What Starting a Business Taught Me About Problem Solving

I’ve spent more than twenty years managing luxury hotels and restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. I've overseen openings, managed crises, and built teams from nothing at some of the most demanding places in the country. So I thought I knew what problem-solving looked like. Then I started a business and quickly learned that I was missing another perspective.

We launched Sparrow Estate Management in 2020, prepared with a shortlist of 60 hotels to approach. Then the pandemic hit, and all those opportunities were no longer available. It was a crash course in adaptability. 

This unprecedented pivot taught me the first real lesson of entrepreneurship: the plan is just the starting point, and it’s never guaranteed.

In business, you don’t need to have all the answers. What’s more important is the ability to adapt and remain calm while you find solutions. 

Once, a client called me, upset, about an unexplained stain on a rug after one week of property maintenance. Instead of getting defensive, I worked backwards through every timeline and vendor. It turned out that the exterminator’s equipment had left the mark, and we were able to get it fixed. The relationship continued because of our positive, can-do attitude and diligence in correcting the error.

At Sparrow, we now serve over 75 clients across some of the most extraordinary homes in Southern California. That’s thanks to our high level of service, which goes hand-in-hand with our prioritization of nimble and calm problem-solving during unpredictable moments. 

About Peter Hansen:

Peter Hansen is the Co-Owner of Sparrow Estate Management, a Los Angeles-based home management and staffing company serving luxury homeowners across Southern California. Building on over two decades of high-end hospitality experience, Peter applies the same precision, care, and attention to detail to managing private homes that he once brought to some of the most renowned hotels and restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. Learn more at sparrowestatemgmt.com.