Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

September 9th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles.

Habits Of Mentally Strong People, And How They Can Help You Succeed

"The first productive thing that mentally tough people do is wake up in the morning and get out of bed. They go to bed and wake up early so that they are clearheaded to accomplish the jobs at hand. They don't hit the snooze button 10 times because they have been out late at night partying. Nor do they hide under the covers ruminating about past failures, things that have gone wrong in their lives or obsessively mull over past slights and humiliations. They summon up the strength to block out any negativity and get out of bed at an early hour.  Mentally strong people already have a game plan prepared for what they will do that day. They already know the tasks at hand and get started right away. It doesn't necessarily mean that they are happy about everything they need to do, but they attack it anyway.Mentally strong people face the day unafraid of failure. They understand that failing is part of the process. It is a learning experience for them. They take notes and learn lessons of what not to do in the future. Even if they fail, usually they will have learned some new skills to use in future plans. These folks will brush themselves off, get up and start all over again. Of course, they are not giddy with enjoyment that things didn't turn out the way they wanted, but it doesn't ruin them emotionally." www.forbes.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]Mentally strong people have a game plan prepared for what they will do that day. They already know the tasks at hand.... It doesn't necessarily mean that they are happy about everything they need to do, but they attack it anyway.[/tweet_box]

The Open Office Concept: Science Still Can't Decide If It's Good For US

"The open office concept, it seems, is still open to debate.

A study published in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine this month found that workers in open offices are less stressed and more active than cubicle workers, perhaps because they move around more to interact with colleagues.

At the same time, past research, like that published by Harvard researchers in July, has found that people who work in open offices are less likely than cubicle dwellers to collaborate or interact with their colleagues.

Though the studies didn’t examine the exact same factors, their outcomes seem to send mixed messages, proving—if nothing else—that science has yet to give us a clear-cut verdict on open office..." www.fortune.com

The #1 Office Perk? Natural Light

"...a new survey by my HR advisory firm Future Workplace called “The Employee Experience” reveals the reality is that employees crave something far more fundamental and essential to human needs. In a research poll of 1,614 North American employees, we found that access to natural light and views of the outdoors are the number one attribute of the workplace environment, outranking stalwarts like onsite cafeterias, fitness centers, and premium perks including on-site childcare (only 4-8% of FORTUNE 100 companies offer on-site child care).The study also found that the absence of natural light and outdoor views hurts the employee experience. Over a third of employees feel that they don’t get enough natural light in their workspace. 47% of employees admit they feel tired or very tired from the absence of natural light or a window at their office, and 43% report feeling gloomy because of the lack of light." www.hbr.org

[WSJ paywall] Walmart Tries Out Own Home-Delivery Service

"Walmart Inc. is testing its own network of independent delivery drivers as it aims to offer home grocery delivery to 100 metro areas by the end of the year. The retail giant said Wednesday it will begin using Spark Delivery, a crowd-sources delivery drivers network named after Walmart's yellow star logo, to accomplish its grocery delivery goals." www.wsj.com

Facebook Is Bingeing on Bay Area Real Estate

“Since Facebook Inc. arrived in Menlo Park, California, seven years ago, the town has been overrun by construction cranes, orange safety cones and truckloads of building materials to transform a former industrial area into a sprawling campus that can support a $500 billion tech giant.

So big are the ambitions that the company plans to redevelop whole swaths of the land it holds in the Silicon Valley city, potentially doubling its workforce there over the next decade to 35,000 people—more than Menlo Park’s current population.

Even that won’t be enough for its expansion plans.

“We continue to grow,” John Tenanes, the company’s head of facilities, said in a conference room overlooking a salt marsh in Facebook’s newest Menlo Park office, a Frank Gehry-designed building called MPK 21 that opened last week. “We’re at a point where we needed more space, and this area couldn’t keep up.” www.bloomberg.com

Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

September 4th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles.WeShip? | UPS Launches On-Demand Warehouse and Fulfillment PlatformAs online shoppers become more insistent on fast, free shipping, the pressure is on shippers to store and fulfill orders closer to their ultimate destination. At the same time, available warehouse space has been dropping steadily for years. And for smaller shippers, multiple warehouse contracts, if they can be found, can be too much to afford and manage.Furthermore, even medium to large companies with seasonal spikes in business often struggle to find seasonal space or own space that is underused most of the year.New sharing-economy services seek to solve this problem by matching warehouses and merchants based on the products, order volume, space requirements and delivery needs.  www.supplychaindive.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]WeShip? | New sharing-economy services seek to..(match) warehouses and merchants based on the products, order volume, space requirements and delivery needs.[/tweet_box]

The 14 Most Active VC Investors in US Real Estate Tech

"The US real estate market is booming—and so is the real estate tech industry.

