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The 5 Questions Podcast
Join us as we unlock real estate and business insights, one question at a time.
The 5 Questions Podcast
From Ukraine to Edmonton: Building Trust in Property Management with Tania Andrushko
Tania Andrusko shares her inspiring journey from Ukrainian immigrant to successful property management company owner in Edmonton, revealing how transparency, trust, and emotional intelligence became her business superpowers.
• Rebuilt life from scratch in Canada 13 years ago with no network or safety net
• Used frustration as fuel to push forward despite having to take jobs below her qualifications
• Built Reliable Pro property management company on non-negotiable values of trust and transparency
• Implements a "no BS policy" where follow-through builds client confidence
• Prioritizes team members and selects them for positivity and people skills, not just technical ability
• Uses emotional intelligence to resolve difficult situations with tenants and property owners
• Successfully defused tenant conflict by addressing immediate problems before discussing financial solutions
• Challenges the myth that property managers just collect rent and ignore maintenance issues
• Describes the role as being "financial strategists" and "tenant therapists" who understand different client needs
• Strives to show her teenage daughters you can be both strong and kind, powerful and soulful
• Lives by the motto "dreams come true because we build them"
Connect with Tania:
https://www.reliablepromng.com/
www.taniaandrushko.com
Sponsored by: Waiz Ahmed
416-876-9960 | waiz.ahmed@gmail.com
I run no BS policy like literally.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the 5 Questions Podcast, where we unlock real estate and business insights one question at a time. Welcome to the 5 Questions Podcast. I am your host, Mario Lamar, and our guest on today's show is a powerhouse businesswoman, EQ coach and devoted mom who turned her immigrant journey into an inspiring story of leadership and impact. From corporate boardrooms to property management success in Edmonton, she leads with heart, strategy and unstoppable resilience. Welcome, Tanya Andrusko.
Speaker 1:Thank you, mario. Thank you, thank you for having me here.
Speaker 2:The concept of the podcast. I ask five questions about business or real estate and we get straight to the point.
Speaker 1:Okay, Got it.
Speaker 2:You got it. First question I have for you uh, you emigrated from ukraine 13 years ago, was that right?
Speaker 1:that's correct.
Speaker 2:Yes, okay, what was the artist's part of rebuilding your life in canada and what helped you push through this?
Speaker 1:okay, well, um, honestly, the hardest part was not figuring out the bus schedule in minus 30. Although it was really hard, it was not the hardest. I think the hardest part was to rebuild the life. Rebuild life from scratch with no network, with no safety net. We literally had to prove everything on paper, paper and um, looking back at this moment, I feel like, you know, even 13 years is so much easier right now. Um, back then it was pretty harsh and I feel like, um, we had a vision. We immigrated with two kids and my husband and I remember it was april and I was like, oh, I'm gonna put a dress on. And I came to edmonton. It was still like really yucky and cold and dark and gray and snow, and I was like, oh, okay, that's going to be different, right, but we had a vision, we had a dream, but, honestly, there were lots of disappointment and rage at the same time and that actually had to push us through Because, you know, we had to. I needed to start cleaning, shoveling snow.
Speaker 1:I would pick up any job yeah and knowing that, you know, I have master's degree in business and commerce, I have my education, I have my experience and here in new country have to build it from scratch. It gives you that kind of like the fuel, the fire, and you go, go, go. And obviously lots of coffee, ukrainian bread, some humor. All that provides.
Speaker 2:Well, it seems that, like you said, you had your education, your life in Ukraine and you wanted to achieve the same life or same better lifestyle in Canada, and it was not possible right off the bat. So that anger or that frustration, you used it in a better way, to push you up and not to stop, you know, achieving towards your goals, you're completely right and not to stop achieving towards your goals.
Speaker 1:You're completely right Because when we have that energy, then it becomes a choice how we use it right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's good. Okay, so let's go to our second question. And Reliable Pro is a property management company has earned a strong reputation in Edmonton in the property management space. What values have been non-negotiable in building a company that people truly trust?
