Mazatlan’s Premier Real Estate Brokerage

This Month’s Featured Property

Charming Home in Centro

Amazing Opportunity to buy a Charming Home in Downtown Centro, at a very low cost!

5 Bedrooms ( 1 Bed / 1 Bath on the Main Level)
3 Full Bathrooms
2282 sf.
Open Private Courtyard
No HOA
Tall Ceilings

Check out how close you are to all the AMAZING places in Centro:

La Mona Pizza (1 Block)
La Ruta Vegan Restaurant ( 1 Block)
Cerveceria Tres Islas ( 1.5 Blocks)
Topolos (4 Block)
Plaza Machado ( 5 Blocks)
Hectors Bistro ( 6 Blocks)
Playa Sur ( 10 Min Walk)
Olas Atlas Beach ( 15 Min Walk)

Don’t Miss out on this FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY!

Learn more about this great opportunity with Mazatlan4Sale and talk with one of our friendly agents about how this can be your next home.

View the Listing!

Leadership Spotlight By Tara Persson

Every now and then I like to feature an amazing female leader that inspires me. Today I want to introduce you to Kristen Decker.

Kristen, along with her husband Lionne (pronounced “lion” like the animal), co-founded a boutique vacation property management and rental company in Mazatlan, Mexico back in 2008. In 2017 they launched a premier real estate brokerage, serving the same demographic.

I had the pleasure of meeting Kristen and Lionne on the pickleball court for the first time in 2021 and was immediately impressed with not just their finesse on the court but also their business and leadership acumen.

Their company, Mazatlan4Sale, has grown from managing a single vacation property from their “corner office” (in their bedroom) to operating a full scale property management, vacation rental and real estate firm in the heart of Mazatlan’s Golden Zone with a team of over 20 people.

Growing and scaling their businesses is applause worthy. But let me share with you something extraordinary. They have had almost ZERO staff turnover. Their core leadership team has been with them from the beginning.

As a leadership junkie keenly interested in all things business, teams, personal development, I peppered Kristen with questions as to what their secrets to success are.

While there are many aspects that have led to the success of this company, not the least of which is Lionne’s dynamic contributions and the outstanding partnership he and Kristen have created. But, I cannot possibly do them all justice in one article. For the sake of this piece, I feel compelled to share an excerpt from Kristen’s childhood and how she learned to lead and be a part of a winning team in an unlikely time and place.

Kristen grew up in rural Washington State and from a young age started playing soccer. When growing up as a country kid there often aren’t a lot of options when it comes to organized sports. So it was basically soccer, or soccer. For Kristen and the Camas Papermakers, that was a good thing!

These girls played soccer together all through their school years until graduation. The exceptional thing about this team is that they played together for many years and that the working and playing together didn’t stop when they stepped off the field.

“Our coach, John Condon, taught us to work hard and play hard. When we weren’t playing or practicing, we were doing car washes and other fundraising activities to help with team expenses. We also learned to play together for the sake of play, going on regular camping adventures and trips to the beach,” recalled Kristen.

This led to much success on the field with the Camas Papermakers racking up many wins and awards. Most notable are two decades of breaking records at the school level, district champions from ‘89-‘92 and then going on to compete in the State Championships in those same years, garnering second place in ‘92!

With quite an impressive list of accomplishments, Kristen thought she was just playing soccer. Turns out she was also honing her leadership skills. It is these same essentials that she has carried forward in her leadership role as co-founder of her current enterprises.

Here are 3 Key Leadership Essentials that Kristen learned long ago that continue to be embodied today at Mazatlan4Sale and can help you reflect upon and refine the leadership essentials within your organization.

One Team, One Goal

Not only were the Camas Paperbacks in it for the long haul, they had a clear mission and vision which all the members of the team worked together towards that goal.

And their goal wasn’t perfection or to win at all costs. Their goal was excellence. To show up. To do their best and bring out the best in their team in all that they did – both on and off the field.

At Mazatlan4Sale, their mission is “Helping to make your dreams come true.” Everyone on the team knows what this means. They know what is required of them and it is a passion for them. They know what they are working towards and are happy to do so over a decade later. Remember – pretty much zero staff turnover?

Does your team know what it is working towards? Can every team member clearly articulate what the goals of the organization and of their team are? Even if you are a small team, solopreneur, or are leading your family, this is critical to the success of the entity.

Do a pop quiz of your team. Can they easily and quickly recite what the company mission is? If so, celebrate! If not, recalibrate and ask yourself what needs to change to make this possible.

Relationships

When a team like the Camas Papermakers works hard, plays hard and learns to achieve great things – magic happens in the form of meaningful relationships being forged. Forged through the celebration of wins, regrouping after a loss and all the seemingly “insignificant” events in between. These are relationships that are still strong today, over three decades later.

Relationships are the real work of work. Not to mention they are key to creating healthy, high performing teams. Connection and a sense of belonging to something greater than yourself is an essential human need.

Historically, relationship building was reserved for when we were not on the clock. Thankfully, this quickly becoming an old paradigm. Even though countless studies have been dedicated to this very topic, I am sure you don’t have to look much farther than your own experience. Who is your favorite co-worker or client and why? I bet it has to do with the relationship that you have. Work is way better when you get to be with your people, right?

