Steve Nicklin believes at one time or another every person faces the life-altering question, "What am I going to do with the rest of my life?" When Steve turned that question on himself nearly 25 years ago, he was less than pleased with the conclusion. It took savvy career moves and endless drive for Steve to change his life picture. Now, since becoming the founder of his namesake company, Nicklin Property Management and Investment Corporation, Steve has created inspiring solutions for his professional and personal future.

It might seem that the idea of property management captured Steve long before he considered it as a potential career. As a 21-year-old realtor in Southern California working for Gold Key Investments, he specialized in investment properties. After selling properties to literally every person Steve knew, his family and friends expected him to help maintain their properties. As he handled "property management" tasks for the new homeowners, he had no idea he was paving the road to his entrepreneurial destination.

When real estate in California began to fall in 1980, Steve relocated to Las Vegas. He worked at a casino while obtaining his broker's license, and then joined Americana Group Realty. Steve says there was no specific eye-opening event that made him question his career path. The time had simply come for a change.

"I had to make a decision," he says. "Did I want to be a craps dealer or a realtor? The answer was neither. So I decided to take what I knew about property management and work for myself."

Steve approached two major realty companies about becoming his first clients, but was faced with uncomfortable expectations. He wanted to make changes in the property management industry, rather than follow in other companies' footsteps.

"I heard horror stories about months of vacancies and thousands in property damage due to mismanagement," he says. "The major realty companies wanted me to do the same things that were already making homeowners unhappy."

Sunshine Realty, a small husband/wife-owned company, gave Steve the break he needed. The owners provided him with a place to hang his license, and the freedom to handle property management his way.

"I had two missions when I branched out on my own," Steve says. "I was going to do the best job I could possibly do every day of my life, and I wasn't going to put money ahead of business. I believe if you’re doing the best job for the client every day, the monetary and personal rewards follow."

The day Steve made those decisions was the day he says his business took off. In 1986, Nicklin Property Management was born with one employee and management of 135 houses. "I had a secretary, and that was about it," he says. "The volume was chaos because I was doing everything myself. So I decided to take the plunge and go corporate the following year."

Just six years later, Steve moved Nicklin Property Management and Investment Corporation from a 400-square foot executive suite to a 2,200-square foot building. He also increased his management of 135 houses to 600 houses and growing. And his one employee was added to thirteen more. The company had even "departmentalized" with a marketing department, accounting department, and two maintenance departments, one for normal repairs and another specializing in vacant properties. In 2003 Steve built a 6,000 sq. ft. office building for his 15 employees now managing over 800 houses. Although Steve now has an office manager, he is still "hands on" every day.

Steve stands by the theory that his professional reputation is his life. This is why he remains "a straight arrow" - always being honest and keeping promises. His success formula is evidently working since new clients are now 100 percent referral-based.

It's not the least bit surprising that as Steve's forward-moving, professional life continues to reach new pinnacles of prosperity every day that goes by, his personal life has been similarly affected. When Steve isn't spending his time working hard (which he usually is), he spends his time playing hard. He enjoys spending his free time engaging in such exciting outdoor sports as riding bikes and scuba diving. Of course, his favorite time is the quality time he spends with his two children, Hailey and Parker.

Steve says his future goals include elevating Nicklin Property Management "at the modest growth we have now." He has even created somewhat of a family operation since his brother has an instrumental position in the company. As far as Steve's personal goals for the future, he knows his theory about working for the client will remain the same. "All of our employees understand that we all work for the homeowner first and foremost," he says. "When clients call with problems, it's my job to take preventative measures to prevent things from happening. The whole job involves really caring about people."

Although Steve once had doubts about where his life was headed, his tomorrows are undoubtedly secured by his integrity and solid work ethic. The continual growth of Nicklin Property Management and Investment Corporation will only cement the reality that Steve Nicklin will most likely never have a reason to question the direction of his future again.