Speaker 1:Well, you just said it, Our top two values is trust and transparency. Again, I run no BS policy like literally, and what I know to be true is that consciousness comes from the top. So I feel like lots of my personal values are transferred to my company values. So trust, transparency, commitment, you know, if I tell you I will call you, I will call you If I say I will evict you if you don't pay, I will Right.
Speaker 1:So, it's just like that's it. So if you follow through, then people have this understanding that oh okay, there is no sugar pouring, there is no questions, it's just that's what we do. And also I'm super proud of my team. I always put my team first because I feel like how I care about my team and how I invest in my team, that will be reflected to my business and my brand and my name. I do handpick them, I stand by them, I fight for them if needed. I'm always super protective and also I'm super selective. When we hire, we always look at some specific competencies and experience and skill, but one of the most important is the positivity Are you a team player? Are you going to fit?
Speaker 1:You know we chat social media, so the whole thing together because we let's be honest property management is not just about managing properties. We work with people, we work with tenants, we work with investors. We work with tenants, we work with investors, the owners. So the team spirit and the probably heart behind the person and the expert is what's really important for us.
Speaker 2:Well, and that's why you are where you are in Edmonton and the property management space, because those values are like diamonds. If you have transparency, it's you. If you have transparency, if people trust you, you'll get the business, and that's why that's why you do. Thank you for sharing this. Our third question, and again I'm going to ask you for an example now.
Speaker 1:Can you?
Speaker 2:share a real example where emotional intelligence made all the difference in handling a tough situation. Because you talk about this we talked about in a personal conversation about emotional intelligence, whether with tenants, staff or partners. Do you have a story where you had to use this?
Speaker 1:I have so many stories you know. So, um, I figured when I was still in corporate, I figured that people fight in a boardroom or we cannot close the deal or we cannot make a consensus. Not because there is lack of expertise, because people are people and sometimes we just don't understand each other. Yeah, simply because we don't cannot manage our emotions. So you know, I got certified, probably seven years ago in Calgary, I think.
Speaker 1:I brought it immediately back in each aspect the real story. Well, real story. We had a tenant who just he was so frustrated he was yelling because the toilet was blocked. What I knew is that he also lost his job recently. I had to be involved. I went on site and I'm a very hands-on owner. If there's something that is happening like this, I have zero problem to go in on the ground. And I remember I came in and he's yelling. He's like he's red, you know, and without emotional intelligence. I feel like, you know, the fire meets the fire, right, and you start this huge deal. I just listen and I say, hey, how about we fix the toilet first? Because, oh yeah, he was frustrated because it wasn't just a block toilet. His kid dropped the orange inside, so it's a charge back to tenants, so he's super frustrated now he doesn't have a job, he has to pay the bill, um.
Speaker 1:So I said, hey, you know what, let's fix the toilet first and let's talk about the rest later. And you know, we just dealt with that and later on he was just he's like Tanya, I'm sorry, and we just figured it out. You know, we put him on a payment plan. He initially find the job. But I feel like it's really important to not to think about numbers of bills or issues. We work with humans and that's where emotional intelligence comes in really, really, um, helpful.
Speaker 2:You know, this is the the same concept, uh, that we teach in business. You know, as you deal with humans, if you take the time to understand the person in front of you, whether it's to sell them something, whether it's you to deal, in your case, in the property management space Take the time to understand what the real problem is, you can solve everybody's problem 100%, mario, 100%.
Speaker 1:And then I had this one owner, I remember because with tenants it's one thing I had this investor owner. He was so frustrated His unit would not be leased and he just wrote such a nasty email about my team. And when it comes to my team, I'm very much like, okay, so you know, and I could get defensive or, you know, try to explain Instead using emotional intelligence. You know, I got curious. I'm like, okay, as you said, like take time to see what's behind this, right, and we had a nice conversation. I look into this thing. Um, you need at least eventually anyway. But I remember he goes back to me later in the months and he's like tanya, uh, how did he say it? He said something like you did, you don't just manage my property, you actually managed me in that week. I was like, okay, okay, right. So it's that people connection, right. Then you build trust.
Speaker 2:Yeah and for sure. Once you go through this with someone, you tend to stay. You appreciate that relationship and you tend to stay in business longer together because now they know that you truly care, you take the time to understand their frustrations, their problems and you solve the solution.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Question number four for you what's a myth or misunderstanding people have about property managers and how does your approach kind of flip the script?
Speaker 1:The myth about property management. Um, I feel like people think that property manager is this like glorified person who collects the rent, never returns the calls and uh, probably doesn't take care of the property. Um, but that's not the truth. That's not the truth. Um, I feel like the good property manager. It's like, um, I don't know, we're financial strategists, we are tenant therapists, we are, uh, I don't dog whispers at the time, right, there's so many components to it and and I think that's what stands uh, puts reliable pro on a different scale across edmonton.
Speaker 1:Um, it's a different approach. Like, I don't, we don't treat everything like just numbers or reports or monthly meetings. It's a completely different aspect of it. Yeah, and I feel like if you do want to be a good property manager, you have to understand it's not about managing property only. There's investors. For somebody, it's one property that they build legacy for their kids, right? So it's a completely different approach versus for someone who is, for example, in ontario having 96 unit multi-family building here and it's one of the many, many investments, right? So is that a really fine line of understanding, um, what's important and what the value is?
Speaker 2:and again it comes to how your approach is taking the time to understand your client so yeah it seems to be a, it seems to be a, something that's repeating with you, but it's. It's a good thing, because it brought, brought you to the top yeah, and you know, and, but it's very important, right?
Speaker 1:people want to have heart-to-heart conversation, they don't want just to have numbers. And again, life is life and this is business. We will have ups and downs. So if we only stay together when everything is good and funny well, I don't think it's like that. It's different, because we can only test ourselves on those emergency calls, on those freak out moments, on those moments, and then if we work through them, then we build long term sustainable relationships for sure so this fifth question is personal to you.
Speaker 2:Okay, um, but I want to ask you because you know you change, you move countries, you restarted a life for you and you did. You reach a very successful business, right yeah? What legacy are you hoping to leave, or working on to leave, not just for your business or through your business, but through the life you're modeling for your kids and community?
Speaker 1:That's a deep, that's a very deep question. The legacy, my motto for life is that dreams come true. The legacy that I would like to build? I have two daughters, two teenage daughters. So you know, one week I was called the worst mom in the world. So you know, it really depends. You know I'm building the legacy but sometimes I would fail it.
Speaker 1:I want my daughters to know that you can be both. You can be strong and kind, you can be powerful and soulful. I want them to know that you don't have to choose one or the other. And, as we just spoke, you know it's not just life is life, business is business. I want them to know that everywhere is a duality and it's how you show up. Yeah, that's what's going to define.
Speaker 1:I was called the skinny bitch boss and and the best boss ever on this. Those words that are not. They don't define me. It just talks about the experience that the other people have. So what I learned my kids and I'm hoping I'm the example is that stay true to yourself, be kind, and what other people think of you, it's a. It's a. It's a reflection of them, not of you. You keep your vision and I and I'm saying that dreams come true not because it's magical or because they come true because we build that and true, not because it's magical or because they come true because we build that and I feel like you know my legacy and what has been built so far is it's, it's uh, it's a proof to that.
Speaker 1:It's a proof to that one day it was a vision, you know in minus 30, in edmonton, and today we have this beautiful podcast that thank you so much for inviting me, and this is just. This is just the proof that, yes, they do come true absolutely and you're.
Speaker 2:you're a true inspiration for not only other women out there that are trying to build something for themselves, but for everybody. You have lots of knowledge. You shared a lot of value today with us. Take a piece of your wisdom on their journey, because you showed us how you can really elevate not only your status but your life in general through listening to others. First, tanya, thank you so much for being part of the Five Question Podcast, and it was a pleasure to talk with you today. Thanks so much.
Speaker 1:Mario Bye-bye.
Speaker 2:Bye. Thanks for tuning into the five questions podcast. If you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to subscribe, like and hit the notification bell on our YouTube channel so you never miss an episode. Stay tuned for more insights and tips to transform your real estate and business game. See you next time.