Spotlight On ...

Chris Warner comes to us by way of Pete Hill-Byrne, an Executive Director at Vanguard who, upon meeting Chris, quickly realized that he was in the presence of greatness; all those things most of us say we want to do, Chris has done, continues to do, and (hopefully) also inspires us to do.  Here’s what Pete has to say about Chris:

I first met Chris in 2004.  He was introduced to me by a friend that enjoyed extreme sports (shear-cliff climbing for days at a time) who said a mountaineering buddy needed to expand his business and needed a real estate professional.  Upon first meeting Chris, I immediately recognized that along with sports phenoms and rock stars, he was one of the few people that absolutely loved the way he made a living - climbing the tallest peaks in the world, owning climbing gyms, and telling the world about his adventures as a hired speaker.  At the time, I had no idea his climbing experiences were measured among such an elite group of world renowned climbers. 

Working the assignment to locate a new climbing gym in Rockville, MD became secondary to just working with Chris. Not long after fulfilling the assignment, I remember taking my then 9 year old son to hear Chris speak at an event. Great stuff - adventure, death, real leadership.... My son loved the stories and I knew my other business associates and friends would too.  My business partner, Greg, and I introduced Chris to others, recommending they check out his gym, his expeditions, and his new book "High Altitude Leadership".  Why?  Because he's a genuine leader, a smart guy, self deprecating, and possesses experiences most of us will never touch in our lifetime. 

The fact that Chris' successes were measured more by team performance and less by reaching the summit, more by the right process defining that led to the "right" end result (often life versus death) has translated into better business practices for myself and those at Vanguard that have spent the time to listen to Chris' important message. He's a great candidate for our Spotlight On!

Read Chris's answers to our 5 Spotlight On questions:

FRANCIS NAMIN –

Inspiration comes from everywhere, including our clients.  Such is the case in April, as we feature Francis Namin.  His unique blend of vast talent -without pretension- makes it more than a pleasure to work with him; it creates a learning experience every time we meet.  Francis is involved with 5 restaurants, and a Beer & Wine business.  A few of his well-known restaurants include Bethesda’s Food, Wine & Co and Red Tomato Café -both warm and welcoming, as if you’ve just popped in on some friends in the neighborhood.

It becomes even more apparent why Francis is so successful, and always so positive, when you read his answers to the 5 questions we asked him.

“How have I made a difference? Well, I have raised the spirits of quite a few troops in the hospital.”

As part of our initiative to contribute to the wellness and growth of our communities, Vanguard Realty Group is a proud supporter of the Armed Forces Foundation, a National nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC, committed to supporting and assisting the members of our Armed Services. Among the many programs offered by the Armed Forces Foundation are monthly dinners for the troops at each of the major hospitals in our region: Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and Bethesda National Naval Medical Center here in DC, and H.H. McGuire Veteran's hospital in Richmond, VA. Joseph Finch, LTC, (Ret), is in charge of hospital outreach and helps organize these monthly dinners, while his wife Monika helps set up and serve each of these meals. We were honored to sponsor their November 2009 Thanksgiving Feast, where Vanguard served a (mostly) home-cooked meal to over 250 soldiers and their families.

Colette Releford came to our attention via Vanguard’s own Marketing Director, who was first introduced to Colette in 2000 when they became business colleagues. Here’s what our Marketing Director has to say about Colette:

Colette walked into a daunting task in 2000; supporting a very demanding client who required the kind of attention that called for long hours and fast thinking. She was not only up to the challenge; she was a breath of fresh air. It was easy to recognize that Colette had the business ethic and standards needed. What she brought along with her as well, though, was a sharp wit, always thinking one step ahead of our client and somehow finding a way to make it all fun. Fast forward to 2008, and Colette started her own business, Strive Business Solutions, LLC (www.strivebusinesssolutions.com), shortly after completing both her MBA and an MS in E-Commerce from UMUC. Colette is the epitome of business owner and community supporter. She is insanely active in networking groups as well as commerce groups, and an active member of her Church. But don’t take my word for it. Colette’s company was named the "2009 Small Business of the Year" by the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce (GGCC) during their 60th Anniversary Celebration Dinner & Gala held December 3, 2009 where she was also elected to their Board of Directors. She gives us all reason to –well- strive, to be more!

Meet Vanguard Realty Group’s Genevieve Woche.

As a Senior Leasing Associate, Genevieve takes her job quite seriously.  She takes the eager-to-please concept to unchartered territories, always with a smile.  Watching her in action is inspiring, so we thought it was appropriate to launch this new feature with a spotlight on her.  Here’s how Genevieve responded to the Vanguard 5 - 5 questions that guide us to the answer for “Why does she do this?”.