Episode Details

In this engaging episode, Brad interviews Beth Lancaster, a Senior Property Manager at FirstPort. Beth shares her fascinating career journey, starting as a dental nurse on minimum wage to making a bold move to Dubai at age 26, where she ‘faked it till she made it’ into the world of luxury skyscraper management. The conversation explores the high-pressure world of facilities management, the importance of proactive communication with residents, and how Beth manages a team of 96 developments. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Beth shares how she transitioned from dental nursing to managing a Dubai skyscraper by being willing to learn on the job and projecting confidence even when she was still learning basic office skills.

In property management, silence creates anxiety. Beth emphasises the importance of constant updates, even if there is no new news, to build trust with residents during building emergencies.

Successful property managers must be adept at juggling multiple high-priority tasks simultaneously while recognising their limits to ensure service standards don't slip.

Beth discusses how her management style evolved through personality profiling (like the ‘Surrounded by Idiots’ workshop), moving from a ‘High Red’ dominant style to a more empathetic ‘High Yellow’ approach.

The industry has become significantly more complex with the Building Safety Act, requiring managers to be constantly learning and leveraging new technologies to track compliance and safety.

BEST MOMENTS

"I was faking it till I made it. I didn't know how to use computers, I didn't know how to file anything, but I just seemed to get away with it."

"Over-communicating is definitely going to be better than under-communication... that's where you build up the trust with your residents."

"I like to be a medium fish in a big pond. I like to be somebody, but I also like to be surrounded by a lot of other somebodies."

"On a Sunday evening, none of my team are feeling sick about going to work the next day. As long as we have that, then we're happy."

"The more times you say no, the more successful you can be, because then you focus on the stuff that really matters." 

HOST BIO

Brad Staines is a founder in the thick of it - but by design, not by default. As the face of Aquamark Cleaning, he’s built a multi-million-pound operation with 30+ team members, strong systems, and a culture that gives people space to grow.

He’s still involved in the business a couple of days a week - but only doing the parts he genuinely enjoys: building relationships, growing the brand, spending time with the team, and spotting new opportunities. The day-to-day grind? That’s been handed over to a structure that runs without constant firefighting.

Brad’s also found his rhythm outside of business - with a deep commitment to physical and mental training. Whether it’s strength work, early morning runs, or cold plunges, he’s a believer that how you show up for yourself shapes how you show up as a leader.

Working On It is where he brings it all together - growth, grit, and getting better every week.