Jan 31, 2025 – Today, I had the privilege to interview Pilar Iturralde, the Director of Casago University. Pilar and her team have the unique responsibility to train the employees and franchisees of Casago Vacation Rentals. I hope you will join me on this adventure because it is nothing like you can imagine.

No Ordinary Educator

Connecting with Pilar was a rush because she is no ordinary educator. From the first moment on video chat, you can see and hear her enthusiasm for her work; you can feel her passion and you learn quickly how serious she is about making Casago University the best in the industry. But let’s go back a few years…

Pilar has been with the Casago organization for 16 years. She started in the Homes Division in an administrative role in 2003 working for Mr. Schwab – not to be confused with his son, Steve, the CEO of Casago. Mr. Schwab was always at the Homes management location at the entrance to Rocky Point, while his son, Steve, was always at the Resorts management location near the beachfront. Mr. Schwab was Pilar’s direct boss, and from her tone alone, the respect and admiration fostered by their working relationship is still evident.

Leading by Example

In her words, ‘Leaders lead by example!’ Mr. Schwab always led by example, and that’s what he expected from others. A great example is he expected the company cars to be washed and cleaned. And if you looked at his vehicle, it was always washed and clean.

If he said the office would be open by 8 AM, he was there by 7:45 AM. Pilar remembers he always had a big loop of keys on his belt, and it didn’t matter if she arrived at the office early, he was always there. She knew the sound of the keys!

Three days into her employment, her grandfather died. In her mind, it was unthinkable for a brand-new employee to ask for time off. But Mr. Schwab gave her the time she needed with pay to take care of the family, and she came back to work with their full blessing.

Building a Foundation

One day, Mr. Schwab stormed into her office and said, ‘You get me that boy on the phone!’ He was, of course, talking about his son, Steve, the owner of the business. Pilar was able to track him down at an airport somewhere, politely instructed Steve he had an urgent call, and handed the phone to Mr. Schwab. The Schwabs had their conversation; he handed the phone back to her and, with the utmost respect, thanked her and left.

What she learned that day was the foundation for building a career at Casago: she learned not to be afraid when moments get tense and that even in tough moments, respect is shown. Tough times come and go, but people can be respectful of each other.

Pilar eventually was asked to move over to the Resort Operations side of the company and worked with this group for some time. She decided she needed to finish her university degree, so she left Casago to pursue a degree in Engineering. In the final year of school, she had a call from a manager at Casago asking her to come back to lead Casago University. With her experience both in administration and operations, she eventually returned and started working with Casago at the university. But things weren’t as expected.

Experience through Leadership

Pilar told her manager, who told her to talk to Steve, and Steve told her ‘To own the university’ and make it the best it can be. That was in 2013. Today, Casago University provides training to every member of the Casago business and franchisees globally. Pilar and her team are responsible for manuals, delivering training on every aspect of the Casago business, certifications, recertifications, and updates. It is a mass undertaking and one she loves.

When asked how she does what she does, she quickly reminded me of her foundation – what she learned working for Mr. Schwab. Then she adds to that a conversation she had with Steve years later. She said she had made a mistake, and Steve was furious. But he didn’t yell, even though, in her mind, he had every right to. He just asked, ‘We aren’t doing this again, right?’ He was mad, but he was respectful. He was honest.

What she learned at that moment was trust. Trust! She learned “trust” because there can be an issue, but if two people communicate respectfully and openly, trust is built, as is respect. As she said, it isn’t a competition; it’s communication. Great organizations are built on solid communication based on respect and trust.

Casago University

As head of the University, what are the biggest challenges? First, meeting people where they are so they can get better together. If you meet people where they are and lead by example, people will naturally want to better themselves. (Isn’t that a form of respect?).

The second challenge is to teach people, even adults, to ask “Why?” enough times until the best solution presents itself. Problem identified and solved.

The third challenge is to explain the REASON, not just the steps! If you help people understand the reason and tie it to an emotion, the steps of the process will be memorable.

Pilar and her team are committed to being an example of excellence for anyone attending the university. She models the foundation she learned years ago – be early, be sharp in company attire, and model positive first impressions. She exemplifies the phrase, “Practice what you preach!” Her goal is to deliver more than promised so every attendee leaves happy and informed. Always give more than they expect!

I asked Pilar what’s next for her. Her love for the university, for Casago, is so real, with so much depth, what’s next is the next “WOW” she gets when she shows people how easy it is to get to the right solution. She has so much joy in finding solutions, helping people get the most out of their positions, and even enjoying life more because of helping others.

Pilar mentioned the University is gearing up to deliver even more in the near future – I guess we’ll have to wait and see – but she said it is going to be even bigger and better. If what she has accomplished is any indicator, I believe her!

CasaCon

Pilar also helps lead CasaCon, an annual learning experience for all the franchisees to meet suppliers, company leaders, invited vendors, and each other. CasaCon is a place to meet key Casago executives, department leaders, suppliers, and vendors one-on-one.

The time spent getting to know each other, sharing experiences, asking questions, and enjoying the destination is invaluable. She said the experience is one of human importance because of the relationships built and the learning takeaways because it is more than just business. It is always the end of September and something she is committed to making a complete success!

Wrapping this interview into a key takeaway is simple. Pilar Iturralde exemplifies what others have shared – culture, communication, trust, respect, leading by example, and being responsible. Casago is truly a different operating environment because of the leadership, respect for employees, and respecting the owners they serve.

Staging environment