Julia Solazzo, regional leasing and marketing manager for Prologis’ East Region, shares how her laser focus on best practices and technology is raising the bar for customer service.
Corporate Communications: Thanks for chatting with us, Julia. Please tell us about your background.
Julia: I was born and raised in Pittsburgh and am the first of my family to attend college. I put myself through Penn State by working every job I could find, from cleaning houses to restaurants/bartending to telemarketing monthly subscriptions of fancy Swedish coffee My first job out of college was for an investment management company, where my focus was on B2B email marketing campaigns, full company rebrand and supporting the sales teams with effective marketing materials. I soon figured out that the financial services industry wasn’t the best fit for me.
Corporate Communications: How did your career path lead you to Prologis?
Julia: As I was evaluating my options and next steps, a good friend of mine, who works as a broker for a top-tier firm, insisted that I would be a great fit for the real estate industry. Looking back, it’s surprising that it took a lot of convincing for me to give it a try. I could not be happier with where I am now. I have discovered a deep-seated passion for the industry and the diverse scope of customers Prologis serves. To top it off, I could not be happier with my Prologis family and the company culture.
Corporate Communications: Please tell us more about your role as a regional leasing and marketing manager and the goals you’ve seen materialize.
Julia: When I started in this role a few years ago, my main objectives were to set up and direct efforts to bring standardization of marketing materials and processes to the region; lead the effort with our leasing and marketing coordinators to produce targeted and strategic marketing plans; and increase communication and best-practice sharing across the entire East Region. Communication and sharing best practices across markets and our overall platform is crucial to driving the Prologis brand.
These goals are still imperative in my role, only now we are placing a stronger emphasis on digital marketing and, specifically, Digital Transformation Acceleration initiatives. We are embracing technology to operate more efficiently within our teams and to drive convenience for our customers.
Two key initiatives involved in my work include DPM 2.0, our new and improved Property Search tool, and digital tours that allow us to create VR tours of our markets, logistics parks and buildings. We are able to offer virtual 360 digital tours to our prospective and current customers so that they do not have to travel to view properties in person.
Corporate Communications: How do you approach Prologis’ commitment to customer service?
Julia: There is not a one-size-fits-all approach for our customers because their needs vary greatly across each of our markets and, in turn, across our entire global platform. I encourage radical consistency balanced with the understanding that our markets have their own audiences with unique customer challenges and needs.
Corporate Communications: On a personal note, you recently moved from NYC to the suburbs. What has that been like?
Julia: I was determined to live in the city for as long as possible, while my husband has been trying to drag me out to the ‘burbs for years. Co-working remotely and chasing around a toddler in a shoebox of an apartment quickly had me singing another tune. Having a backyard and outdoor space is a game changer for our goofball of a Golden Retriever and for each of us – when I need air or a few minutes to hit reset, stepping outside onto grass and seeing all the trees (instead of traffic and people) is like night and day.
Corporate Communications: Best career/life advice you’ve gotten or given?
Julia: With respect to career advice, I have been working since I was 16 years old and have lived by a simple motto of work hard and treat everyone with the utmost respect and empathy. Regarding life advice, my grandfather (who was the best of the best) would remark almost daily: “I’m a lucky man,” which instilled in me the greatest sense of gratitude. Every day, I take a few moments to appreciate the small blessings and the tremendous ones that I am fortunate to have. Throughout our careers, we tend to focus on what we don’t have and this practice of gratitude has allowed me to even view obstacles and challenges as opportunities for growth.
