Writing has always been at the center of everything that I do.

My daughter recently started scheduling playdates with me at 7 pm. She’s very clever because bedtime is supposed to be around 7:30 but once we are playing it always runs over.

Something refreshing arrives with a new decade. A new year and decade provide everyone in business an opportunity to start fresh.

As the director of marketing and communications at a leading IoT software company, I am always interested in the latest and greatest Internet of Things products. I am also slowly turning my Philadelphia row homeinto a smart home. We all have seen the smart home product displays in major box stores like Home Depot and Lowes. These are usually door locks, thermostats, lights, cameras, alarms, and more. However, when most people think of smart home products they do not immediately think of smart sound machines. As the father of two young children under five, I really enjoy a good night's sleep. As a resident of Philadelphia living in a row home with shared walls, my wife and I have been using a simple white noise machine for the past five years.

The competition for your resident’s attention and rent dollars remains extremely competitive. Properties that move fast to evolve quickly alongside with advancements in smart home technology are thriving.

Technology as an amenity is a term that continues to receive more attention in the multifamily housing industry. According to HousingWire there is a 95 percent occupancy rate in apartments in the US. This means that property owners and management companies are facing some fierce competition for securing and retaining residents. For decades this meant having great amenities on your properties like fitness rooms, covered parking, swimming pools, game rooms, and more.

I cite the work of Gary Vaynerchuk often in my writing and this piece is no exception. I have been paying attention to the business moves he has been making over the last few years, and while there are a lot, two have my focused attention. The acquisition of a content publisher called PureWow, and most recently the creation of a men’s content brand called One37pm.

The old saying that time is on our side feels like a mixed bag of emotions for me. There is so much that I want to accomplish in life, that it can feel overwhelming at times. But on the other hand so many people in business are simply inpatient. They don’t want to put in the time it takes to achieve greatness. This is a tremendous advantage for anyone willing to play the long game.

My relationship with the media has been complicated. As a former editor for newspapers and magazines I understand the importance of having great sources and also getting slammed with spammy PR pitches. However, in the past I have fallen into the same trap that I despised as an editor myself. Sending out crappy PR pitches in hopes of getting my brands some media coverage. I am not a natural pitch artist.

It is my belief that there has never been more distrust by the American public in traditional media outlets than there is today. The political right is angry because they believe that the media is made up of liberals who are putting false spins on stories and people on the left are mad because almost every major news outlet gave Trump far too much free media and got the predictions of the 2016 Presidential race wrong.