Building relationships is the thing that Kristen loves most about what she does – both with her team and their clients. I wish you could have seen her face light up as talked about the people she has the honor of working with and serving.

Lionne and Kristen have taken the idea of belonging to the next level by providing the opportunity to their leadership team to become shareholders and partners in their business.

I’m not saying that every business should include equity options to their employees, but I do encourage you to reflect on and be open to creative solutions to these questions. How do you foster connection, belonging and authentic relationships on your team? What would be possible for your organization if you turned up the relationship building dial a notch or two?

Trust

Trust is defined as a “firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something”.

Why is trust important?

Stephen R. Covey in his book The Speed of Trust, sums it up really well. He hypothesizes that every action, relationship, or dealing of some kind travels at about the speed of however much trust there is. So if you really don’t trust a business partner or client, you will likely spend a lot more time in meetings and paperwork while trying to work out a deal. Or if you really don’t trust your chain of command at work, you are likely to be very cautious or secretive in your job which slows business performance down.

And the opposite is true also. High trust teams = healthy, high performance. The Camas Papermakers learned to trust both on and off the field. They learned what one another’s strengths were, what they could count on each other for and where they needed to support one another. Kristen shared how she was one of the few girls who could kick with both legs. When her team was moving the ball up field, they knew they could make a left pass to Kristen and could trust that she would make the shot.

When it comes to Mazatlan4Sale, trust is everything. This a personal core value for Kristen and Lionne AND a core business value. It can be seen within their team and with the clients they serve, from hiring new employees who are a good cultural fit to the vetted vacationers that stay in the rental homes they manage.

What about your team? Where does it rank on the trust scale? Remember, trust is built in the smallest of moments. How does your company respond when someone is having a personal challenge or a kid gets sick. What about when new ideas are presented or constructive feedback is given. What about listening and follow-through? How are these trust building actions part of your organization?

With zero turnover, high trust, a clear mission and a relationship driven operation, I am wondering if Mazatlan4Sale has any job openings? (Asking for a friend.

Tara Persson Bio

Tara Persson is an Executive Leadership Coach helping family businesses with leadership succession.

As a certified professional coach, with over 20 years of experience in her own family businesses, she has the knowledge and expertise to help execute leadership transitions so that both the business and the family relationships thrive.

Although she lives with her husband and children on their farm near Edmonton, AB where they raise grass-fed cattle and cereal crops, her heart lives in Mazatlan. Beginning in 2008, Tara and her family have returned to Mazatlan year after year, with weeks turning into months turning into……?

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-persson/

Website

https://www.strategicleadershipco.com/

tara@strategicleadershipco.com

Quote by Karen Sloan

Prawn ceviche from Veracruz, Mexico

Prawn ceviche is a popular dish in Veracruz which is a port city on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. With prawns, lots of lime juice, crunchy carrot, onion, cucumber and jalapeño, this ceviche is a burst of summery fresh flavours.

INGREDIENTS:

300g / 10 ½ oz cooked organic prawns
½ white onion (finely diced)
1 small carrot (finely diced)
⅓ cucumber (finely diced)
2 limes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Smoky Chipotle Fajita and Taco Mix ( or any black sauce for ceviche available)
1 handful of coriander (finely chopped)
1 ripe avocado
1 jalapeno (thinly sliced)
1 pack of Lightly Salted Tortilla Chips

STEPS:

In a bowl add the cooked prawns, onion, carrot, and cucumber.
Squeeze the lime juice on top, pour in the extra virgin olive oil, and add the black sauce, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground pepper.
Put it in the fridge for 5 minutes to let the lime juice cook the raw onion a little bit.
When ready to serve, add the coriander and mix it all with a spoon. Garnish with slices of avocado and add the fresh jalapeno on top.
Serve with Tortilla Chips on the side. Enjoy with a very cold beer or a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

What To Serve With Ceviche

Try serving this ceviche with a side of:

Guacamole and Chips

Or if you’re having the ceviche as a starter, have as the main course some:

Fish Tacos

The perfect Mexican prawn recipe to keep you going during hot summer days, this prawn ceviche is light, delicious and fresh.

FEATURED RENTAL

Torre eMe 1507 Penthouse

BEST View in Town!

3 Bedrooms 3,5 Bathrooms

Amenities:
Common Area Pool
Common Area Gym
Starbucks in the Complex
A/C in all the rooms
Full Kitchen w/ all cooking appliances & cookware
Washer / Dryer
Fresh Linens and Towels
Mega Cable TV & Internet
Smart TV’s

Stunning Views of Mazatlán, and Surrounding Area!

Long Term Rates Available
Walk Score = 75

3 Bedroom / 3.5 Bathroom

Occupancy (6)
3 Night Min Stay

Master Bedroom w/ Incredible City and Ocean Views
King Size Bed
Private Master Bathroom w/ Shower
Smart TV
Large Closet Space

Guest Room #2
King Bed w/ Incredible City and Ocean Views
Private Bathroom
Smart TV
Large Closet Space

Guest Bedroom
King Bed w/ City Views
Private Bathroom
Smart TV
Large Closet Space