Fearless Innovation, Empathy, and the Future of Real Estate (with Rachelle Strole of Capital Asset Management)
In this episode of the Knoodle Founders Hour, host Rosaria Cain sits down with Rachelle Strole, owner and managing partner of Capital Asset Management LLC, to discuss the shifting tides of commercial real estate and what it truly means to lead with empathy and a fearless mindset.
Rachelle’s journey as a founder is marked by resilience. She launched her company in February 2009, right in the wake of the Great Recession. Surviving that challenging era left her with valuable scars and a deep-seated determination to shake up the industry. Today, she is recognized as one of Arizona’s most influential and interesting figures in asset management, managing commercial properties across the Southwest and Hawaii. Rather than sticking to comfortable, traditional blueprints, Rachelle is on a mission to build a more beautiful, sustainable, and technologically advanced future.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
- Tackling the “Stucco and Sticks” Heat Bubble: Why Phoenix needs to move away from asphalt, concrete, and cheap traditional construction. Rachelle highlights the environmental stakes of urban development, sharing how the region lost roughly 10% of its native saguaros a few years ago because persistent night temperatures never dropped below 90 degrees for the cacti to breathe.
- The Kona Cloud Forest Blueprint: An inspiring example of environmental restoration from Rachelle’s project in Hawaii. She recounts how a scientist purchased a deforested grazing pasture on a mountain and, through 30 years of planting specific trees, successfully generated a self-sustaining cloud forest that creates its own daily rainfall.
- Empathetic Leadership vs. Being the Hero: Why empathy is the single most critical (and often missing) quality in leadership. Rachelle explains her daily practice of doing a “two-second” check-in with every employee in her office to feel the room, notice who might be struggling, and build authentic connections.
- The AI Renaissance in Commercial Real Estate: How Capital Asset Management embraces technology to eliminate soul-crushing administrative tasks. Rachelle shares how they use AI to automate invoicing, contracts, and demographic research—saving hours of work and freeing up employees to learn new skills or personally connect with tenants.
- Tennis, Sarcasm, and Swahili: A hilarious look into how Rachelle blows off steam by writing the names of frustrating people on tennis balls and hitting them thousands of times, plus her passion for studying Swahili, Spanish, and Japanese.
- Altruistic Global Philanthropy: Rachelle’s hands-on work funding a self-sustaining farm in Malawi to provide food, security, and independent growth for double-orphan children under the age of nine.
For real estate professionals, corporate leaders looking to navigate technological disruption, or anyone wanting to build a purposeful and creative career, Rachelle’s fearless approach offers an empowering roadmap for the future.
Listen to the full episode of the Knoodle Founders Hour podcast to hear Rachelle’s incredible stories of travel, innovation, and what it takes to build communities with genuine care.
Full Transcript
Announcer 0:01
Welcome to the Knoodle Founder’s Hour, where we go founder to founder with host Rosaria Cain. Today, our special guest is Rachelle Strole, owner and managing partner of Capital Asset Management LLC. She has been named one of the most influential women in Arizona by AZ Big Media and a woman of influence in 2025 by Globe Street. Please welcome Rachelle Strole.
Rosaria Cain 0:24
Welcome, Rachelle Strole, one of the most interesting people in asset management. How is your asset today?
Rachelle Strole 0:31
It’s a little sore. Thank you for asking. Was at the Mercury game last night, and we jumped and screamed and sat on stairs, and so yeah. So the asset’s a little tender today.
Rosaria Cain 0:41
Well, that’s awesome, and you’re going to tell us about commercial real estate and the market and what’s going on, and what’s going on with your company, especially since you’ve gotten all these awards for being most interesting and most influential. In my mind, most funny. Having talked to you for last 20 minutes. I would say you’re funny and interesting.
Rachelle Strole 1:04
I think that they do a lot of that voting while we’re all drinking together or something because that’s a it’s a lot of poof. But I think we just have a little more fun.
Rosaria Cain 1:11
But there’s always a reason, and congratulations on your recent recognition and your company going so far. When did you open your company?
Rachelle Strole 1:20
Oh, that’s a great story.
Rosaria Cain 1:21
Because wasn’t it right before the recession? Do I remember reading this right?
Rachelle Strole 1:24
It was two months after. So February of 2009.
Rosaria Cain 1:27
I remember 2009 very, very well. It was a nightmare. Lasted 10 years.
Rachelle Strole 1:33
Everybody’s got scars from 2009. There are people that you still you just the the nine doesn’t even come out, and they just turn white and don’t want to talk to you anymore.
Rosaria Cain 1:41
Yep, it’s like….
Rachelle Strole 1:42
It’s the worst of the worst.
Rosaria Cain 1:43
Post traumatic stress syndrome. The times were just not good. Everyone’s house was in foreclosure.
Rachelle Strole 1:48
That’s the perfect storm.
Rosaria Cain 1:48
Yeah.
Rachelle Strole 1:49
It’s perfect storm.
Rosaria Cain 1:50
And now we’re seeing different tides regarding these times that we’re seeing. We’re seeing a whole different type of temperature in the political environment. So let’s talk about the world of asset management. How is business now? You do deal with a lot of commercial real estate. You’re up on trends. Let’s talk about what we’re seeing in the Phoenix area.
Rachelle Strole 2:13
Oh well, Phoenix is a boom. I mean, anyone that’s in real estate should just get down on both knees and say, “Thank you, God, I’m in Arizona.” Not maybe today because you’d burn them, but
Rosaria Cain 2:24
It’s a little warm.
Rachelle Strole 2:25
It’s a little warm, yeah. But for the– and I shouldn’t just say Arizona because we’re in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada.
Rosaria Cain 2:31
You’re all over the country actually.
Rachelle Strole 2:32
The southern southwest and Hawaii. But that’s just an excuse. We are very fortunate. I mean, incredibly fortunate. Arizona, especially because there’s just been such a migration, and then
Rosaria Cain 2:43
We’re the affordable movement for California,
Rachelle Strole 2:45
100%. Well, and then there’s the political side of how people feel and all of that, which means nothing to me. But yeah, to be able to live like a normal person very nicely, you’ve got it here. And now with some of our suburbia and some of the outlying areas, the Prescotts and the Paysons and the Pine Tops. People are now understanding you can have four seasons here, and people like, “What?” you know. And I mean, when I moved here
Rosaria Cain 3:08
An hour away, really.
Rachelle Strole 3:09
An hour. You could go skiing and golfing in the same.
Rosaria Cain 3:11
Yep.
Rachelle Strole 3:11
Snow skiing and water skiing if you wanted to.
Rosaria Cain 3:14
Yes, you could.
Rachelle Strole 3:14
But people don’t know that till they see it. I think that that door got opened
Rosaria Cain 3:18
And five hours from the beach.
Rachelle Strole 3:20
100, yeah, and four to Mexico. So I mean, that’s right. It’s it’s an absolutely amazing place. But I also, I mean, my hats off to GPEC in you know the Greater Phoenix Economic. I mean, when I moved here, it was just housing, housing, housing, yeah, housing, housing growth.
Rosaria Cain 3:36
Well that was the whole 2008 thing.
Rachelle Strole 3:37
That, but in which then of course busted.
Rosaria Cain 3:40
Yeah.
