Julie Strickland
Q: Where did you attend college, and what degree(s) did you receive?
A: For my undergraduate degree, I attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and received a BS in Finance. For graduate school, I attended the University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business and received my MBA.
Q:Did you go to your dream college?
A: Truthfully, in high school, I didn’t have a dream college. Miami ended up being a perfect fit for me. The school offers strong academic programs and a vibrant student community. The campus is also spectacular. I loved my time there.
Q: Do you think your college education was necessary for your success in business?
A: Without attending college and earning a degree, it would have been incredibly difficult to get my foot in the door and kick-start a career. College provided me with an excellent opportunity to grow in a variety of ways, both personally and professionally. It offered me an environment in which I could confidently develop independence, expand my analytical and problem-solving abilities, and cultivate interpersonal and networking skills.
Q: Who or what led you to your current career path?
A: During my senior year of college, I interviewed with many companies on campus. I was offered and accepted a position with Ford Motor Company. I was excited about the opportunity; however, the economy took a downturn, and I was laid off before my first day. I had just rented an apartment and found myself scrambling to find something so I could pay my rent! A good friend of mine worked for Jones Lang LaSalle in Washington, DC. He helped me get an interview for an open Financial Analyst position. I accepted the role and spent two years working as a consultant for the US Army, specifically providing support for the Army’s Privatized Military Housing portfolio. I left Jones Lang LaSalle when my current employer, Hunt, asked me to join their team. The rest is history – I’ve been with Hunt for seventeen years!
Q: Was your current career your first choice, or did you switch?
A: When I graduated from college, I knew I wanted to pursue a career involving finance and/or accounting, however, I didn’t have a specific career path or industry in mind. Fortunately, and fortuitously, I fell into my current career shortly after I graduated from college. I have been working in Privatized Military Housing ever since. It has been a very rewarding and fulfilling adventure. While my position is focused heavily on finance, accounting and project management activities, I have had countless opportunities to explore and learn many other aspects of the real estate industry. I love my career, our company, our mission, our culture and especially the team members I’m fortunate to work with.
Q: Was mentorship significant to your business journey?
A: The mentorships I’ve formed all developed organically and have been rather informal. I’ve been fortunate to have three talented, intelligent, driven and self-assured mentors (two of them were absolute women bosses!). All three have offered immense professional and personal support, encouragement, perspective and guidance. Without these relationships, building confidence, achieving my goals and expanding my leadership and analytical skills – the contributing factors to my success – would have been infinitely more challenging.
Q: How do you approach networking and the building of professional relationships?
A: The foundation for any authentic relationship is, in fact, authenticity! I consistently focus my networking efforts on people and area that genuinely intrigue me. Approaching people with sincerity and a veritable interest in their work, accomplishments, goals and challenges forges a meaningful connection. Without authenticity, you run the risk of appearing opportunistic. Communicating professionally, listening actively and sharing my personal experiences, skills and knowledge play vital roles in the professional relationships I've developed. It's important to be patient – all meaningful and productive relationships take time to grow. I choose to focus my networking efforts on quality, not quantity.
Q: What is the ratio of males to females in your business?
A: I'm not certain what the male to female ratio is in our business. However, I am profoundly fortunate to work in an environment with many women at the executive level, all of whom are valued, heard and appreciated for their individual and collective contributions.
Q: Have you observed or been affected by a wage gap between men and women in your field?
A: Unfortunately, I have been affected by the wage gap at various times throughout my career. It is an extremely frustrating and stressful thing to encounter. It can be tremendously challenging for women, of any age, to know their worth and advocate for it; particularly in situations that force you to negotiate with superior managers. That said, having a voice and using it is a vital skill to develop. Knowing your worth and confidently sharing it in a humble and effective manner can provide you not only with financial opportunities, but also opportunities to grow your career, improve culture and work on projects that excite and intrigue you. Lastly, having confidence in your abilities will give you the capacity to make a change if you speak up and are consistently met with indifference and apathy.