In 2008, businesses in the real estate tech space in the US brought in a total of $41 million across just seven deals, according to the PitchBook Platform. Contrast those numbers with what's happening a decade later: So far in 2018, companies in the category have raised a total of $1.3 billion across 73 deals—and there are still four months left in the year." www.pitchbook.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]So far in 2018, companies in the category have raised a total of $1.3 billion across 73 deals—and there are still four months left in the year.[/tweet_box]

8 Ways Generation Z Will Differ From Millennials In The Workplace

"Generation Z is composed of those born between 1995 and 2010, which means that the oldest are about 22 and are just entering the workforce. The media has focused a lot on millennials in recent years, but it’s time to turn some of the attention to the millennials’ future co-workers. Gen Zers have a lot in common with millennials, but there are also many ways in which the two generations differ." www.forbes.com

Solopreneurs Swear By These Tech Tools To Streamline And Get More Done

"One of the keys to success is to surround yourself with people whose strengths are your weaknesses. You don’t have to be great at everything to be a successful entrepreneur, you simply have to recognize the things that aren’t your strengths and then find people who possess those skills and work with them to achieve your goals.

This is why freelancers are a great asset to any business. Without the budgets to hire a team in-house it can be tough to achieve the goals you have set for your business. But apps like Upwork allow you to tap into a whole world of skilled freelancers who are ready to work for you." www.forbes.com

San Francisco is Bringing Back Banned Electric Scooters - With Limits

“The scooters are back in town.

Three months after ejecting the networks of shared, sidewalk-cluttering vehicles from the city, officials with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency announced today the two winners of its e-scooter pilot sweepstakes: Scoot and Skip.

The city chose the companies from a crowded field of 12, which submitted a collective 800 pages in proposals on their operations, safety, and plans to extend the scooter bounty to San Francisco's neighborhoods. Skip and Scoot now have the right to operate at least 625 scooters each in the city—a number that could eventually double. Scooter lovers, mark your calendars: The agency says it will finalize the companies’ permits by October 15 at the latest. They'll be good for a year.” www.wired.com

 Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

August 20th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles.

Do Millennials Prefer Cities or Suburbs? Maybe Both.

With all that people get wrong about these people, maybe it should be no surprise that nobody can say for sure where they really want to live. Researchers have arrived at two different conclusions. One is the back-to-the-city thesis, which asserts that young adults prefer the bustle and diversity of the urban landscape to the fading suburban dream. The other argument holds that, secretly, Millennials prefer the suburbs; they just haven’t made it there yet, or they’re being overlooked. It’s the Laurel vs. Yanny debate tearing geography apart. www.citylab.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]Millennials prefer the suburbs; they just haven’t made it there yet, or they’re being overlooked[/tweet_box]

The Un-celebrity President: Jimmy Carter Shuns Riches, Lives Modestly in his Georgia Hometown

"The Democratic former president decided not to join corporate boards or give speeches for big money because, he says, he didn’t want to “capitalize financially on being in the White House.”

Presidential historian Michael Beschloss said that Gerald Ford, Carter’s predecessor and close friend, was the first to fully take advantage of those high-paid post-presidential opportunities, but that “Carter did the opposite.”Since Ford, other former presidents, and sometimes their spouses, routinely earn hundreds of thousands of dollars per speech.“I don’t see anything wrong with it; I don’t blame other people for doing it,” Carter says over dinner. “It just never had been my ambition to be rich." www.washingtonpost.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]“I don’t see anything wrong with it; I don’t blame other people for doing it (ex presidents making money),” Carter says over dinner. “It just never had been my ambition to be rich."[/tweet_box]

