At my core, I am an entrepreneur and love building things. Whether it’s completing a weekend DIY project or building a team, infrastructure and business over several years to achieve our goals, I enjoy the work along the way and the sense of accomplishment. The harder the project, the greater the challenges faced and overcome, and the more people who tell us “No”, the more satisfying the feeling of accomplishment.I spent the first decade plus of my professional life practicing corporate and securities law, which provided me with a strong foundation to assess risk and identify the things that really matter from a business perspective. Needing to scratch my entrepreneurial itch, I left the comfort of big law firm life for the risk and uncertainty of building businesses. I first started in the healthcare technology space helping build and grow an assistive technologies company before joining my business partner for the past 15 years and building multiple businesses in the commercial real estate arena. I went to law school with plans to be a real estate developer (before incurring substantial student loans!), so I feel like I am now where I always wanted to be. Most career paths are not linear. Mine certainly wasn’t.I enjoy both developing global corporate goals and creating strategies to achieve them, as well as executing at a granular level, such as identifying software and building processes and procedures around it that will enhance operational efficiency and accuracy. Yes, I can walk and chew gum at the same time.My business partner of the past 15 years is like family (that I actually like), and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am grateful to have been an integral part of building successful organizations throughout my career, and the common ingredient has been the quality of the team, from the most senior to the most junior. I prefer to build teams with people that I respect and can count on when times are tough. Character counts – a ton! Oh, and yes, check your ego at the door, please.My leadership style is a mixture of respect, empathy and tough love. I think the best opportunities for us to grow are when we feel supported when we are challenged.As much as I am proud of my accomplishments, I derive more enjoyment out of helping others realize their potential and seeing how their professional growth improves their lives and helps us achieve our goals. I love to travel with my family, and I have found that people around the world are more alike than not. I prefer to focus on our commonalities and value different points of view.