Colapietro of EDI Landscape; advice on starting out

Name: Kimberly Colapietro Title: Partner Company: EDI Landscape LLC Years with company: 13 Years in the field: 25 Address: 32 Belmont Street, Hartford, CT Telephone: 860.216.6871 Email: kim@edilandscape.com URL: www.edilandscape.com During the last 10 years of your career, which professional accomplishments, honor or achievement has meant the most to you and why? I am particularly proud of the relationships I have cultivated with my clients over the years. These associations have allowed me to grow our business beyond my wildest expectations, and set higher standards and levels of expertise for myself. Which project, deal or transaction was the "game changer" in the advancement of your career during the last 10 years? My biggest game changer was to relocate our business to a commercial building in Hartford, allowing us central access to our clients throughout New England. How do you contribute to your company and/or industry? Leadership starts with a kind gesture, creativity , and knowledgeable guidance. Letting your team watch the company excel is the best tool for motivation. What advice would you give to women just starting out in commercial real estate? For women just starting out, I would tell them to learn the business from a seasoned construction professional that can provide you with the wisdom to navigate all the paths necessary to close a deal. How do you manage the work/life balance? Prioritizing between what is important and what is a necessity. Who has been the strongest influence on your career and why? My strongest influence would be my mother who instilled in me the drive to work hard and stay focused. She told me that if I continually did these things, I would always succeed. Her support and encouragement in the earlier years of my career were invaluable. How are you using social media to promote yourself and/or your firm? We primarily use LinkedIn for our business to network and meet new people. We've also used it to create a referral network of other professionals that we can rely on. Where would you like to be 10 years from today? In ten years, I hope to be here in the same place. I love what I do and look forward to helping our clients with each and all of their landscape building needs. I look forward to coming to work every day.