Rachelle Strole 3:40
But the the focus on going into the tech, in the biotech, in moving the universities downtown, and I mean there was just a group of humans who decided that this could not be an economy based around just those things, and then we bring Crow to ASU and dear Lord, and now GCU is just unbelievable.
Rosaria Cain 3:45
Unbelievable.
Rachelle Strole 3:49
But they also like I I do give Arizona. I grew up in South Dakota, so kind of fearless cowboy theory. I do still love the fact that Arizona, people here are somewhat fearless. It’s you know I want this. I want to get it.
Rosaria Cain 4:17
Entrepreneurship
Rachelle Strole 4:18
Absolutely. It sounds good. It feels good. Let’s do it, as opposed to a lot of places in the U.S. where it’s like, well, it sounds good, but it’s scary, or that might cost too much, or this this dream is too big.
Rosaria Cain 4:29
Or what will my neighbors say?
Rachelle Strole 4:30
Oh, oh, yeah. Oh, dear Lord, please. So I do find that that attitude plus the growth factor plus that we have, you know, we still have a lot of land and we sprawl and we just have a little bit of that extra juice.
Rosaria Cain 4:44
We can really build here, and we can build amazing, amazing things.
Rachelle Strole 4:49
But we need to start doing that.
Rosaria Cain 4:50
Yes, and and become more of a city.
Rachelle Strole 4:53
We need to.
Rosaria Cain 4:53
I’m a city person.
Rachelle Strole 4:54
Yes.
Rosaria Cain 4:54
I mean, I like both. I like the city and I like the country.
Rachelle Strole 4:57
Yes.
Rosaria Cain 4:57
I don’t like the in between.
Rachelle Strole 4:59
I would like. The theory that we could have walk cities. I mean, to to be able, and that’s what we’re trying to develop over here on Camelback. But it would be it would be really amazing if we could create environments where you could literally park your car and yet still go have dinner and go and and really eliminate the need for everyone to have two and a half cars and you know all of the things that they have, but there’s also the beauty of the mountains in that too. So if we can if we can start to rethink it, but we’ve got to get away from the stucco and sticks.
Rosaria Cain 5:29
Oh, so true.
Rachelle Strole 5:30
I mean, we wonder why we have a heat bubble.
Rosaria Cain 5:32
An urban community, like create more of an urban center.
Rachelle Strole 5:35
Yes, in in in trees, and I mean, there’s we wonder why every rainstorm goes around us, but we created a heat bubble, and then everybody.
Rosaria Cain 5:42
A frying pan at that.
Rachelle Strole 5:44
They just go around us.
Rosaria Cain 5:45
They do.
Rachelle Strole 5:45
But then, why are we pouring asphalt parking lots? I was just in Japan, and we’re bringing it back to our new development. I mean, it’s just pebbles in in little tins. But I mean, they cool off. You just spray them down. They go off. Why do we have to have asphalt and concrete? Why do we have to have stucco and sticks? I mean, why? I mean, we’re already paying top dollar for everything we’re buying.
Rosaria Cain 6:02
Is there really a solution to this problem, Rachelle?
Rachelle Strole 6:04
There is.
Rosaria Cain 6:05
Tell me about that.
Rachelle Strole 6:06
There is. So I was just, We have a big project in Kona, and this is the best story. I have the. It’s like a such a beautiful–
Rosaria Cain 6:12
Kona, Hawaii?
Rachelle Strole 6:12
Yeah.
Rosaria Cain 6:12
All right. Just set in the scene. Okay.
Rachelle Strole 6:14
So there was a slaughter cow farm way up on the mountain that had been completely deforested.
Rachelle Strole 6:22
Now, they can get really high up, right?
Rosaria Cain 6:22
I mean, these mountains are high.
Rachelle Strole 6:24
Oh yeah, you can snow ski in Kona.
Rosaria Cain 6:26
Okay, so that’s what I heard.
Rachelle Strole 6:27
So, but 30 years ago now, and I want to say that just because I want to make the point: 30 years ago, a scientist bought this grazing pasture, and he started replanting these very specific trees, and now it is a cloud forest that creates rain, makes rain clouds, and it rains every day.
Rosaria Cain 6:45
Wow!
Rachelle Strole 6:46
And it was 30 years in the making, from absolutely nothing, just dirt terrain and grass, to an absolute forest. It’s full of trees. It’s full of birds. It’s full of everything, but it creates coolness and it creates its own rain. And the trees are so dense and wet that they literally create a cloud.
Rosaria Cain 7:01
Rachelle, could there be hope?
Rachelle Strole 7:02
There’s hope right on Camelback if we do it right.
Rosaria Cain 7:04
All right, let’s talk about this.
Rachelle Strole 7:06
I mean. It’s that’s the one thing that I find that maybe 2008 and 9 did to us. I think it caused so much fear that like the innovation part of it. I think COVID helped because people were so bored they got innovative, but I think there was so much fear, and there’s been so much fear for that group that was in the commercial real estate world then that they won’t take the pain. They just do what they know. I know I can make X dollars by building this, and it cost me that, and the asphalt makes sense, and it’s– but it doesn’t. You know, it just doesn’t make sense. And just if you’re if you could just look ahead a little bit, and, will it cost a little bit more? Yeah, it probably will. Will you probably get more for it? A billion percent. So just getting around the scare of something different.
Rosaria Cain 7:52
You’re kind of talking about what Michael Crow did to the to ASU. What you could what you could do with Phoenix. You could transform it into something innovative and futuristic and fun and interesting and cosmopolitan.
Rachelle Strole 8:07
Absolutely. Well, you want to talk about fearless?
Rosaria Cain 8:10
Yeah.
Rachelle Strole 8:10
I mean, that’s just give me a goal and watch me get to it, you know?
Rosaria Cain 8:14
Rachelle, I am not standing in your in your way.
Rachelle Strole 8:19
Yeah, you got to put your mind to it.
Rosaria Cain 8:22
The people that scare me are the ones that I love to be around because sometimes we get so complacent and bored we don’t even know.
Rachelle Strole 8:30
But but what is fun? I mean, like
Rosaria Cain 8:33
Fun is new, creative.
Rachelle Strole 8:36
Why not?
Rosaria Cain 8:37
Solutions.
Rachelle Strole 8:38
Fearless.
Rosaria Cain 8:39
Yes.
Rachelle Strole 8:39
I mean, so we fail. Oh well, I mean, I’m only here once. Like, let me fail. Like, I’ll fail. I’ll come back, not break down. I’m back, but I’m going to learn something. Usually, I take some friends down with me, so at least we can we can commiserate over some period. I have to run to run to Italy and hide in somebody’s basement.
Rosaria Cain 8:59
I’ve got a spot for you. Could hide in Sicily. No one will ever find you.
Rachelle Strole 9:03
Oh, I’ll make sure they do. I’ll be the one in the get in the corner bar. But yeah, it’s. I think Phoenix is at this cusp of being super cool. Like, a really good friend of mine, Zac Cohen, is the Roosevelt Row guys. I mean, look what they’ve done to downtown.
Rosaria Cain 9:20
Amazing
Rachelle Strole 9:21
Funky, cool, amazing.
Rosaria Cain 9:23
Murals everywhere.