Q: How have you asserted yourself as a powerful woman in your field?
A: Building unshakeable confidence is crucial to gaining influence. Confidence has empowered me to learn and know my worth, recognize and appreciate my individual talents, advocate for myself and embrace constructive feedback. Building confidence takes time and effort, but it’s a must! Authenticity and humility are also critical. Being relatable and approachable builds trust and allows me to lead with integrity, empathy and vulnerability. It’s important to create a space for team members to share ideas, ask questions and admit mistakes. People (including me) want to work for real and amenable leaders, not robots!
Q: What has been your biggest tool in gaining credibility in the business world?
A: People have unique skills, abilities, personalities and propensities. Talent diversity is a wonderful thing! There are several contributing factors that helped me gain credibility from executive management and my peers at a fairly young age:
1. I have always strived to produce accurate and exceptional work in a timely manner. No matter how well something is done, if it looks or sounds terrible, no one will believe it’s accurate. Missing deadlines without appropriately communicating or providing updates is never a good look. It’s crucial to learn how to write professionally (and concisely). Its also important to invest time in honing formatting skills. Formatting documents and presentations may seem insignificant, but it makes a big impact.
2. My management style is professional, but somewhat informal. People feel comfortable expressing opinions and ideas, asking for advice and coming to me for help. I will go to bat for any person on my team. Being authentic, humble and unpretentious disarms people and goes a long way when forming professional relationships with colleagues at all levels.
3. I have hired exceptional talent. Without a great team, credibility is nearly impossible to achieve. Two of my direct reports have worked with me for nineteen years! My team is the best of the best. Truthfully, without my team, I’d be nothing.
4. I don’t shy away from voicing concerns and opinions, even when it's incredibly difficult to do so. I will always advocate for others and myself. As my career has progressed, I've become less anxious when interacting with senior executives, even when situations are uncomfortable or stressful. That said, I’ve had my fair share of anxiety-inducing situations. Rather than avoid them, I force myself to move through them. Personal and professional growth is impossible to achieve without discomfort!
5. Having difficult conversations is necessary. I’ve learned that remaining objective and removing emotion from confrontational and challenging situations is crucial. Admittedly, to some extent, I had to learn this the hard way. I now actively prepare myself for tough conversations by unloading every thought, feeling, impression and opinion I have on paper...anything and everything! Then, I take time to isolate the critical and relevant points and determine how to most effectively communicate them.
Q: How does social media, if at all, impact your business?
A: Social media does not personally impact my area of our business, however, it has a great deal of impact in other areas, such as marketing and customer satisfaction.
Q: What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
A: I’ve received two excellent pieces of advice that have stayed with me. I regularly apply both to personal and professional situations:
1. When I was much younger, I spent far too much time feeling wronged, cheated and mistreated by others. Perhaps it’s the curse of the middle child, but someone said to me, “resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to suffer.” This could not be more true. Being able to recognize resentment for what it is has been a gift in every area of my life. I’m far more empathetic, understanding, forgiving, positive and grateful.
2. When my oldest daughter was in the hospital as an infant, my sister said to me, “you have an entire life of worry ahead of you, don’t make today the day you start.” Luckily, I’ve learned that it is impossible to control everything and everyone. Worry doesn’t solve problems or create solutions, it doesn’t help you or anyone else, it doesn’t bring clarity to a situation and it certainly doesn’t make you happy. Focusing on what you can control doesn’t mean you ignore challenges and difficulties – it means you have a choice to direct your energy where you can make a difference.
Q: Lastly, what would be the number one piece of advice you would give to your high school self?
A: At the risk of sounding incredibly cliché, I would tell my high school self to “learn ride the waves.” Life is a rollercoaster and as you get older, the coaster can get very, very loopy at times! At eighteen, I wish I had understood the value of resilience, positivity, gratitude, letting go and celebrating big and small moments. Fortunately, life has knocked me around a bit and I'm learning how to let the waves come and go.
