Meet Mary Corrales | Director of Global Business Development, Synergy

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary Corrales and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
Furnished housing is an industry that many people don’t know exists within the umbrella of hospitality. Our apartments are fully furnished and include housewares, bedding, wifi and utilities, so it’s a comfy place to stay for all kinds of needs beyond traveling for work. Here in The Valley, people use our housing for family coming in for short or long term stays from as little as 3 nights to as long as 3 months (we’re here for you, Snowbirds). Phoenix has some of the best hospitals in the country and it gives those coming in for long-term treatment the opportunity to be comfortable, make their own meals and not worry about the germs of others in a shared space. Even people in between selling one house and closing on another, or those who want to stay for a week for some of the fabulous sporting events we have year-round have options beyond hotels.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I was diagnosed at a young age with Dyslexia, and over time, I’ve learned to embrace the benefits that come with being neurodiverse. My brain processing things in a different way has given me the opportunity to look from another viewpoint. I use a variety of visual tools to run meetings, organize information and share strategies. It’s been quoted that 15-20 of the population has a neurodiversity and that’s something that should be embraced. There is so much creativity that the business world can benefit from. It’s the culture of my company to allow me to think/operate differently that has led to our success. We are constantly looking at the way that travel and hospitality are evolving and thinking of outside of the box ways to marry technology with good old-fashioned customer service.

Do you have a favorite quote or affirmation? What does it mean to you / what do you like about it?

I am an avid yogi and I started my practice 13 years ago when I was going through tumultuous change in my life. In my very first class, the instructor reminded us of the “Airplane theory of self care”. On a plane, you are always told to put your mask on first before helping others, because you are no good to anyone else if you can’t breathe. That stuck with me and I use it as a mantra for myself to remember that taking care of yourself is not selfish, it’s necessary in order to be the person you can be for those that you care for. I live by this as I balance my work and my family and I like to remind those around me to do the same. Each of us are a better support for the other when we can breathe.

Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career?

My favorite quote from John F. Kennedy is “There are risks and costs to action, but they are far less than the long-range risk of comfortable inaction”. The earth revolves every day, things change and standing in the same place is a very scary strategy for any business. My path to success has not been a straight line. At times it’s been upward progress and at times it’s been steps back to learn something better before moving on to something lateral that will give me more education that I’ll need in future. I think that’s why the culture of Synergy Global Housing has been such a great fit for me. No one here stands still and waits for things to evolve around them. We strive to be on the forefront of change by realizing that our travel-buyer is changing every day. Each generation brings new needs, each day brings new technologies and those that sit back and remain in “comfortable inaction” won’t stay comfortable for long.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As an Arizona State Alum, I would say the perfect day here starts out with a hike up “A” Mountain (and if it’s in the summer, the earlier the better!). Then I’d head to Sip Coffee in Scottsdale for a burrito and a local kombucha on tap. I’d suggest a walk downtown in the Roosevelt District followed by dinner at Short Leash Hot Dogs (The Bear, which has gouda, peanut butter, bbq sauce and ketchup is a must). I’d end the night at Playhouse On The Park Theatre with a show from The All Puppet Players, who take movies that we all know and love and turn them into a hilarious adult version with puppets. Die Hard: A Christmas Story is one of our family’s favorite holiday All Puppet Player traditions.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There is a group of mobility professionals here in Arizona called the Arizona Relocation Alliance (or ARA for short). It’s a non-profit group that puts together meetings year-round with education that pertains to our industry and when I was starting out in sales, it was a wonderful and welcoming place to meet other professionals in my area. After a few years, I was lucky enough to join the board and eventually serve a term as President of the Organization from 2020 – 2022. Its supportive networking groups such as ARA that help to continue to bring in new talent to our space, and help us all keep up to date on the ever-changing nuances of mobility.

Website: https://www.synergyhousing.com/

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