Speaker 1 9:24
Everything beautiful, safe. But I mean, he we were on a panel together, him, me, and Walt Brown, and he said something I will never forget because the crowd just kind of was quiet. And he said, “You know, there are just some things that shouldn’t be built because they’re just not good enough.”
Rosaria Cain 9:38
Well, what shouldn’t be built, Rochelle?
Rachelle Strole 9:39
Stucco and sticks.
Rosaria Cain 9:41
Okay.
Rachelle Strole 9:42
Asphalt and concrete.
Rosaria Cain 9:41
Basic southwestern structures.
Rachelle Strole 9:45
Just things that are not good for the environment or humans.
Rosaria Cain 9:47
What’s not good for the environment and humans?
Rachelle Strole 9:49
Asphalt and concrete.
Rosaria Cain 9:50
Okay, all right.
Speaker 2 9:51
I mean, asphalt. I mean yeah, you go outside. Can you walk your dog at 9o’clock at night?
Rosaria Cain 9:56
No, too hot.
Rachelle Strole 9:57
Too hot, and it’s not going to cool down. Our saguaros– We lost like what? 10% of our saguaros three years ago because it didn’t get below 90ºF for 15 days, and they have to breathe at night.
Rosaria Cain 10:06
Yeah,
Rachelle Strole 10:06
But how do we ignore that?
Rosaria Cain 10:08
I agree with you. What what structures are the solution?
Rachelle Strole 10:13
There’s so much. I mean, I’m a traveler. I love to travel a lot, but go, just leave here. I mean, Tokyo. I was just in Tokyo. Okay, 36 million people are in Tokyo, three times New York City.
Rosaria Cain 10:13
Yep.
Rachelle Strole 10:13
And it’s clean as clean. But this, I wasn’t there for the clean. Everywhere there’s green. Every roof has a garden on it. Every roof has a garden on it, and I’m talking give back to the world gardens. Every corner has trees. I mean, they consciously understand that we need the oxygen, we need the CO2 conversion, we need these things. We need the pretty.
Rosaria Cain 10:16
We do need the pretty.
Rachelle Strole 10:16
We need the pretty too. Like you look out your–
Rosaria Cain 10:16
For our emotional development, we need the pretty.
Rachelle Strole 10:16
Well, do you want to look out your hotel window and stare at 8000 HVAC units, or do you want to look at a transitory bee garden?
Rosaria Cain 11:00
Or brown? Or do I want to look out at the brown?
Rachelle Strole 11:03
No, but I mean, 36 million people in that city, and the streets are now the streets are concrete and asphalt. But is anything else? No.
Rosaria Cain 11:11
So it’s balanced.
Rachelle Strole 11:12
It’s they’re they’re doing their very best, but it’s a heck of a lot better than what we are trying to do. Or they’re or I shouldn’t say it that way. We’re not trying, right? We’re just doing. They’re trying.
Rosaria Cain 11:22
How do you get people to try? I guess innovators invest in the community, like you and like the people you work with, and create these solutions and these interesting, viable areas that bring beauty to the world. So it’s not just about the money; it brings beauty to everybody that lives in the area or walks by it or sees it.
Rachelle Strole 11:45
So, I have an 18 and a 17-year-old daughter and son.
Rosaria Cain 11:48
Okay, I bet they can’t get away with anything.
Rachelle Strole 11:50
Well, they knew what their mom was like, so they know they can’t because I’ve done it all. But they, that generation in the, I think the little bit of the generation ahead of it, they do notice. They do get angry. They do not want to stay at a, you know, an 80-story hotel that’s all glass and concrete. They respect and understand things. They I think that the they see that their world we’ve done nothing good to, and they also then respect the innovation. And I so I believe, and then I also believe in the like the good old fashioned Catholic shaming. You know, build something better next to the guy who didn’t.
Rosaria Cain 12:27
Right?
Rachelle Strole 12:28
And then what’s he going to build next?
Rosaria Cain 12:28
Right.
Rachelle Strole 12:28
Which is kind of my theory. It’s like I want to build something on Camelback right now that is going to basically shame the next guy into being better.
Rosaria Cain 12:36
Well, that’s not hard on Camelback.
Rachelle Strole 12:38
I know,
Rosaria Cain 12:38
but let’s let’s talk. I live in that area. I’m completely aware. I I love. I love the Biltmore, but I wish it was more. I mean, the Biltmore has shades of interesting things, but it’s nothing incredibly innovative or different. And it’s been that way for years. The whole area has been that way since Oscar Taylor and Hulahans. Remember those days?
Rachelle Strole 12:59
Oh I do!
Rosaria Cain 12:59
Are you old enough to remember that?
Rachelle Strole 13:00
We’re aging ourselves. Stop!
Rosaria Cain 13:01
Okay.
Rachelle Strole 13:02
We’re not talking like that!
Rosaria Cain 13:03
I know, but I mean, I love the history.
Rachelle Strole 13:05
My mom never spoke about it.
Rosaria Cain 13:07
Okay, all right. My mom did too, but you think of it. If you do recall those times, it hasn’t changed that much. It’s the same building.
Rachelle Strole 13:17
No, I I been I was there. Yeah, I mean, when I was again South Dakota kid, my parents would feel guilty in January because by then you’d frozen to death almost five times.
Rosaria Cain 13:26
Right.
Rachelle Strole 13:27
So we would stay at the Embassy Suites there, or we’d go to Kona, which is why I have a love for the two places.
Rosaria Cain 13:31
Yeah.
Rachelle Strole 13:32
But it’s the same.
Rosaria Cain 13:33
It is the same.
Rachelle Strole 13:34
And the price per square foot allows you to make it better. I mean, it’s not like it hasn’t appreciated through the roof. Like there’s really very little excuse not to make it better because you’re getting your investment back, and it’s not, I’m not altruistic. I do know it’s about money to a lot of people, but you can still make great money doing something better.
Rosaria Cain 13:58
I think usually you can make even greater money doing something better.
Rachelle Strole 14:02
Exactly. And you can sleep at night, and you’re leaving something behind that has something to look at.
Rosaria Cain 14:07
Doesn’t it seem like all the really great projects have gone north or to Scottsdale?
Rachelle Strole 14:12
Well, there is this–
Rosaria Cain 14:13
Well, and in downtown Phoenix, you’re starting to see a lot of innovation, which we kind of already talked about even before we started taping this. But doesn’t it seem like it’s kind of left the middle of Phoenix? A lot of the big develop–strangely.
Rachelle Strole 14:25
Yep.
Rosaria Cain 14:27
And why is that?
Rachelle Strole 14:28
Like the midtown section.
Rosaria Cain 14:29
Like the Camelback area.
Rachelle Strole 14:31
Yeah.
Rosaria Cain 14:31
There’s just nothing. Like the Esplanade was supposed to be amazing. That Fife Symington project, and maybe it was for about a year and a half.
Rachelle Strole 14:31
Yep.
Rosaria Cain 14:31
Or the El Mercado area. Do you remember that?
Rachelle Strole 14:35
Aww, I remember when that was bu.
Rosaria Cain 14:38
I can’t remember what they called it. It had a name.
Rachelle Strole 14:45
Yeah.
Rosaria Cain 14:45
That whole that whole community and another Fife Symington project.
Rachelle Strole 14:48
It was a Symington project, and then it went down, and then some school took it over.
Rosaria Cain 14:52
Right. Well, it went in disrepair, and somebody scooped it up.
