Martin Charles is currently Keller Williams Capital Property’s (KWCP) Finance Manager, but ten years ago if you told him he would be doing anything related to accounting he wouldn’t have believed you. Throughout his time at The Menkiti Group and KWCP, he has held many roles, often learning new skills along the way. To learn more about his experience within the enterprise and why Martin never imagined himself in an accounting position (and how he got there), read more below!
An interview to remember
In early 2013 when finding jobs on Craigslist wasn’t out of the ordinary, Martin stumbled across an operations role for a new company that piqued his interest. He didn’t know much about the position, but after a 2-hour phone call with Bo Menkiti’s assistant at the time, Joy, he learned more about the role and company and believed that he would be a great fit. He was called to an in-person interview at the old HQ for The Menkiti Group and had the opportunity to speak to Joy in person. Martin’s second interview lasted almost two hours and by the end he was feeling both anxious and excited while he waited for an answer.
Since he truly believed after interviewing that The Menkiti Group would be a great fit for him, he decided to write a thank you note to Bo Menkiti expressing his appreciation for the opportunity to interview and his eagerness to join the enterprise. Bo still remembers this heartfelt note and says that it made Martin stand out from all other candidates. This small note of appreciation was only the first bit of thoughtfulness that he would be showing over his decade+ working for the company.
Transitioning to the world of accounting
When the team at The Menkiti Group hired Martin, they brought him on as a temporary member of the Operations Team as they were in the process of moving headquarters. After he began his temporary role in June 2013, he knew he wanted to continue with the company, and he worked hard to secure a permanent spot. His persistence paid off and in October of 2013 he transitioned into a full-time role as MCC (Market Center Coordinator) for the KWCP Bethesda Market Center. 10 years later, he loves looking back at these humble beginnings and reflects on how working with the operations team and as an MCC helped prepare him for bigger and better opportunities within the enterprise.
Transitioning to the world of accounting
Martin began working as an MCC in Bethesda under the guidance of his MCA (Market Center Administration / Director of Operations), Natasha Mosely. Natasha was an amazing influence on Martin, and he quickly began to learn and help with tasks that an MCA would do and took on more responsibilities in the world of finance and accounting. After a few years soaking in the knowledge and skills it would take to move up, he transitioned into KWCP Finance Manager, an unexpected transition even for him as he never studied accounting outside the enterprise but clearly had a knack for it!
Life outside of the enterprise
While Martin considers himself a bit of a workaholic, there are many hobbies and passions he enjoys outside of work. A great habit he has instituted is his weekly disconnect from the digital world where he takes one day out of every weekend to put down his phone and shut off his computer, taking much needed R&R time for himself. He loves going to the movies, brushing up on his poetry and writing, and exploring new parts of the city. His love for writing is strong and he has big plans to start a blog one day and even write a fiction novel.
His greatest motivator
One amazing thing about Martin that we couldn’t not mention is that he always leaves the office thinking of one “win” he had that day. It could be as simple as helping to clean something up, but no matter what, his goal is to end each day knowing that he did some good for the world.
