In commercial real estate (“CRE”), I find it fascinating to see how people started their careers and the twists and turns they took along the way.
It used to be that most did not enter CRE through a traditional schooling route. That was the case for me because I started my career as a product development engineer at Ford Motor Co. after graduating with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Business Administration—Manufacturing Management and Consulting.
During one of my Ford College Graduate rotations at the Ford truck plant in Kansas City, I wasn’t taking good care of my body and health, and eventually was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
I finally had to slow down, look at my life, and decide — was this the right path for me? My health and my family were more important to me, so I started learning about how to invest in single-family residential (“SFR”). I quickly figured out that CRE was more interesting.
After attending a course on how to invest in apartments (a natural transition after SFR), my seatmate on the plane back and I talked about commercial real estate the whole San Diego-to-Dallas leg of the flight.
He encouraged me to apply to the company he worked at if I was serious about making the jump. I did and got a phone interview for an analyst position. However, they needed someone who spoke Spanish to help with their Mexico fund in addition to the industrial fund. My Spanish skills were limited, so I did not get the job.
However, I kept in touch, and a year later, I had an in-person interview and got a job as an analyst with the industrial fund.
After 19 years, I recently left the company that took a gamble on me as an engineer to pursue my passion for CRE technology, because I want to help people streamline their workflows and evaluate whether those workflows are still supporting them.
I’m applying the same lessons I learned the last time I made a major pivot:
- Be persistent and show up daily. Emphasize those habits you want to keep and replace the ones you don’t.
- Continually learn and grow, as the world is always evolving, especially in this new AI era.
- (Re)connect with those around you, both inside and outside CRE. You never know where God will open up the next door and who you’ll have the privilege of helping along the way.
- Prioritize faith, health, family, and community.
A few questions I’d love to hear your answers to:
- How did you get started in CRE?
- Where are you focusing your energy, effort, and time?
- What do you do repetitively or on a recurring basis that you want to improve or streamline?
If any of this interests you, let’s talk. You’ll receive a 20-minute consultation (a $200 value) to explore how we might work together. If it’s not the right fit, you get the full $200 back — no strings. And if it is, that $200 goes straight toward whatever solutions package you choose. Either way, you walk away with clarity.