Rachelle Strole 14:55
Somebody scooped it. Yeah.
Rosaria Cain 14:56
And then and then um, oh Arizona Center.
Rachelle Strole 15:00
Oh yeah.
Rosaria Cain 15:01
That was supposed to be the next great thing.
Rachelle Strole 15:04
A lot of brain cells of mine are still there.
Rosaria Cain 15:06
But it didn’t quite. I mean, it worked for a couple of years, maybe three years, and then suddenly it didn’t work.
Rachelle Strole 15:12
I think it goes back to also though. Sadly, everyone here has three cars, and
Rosaria Cain 15:18
Yeah,
Rachelle Strole 15:18
you know all that. And parking is a thing.
Rosaria Cain 15:21
Parking is a thing,
Rachelle Strole 15:22
And, don’t get around that.
Rosaria Cain 15:23
But you know what? Compared to other cities, we have a lot of parking.
Rachelle Strole 15:26
We have a lot of cars.
Rosaria Cain 15:27
We have a lot of land.
Rachelle Strole 15:29
We do got a lot of cars. But yeah, I mean, I I feel like we’re at a really good spot though because so much from other states, so many people, so many a really good friend of ours from Seattle. Amazing developer. His name’s Dan Duffus. He he’s from Seattle, so he saw that downtown high rise theory and came in, and he’s doing funky cool things. So I think a huge influx of people from out of Arizona are coming in with very different ideas.
Rosaria Cain 15:58
Good.
Rachelle Strole 15:59
And I feel like they in their you know they they don’t see land like we do. It’s like you see this old building in disrepair, and they see something amazing because there they go up.
Rosaria Cain 16:07
Right?
Rachelle Strole 16:07
You know, so I have a lot of– I get very excited about what Phoenix is going to be in the next five years.
Rosaria Cain 16:13
I’m so happy to hear that. Now tell me about because we’re talking about how that central Phoenix area, that corridor with a lot of money, but no pizzazz, nothing monumental. Like I think central, like downtown Phoenix, has done some amazing things. Scottsdale, there’s parts of North Scottsdale that you can see some amazing things, Carefree and Cave Creek. Yep, but you go down Camelback Road, and it’s it’s kind of a big nothing.
Rachelle Strole 16:40
There’s a lot of eyes on it, though.
Rosaria Cain 16:42
That’s good. So it’s about to change.
Rachelle Strole 16:44
Yes, I feel very confident.
Rosaria Cain 16:45
Tell me about what you’re what you’re doing on, is it 27th Street in Camelback? Tell me what you’re doing on that area.
Rachelle Strole 16:51
I mean, our goal is is really to to and we tested it out with a project down in Chandler called the Steelyard, just building better and and funky and fun and cool, but you know lots of plants. So I’ll give you an example. Like you go to see a drive-through, right? Nobody wants to see a drive-through. What if you made that drive-through out of corrugated metal and you weaved snail ivy through it?
Rosaria Cain 17:14
That’d be much better.
Rachelle Strole 17:15
Isn’t that better?
Rosaria Cain 17:16
Yes.
Rachelle Strole 17:16
How hard is that? Ask me and my two kids because when they were little, we did it, and it was fun as heck, but it’s beautiful. It’s not a drive-through, you know what I mean. So there’s just those little things, but I think that that that beauty is what we’re missing. And I think the beauty side of things, like you said, the murals on Roosevelt Road, like people are starting to take pay attention to what is pretty and feels good. Live plants, live things, you know. I mean, we started swapping everything out for like sculptural succulents. Yeah, I mean, there are birds, and you want your birds, you want your bees, you want your plants, you want your things. So, but I will tell you that being in the industry I’m in, just give it five years. I think you’re going to be really happy with what you see. I think that the influx of different minds coming in see our potential, and they’re going to jump on it.
Rosaria Cain 18:06
So, what exactly are you planning at 2027? Is it top secret?
Rachelle Strole 18:12
Well, it’s not top secret. It’s just that I have this box of crayons and about 5000 pieces of paper, and it changes like every night. It’s usually paper.
Rosaria Cain 18:19
What is it today?
Rachelle Strole 18:20
A bunch of offices.
Rosaria Cain 18:21
Okay, all right.
Rachelle Strole 18:22
Yes, but it won’t stay that way.
Rosaria Cain 18:23
No, I mean, I mean, what is it in your mind today? No, what is it in reality?
Rachelle Strole 18:29
It’ll be some multi-use with amazing restaurant, with some cool office, with a bunch of migrating bee gardens, and maybe some luxury condos, but with yards.
Rosaria Cain 18:39
Okay.
Rachelle Strole 18:39
All grass, underground parking, no asphalt, no concrete, breathing walls.
Rosaria Cain 18:44
Oh, sounds great. Where do you get your inspiration for these types of…
Rachelle Strole 18:45
Travel.
Rosaria Cain 18:47
Travel, okay, all right.
Rachelle Strole 18:49
Every time I travel, yeah, Tokyo just blew my mind. Osaka, I mean, it’s just the care that’s taken so many places. That it’s just I understand that they need more time, and they take more time, but it’s it’s the real thought. But I think there’s also the pride of ownership side of things.
Rosaria Cain 19:07
Yes.
Rachelle Strole 19:07
That I’m hoping is coming here. But I mean, when you build something there, you’re putting your name on something.
Rosaria Cain 19:13
Yeah.
Rachelle Strole 19:14
nd and it’s forever. And I think we need a lot more of that.
Rosaria Cain 19:17
Now, is there enough people on the high end moving in to absorb these properties.
Rachelle Strole 19:22
There’s so many people moving in.
Rosaria Cain 19:24
Okay.
Rachelle Strole 19:25
Matter of fact, I wonder sometimes if we don’t have a bit of the too much of the high end coming in, and therefore the services and everything else we need aren’t. You know.
Rosaria Cain 19:32
Well, those usually catch up. They have a way of catching up.
Rachelle Strole 19:36
Yeah, unless you outprice them. I mean, we. You know, I’ve got a bunch of stuff in in Kona in COVID loss. They lost 33% of their population in Hawaii, and they can’t afford to come back.
Rosaria Cain 19:45
Yeah.
Rachelle Strole 19:46
So how are you going to go to a great restaurant, get your hotel room clean? You know, have this wonderful pool guy that’s asking you how many margaritas you want, Mrs. Strole, and I’m like, as many as you can pour, young man.
Rosaria Cain 19:54
Right? Right.
Rachelle Strole 19:55
But they can’t afford to go back, so they’ve actually been staying in their own home, Lahaina too.
Rosaria Cain 20:00
With the fires.
Rachelle Strole 20:00
I know what what’s going to be built there now? Surely not going to be these.
Rosaria Cain 20:04
I don’t know. Is it isn’t it something innovative? I’ve heard it’s getting completely rebuilt in a different way.
Rachelle Strole 20:10
I know the state jumped in and really just said, “Listen, this is not going to be, you know, Waikiki.”
Rosaria Cain 20:16
It was always quaint.
Rachelle Strole 20:17
It was always quaint, but it’s not going to be Waikiki.
Rosaria Cain 20:19
I mean, it was always quaint and had a small town appeal to it, and a real genuine feel g.
