Exploring Life & Business with Lance Carter of Phoenix Management Group

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lance Carter.

Hi Lance, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Where do I even begin… I was born and raised in Nashville, TN where I attended public and private institutions before going to Murfreesboro, TN for College. In high school, I had many jobs including working at a Country Club, bartending, a Salesmen at the Banana Republic, and working for a Real Estate Lending company. Each of these jobs taught me valuable life skills and lessons but more than that, they inspired me to want more.

W.B Yeats once said, “Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire” and that really rang true to me in my early adulthood. I started a music label on Music Row and had some talented artists but that business, unfortunately, did not grow to its full potential. I learned very quickly how hard it is to lose a business but how each mistake can be a lesson – if you allow it to be. So back to Murfreesboro I went, my sister helped me get a job at a local apartment complex for services in lieu of rent.

At that time, I never believed that my groundskeeper position would flourish into the career that I now eat, sleep, and breathe.

Once I learned the ins and outs of my position, I decided to learn as much as possible to be the best that I could be in the industry. 16 years, 7 site-level positions, and 4 Corporate/Executive positions later, I realized that while I made some great relationships, learned a lot, and was privileged to travel across the nation; my passion for truly helping was not yet satisfied. In 2020, amidst a pandemic, I took a major leap and started my own company.

I realized that to make a positive impact on the lives of others around me, I had to play by my own rules, my own terms, and I could no longer stand in the shadows. It has been a little over two years now, my company has grown over 100% and the future is bright!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Smooth is an interesting word. I cannot say that it has been smooth by any means, but it has been better than I deserve. One of my biggest challenges and obstacles was, oddly enough, myself. Fear kept me from believing that I could be more than I had been previously. Prior to starting my company, I worked in every role there is in Property Management.

I was so blessed to acquire all that experience, but my fear told me that that was all I could be – that that was the furthest I could go. In 2009, my twin brother unexpectedly passed away. Being young, you never realize how fleeting and fragile life truly is until life itself makes you realize it. It was at this time that I realized that I had to not only live a full life for myself but also create a legacy for my twin brother and me; one that Lucas would have been proud of.

He believed in challenging the status quo and always encouraged me to be the trendsetter, not the follower. It was that discovery with the emotional support of my family and friends that I was even able to take the first step. People say that the first step is the hardest, but the ones that follow can be just as challenging.

Once I accepted my destiny, it was time to face the other struggles that I always knew would be there but had never been as prevalent before. Being a young black man in an industry that is predominately controlled by white men over 40, it was hard to realize that I could still make a positive impact and be the actual change that I wanted to see in the industry.

Yet, I knew that I had to not only try, but succeed for myself, the others around me, and the ones that would follow.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a nationwide management company founded and based out of Nashville, TN with an office headquarters in Charlotte, NC. We offer management services to investors, owners, and developers in their target markets. With our combined management experience, PMG provides over 25 years of expertise in the multifamily and student housing industries and has managed over 20,000 beds in 46 different markets nationwide.

Our team of diverse individuals, who actually care about our residents and who we want to be personally, definitely sets us apart from the other management companies out there. PMG does not solely focus on the income that comes to our own groups but also focuses on the lifestyle that we bring to our residents and communities. I am most proud of just how diverse PMG is – through and through – from everyone’s background to race, to gender and sexual orientation. It is a beautiful thing to see so many different walks of life come together for a common goal.

With growing rent prices, we are happy to find the perfect rental home or apartment for you – even if it is not with us. As we continue to grow our platform across the nation, we hope to be of service to everyone in some sort of way, form, or fashion. The entire team at PMG values the motto of ‘Be Different, Live More, and Fly high’ because it encompasses who we are as individuals and who we choose to be in the future.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
The last few years have been tough for everyone. Trying to remain positive in a world where so many ‘once in a lifetime events continuously happen is difficult, to say the least.

I urge everyone to not get discouraged – continue to strive for excellence every day and continue to follow their dreams. My aspiration of owning a Real Estate Development and Management Company was once that, just an aspiration but after believing in myself and surrounding myself with like-minded individuals, here we are!

Always share your talents and gifts with the world because the world needs everything you can bring to the table.

Contact Info:

• Email: info@livewithpmg.com
• Website: www.livewithpmg.com
• Instagram: @flywithpmg
• Facebook: @flywithpmg

Image Credits
Darryl Collins Photography