Customer Spotlight

Christine Olding @ Olding and Davies

Olding & Davies manages quality homes for tenants. We also offer landscaping services and partner with local business owners to promote meaningful travel.

What’s a fun fact about you that people don’t know?

I am an absolute retro sci-fi nerd. I grew up watching the original Doctor Who, Buck Rogers and Battle Star Galactica (with Lorne Greene) on my parents’ black & white TV. But my true love for sci-fi exploded with the A New Hope, the first Star Wars movie. After seeing it in the theatres at nine years old, I then proceeded to memorize the entire script of A New Hope and went on to phonetically transcribe the Ewok’s final song in Return of the Jedi with a friend.

What’s the smartest thing you’ve done in your business?

I am very passionate about collaborating with my staff. I have found that choosing staff members whose passions line up with their role in our company creates a dynamic environment. As each person has come aboard our team, they have been asked about their goals and passions, and are then encouraged to receive training and to create within our company in those areas. Passion plus vocation makes for an energetic partnership which births a feeling of excitement and value in our team.

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice what would it be?

I wish I could have a coffee with my younger self and remind her to breathe…and to value herself enough to create space for self-care. I would encourage her to listen to her own voice more. These are lessons I learned the hard way that I now constantly share with my staff. I used to put myself last on the list of needs and then burn out. Learning to take care of myself has been a rewarding, albeit difficult, journey.

What do you wish every Client knew about doing business with you?

We operate our company from the perspective of human value, both internally with staff and then externally with each client, knowing we are creating and managing homes for people to thrive in. This is one reason why I love partnering with GravityStack. The value they place on human connection is wonderful. Our goal is to grow relationally as much as possible. Getting to know our tenants and landscaping clients has felt like an increase of family, and this enables us to meet their needs with more precision. Our newest project, the Untourist Travel Guide, has provided a wonderful opportunity to get to know other businesses in Barrie and Simcoe, furthering a sense of collaboration and community outside of our business’s four walls.

Find out more about Christine and Olding & Davies at www.oldinganddavies.com