Rachelle Strole 20:25
You felt like you were going back in Hawaii,
Rosaria Cain 20:27
Yeah, like very Jimmy Buffett.
Rachelle Strole 20:28
Oh totally.
Rosaria Cain 20:29
Just laid back.
Rachelle Strole 20:30
Never wear your shoes in Hawaii.
Rosaria Cain 20:31
No, right!
Rachelle Strole 20:31
Never wear your shoes in Hawaii.
Rosaria Cain 20:33
Right? Ha! No, that would be great. So, what else are you seeing in the Phoenix area in your crystal ball? What do you see? You were talking about five years. We’re going to see a whole new look and feel, like maybe more walkability, for instance.
Rachelle Strole 20:48
I think people’s patience for just old and dilapidated is gone.
Rosaria Cain 20:52
I hope so.
Rachelle Strole 20:53
And you hear it if you’re in the development side of things or in the commercial real estate side of things. People are tired of it. It’s you know you’re driving down the road, and here’s a you know I’m not going to name a building, but you know it’s it’s literally obviously deferred in every way, and yet still allowed to just be sitting there. And again, I think the city, the GPEC, and I had just a wonderful I want to say happy hour, but I we went way past happy hour. It was like now a hilarious hour with a couple people from the city, and they’re actually reaching out directly and saying, “Hey, what? Why are we? What? What could we do here for you? What can we do? So, I think there’s just been this ability to just let things sit, defer, grow value.
Rosaria Cain 21:34
Phoenix is known for that.
Rachelle Strole 21:35
And but I think that’s where I tell you to have faith. I believe that worm has turned. I believe people are like, we are sick of–
Rosaria Cain 21:39
Remember the Fox Animation Center.
Rachelle Strole 21:44
Oh yeah.
Rosaria Cain 21:44
It sat there for how many years? 10?
Rachelle Strole 21:47
10.
Rosaria Cain 21:47
Yeah.
Rachelle Strole 21:47
All day.
Rosaria Cain 21:48
I mean, it was cool when it was first built.
Rachelle Strole 21:51
Yep.
Rosaria Cain 21:52
But then it just sat there.
Rachelle Strole 21:53
Yeah. Wow. Why did it take so long to rip Metro Center down?
Rosaria Cain 21:56
Oh my god.
Rachelle Strole 21:56
Why did it take so long to rip Fiesta?
Rosaria Cain 21:58
I remember Metro Center when it was considered cool.
Rachelle Strole 22:01
I ice skated there.
Rosaria Cain 22:02
Me too.
Rachelle Strole 22:03
Oh, that was the coolest thing I’d ever seen in my whole life.
Rosaria Cain 22:05
Yep.
Rachelle Strole 22:06
Little glittery dress, the whole damn thing.
Rosaria Cain 22:08
Biggest mall in the world.
Rachelle Strole 22:09
Biggest mall in the world. Yeah, and I remember just calling all my friends from a payphone.
Rosaria Cain 22:13
Yep. Oh yeah.
Rachelle Strole 22:14
To tell them that I had just ice skated in Arizona in the summer, and I was like–
Rosaria Cain 22:17
I remember that it was a huge entertainment center.
Rachelle Strole 22:21
Yeah.
Rosaria Cain 22:21
Phoenix has a really illustrious history, and it’s so encouraging to hear how plans are being made that is going to change for everybody. I mean, that’s so exciting. So, have you always had this entrepreneurial spirit? Like, can you have a paper route in North Dakota?
Rachelle Strole 22:43
South Dakota.
Rosaria Cain 22:44
South. I’m sorry.
Rachelle Strole 22:45
No.
Rosaria Cain 22:45
I get my Dakotas completely.
Rachelle Strole 22:46
Yeah, we have Mt. Rushmore. They have oil. Who won? Right.
Rosaria Cain 22:46
I think you won.
Rachelle Strole 22:50
Yeah. Well. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. I do too. But but I have a lot of good friends in North Dakota. In Bell Banks, my favorite bank. So I make a joke that I appreciate everyone says that I’m entrepreneurial, but I really do question if I’m just not employable.
Rosaria Cain 23:06
Well, that’s one of the reasons people like to strike out on their own because they don’t want to be held back, right?
Rachelle Strole 23:11
Yeah.
Rosaria Cain 23:11
And that’s one of the things that might consider somebody unemployable. It’s not necessarily a slam. It’s you can’t be you can’t be boxed in.
Rachelle Strole 23:21
No, I don’t mind it at all. But I do think that your brain just works differently, and we don’t take people like me don’t take “No” very well in you know it’s you know come up with something crazy. And I take “Hey, Rachelle, that’s crazy,” but I don’t take any…
Rosaria Cain 23:37
That’s like a compliment.
Rachelle Strole 23:38
Yes yes that’s it. Thank you so much. It’s when it’s what are you crazy? That’s stupid. Well, then I’m like, okay, you’re no fun anymore.
Rosaria Cain 23:45
That’s just rude.
Rachelle Strole 23:46
But then the the other part of my brain’s like, “I’ll show you,”
Rosaria Cain 23:50
Right?
Rachelle Strole 23:50
Yeah. Okay, maybe you’re right. Maybe I am. But let me go try my best.
Rosaria Cain 23:53
What drives you to success? Is it people that tell you you can’t do it or shouldn’t do it?
Rachelle Strole 23:58
No. Although I do get a kick out of it, I think I really do feel like if we do things different, no matter what it takes, most people are going to appreciate it. But what they’re really not going to appreciate is the person who didn’t do it the next time. And I think it’s like kind of a ladder that you create. You you just make it happen. It’s like I’m going to do this better, and if you build net down the street from me, if you’re not equal, if not better, what are you?
Rosaria Cain 24:27
You know, Rachelle, the word that comes to mind if I were going to describe you would be a maverick, and the reason why I find that interesting is because most mavericks are men for whatever reason, like Richard Branson, never went to didn’t finish high school.
Rachelle Strole 24:46
Yep.
Rosaria Cain 24:46
Most brilliant businessman.
Rachelle Strole 24:48
Absolutely.
Rosaria Cain 24:49
He would he would do anything interesting when people say, “Don’t do it, don’t do it.” He’ll do it.
Rachelle Strole 24:54
But and he succeeds at 90% of it.
Rosaria Cain 24:56
Yes, yes, and yes. Or if heoesn’t succeed, he will appreciate what he learned, and he will go build it back better next time.
Rachelle Strole 25:06
Yep, and he’s also 1,000% transparent about it.
Rosaria Cain 25:10
He is.
Rachelle Strole 25:10
So it’s not like he’s doing it for himself.
Rosaria Cain 25:12
Great values.
Rachelle Strole 25:13
But he all, but he shares. Yes, so it’s not like he’s learning and failing, and but it’s open, so everyone watching won’t make that same mistake, and I’m very. I mean, I’m very good about that. It’s like I may fall down. I’m gonna tell everybody how I fell down, so they’re not gonna fall down next time, or how I didn’t do it right this time. But I mean, we’re molding these young ones. I mean, I have an office full of the most amazing humans you ever meet in their every age group. But I mean, just watching them. I mean, they’re just sponges, and they want to see, and they want to do, and they want to do better, and they’re good, and they’re kind, and they’re empathetic, and they’re all these things. But you got to show them that you’re human, and you got to show them that it’s not. Don’t be scared. Go do it. If you fail, who gives a shit? You know, get back up, grab your friends. We’ll all go have a drink. We’ll do it again the next day, and they just need it.
