For Episode 259 of Amplify Your Business, we’re joined by Kerri Davis, the co-founder and CEO of Fortress, a software solution that helps property management companies manage their assets and create efficiency in their operations. With a background in accounting and law, Kerri has leveraged her entrepreneurial spirit to build a successful business in the real estate and technology industries. Join us today as Kerri shares her insights on entrepreneurship and the importance of embracing failure, creating psychological safety, and surrounding yourself with the right people. She emphasizes the need to redefine success and view failures as stepping stones to success. Kerri also discusses the value of psychological safety in a risky entrepreneurial environment and the importance of commitment in team members. She highlights the benefits of diversity in the workplace and the power of different perspectives in driving innovation and success.

To learn more, visit https://fortresstech.io. 

00:00  Intro

01:05  The importance of reframing success as an entrepreneur 

02:45  Creating psychological safety for teams in a risky environment 

04:37  Surrounding yourself with committed individuals 

06:26  Hiring fast and firing fast to foster commitment 

08:22  Not burdening overachievers with underachievers 

09:47  Challenges in letting go of underperforming team members 

11:00  The importance of acknowledging the 50-50 nature of hiring 

11:34  Introduction to Fortress software solution for property management companies 

12:15  Building Fortress to solve problems in property management 

13:24  Importance of incubation and finding a champion for software development 

14:29 Advice for finding a champion and creating a partnership

16:13  Importance of finding a company with the same problem 

18:19  Whittling down features and agile development 

21:15 Kerri Davis’ background and unique experiences 

23:02 Working in Iraq and transitioning to accounting and sales 

25:20 Joining Elmington and overcoming fears of lack of knowledge 

25:20 Kerri Davis talks about working in a small office space.