600 | www.meridiancapital.com
1 Battery Park Plaza New York, NY 10004 | 212 972 3600 | www.meridiancapital.com
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