Rosaria Cain 26:00
That’s kind of the definition of a good leader. What qualities do you think a leader needs to have?
Rachelle Strole 26:06
Oh.
Rosaria Cain 26:07
Besides resilience.
Rachelle Strole 26:08
Yeah, resilience. Yeah, I honestly, I have a weird answer for this one. The nights I was asked this not that long ago, but I do believe the number one thing that is missing. Maybe I’m saying it wrong. What I think is missing in leadership is empathy. There, I mean, if you can’t feel the room, or you can’t, I make a habit of going to every single person in my office every morning for two seconds just to say hi. I’m not going to say hi. I want to feel the room. I want to sniff it out. Why do your eyes look all red? Where you been? Did you break up with so and so? You know, you look like hell. You look wonderful. You like you’re a bad cough. You know, just giving those extra two shits empathetically, or you know, if you’re angry in a meeting and you don’t see that the person across from you is truthfully afraid of what you might say, so that you don’t say it. I think that, I mean, they always say like be the leader, not the hero.
Rosaria Cain 27:07
Right?
Rachelle Strole 27:08
And I think that there’s a lot of people wanting to be the hero, and that doesn’t help anybody. If you can fly and you look good in a cape or tights, maybe, but other than that, don’t be a hero.
Rosaria Cain 27:18
Well, that’s a whole different question. Yeah, especially the tight question.
Rachelle Strole 27:21
Oh yeah, I don’t. Yeah, those days are gone.
Rosaria Cain 27:23
Like leggings.
Rachelle Strole 27:24
Yeah, no. Oh, I remember those days.
Rosaria Cain 27:26
Well, people still wear them. I see them.
Rachelle Strole 27:28
Yeah, no.
Rosaria Cain 27:30
Ha, that’s a whole different thing. So, when I think of what you just said, I think of why I don’t like virtual meetings.
Rachelle Strole 27:37
Oh yeah.
Rosaria Cain 27:38
I really don’t like virtual meetings. I will do whatever I can to get in front of someone, so I can feel like you’re saying, feel the room, yeah, really read the signals. I feel like that’s really tamped down in a virtual meeting. You can kind of see it better than a phone call, yes, but not as good as an in person in person meeting.
Rachelle Strole 28:00
It’s gotten so bad now on the virtuals and the zooms. I’d rather see somebody’s eyes than not.
Rosaria Cain 28:04
Oh, some people don’t put their cameras on.
Rachelle Strole 28:06
That one I can’t take.
Rosaria Cain 28:09
I have often, and my staff says, “Don’t do that, Rosaria. Don’t, don’t do that.” I want to put in my note, you know, the Zoom invite: Your camera must be on.
Rachelle Strole 28:18
Or just don’t accept the meeting,
Rosaria Cain 28:20
If you can’t put your camera on… but I have a lot of potential clients, and so it’s a little bit, you know.
Rachelle Strole 28:28
Yeah.
Rosaria Cain 28:28
Don’t want to offend anybody.
Rachelle Strole 28:30
Yeah.
Rosaria Cain 28:30
I have a thing about that.
Rachelle Strole 28:32
I don’t know. I don’t think it’s offensive.
Rosaria Cain 28:34
Because they can see me, and they can read me, but I can’t read them.
Rachelle Strole 28:38
Yeah. But I want to know you, right? That’s a compliment.
Rosaria Cain 28:41
I also wanna, I also wanna see how they’re feeling, how receptive they are and what they’re doing and how they’re feeling and what they want.
Rachelle Strole 28:48
Yep, I had a what I would consider an important meeting the other day. There were too many people, which I hate too because it’s like what you know why the the head person that had to be on the meeting was typing on his computer the entire time.
Rosaria Cain 29:02
And this was an in-person meeting.
Rachelle Strole 29:04
No, oh, oh no, it was a Zoom meeting. But I’m like, okay, your camera’s on. Everyone in this meeting can see that you’re also reading emails and typing. And the whole meeting was put together so that you can give your input. And I’m, I just was like, why? What are we here for? Like, why is this happening?
Rosaria Cain 29:06
That would bother.
Rachelle Strole 29:11
But then I was like, but now I know that this is not a project for me.
Rosaria Cain 29:22
Right.
Rachelle Strole 29:23
It’s pretty easy. That was, I think, that was a two second.
Rosaria Cain 29:27
Right.
Rachelle Strole 29:27
Yeah.
Rosaria Cain 29:28
Not completely involved.
Rachelle Strole 29:29
This is not going to move forward properly, right? But that’s just crazy. I did have a, I did have a meeting that when COVID first came out. So in the the man that was on the meeting, you listen, no one knew how to use this stuff, right? So I’m looking.
Rosaria Cain 29:42
We all learned.
Rachelle Strole 29:42
I was looking right up his nose. 99% of the meeting. It was very important to me. It was a very important meeting for us. It had to do with an acquisition, and I keep hearing this noise, and I thought there’s got to be something going on. And then he moved his camera, and he was clipping his nails.
Rosaria Cain 29:56
Oh no!
Rachelle Strole 29:56
And they were hitting the screen.
Rosaria Cain 29:59
Oh no!
Rachelle Strole 30:00
So I filmed it because I couldn’t stand it. It took it, but I couldn’t. Then I was, you know, not. This was not a meeting to laugh at. This was, this was me. Like the giggles were not meant for this meeting at all. And I, I was like, I had tears going. I got my camera and my phone, and I’m taking a picture. And there’s here comes one, and here comes one, and I’m like, kind of like fucking the fingernails.
Rosaria Cain 30:20
It’s like the Zoom Hall of Fame of what not to do.
Rachelle Strole 30:24
Oh, it was so early on. It was so early on into the COVID thing, but I still have that video. And sometimes when I’m on a really bad flight, I’ll play it just because it kills me. It’s just the funny, and he’s the nicest human. Great person, love him. But it was just there was no etiquette, you know. There was no nothing.
Rosaria Cain 30:40
There waskind of etiquette. I mean, people can see you.
Rachelle Strole 30:43
I do think that cutting your nails at any meeting is probably not appropriate. No.
Rosaria Cain 30:51
No.
Rachelle Strole 30:51
Oh.
Rosaria Cain 30:51
It’s like even the way people dress when they’re on a Zoom and the camera is on.
Rachelle Strole 30:55
Oh,
Rosaria Cain 30:56
I mean, you’re on camera.
Rachelle Strole 30:57
Yeah.
Rosaria Cain 30:58
People can see you.
Rachelle Strole 30:59
Yeah.
Rosaria Cain 31:00
So you know, it’s just it’s just one of those things, and it’s cultural.
Rachelle Strole 31:04
Yeah, yeah.
Rosaria Cain 31:04
And I think I think perhaps we’re finally figuring it out now, three years after COVID.
Rachelle Strole 31:10
Yeah.
Rosaria Cain 31:11
I think we’re more moving more towards in-person meetings again.
Rachelle Strole 31:14
People need people. I
Rosaria Cain 31:15
I think so too.
