Name: Amy Lessinger
Title: Broker/Owner
Company: RE/MAX Realty Affiliates
Type of Business: Real Estate Firm
Location: Reno
Years in Nevada: 34
Years with Company: 1
Biggest Business Challenge?
It is a constant challenge to deal with real estate agents who do not have the appropriate education and skill set required to navigate a real estate transaction today. I would like to see higher education standards be mandated. Presently, with just 90 hours of education, an individual is licensed to handle the largest financial asset people have.
What do you like best about your job?
I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience with agents looking to succeed. I am actively involved in teaching continuing education classes and mentoring agents to be fellow top-producers.
How do you spend your time when you’re not working?
As a native Nevadan, I appreciate family time and the recreational opportunities our region offers. My husband Brian and I have two children, Zackary, age 9, and Sydney, age 4. We enjoy camping, skiing, golfing, snowboarding, the beach and baseball. I am an avid equestrian.
Little-known fact about yourself:
I have always been self-employed. After graduating from the University of Nevada, I started my career in the real estate industry.
Best Business Advice (one or two sentences):
Empower other people to do their job. If you want a bigger box, you have to hang out with people who have a bigger box than you do.
Are you concerned about a “housing bubble?”
Even the most elite economists in our country can’t answer this question. Personally, I don’t lie awake at night worrying about this. Corrections are a natural part of any market, and historically, the best agents do even better in a down market because consumers want and need the best of the best to make things happen.
Name: Erick C. Sanchez
Title: President
Company: General Design & Construction Co., INC. (GDC)
Type of Business (brief description): Commercial general contracting, project management, steel supply and fabrication
Location (city): Las Vegas
Years in Nevada: 26 / Native
Years with Company: 5
Biggest Business Challenge:
Expanding and managing growth is always a top priority, and a challenging but rewarding facet of the business. Finding quality subcontractors and suppliers is also proving to be challenging these days, since they are in increasingly high demand with the construction market booming and so many large projects either underway or in the pipelines.
What do you like best about your job?
I take pride in leading a company that provides a quality product and is devoted to meeting our clients’ individual needs. Seeing the excitement and satisfaction from a client is one of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences anyone could ask for. Also, building projects that become a significant part of the Las Vegas community is very rewarding.
How do you spend your time when you’re not working?
I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, as well as getting involved in various community groups and organizations. I volunteer my time on the board of trustees to the Shade Tree Shelter for women and children. As a native Las Vegan and the president of a local business, I make a point to be involved and keep current in the local political and business communities.
What would you like your legacy to be?
I hope to be remembered as a successful and motivated business person, as well as a leader in the Las Vegas community.
Best Business Advice (one or two sentence):
Be honest with yourself, your company and its employees. A business that is strong and complete from within will be best fit to serve its clients.
Name: Rossi Ralenkotter
Title: President and CEO
Company: Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
Location: Las Vegas
Years in Nevada: 54
Years with Company: 33
Type of Business: Providing both business and leisure destination marketing for Las Vegas, Laughlin and Mesquite.
Biggest Business Challenge:
Las Vegas faces several challenges in maintaining its status as the leading convention and leisure destination, most notably the increasing competition from domestic and international markets. Increases in the popularity of tribal gaming, international gaming and the cruise industry will help them all compete for their market share of travelers. Finally, world events, such as economic downturns, always have the potential to disrupt business in Las Vegas.
If you could start over and choose a different profession, what would it be?
I always wanted to be a professional baseball player and play shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds.
How do you spend your time when you’re not working?
If I’m not working, I dedicate as much time as I can to my family. I especially enjoy spending time with my five grandchildren.
Little-known fact about yourself:
I recorded a record when I was in college.
Best Business Advice:
Success in business centers on creating customer loyalty by providing them with a positive, memorable experience that exceeds their expectations. Superior customer service requires that you know your customers, give them what they want and even anticipate what they will need in the future. Research is crucial to this process; a tremendous amount of research goes into everything we do at the LVCVA.
What would you like your legacy to be?
When people look back at what I have accomplished professionally, I hope they will remember me as having had at least a small part in helping shape one of the most successful and exciting brands in the world – Las Vegas.