SoCal Power Women: 5 Questions With Beacon Capital Partners' Yvonne Apodaca

This limited series profiles SoCal Power Women who have helped shape cities, neighborhoods, businesses and lifestyles in Los Angeles and Orange counties. These women will be honored at Bisnow's SoCal Power Women event Dec. 13.

Beacon Capital Partners Senior Vice President, Asset Management Yvonne Apodaca is responsible for asset management operations for properties on the West Coast for the value-add company. She credits her advancement throughout her career to hard work and dedication. Prior to joining Beacon, she was senior regional financial analyst for the Los Angeles region for Equity Office Properties.

Bisnow: How do you describe your job to people who are not in the industry?

Apodaca: I work for a private real estate investment firm based out of Boston. I am based out of Los Angeles and am a real estate asset manager that is responsible for overall management of Class-A office buildings. We are a value-add. I currently have nine buildings, approximately 3.5M SF in California and Utah. I am responsible for overseeing our third-party property management firms. I ensure rent is being billed and collected promptly, ensure loan requirements are being adhered to [and execute] our value-add strategies. Those include re-bidding services, repositioning projects, addressing repair and maintenance projects and finding additional revenue and operating efficiencies. 

Bisnow: What is the biggest business problem you have faced and how did you solve it?

Apodaca: Personally, I find that my biggest problem with business these days is technology and the volume at which it comes at you. It’s difficult to juggle the email traffic with internal and external factors (ie: text messages, social media, messenger, etc). People are looking for instant responses as soon as communication is sent. It is very overwhelming. I struggle with this daily. I know prioritizing is the key to managing this. I just haven’t succeeded at this yet.

Bisnow: What is one thing you think companies can do to address wage and gender inequality?

Apodaca: I think companies can bridge this gap by hiring the best qualified person for the job regardless of gender. Companies should also do a wage analysis by position and determine salary ranges based on tenure, experience and education. Everyone needs to be evaluated in an un-biased playing field.

Bisnow: What piece of advice do you give others entering the industry?

Apodaca: When I entered into real estate, I basically fell into it. I had no idea about the world of property management. I started off as a file clerk within the accounts payable department at Trammell Crow, a third-party service provider. I was 19 years old. I worked extremely hard to prove myself to my superiors and co-workers. I was working my way through college and trying to figure out what I really wanted to do. Personally, I wish I had a mentor to guide me. I came up through the ranks with good old-fashioned hard work. I fought my way for every promotion and every career move I made.  What I learned early on was I needed to have patience and I needed to prove myself. I think the world is slightly different now, with the millennial generation having an “entitled viewpoint,” meaning they think they can get to the top simply because they have an education or deserve to be there. I think hard work and perseverance doesn’t get enough credit these days. 

Bisnow: What do you do to unwind when you’re not working?

Apodaca: It's challenging for me to unwind. Seriously, I am not exaggerating. I tend to take work home with me. I find it tough to balance my personal and professional life. However,  I have a beautiful 4-year-old daughter named Vivianna and I love to spend time with her and her father, my boyfriend of 14 years. I try to enjoy the little things and the time we share. We have a lot of family and friend barbecues and get-togethers. I enjoy weekend getaways to Vegas, San Diego and Palm Springs. I love gambling (craps are my thing), wine tasting, hanging out with friends and Disneyland. I’m also a puzzle nerd; I enjoy challenging puzzles as well as Sudoku. I also hate to admit it, but I am also a reality TV junkie.

Meet Beacon Capital Partners Senior Vice President, Asset Management Yvonne Apodaca at Bisnow's SoCal Power Women event Dec. 13 at the LA Grand Hotel Downtown.