Rachelle Strole 31:16
I mean, this is I mean–
Rosaria Cain 31:17
Agreement and solidarity and and that feeling of being someplace together and knowing what each other wants because most communication is below the surface. It’s not what we say or what we hear. It’s our body language.
Rachelle Strole 31:32
You’re circling right back to my empathy.
Rosaria Cain 31:34
Right?
Rachelle Strole 31:34
I mean, if you, I mean, you can feel the person across, now you may not want to,
Rosaria Cain 31:39
Right?
Rachelle Strole 31:40
But you’re gonna get it.
Rosaria Cain 31:40
But it gives you a lot of information.
Rachelle Strole 31:42
In in you know, what do you push? What do you not? Maybe you just drop it all together today. Maybe today is not the right day to discuss it. Maybe today is the great day to discuss it.
Rosaria Cain 31:49
Right.
Rachelle Strole 31:49
But but I do feel also like I mean, and I’m sure I mean I hugged you and know you. But I mean I have especially like COVID post COVID. I mean you’d go to hug people that didn’t look like they wanted to be, and they just melt, they just missed it. You could just feel it. I mean, I hugged this little old man–
Rosaria Cain 32:04
There’s only so many fist bumps you can do.
Rachelle Strole 32:06
Oh please, elbow. Oh, don’t give me an elbow.
Rosaria Cain 32:06
That was so bad.
Rachelle Strole 32:08
Don’t give me. I’m like, God, that’s–
Rosaria Cain 32:11
I finally stopped seeing that. I mean, it took a long time for it to go away.
Rachelle Strole 32:16
I I still remember the people that did it.
Rosaria Cain 32:17
Yeah.
Rachelle Strole 32:18
Yeah.
Rosaria Cain 32:18
It was weird.
Rachelle Strole 32:19
Yeah, yeah. Well, we we there’s a lot of weird.
Rosaria Cain 32:22
Although it was a strange time.
Rachelle Strole 32:23
We didn’t know. I mean, I hope it never happens again.
Rosaria Cain 32:26
Arizona was a great place to be during COVID, as as far as places to be during COVID. Because at least it was six weeks of strange, but it was it was pretty much normal as as normal could be.
Rachelle Strole 32:40
But it was proof that people need people. So I have a very good friend that lives in Spain, and you know they were stuck in their units.
Rosaria Cain 32:46
Oh yeah.
Rachelle Strole 32:47
But I love the creativity because they, you know, they’re like some of them were alone.
Rosaria Cain 32:50
Yeah.
Rachelle Strole 32:51
So the you know the happy hours with the windows open.
Rosaria Cain 32:54
They would all sing at the balcony.
Rachelle Strole 32:55
Sings, you know. So it’s like it shows you we need each other. We need each other, and I loved watching how people like. We had virtual happy hours all the time with my friends all over the place, and we’d have a theme, and we’d have a drink name, and right. But yeah, I I it disproves that we are the human race needs each other.
Rosaria Cain 33:13
I think so too.
Rachelle Strole 33:14
Yeah.
Rosaria Cain 33:15
So where do you see that? What so five years? I know what you see. You see much more improvement, more natural environments, great innovation in the Phoenix area, things that will really improve the way people look and feel at the environment, which is, I think, so important.
Rachelle Strole 33:30
Absolutely.
Rosaria Cain 33:32
Where do you see your company evolving to? Now you’ve done an amazing job with your company. You’ve been around…
Rachelle Strole 33:39
We were 17 years.
Rosaria Cain 33:40
I was gonna, yeah.
Rachelle Strole 33:41
So soon to be 18.
Rosaria Cain 33:42
Yep, soon to be 18.
Rachelle Strole 33:43
Yep.
Rosaria Cain 33:44
Where do you see the next 10? What’s next for you?
Rachelle Strole 33:47
Oh, now on the so my husband runs the management side, which is the only reason that you know we’re still here because I’m nuts and he’s brilliant. But.
Rosaria Cain 33:55
Are you the creative one?
Rachelle Strole 33:57
I’m the creative one, but he is a new form of brilliant, but he’s also unbelievably into the tech in a in a very smart way. So when you take commercial real estate as a whole, and I mean the brokerage side, the acquisition side, property management, and then you look at this innovation of the Claude in Word.
Rosaria Cain 34:19
All that AI, yeah.
Rachelle Strole 34:20
What would take days, weeks, you know, research is a 15-minute thing, but it also then frees up the more creative side of things because if you’re stuck, you know, I mean, we have all of our invoices are scanned, and and AI tells us what they are and puts it and puts it in the ledger and sends off the checks, you know. So the person that I had doing that can now help with making things better. Like today, they’re going over to William Sonoma for a Rocheta class. Well, guess what? When I did they have time to do that? So the industry as a whole, for those who choose to embrace it, will become a faster, cleaner, and better. In you know, than and again, I’ve got environmental. Because she caught onto that, no paper, no postage, none of the things that just bog us down. We were a paper-free office, and we have been for years. And people like, how? Just look at the innovative. I mean, look at technology as a whole. Writing contracts, writing LOIs, doing property research, demographic research. I mean, you don’t need 17 people to do that.
Rosaria Cain 35:20
No.
Rachelle Strole 35:21
You can do it in minutes. I did an entire presentation with my son. His name is Kai, but they call him Klaude with a K now because he’s doing that in our office. He did a presentation that was better than anything I had seen in 15 minutes, loading in four different things.
Rosaria Cain 35:35
That’s great.
Rachelle Strole 35:36
And then, of course, you fact check it and you look at it and all that. But it was beautiful. It was also beautiful. It wasn’t just so. The industry as a whole, I think, is in a renaissance of note, and there will be those who embrace it, and there’s the ones who don’t, and the ones that don’t, I believe, will not be here.
Rosaria Cain 35:40
That’s true about technology and progress in general. So tell me how are you approaching your marketing right now?
Rachelle Strole 35:59
Our marketing team is so amazing, but because they are creative, whereas a lot of companies in real estate aren’t looking for creative. They’re looking for give me the facts and try to make it look pretty.
Rosaria Cain 36:14
Put a zone.
Rachelle Strole 36:14
Yeah.
Rosaria Cain 36:15
Put a drone.
Rachelle Strole 36:16
Yeah, yeah. Do do a little bit this, and then make sure it says that. And and now again, with the help of the new tech, you can you can create anything, but it can also be pretty. But it also can have extra information and explain things. And so on the on the brokerage side, that’s very fun. On the now on the polar opposite side, on the property management side, that has become very human touch that you know. COVID scared the hell out of everyone. So it’s you know getting your name out as just as you know integrity being the number one thing, wanting to be better, wanting to be faster, wanting to be cleaner, wanting to be fully transparent at all times, but also never ever wanting a client to leave. And now we have the time because I’m not, you know, at 10 o’clock digging through invoices to see who paid what. Where I can fly to wherever and meet someone and have dinner, and you know what? Most of the time, those are clients for life, and then they tell two friends and they tell two friends, and so…
Rosaria Cain 37:14
It’s a very personal approach to marketing.
Rachelle Strole 37:16
It is, but because of the technology, you now have the time to get back to the people.
Rosaria Cain 37:22
Right.
Rachelle Strole 37:23
You know, I can go visit tenants. I can go talk to tenants that I think should expand. I should go talk to tenants that are having trouble because I’m not tied to my computer, nor are a lot of our people. Because now we’ve got systems in place that do it themselves, so we’re able to grow as kind human beings, helping other kind human beings. That was gone for a long time.
