Pagnotta of Meridian Capital; Always make time for family

Name: Nicoletta Pagnotta Title: Vice President Company/Firm: Meridian Capital Group, LLC Years with company/firm: 9 Years in field: 9 Years in real estate industry: 9 Telephone: 212-612-0219 Email: [email protected] URL: www.meridiancapital.com Real Estate Associations/Affiliations: AREW, REBNY Name: Nicoletta Pagnotta Title: Vice President Company/Firm: Meridian Capital Group, LLC Years with company/firm: 9 Years in field: 9 Years in real estate industry: 9 Telephone: 212-612-0219 Email: [email protected] URL: www.meridiancapital.com Real Estate Associations/Affiliations: AREW, REBNY How do you and/or your firm use social media? I personally use LinkedIn to stay in touch with my professional network and Meridian uses Twitter to communicate relevant up-to-date market and deal information. What is your biggest leadership challenge, other than the "glass ceiling"? My biggest leadership challenge is making time to focus on the bigger picture items which will move the needle for me and Meridian. Being proactive and staying in front of the day-to-day issues that come up when managing more than 75 transactions at a time is a full time job and I have to fight with myself and my workload for time to make headway on strategic initiatives. What is the most daring thing you've done for your career? How did it turn out for you? Over the past twelve months we have started working with several new lenders. Each one required a very strong first impression and we knew Meridian would be judged as an organization on the process for the initial transaction we consummated with each. Therefore, it was critical we put our best foot forward and delivered on every point we promised to both the lender and the borrower. By investing the time and effort upfront these relationships have grown quickly and we have since closed more than 10 transactions with these lenders. Which project, deal or transaction was the "game changer" in the advancement of your career? Last year I had the opportunity to work on a $65 million financing alongside Meridian's senior partners. Having the opportunity to collaborate with such talented and established team members was great exposure for me internally and I learned a tremendous amount in the process. What is the BEST advice you have ever received? Be engaged in your work and your industry. Continually challenge yourself to learn and grow, and develop skills that add value to your firm and your clients. Surround yourself with a great team and people you enjoying working together with. Work for what you want and also ask for what you want. You cannot expect people to know what you need or simply hand it to you even if you are doing a great job. What is your favorite tip for balanced living? Always make time for family, friends and loved ones, these are the most permanent things in your life and without them you can achieve professional success but still not feel fulfilled. I am also an advocate for getting fresh air and exercise. Most recently, I am guilty of joining the spinning craze. What do you consider to be the most successful way to increase referrals? Showing up. Be it for an introductory meeting, a deal pitch, an inspection or a closing dinner. Clients respect and appreciate when they can tell immediately that you are invested in their relationship. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy I literally walked across the Brooklyn Bridge four times to get documents to a title company to ensure a closing would occur. By being present and accessible, my clients have confidence that I am available for them during a transaction. Where would you like to be in 10 years? Without overstating my ambitions, I would say that I have very similar aspirations to many others in our field. My goal is to buy a building and slowly build a real estate portfolio.