Bicé Grobstein

“Be confident and curious, always.”

WomenWhoBuild, Meet Bicé Grobstein,

You might have recently seen Bicé in Crain’s 2020 Rising Star list. An entrepreneur, Bicé founded Concierge Redefined, an amenity management and tenant experience firm which launched projects such as the American Copper Building by JDS Development Group. After successfully leading the acquisition of Concierge Redefined by LIVunLtd in 2017, Bicé has taken on the role of Executive Vice President at LulaFit, an amenities management company, where she is leading the expansion of the brand across the east coast and beyond. 

ArchNative sat down with Bicé (virtually of course) to discuss her journey as an entrepreneur, how Concierge Redefined came into existence, what her current day to day looks like, and her advice for females looking to begin their careers in the industry.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey in Real Estate. What was your first introduction to the field?

Some people have their career journey planned out at 10 years of age. All I knew was, I wanted to be a businesswoman. What kind and how I’d get there was unclear. To be honest, I was not the best student. I actually struggled in most subjects and didn’t spend much time setting traditional goals that would support my journey to “businesswoman.” Though, what I always had was confidence. I grew up dancing. Dance gave me good posture and a poised disposition, but most of all, confidence. In high school, I was co-captain of the dance team. I spent hours reworking our routine and strategizing on how to motivate and inspire our dancers to always give their best performance. Our coaches allowed me to ‘manage’ our team and I took full advantage of the opportunity to develop my leadership skills. 

Today, my colleagues find it hard to believe I was not studious. I am the stickler who makes sure we dot our I’s and cross our t’s. It wasn’t until college that my curiosity heightened and I developed a genuine desire to challenge myself and commit to lifelong learning. That, coupled with my confidence, has made me the businesswoman I am today. As for my journey into real estate, luckily, I fell into it. 

What inspired you to pursue it as a career path? 

I was introduced to the world of real estate amenities management by way of Luxury Attaché. At the time, Luxury Attaché was the premier real estate concierge service in NYC. Real estate developers partnered with them to offer five-star, hotel-style concierge services in residential developments. As a concierge, your contacts can make or break you. Your success is truly about who you know. I spent a lot of time building my ever-expanding black book of contacts to ensure I could consistently deliver the ‘access’ Luxury Attaché promised. Like others who excel in their role, I was primed and ready for more responsibility. A larger opportunity did not present itself there, so I decided to explore other options. 

Bicé on a construction site tour at American Copper Building.

You are the founder of an amenity management and tenant experience firm, Concierge Redefined. What gave you the initial push to create your own company? 

While exploring my options, I wasn’t overly excited by other NYC firms in the real estate amenities space. So, I started my own. I was confident that if I was able to secure a client my firm would exceed service delivery expectations. The challenge was, I didn’t know a single real estate developer. Meanwhile, my competitors knew them all and spent years fostering those relationships. Amenities management, similar to real estate brokerage, is deeply rooted in relationships. I began working with a PR firm who encouraged me to attend a conference in Toronto sponsored by The Real Deal magazine. That’s where I met JDS Development founder, Michael Stern, and his Managing Director, Marci Clark. They were in the market for a new and fresh lifestyle amenities partner. So, along with Concierge Redefined’s Creative Director (and my childhood friend), Rachel Woodbridge, we went to JDS’s office for a game-changing pitch. JDS hired Concierge Redefined to service their new and iconic luxury-rental development, American Copper Buildings. In 2017, American Copper Buildings was awarded Curbed’s “Building of the year” award and CR was part of the leading team.

Can you tell us a little bit about the acquisition by LIVunLtd? How did you know this was the company which could take Concierge Redefined to the next stage? 

LIVunLtd is the result of a merger between Abigail Michaels Concierge and American Leisure. These two firms were not particularly attractive to me when I was looking at new opportunities before launching CR. However, the merger presented an opportunity to reinvent themselves in the market. I developed a new found respect for their collective founders who were able to part from their 20+ year businesses and take the necessary steps to remain relevant and competitive. I had a clear vision of how Concierge Redefined and our stellar team could further elevate LIV’s offering and reputation. I joined to execute on that plan. When I eventually moved on, I was proud of what we accomplished. The experience I gained from those years has positioned me to be an even more decisive yet adaptable leader in my current role at LulaFit. Above all else, I gained a mentor, advisor, and friend in Michael Fazio, LIVunLtd’s Chief Creative Officer. 

Can you tell us a little bit about LulaFit, the Holistic Amenities Management Company where you serve as the EVP?

LulaFit is an amenities management firm rooted in wellness. We are focused on building cultures of well-being in remote and built environments by designing inclusive and holistic programs to support physical, mental, and social well-being. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we programmed and operated on-site amenity spaces within commercial and residential properties. In March, we launched LulaFit LIVE. LulaFit LIVE virtual experiences complement on-site amenities by allowing users the flexibility and convenience to engage in their community whenever, wherever. We’ve been fortunate to not only sustain during this time but to evolve the LulaFit platform with the launch of our best-in-class digital well-being solution. With the early stages of re-entry on the horizon, our design and development consulting service has been in high demand. As expert operators, real estate owners and architects look to LulaFit for guidance on trends, optimization recommendations, and safety measures for their facilities. 

What does your day to day look like? 

I am grateful to wake up and gaze upon the City that I both love and now call home. Even with the streets quieter than ever, as the sun rises each day, so does New York City’s inherent electricity. 

As Executive Vice President of LulaFit, I have a broad array of responsibilities. I lean on my team quite a bit to keep me up to speed. Thankfully, they are particularly skilled at managing up. Throughout the week, I host meetings with existing clients, new business calls with prospective clients, strategic brainstorms with our senior leadership team, work on marketing and creative projects, and high-level corporate initiatives with our executive team. I work most closely with LulaFit Founder and CEO, Colleen Werner. Our collaborative working style is just as efficient as it is creative. Most importantly, our partnership is entirely transparent - a recipe for success. Currently, the kitchen is my boardroom and that’s where you can generally find me on Zoom.

Each day, I try to take the opportunity to work-out, play tennis, or go for a bicycle ride along the riverfronts at sunset. The rides clear my mind and remind me why I love the City so much. I, as well as the entire LulaFit team, feel like an instrumental part of the “new normal” as we help guide individuals and businesses through the evolution of the remote and physical hybrid workplace experience. 

What has been the biggest challenge in your career thus far?

Trusting the process. Patience truly is a virtue. I work on it daily. 

With the COVID-19 crisis specifically, we as a firm had to remain confident, focused, and resilient in front of a discouraged client base. This challenge created opportunities. We were able to pivot our business to meet the needs of our clients (and their clients too). Challenges are what drives us as individuals and as a company. 

What is one piece of advice you have for women entering the field 

Be confident and curious, always. To quote one of my favorite business books: "Remember: simply displaying a genuine desire to learn and understand translates into increased credibility and influence." - Michael Watkins, The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter.