Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/704472
and I've always tried to make it clear that there is no right of en- titlement or automatic advance- ment here. No matter what your name is, you have to earn your way like anyone else." Kelly certainly did feel the pressure that comes from being the CEO's daughter. "Quite frankly, I did struggle with [concerns over perceived] nepotism at first," she said. "I did keep my head down a little more than I should have on the front end, because I was the boss' daughter, and I did not want to be perceived as that. So as much as there were benefits, it was also intimidat- ing, and I wanted to be per- ceived as a team player. That was maybe one reason I left for graduate school: to prove my worth. Now I don't feel that way, which I'm proud to say." Don says he gave only two major pieces of advice to Kelly. "The first is that this is a cyclical business, and don't be frightened when we have a downturn," he said. "But more important is what I call the four P's of having patience, knowing when to push, liking puzzles and enjoying people." Kelly remembers that one of the biggest lessons she learned from her dad years ago came after she had fired off a terse email to a tenant who had backed out of a deal at the 11th hour. "He pulled me aside, and he was calm and collected," she recalled. "But he said I have to realize that real estate is a small business and we are all working in this together, so he humbled me. That really stuck with me and made me grow up a lot." Don advises other parents to focus on how to create a win- win situation for both the child and the firm. "You want to work with your daughter, but you don't want your daughter to work for you or report to you, because that creates tension," he said. "And you want to make sure your son daughter is ac- countable to other people to whom they report. That way their performance can be quantified and measured, and they can feel the satisfaction of knowing they've accomplished some- thing as well." That structure helped provide Kelly with the freedom to make her own mark. "For me, it's about longevity," she said. "I do feel like I have something here that's on my shoulders, and I want to preserve this. But I also want to explore diversification. 56 S C T / A u g u s t 2 0 1 6 B e n s o n a n d s a r a h B e n s o n - h a t c h e r , o F c o l u m B u s , o h i o - B a s e d c a s t o