Corporate Housing News

Paragon Corporate Housing is celebrating its 30th anniversary on May 30th. I sat down for a virtual interview with Paragon’s founder John Crook and Vice President of Operations Kim Cooke to talk about what building Paragon over the last few decades has been like.

The first thing I asked John was: what really, really, really matters to you?

If you know John, you know he is a deeply caring person, open with his feelings and quick to praise the people around him. He said, “Relationships are THE most important thing, particularly within the company and also in the industry. Our business is so personal, the business of people sleeping in your product. These people are changing their lives when they move to a new place. It really matters to me that we make their lives a little bit better.”

That is the whole company in one answer.

We went back to day one, May 30, 1996, and I asked what advice he would give himself.
“Think bigger.” He laughed. “I remember when we got up to 20 units and that was so great and exciting, but now I have to find 20 more people to fill these units when these people leave?!” But expansion for its own sake was never the dream. “I never wanted to be an international company or expand too quickly. I wanted to start a family and go to soccer games and not be on a plane all the time. It was very crucial to hire the right people and trust them.”

When I asked what those early days actually looked like, John and Kim shared a laugh at the memory. The office was a two-bedroom apartment. John slept on a futon in the spare bedroom at night. Yes, the kind that folds into a couch. The housekeepers would drop off dirty laundry into the bathtub. Kim did laundry in the apartment between phone calls during the day and John took the night shift.

He figured out quickly that you cannot do it all yourself. “You need to find great people and treat them well. If the housekeeper called in sick, I went out and cleaned toilets. That’s what you have to do when you’re starting out, but as quickly as you can, find the right people.”

When I asked what single decision changed everything, John did not hesitate for a second.

“Hiring Kim Cooke, no doubt.”

Cooke tilted her head and smiled her warm smile, having no idea how monumental she truly is. Our whole team would agree.

John continued: “And because we were serving markets with limited options, buying our own furniture. That really allowed us to make the guest experience unique to Paragon and gave us the creative incentive to personalize our apartments.”

What are you most proud of?

“The longevity of our team members. Kim just recently celebrated her 25th anniversary with Paragon. We have several key people hovering around the 20 year mark, and many over 10 years. That tells me something about what we have accomplished.

And what is next for Paragon?

“More of this. Honing the processes, continually working to improve our guests’ experience and adapting to the current landscape. I’m very content with our west coast presence. We’re a west coast company and after 30 years, I think it’s fair to say we know our role in the marketplace. We like where we are and we’re content.”