Nelson Tressler, a long-time successful Southern Nevada commercial real estate agent, drew on his own life experiences battling poverty, dyslexia and other childhood troubles to develop a new program that helps people hold themselves accountable to accomplish their goals.
“We don’t have a knowledge problem when it comes to achieving goals; we have an execution problem,” says Tressler, explaining IGOTSMARTER, which includes his 6 Months 2 Success program and is bolstered by a smartphone app and group discussion. “We don’t follow through on the things we know we need to do, but something magical happens when someone else knows what you’re supposed to do.”
Tressler also owns other Southern Nevada businesses, including FlipNOut Extreme, 24/7 Tan and Cheyenne Rock, and is both a landlord and a tenant of commercial properties, so he has seen the effects of the coronavirus pandemic from both perspectives.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect your businesses?
We are upgrading our success program and adding more virtual options. We have more affordable options through the app as well as in-person programs with guides for those wanting that. We are also offering 30 days free.
Did you wait out the state-mandated business shutdown or were you able to remain open? What specific adaptations did you make as a result of it?
For our retail locations, we had to close and reopen with new safety and sanitation protocols after having to furlough staff. We actually closed voluntarily before the mandate. We changed the operations completely at both FlipNOut Xtreme locations to encourage social distancing and provide a safe environment for staff and customers. For the commercial properties that I own, I worked with tenants on their leases. In one case, I actually purchased one of my tenants’ businesses, a tanning salon in Henderson. Our rock yard in North Las Vegas did a lot of business with people at home more and investing in landscaping, so business there actually increased.
What is the most valuable lesson you learned during the recession that can help business owners overcome the challenges they’re facing?
This too will pass. Work hard and get through one more day and focus on things you can control. What’s the one thing you can work on today that will make you successful in the future? Keep doing that day after day. In 2008, I thought the world was going to end. I thought I was going to lose everything, including my marriage and family. You think there is no way out of it, but it will pass. It may take longer and be harder, but it will pass if you continue to work on things you can control. I am better off now than I was before the 2008 recession. There were things I had to pivot on, like opening other businesses and diversifying beyond commercial real estate. The one thing I learned that is helping me now is to have as little debt as possible. In the past, my rationale was to leverage, leverage, leverage. Now I’m in a much better position without all of that debt on top of me.
Earlier in my career, I was more of a “Yes” man. I thought every opportunity was a winner and owned a lot of businesses instead of doing a few things really, really well. I was doing a lot of things just OK. When you have multiple streams of income, what pumps money into your bank account can also take money out.
Today, this thinking is just as valuable since so many people are fear-based like deer in the headlights. Staying stuck and wondering when we are going to get a vaccine means wasting time that can never be replaced. The competition is on the sidelines waiting and not using the time effectively. The hare pauses and waits while the tortoise keeps going, slowly. Those people willing to use this time as effectively as possible and not waiting to know how things will end up will come out ahead in three to five years. They’ll be much better positioned when things get good again.
Describe your management style.
I learned as a manager to always take responsibility, whether you think it’s your fault or not. I see it as a huge opportunity when a client or customer feels you are falling short. It’s what you do after you fall short that can make them a better customer or client. Now you have an opportunity to show them how much you care. Go above and beyond what you were going to do. Not only do you keep that customer, you have created a fan and a customer for life.
I’m not a micromanager. I hire and train, and then I get out of the way. I empower my managers to do what they feel is best. The only time I get involved is when they ask for help or advice, or I see something that needs to be readjusted. That’s my parenting style, too.
Other than the obvious, what’s the biggest issue currently facing Southern Nevada or its residents?
Education! There are so many issues, but education will impact everyone and a lot of industries — everyone who owns a business with employees who have kids not at school five days a week. Some are working from home and nontraditional telecommuting. When a parent is home working with three young children who need attention, it’s tough. I was one of those kids growing up who, if I didn’t eat at school, I didn’t eat. I am also concerned about those in abusive homes.
We have to have empathy, compassion and flexibility. This isn’t a one-sector problem. It’s our culture and a changing culture that will impact how we work, think and socialize. Everyone has a different situation; you have to act accordingly.
Did you develop any new habits during the quarantine?
I finished my book. It was one thing I could focus on every day. It’s a memoir-turned-self-development book with me telling stories from the past recession and the strategies I used to get through the 2008 financial meltdown.
We cooked a lot more together because we couldn’t dine out and the kids were not going to their friends’ or sports practices. We got back in the habit of sitting down as a family to have dinner.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I see IGOTSMARTER having more than a million users and the company growing to create products to support people and help them attain success. I want to be sharp and focused on growing as a person. Long-term goals are great but very seldom are you where you thought you would be in 10 years. We focus on small chunks of goals because life changes so much.
Whom do you admire and why?
Anyone who has had an uphill battle. Anyone who started in dire straits and made a success of themselves. I love underdog stories because of mine. It gives other people hope to know others have made it. I love Oprah Winfrey’s and Tony Robbins’ stories. When you dig deep into a lot of successful people, you realize they overcame grim beginnings and that they haven’t always been successful. The reason these people are successful is because they had to go through hard situations.
What is something that people might not know about you?
I was born in blue-collar Pennsylvania to a 15-year-old single mom and had a very difficult childhood. I had an abusive step-dad. I had dyslexia and was in special education. I was the first one in my family to go to college. My grandfather went to prison for shooting and killing a police officer. When people who know me now learn about my upbringing, they understand why I’m so driven. They have only known me on this side of success and have the mindset that it’s always been this way.
Anything else you want to tell us?
Success is simple. It’s working hard every day and making a choice to have a long-term perspective. If we work toward a better future, we will eventually get there. The future is based on what you do today. What I do now will pay off a year or five or 10 years from now. It’s been 20 years since I got into commercial real estate, and I just retired from that business and turned in my key. I was top in the world several times for a top five commercial real estate firm and felt like I was helping people. But it wasn’t what I wanted my life legacy to be. I wanted to help others work on any goal they wanted to achieve.
There is a lot of noise out there now, and you can get easily distracted and allow it to impact you. You can’t control what’s going on in the world socially and politically. You can focus on what’s going on in your life. If we put our time and energy there, that will make a difference. Focus on your relationship with your family rather than how many cases of COVID-19 there are. Read a parenting article about how to connect with a teenager. Ask yourself what stories you are telling yourself. Things only have the meaning that you’re willing to give them.