Rosaria Cain 37:42
I think that’s great.
Rachelle Strole 37:43
I think it’s fun.
Rosaria Cain 37:44
So, looking at the personal side,
Rachelle Strole 37:46
Yes.
Rosaria Cain 37:46
I know you travel. That’s your inspiration.
Rachelle Strole 37:49
I do love it.
Rosaria Cain 37:50
What else do you do to reduce stress? Because you’re probably in Phoenix at least half of the time, right?
Rachelle Strole 37:55
I admit it. It’s bad, but.
Rosaria Cain 37:57
In the summer, here you are in the summer.
Rachelle Strole 37:59
So I walk my dogs every day, which gives me my little mantra. But I do-I’m a tennis player.
Rosaria Cain 38:04
Oh, good for you!
Rachelle Strole 38:05
And so I will take a sharpie and I will write things on my the tennis balls and I’ll beat the hell out of them.
Rosaria Cain 38:12
Now, are these are these ideas you like or ideas you hate?
Rachelle Strole 38:15
Oh, it might be someone who just pissed me all you like. It could be a horrible sketch of somebody. I’m just telling you, but you hit that 2000 times, and you just feel better.
Rosaria Cain 38:23
Yeah.
Rachelle Strole 38:24
So yeah, I do a lot of that, and then I, yeah, that, and I usually have a glass of wine at lunch, and that usually helps. Everybody wants to meet me after lunch. My meetings in the morning are really sparse, sparse, but after lunch, everybody likes me a lot more.
Rosaria Cain 38:35
Well, you’re probably more relaxed, and you’re more open, and I think that makes perfect. No wonder why you do so well in Italy. I totally because everybody drinks wine there. I can’t even answer this question with a straight ask this question straight face. What about you would surprise people? Oh my god!
Rachelle Strole 38:55
I told my husband when he wanted to get married that I would I could only make one promise, and that was that I’d never bore him, and I try to stay true to that. I would say something that surprises people. I think is I’ve got a I’ve got this obsession with languages.
Rosaria Cain 39:10
Okay.
Rachelle Strole 39:11
I don’t know why. Right now, I’m learning Swahili and Japanese. I speak Spanish, and I am incredibly fluent in sarcasm. Like, I got that one down.
Rosaria Cain 39:20
Oh, that’s a great talent.
Rachelle Strole 39:21
Right? I mean, that’s that. I’ve got that one down. I think I started really young on that. That might have been like a like a first language with my English first language, but I think people find that weird.
Rosaria Cain 39:31
No, it’s very Mark Twain, actually.
Rachelle Strole 39:34
Oh, I love that.
Rosaria Cain 39:35
Right. I think that’s great.
Rachelle Strole 39:37
Would love to be Mark Twain. Yeah. Okay, I’ll take that.
Rosaria Cain 39:40
Yeah.
Rachelle Strole 39:40
Yeah. But I do think people think that’s weird because I’ll be like running off.
Rosaria Cain 39:43
I don’t think it’s weird. I think it’s such a talent to be ironic and to be… I mean, sarcasm. That word has a bad rap, but I think it’s a really good quality to be able to get people to think with. With the proper amount of sarcasm,
Rachelle Strole 40:02
Just have more fun.
Rosaria Cain 40:02
It can hit its mark.
Rachelle Strole 40:05
Just a little more fun.
Rosaria Cain 40:06
Yeah. We’re always serious.
Rachelle Strole 40:09
You get the same point across.
Rosaria Cain 40:10
Yeah,
Rachelle Strole 40:11
With a gigglepoking a little
Rosaria Cain 40:12
Poking a little fun.
Rachelle Strole 40:13
Yeah, just just have a little more fun.
Rosaria Cain 40:14
Yeah. What are you most passionate about now? Business for sure. Tennis sounds like write up there with languages. You’re learning Swahili, really? I tried that once. It didn’t go well.
Rachelle Strole 40:26
Oh, until you get to counting, it’s fun, and the counting is just a pain.Really?
Rosaria Cain 40:30
Really? Oh man, I’m still working on my Italian. I’ve been doing it seven years. I’m not fluent yet, but I’m getting there.
Rachelle Strole 40:32
Just go spend a year.
Rosaria Cain 40:38
I know. I’m working on it. But so, are you fluent in Spanish?
Rachelle Strole 40:43
I I mean I can tell a joke.
Rosaria Cain 40:45
That’s good.
Rachelle Strole 40:45
I think that’s kind of my rule. I mean, when I’m drinking, I’m amazing.
Rosaria Cain 40:50
You’re fluent when you drink.
Rachelle Strole 40:50
Oh man, two margaritas in and I talk to everybody around me. Passion, passion, passion. This is gonna sound altruistic as hell too. So we, I have this ridiculous belief that people want to do good things, the bloody do-gooders. So we started a charity. I got back from Malawi with my daughter a year ago and met a wonderful woman there. And I will, I will end my days doing the bloody do-gooders type of charity. It’s called Friends of Butterfly. But right now we have, and they’re all projects that have a beginning, middle, and end because it’s not about one country or one thing. It’s about how do we make this one thing sustainable, no matter where it is.
Rosaria Cain 41:43
Are we talking the planet?
Rachelle Strole 41:44
Yes.
Rosaria Cain 41:44
In general.
Rachelle Strole 41:45
But in in but like the Malawi’s project is a massive farm in Malawi. They have, you know, we’ve stopped all aid, and we have 150 kids under. Well, it’s 300 now, but 150 children under the age of nine, who have no food or parents, so double, you know, double orphan, and they usually they’re just-it’s unbelievable. You’ll go and they like the nine-year-olds are the adults, and the and the eight-year-olds are the babysitters, and the you know the two-year-olds are being cared for by them. But it’s but nothing matters without food, and it’s an unbelievably farmable country, and everyone wants to farm. So we started with our first farm, and it’s doing very, very well. And they fed 150 kids two days ago.
Rosaria Cain 42:34
Congratulations, that’s amazing.
Rachelle Strole 42:36
But the point is.
Rosaria Cain 42:37
It gives you a lot of gratification.
Rachelle Strole 42:39
Get a goal, fix it, and then create a sustainable thing that because they don’t want our money and they don’t want our help, they just want to be. They want our help to the point where they can do it themselves. And everyone’s fooling them themselves to think that everybody wants a handout. They do not at all, but they just don’t have the stuff.
Rosaria Cain 42:57
Right?
Rachelle Strole 42:57
Or the tech or the all these things. And we have it for 15 bucks at you know at Rite Aid, right? So so anyway, so we our goal. My friend that started it, she started in the orphanages in China, and it was just a rent a crib type of situation. And now we’re in Malawi, and from Malawi, we’ll probably go to Ukraine. But it’s just finding things that the people want it, we can do it, we can fix it, and we can leave them to be great, and hopefully they’ll grow it themselves. But they always do.
Rosaria Cain 43:29
On that note, ah, I can’t think of a better way to end this in a non sarcastic, altruistic way, and the good about doing business in this country.
Rachelle Strole 43:42
Oh.
Rosaria Cain 43:42
And so thank you for coming in. This was great.
Rachelle Strole 43:45
Thank you.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai