2019 Ones to Watch: Nicholas Strachovsky, K.O.W. ARMA Development Consultants

Name: Nicholas Strachovsky

Title: Chief Executive Officer

Company Name: K.O.W. ARMA Development Consultants

Year that you entered your current field? 9

List up to three CRE organizations that you are currently a member of: None currently but we are considering several

If you have a mentor, who is it and how have they influenced your personal & professional growth? 

My father was a mentor. Unfortunately, I lost him early in life but he was a self-made man. He came from being a poor student and mechanic in Queens to a thriving cardiologist with his own medical practice. He was very influential, both in life and beyond. Another person I feel had an impact is a former employer and now partner. My partner runs a company that we work closely with and has shown me how to instill a vibrant work culture. His treatment of employees and expectation of them to provide input, opinion, and help shape the future of the company had a big impact on how I approach many things today.

What was your favorite thing to do as a kid? 

Build models, Legos, tinker toys, anything I could put together. I have always been intrigued by the physics of how things work and loved to tinker with structures and mechanical devices. I originally started down another path with schooling but quickly realized I should work in an industry that incorporates what I always loved to do for fun.

What do you consider to be your greatest professional accomplishment in the past 12 months? 

I don’t know if I have a single greatest accomplishment moment. I have the pleasure of working with many different personalities trying to solve complex problems of time, cost, and logistics daily. I also manage a phenomenal team that works to do the same. I feel very much accomplished each time we have a breakthrough on a project and come up with creative ways to solve issues of design, construction, or personality conflict. 

Who or what do you attribute to your success? 

I contribute much of my success to my family. My father and mother each had different roles as does my wife and children. I am the type that can let go of stress after the work day is done but cannot let go of the work itself. My family keeps me centered and balanced. The support from them has helped me become very confident, determined, and sure of my abilities. This is what I find to be a key factor behind where I am today. I am willing to have an opinion, stand behind it, and work until I can prove it right or wrong.

What advice can you offer to someone who is interested in a career in your industry? 

Patience and diligence. My business is very much about paying attention to detail, understanding how all aspects of the development industry and development process work but most of all how the personalities work. There are many great constructors, designers, financers, out there but getting everyone to work cohesively for the betterment of the project is the challenge. Communication, coordination, and organization is where a project really comes together. Focus on people.