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

Hi Stuart, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be an entrepreneur, I just never knew exactly how to start or what exactly I wanted to do. I have always been in the business of service, I could just never pinpoint where I wanted to land. In 2020 at the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic I was living in NYC when the whole world shut down. Living in the epicenter of the pandemic, I, like many people, hit the reset button. In May 2020 I moved to Houston, where I grew up, not knowing what direction I wanted to take my career. I ended up starting to work in multifamily sales/management in December 2020. I spent the next two years with two different management companies learning everything I could about the industry.

Through my time in the industry, what I learned is that no one in the industry is actually looking out for the renter. Finding housing is one of those things that public school just doesn’t teach you. Like doing taxes. We are kind of just flung into adulthood and expected to find a place to live. The options seem never ending and just figuring out where to start can be overwhelming for many people.

This revelation caused my career path to quickly change from climbing the corporate ladder in Multifamily Management to taking the required education to open an apartment locating service. While working full time I did real estate school at night and on the weekends, and begin making a business plan that would eventually lead to FindeSpot Apartment Locators LLC opening last month!

Although I am a brand new small business owner, I do know one thing for sure. I plan on building a company that is a safe space for both my clients and employees. I have a mission to embrace differences, foster inclusion, and enrich the lives of others in a positive way.

What should our readers know about your business?

The whole reason I started my company was to operate differently than the crowd. In my 20 years in the workforce I have worked for two different kinds of companies. Cutthroat companies where there is a lot of yelling, screaming and gaslighting, as well as companies that consider their employees “family” and in return expect you to be on call 24/7 and forgo pay raises and using PTO.

In regards to FindeSpot as a brand, we are a hospitality brand, a service brand. Real Estate just happens to be avenue in which we do it. This subtle change in business model sets us apart from our competitors. Real Estate companies are modeled to “push the sale” whereas we are modeled to “find the right sale”. We believe that providing the best service in the industry, and ensuring our clients find the best fit for them, is the only way to operate.

A huge part of being in the service industry, is being of service to your employees. The culture of a brand is not just external but also internal. Making sure the humans who run a company are both taken care of and happy. In the age of the internet and especially in a post COVID work/life balance has been completely skewed, and in my opinion that is a recipe for disaster.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Houston has so much to offer I do not even know where to begin. When I have friends and family come to town its usually a food tour including Truth BBQ, Helen’s Greek Food & Wine, Velvet Taco, Roostar, Truth BBQ, Ninfa’s on Navigation, and of course a stop at Whataburger. Some smaller attractions I like to visit are the Beer Can House & Art Car Museum, and if anything is showing I always recommend seeing live theater at The Hobby Center, Alley Theater or Stages. I always take my visitors to 19th street in the Heights to check out all the boutiques and get an iced milk and honey latte at Boomtown Coffee. The city of Houston changed so much from when I moved away in 2005 to when I moved back in 2020 I feel like I’m still discovering new things daily.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First of all I would like to shoutout my husband Alvin. He is such an amazing human with a heart of gold, and I feel privledged everyday to call him my partner. He has been my biggest supporter and cheerleader not only in life, but specifically in the start up process of my business. His innate goodness keeps me movtivated to be a better human daily.

I would also like to shoutout my Dad. He raised my brother & I as a single father in the 80’s – 90’s and I know that was no easy feat. He raised us to be eternal optimists and I have so much gratitude to have him in my life. His influence raised me to be the open minded & goal driven person I am today.

Lastly I would just like to shout out my dog Myles. My husband and I adopted him about a year ago right after he had his leg amputated, and he has completed our family.

Website: www.findespot.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/findespotlocatorshtx/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/findespot-apartment-locators-llc

Facebook: www.facebook.com/findespotlocatorshtx

Other: TikTok: @findespotlocatorshtx

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