Diane Braswell, CEO, Artemis Lifestyles
Diane Braswell, CEO of Artemis Lifestyles, talked to Invest: about the challenges resulting from legislative changes and a limited specialized workforce. She also highlighted how the company leverages technology and provides sustainability options to the communities where it provides association management services to create value for them.
What have been the most significant achievements of Artemis Lifestyles in the past year?
Our main achievement has been growth. We recently opened our Tampa office and another office in Brevard County as well as strengthened our Kissimmee, Champions’ Gate office. We have also grown and further developed our team. We offer association management services for both homeowner and condo associations. Nevertheless, we like to consider that we are more than just that. Our motto is “Love where you live.” That means we not only offer association management services but also aim to bring community back to the community so that people do not have a negative viewpoint of homeowners’ associations.
What are the unique services that Artemis Lifestyles offers to its client base?
We are the valued partner that brings the fun and joy back to living in an association. We do that by ensuring that all properties look good and are well maintained and insured. Being service-minded is part of it. We are a group of people providing a service for people, so service and hospitality are at the forefront.
Nevertheless, we sometimes have to deal with difficult conversations, such as when people cannot pay their bills. We need to bring a sense of empathy and understanding to that one-on-one human contact to each interaction that we have with our people. We have found that treating people honestly and fairly supports the “Love where you live” piece because people get the respect they need and we help work out the problems that they have.
What are the key differentiators that allow Artemis Lifestyle to stand out from other providers of association management services?
There are a lot of association management companies in our area, so we differentiate ourselves with technology and with our team. Our leaders have technology backgrounds, so whether it is a web portal, a general phone call, or a chatbot, we are very forward-tech focused. Additionally, we invest back into our team through training in hospitality, customer service, or association management. Our team is fully supported, empowered, and they know the company’s mission to deliver the highest level of service to the members we serve.
What initiatives or approaches has Artemis Lifestyles undertaken to improve client satisfaction?
That is twofold. On one hand, we survey our clients monthly. I send out a newsletter to our boards and clients every month to survey them on how they are doing, how we are doing, and what we can improve upon. Continuous improvement is always necessary. We cannot just sit back and say “We made it!” The industry, the law, and people change, so we want to ensure that we are always asking our clients and team about how to continuously improve.
On the other hand, we bring our clients together, let them talk, and are completely transparent with them. That also means listening to their opinions and what they have going on and allowing them to get together through industry events or board roundtables. It gives us insight regarding where we need to be and where the pulse of the industry is going. We then change our approach for continuous improvement based on that.
What is the strategy of Artemis Lifestyle to incorporate sustainability into its operations?
We have a good opportunity to make a large impact with our communities. We are always working on behalf of the community to do things like Florida-friendly landscaping, reducing irrigation and power consumption and putting charging stations in our communities. We have a team working together to bring those options to the communities. It is ultimately the community’s decision, but we provide that expertise and options. We have seen some amazing results on that front.
What are the most important challenges that Artemis Lifestyles faces, and how is the company navigating them?
Our biggest challenge, as in many industries, is finding, recruiting, and retaining top talent. The association management industry is always searching for licensed community association managers (CAMs), who are hard to find. We work hard at recruiting both entry level and experienced CAMs.
We have also turned our focus to employer retention by enhancing our benefits package. We offer some unusual benefits, such as a paid vacation reimbursement. We also have a generous 401K plan. We also do a wellness program because we want to ensure that our team can decompress and relax, since this is a stressful job. We do a monthly wellness event, including biometric screening and chair massages.
What are some trends or hot topics in the community management services sector right now?
Legislation is a big topic in Florida. The state recently released several new legislative pieces that surround requirements on the association management industry, including the volunteer board members that we serve, the owners themselves, and the association management companies. The changes coming into play will affect us and increase our job responsibilities going forward.
Another hot topic is post-COVID-19 frustration. More people are working from home and staying at home, so they are watching their neighbors all the time and experiencing more frustration with owners. Our “Love where you live” piece and bringing joy back to our communities are important for people to remember why they moved into these beautiful communities in the first place. We have a full lifestyles program that includes everything from a food truck event to meet-and-greets, which can go a long way.
What are the goals and plans for Artemis Lifestyles, and how do you see the company evolving in the next few years?
We will continue to grow and expand our footprint throughout the state. Nevertheless, we want to do it in a controlled fashion to maintain the high quality that we have developed throughout the years. In terms of evolving, we will continue to leverage technology to offer the best services to our owners. Finally, we intend to add more services to our offering to pursue our mission and vision of delivering excellence to the members of our communities and that make their lives easier and make them love where they live.
