How I Accidentally Fell in Love with Property Management

[Gia Hermosillo]

For the longest time, I kept hearing, “Don’t get a job—find what you’re good at and charge for it!”
But for me, it was the other way around.

I found a job first, and then I kept asking myself, What am I really good at? Every time a mentor or coach asked, “What would you do if you could do it for free?” my answer was always the same: Helping people.

And that’s where I struggled. The idea of monetizing something I genuinely wanted to do for free felt… wrong.

Then I came across the word “ikigai”—a Japanese concept that represents the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. And suddenly, it clicked.

I realized I was exactly where I was meant to be.

I love my job because it brings real meaning and fulfillment to my days. Like when I helped Jane Doe, a property owner halfway across the country, sleep soundly during a blizzard—because even though she’s used to sunny California, she knew her property was in good hands. She trusted me, and she was right to do so.

I take pride in fixing the things that frustrated her before:

✅ Lack of communication? No worries, Jane—you see exactly what I see in maintenance, in real time.
✅ Endless phone extensions before reaching someone? Solved! You have a single point of contact here.
✅ No records of past inspections? Not a problem—ours are always available to you.

And while I was solving these problems, I found something bigger.
I found ikigai.

I’m incredibly grateful to work with like-minded professionals who believe in refining our processes to better serve people. And I see the impact of that every day.

Of course, there are stressful moments. Emergencies. Unexpected repairs. Difficult calls. But at the end of the day, that same love for what I do drives me to find solutions.
It strengthens the trust Jane has in me.
And that, right there, gives me even more reasons to love my job.

Have you ever had a moment where you realized you were exactly where you were meant to be? What was it?