On the Move – With Passion and Persistance!
Christine Decker

Christine Decker has moved sixteen times. She’s lived the stress of landing in a new city, having to furnish a new home and needing not only window treatments and cable, but a new dentist and hair salon. For Christine, relocation is a way of life. And – it’s her business.

Christine is CEO of Amenity Rentals, a corporate relocation company that provides professionals with short and long-term housing for a “home away from home” living experience. Based in the Philadelphia area, the company primarily serves the metro Philadelphia and New York regions, but has accommodated clients in California, Texas, Michigan, and even Shanghai.

“It’s a small world,” explains Christine. “I like helping people feel settled... feel ”at home. That’s where the heart is... whether (for a stay of) three months or three years.

Follow Your Own “Golden Rules”
Unlike many corporate relocation firms, however, Amenity Rentals focuses on more than the four walls of the apartments, townhouses, condos, or single family homes that shelter their clients. Because the company is not burdened by the ownership of specific properties, “we can really listen to our clients,” explains Christine. Such custom planning provides insight into Christine’s governing values and business orientation.

“You have to be true to who you are (and follow) your own golden rules... I wouldn’t compromise for money… I wouldn’t want to make money in a manner in which I couldn’t be proud.”

With that promise, all of Christine’s clients have her cell number. “They can call me for anything.” She even invited countless families for Thanksgiving dinner when she worked with the USDA to provide temporary housing to employees displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The agency contacted her amidst the crisis, not even knowing the right questions to ask. She guided them through the process and ensured that everything from pet needs to bedding preferences was covered.

A year later, Christine received an email from a USDA office manager, who thanked her for making one of the worst days in her life bearable. That project remains one of Christine’s all-time favorites.

Create Your Opportunities
Christine’s affinity for corporate real estate began twenty years ago, when she joined a local property rental firm as a sales rep. Having been denied her fair share of her first commission, she challenged the company’s payment practices by taking her case straight to the owner. To the surprise of her colleagues, she made her point, received her full fee, and left after four months for a better opportunity (that she created).

When Christine learned that Trammel Crowe, a renowned real estate development and investment firm was expanding to the region, she visited the firm’s new site and convinced folks to hire her as the corporate sales manager. Each division operated as its own profit center, so Christine learned how to manage receivables and payables as well as develop a business plan.

Christine got that job two days before her wedding and stayed nearly three years, until her husband was relocated to Florida and deployed by the military in Operation Desert Storm. With a growing family and new environment to manage, Christine did not seek re-employment. Instead, she nurtured her entrepreneurial spirit by creating a small craft business with a neighbor. While her partner did not enjoy peddling their wares to local consignment shops, Christine loved it.

In 1993, Christine returned to the Philadelphia area as the divorced mother of two young sons. With the business development skills that she had honed in the previous few years, she was able to make her next business profitable within four months. A vendor that supplied housewares to Trammel Crowe aimed to launch a division in third-party corporate housing. Christine and two partners made it happen.

Persist, Persist, Persist – and Be Proactive
Over time, Christine bought out her partners as well as assets from the housewares company, which ultimately folded. She survived a 50% loss of business after 9/11 and rebuilt her base at the rate of 10-20% per year. She raised her sons and stayed home when they were sick (“in the days without internet!” she emphasizes.) And, now, she owns and runs a $1.3M company with three employees.

As for how she’s dealing with the current economic crisis, Christine – as always – is being proactive and developing strategies that will ensure her company’s profitability – and survival. “With Cheryl Beth leading my CEO Think Tank® group, I have no other choice!” she reports, laughing in appreciation of CEO Think Tank® founder Cheryl Beth Kuchler’s enthusiastic promotion of best business practices – especially proper planning.

Christine is also using the help of Peg Calvario, the newest facilitator in the CEO Think Tank® community and a business owner who successfully grew and ran her company for 25 years before selling it this year. With Peg, Christine is working to increase her website’s search engine optimization. As she increases her company’s marketing and internet presence, she expands her employees’ scope of responsibilities to include marketing elements. She also hired an inside sales rep in order to free herself to concentrate on business development and networking.

 “I joined CEO Think Tank® to push the business forward and manage it better” says Christine. “I want to make it less cyclical and project dependent, more even and sustainable.

Share Your Problems – and Your Successes
According to Christine, the qualities “that make CEO Think Tank® a success are: a) its leader and, b) its members.” She continues, “There are so many coaches out there, but Cheryl Beth is so genuine, so invested. She recently touched base (from an out-of-town conference) while my son was in the hospital to see what she could do. Only friends and family do that… I was on her mind, even amidst a business-altering experience. Would you get that from other business coaches?”

As for her fellow group members, Christine appreciates their willingness to share their perspective on problems, goals, even financial data. “They give good advice, like ‘this effort worked, this didn’t’… and they hold me accountable; if I haven’t done A, B, and C, fourteen people will put me on the hot seat, nicely. I’d better get my homework done. I have to answer to my peers – that motivates me. And the group accountability… keeps me on track.”

Participating in a CEO Think Tank® group helped Christine realize that she’s not alone in her struggles as a small business owner. “They have the same concerns and fears that I do… even in the midst of success.”

Her participation also illustrates one of her key beliefs: “it’s important to surround yourself with like-minded people who genuinely want to help you grow your business… there are a lot of good people out there willing to help – you just ask.”

As for her next strategic move, Christine has recognized that personal introductions are the best way to reach someone new. Being so customer-centric, she’s creating a personal referral book for clients. “It’s not just about sheets and towels, but hair salons and services... I worked with a woman who had four young kids and a husband who’d just relocated the family to Doylestown. In frustration, she asked, ‘How will I ever get my haircut? Even if I find a place, I’ll need a babysitter.’ I know how it is… I’ve been there,” Christine recalls.

Of course she has. Relocation is her business. And supporting people and their families through it is her way of life. (www.amenityrentals.com)