Meet Olivia Smith

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Olivia Smith. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Olivia, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

I got my work ethic from my parents, but not in the traditional sense. My parents always worked, but with neither of my parents completing high school or any other further education, they had to work more labor-dominated jobs or multiple jobs at minimal wages. I was the first in my immediate family to complete high school. I spent my later childhood helping my mom clean with her cleaning business, and as soon as I was old enough (14), I got my first official job at a produce stand. I worked through high school to afford a car, insurance, gas, and repairs. I saw the struggles that I saw my parents go through and wanted to work to ensure my own stability and help my family. This is where I developed my work ethic.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am an Assistant Community Manager of an almost 500-unit Ocean City, MD community. I started in the community when I was 17 years old, starting as a clubhouse attendant. On my 3rd summer with the community, the Community manager at the time offered me the chance to work in the management office working the rental program. I was able to offer additional customer service with my experience at the clubhouse facility. In my early 20s, I took on a management role at the restaurant for 3 years, part-time for 2, as I took on a full-time administrative position for the management office, mainly managing the rental program. Throughout two management changes, I worked my way up in the management office, establishing my career over the last almost 6 years.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Three impactful skills or qualities:
1. Dedication—When you find something that works for you financially and doesn’t tax your mental health, it’s okay to stick around and improve upon the opportunity given.
2. Being open-minded – when in a position for an extended period of time, one can become comfortable in the same routines, but with time, there are always changes that come as systems and demands change as your company, or in my case, community, ages.
3. Flexibility—It’s important to bend when changes happen (planned or not); you can’t let those deviations stop or negatively impact your progression forward.

I have always moved forward in my life with the motto: There is no way forward but through. I push through whatever blocks come up and do what I have to do to make it through whatever comes my way.

How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?

A few years ago, I was approached by my Board, who had offered me the opportunity to move up to Community Manager; while I do try to push through those metaphorical barriers, I also faced a fear that I was not entirely up to the task at that time in addition to concerns about the support staffing (what would be my position and the positions below and another department). I had my concerns that if I moved up, with concerns of some managerial responsibility, I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to cover the holes there’d be too much to balance between learning a new position and covering the holes or even training someone for those empty positions, would be too taxing that I would drown in the responsibilities; I did not want to resent or hate my job; I love my job and the community I work in. So, I turned down the position, and while I wish I had taken on the challenge, I don’t regret my choice, It has given me more time to learn more about the above position, so when the time comes again, I’ll be ready to step up.

Image Credits

Olivia Smith
Kelly Quinn