Rising the bar is a Connor Group staple. We are always looking to elevate our game. So, it’s fitting that in June, the Training Department celebrated testing out the most managers over the course of 30 days.
In the sixth month of 2023, six managers tested out at an 8.00 or higher. These test outs happened in five different markets across the country. When a manager passes the test, a ripple effect of pride is felt by those who watched and helped each manager along the way.
Loop is excited to introduce you to our newest managers. Here is what fellow associates had to say about our new elite leaders.
“Kristen called me right after she passed,” said partner and senior director Chesley Lewis. “She said I barely passed with an 8.05. I said, ‘Girl, what are you talking about? We have managers who are trying to get back to an 8.0 since the new scorecard. You kicked ass!’ But that’s Kristen. She takes the bar you set and raises it higher.”
Operations manager Kristen Barnes was the top test out in June at an 8.05. Kristen spent most of her training with Chesley, so when Chesley got the news of Kristen’s test out, she couldn’t have been prouder.
“I love watching everything come full circle for Kristen,” Chesley said. “Kristen absorbed the culture, lives it and now instills it in others. It’s cool to see her take everything she’s learned and pass it on to others.”
“Nick is the definition of energy,” said partner and regional trainer Kia Ngo. “He is never ‘not-on.’ He’s always motivating, and everything excites him. His energy is contagious.”
Operations manager Nick Hammer finished just behind Kristen with an 8.04 score. Kia raved about Nick’s energy, organization and love of a challenge. All three of those qualities make Nick a cultural fit, but it’s his grit that makes Kia most proud.
“Nick had a rocky start to his training,” Kia said. “He knew the standards but was having trouble executing. Nick took the feedback and was able to rise to the challenge. He’s just so unbelievably gritty. I couldn’t be prouder of how far he’s come.”
Fearless Faraz Pervaiz runs operations at our newest acquisition, The Villas at Wyndham Lakes. While Faraz is happy to be back in his home state of Florida, he spent most of his time training in Cincinnati. Senior manager Amy Hoffard trained Faraz at Arbors of Anderson and talked about how impressed she was with his confidence, fearlessness and appreciation of feedback. Amy told Loop a story she believes embodies Faraz.
“Faraz’s second monthly meeting with us, he ran. It was a Bob (Lloyd) visit. Not only that, we got our financials back two days before, so he didn’t have much time to prep. But Faraz did all his homework, including watching the training videos on how to have a successful monthly meeting. Faraz crushed the meeting. He led it with confidence, was extremely cultural and even volunteered to sit next to Bob. Remember, this was his first Bob visit. After the meeting, Sal (Gracia), Bob and I were all impressed and rated the meeting an 8.0 or higher.”
“When Jolanta started, her confidence was low, but her grit and determination powered her success,” said senior manager Krystal Ware.
Operations manager Jolanta Wisniewski trained under Krystal at Allura Las Colinas and Edison. Krystal talked about how far Jo has come since starting with the company, and that growth can be seen right here on Loop. Jo’s phone technique earned her a featured story on our ‘Dialed In’ series, and she’s also a Bootcamp MVP.
“What makes Jo great is her ability to fail fast and fail forward,” said Krystal. “She is very cultural in that sense. When Jo makes a mistake, she learns from it. It also doesn’t hurt that she is an energy boost just to be around. She’s got a contagious personality.”
Sales manager Kristina Berry did her initial day in the field in September 2022, but did not officially start until January 2023. But that didn’t stop Kristina from making a friend in the company during that time.
“Kristina reached out to me after her day in the field,” said operations manager Kati Hutton. “She got the job but wasn’t going to start right away as she welcomed a new baby. I wanted her to know someone was excited for her to start, so we stayed in contact the whole time.”
The bond between Kati and Kristina grew as Kristina trained at District at Linworth. Kati knew she was a cultural fit right away.
“Kristina has great energy and is super positive. She bought in instantly and wanted to be a leader, and it’s so cool now to see that come full circle and watch her lead.”
“Natalie has this incredible talent of staying calm during a storm. She doesn’t get worked up under pressure,” said senior manager Krystal Ware.
Sales manager Natalie Alexander started her relentless pursuit of excellence, relentlessly pursuing a career at The Connor Group. Natalie went through several interview processes before joining the company. But once Natalie was in, she was all in.
“Natalie gave up what she had in Raleigh to train with me in Texas,” said Krystal. “She is 100% bought into what we stand for.
“Natalie was quiet when she first started, but watching her find her voice in her role has been so exciting. Also, her hunger for feedback and ability to apply it is maniacal.”
Congrats to all six of our June manager test outs