Where Even Walmart Won't Go: How Dollar General Took Over rural America

"Dollar General is opening stores at the rate of three a day across the US. It moves into places not even Walmart will go, targeting rural towns and damaged inner-city neighbourhoods with basic goods at basic prices – a strategy described by a former chief executive of the chain as “we went where they ain’t”.The chain now has more outlets across the country than McDonald’s has restaurants, and its profits have surged past some of the grand old names of American retail. The company estimates that three-quarters of the population lives within five miles of one of its stores, which stock everything from groceries and household cleaners to clothes and tool." www.theguardian.com

The Cognitive Biases Tricking Our Brains

"Present bias shows up not just in experiments, of course, but in the real world. Especially in the United States, people egregiously undersave for retirement—even when they make enough money to not spend their whole paycheck on expenses, and even when they work for a company that will kick in additional funds to retirement plans when they contribute.That state of affairs led a scholar named Hal Hershfield to play around with photographs. Hershfield is a marketing professor at UCLA whose research starts from the idea that people are “estranged” from their future self. As a result, he explained in a 2011 paper, “saving is like a choice between spending money today or giving it to a stranger years from now.” The paper described an attemptby Hershfield and several colleagues to modify that state of mind in their students. They had the students observe, for a minute or so, virtual-reality avatars showing what they would look like at age 70. Then they asked the students what they would do if they unexpectedly came into $1,000. The students who had looked their older self in the eye said they would put an average of $172 into a retirement account. That’s more than double the amount that would have been invested by members of the control group, who were willing to sock away an average of only $80...." www.theatlantic.comTech Workers Call the Shots for Space“With unemployment below 4%, companies are focusing on making smart decisions about their space– decisions that keep their employees happy and engaged,” said Revathi Greenwood, Americas head of research at Cushman & Wakefield. “Landlords are playing a critical role as well–ensuring their buildings stay competitive with a good mix of amenities and affordable parking, and of course concessions where necessary to attract top tenants.”And not surprisingly, Millennials are driving a bulk of those decisions. Now the largest generation in the workforce, Millennials are driving the agendas of how companies operate, what workplaces look like and what technology is expected.” www.globest.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

July 30th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles.

Here's How America Uses Its Land

From sea to shining sea!www.bloomberg.com

The 5-Hour Rule Used by Bill Gates, Jack Ma and Elon Musk

"Productivity expert Choncé Maddox writes, “It’s no secret that successful people read. The average millionaire is said to read two or more books per month.” As such, she suggests everyone “read blogs, news sites, fiction and non-fiction during downtime so you can soak in more knowledge.” If you’re frequently on the go, listen to audiobooks or podcasts." www.entrepreneur.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]The average millionaire is said to read two or more books per month[/tweet_box]

Her Company Was Growing, So Why Was It Failing?

[Podcast] "Just Between Friends is a nationwide franchise that runs consignment events. About a decade ago, it experienced a crazy jolt: It sold more franchise units than it ever had... and that fast growth nearly bankrupted the company. Why? Because here’s the difficult truth about growing a business: Not all growth is equal. Sometimes, growth in one part of your business can harm another part of your business. So to fix the problem, Just Between Friends had to hit pause and consider some very important questions: What’s the right way to grow? And what does it really take to get there?" www.forbes.com

The Freshest Ideas Are in Small Grocery Stores

"Most North Americans still buy their food at the classic supermarket, with its wide aisles and seemingly limitless choices. But stores like Kroger, the nation’s largest chain with more than $105 billion in sales in 2017, are being cannibalized by a host of discount competitors like Dollar General and Aldion one side, and by the growing dominance of Amazon and online delivery on the other.

“By and large, supermarkets are kind of behind the eight ball” in responding to changes in how people shop, said Diana Smith, the associate director of retail and apparel for the market research company Mintel.

Customers, especially younger ones, want stores that offer what some industry analysts have come to call “food experiences,” with craft beer on tap, meals to go and vegetable butchers. They tend to shop only when they cook, visiting more than one store to collect ingredients, rather than making a weekly trip to stock the pantry with toilet paper, chuck roast and gallons of milk." www.nytimes.com

Truckers Looking to Haul in More Profits

[Paywall] “Trucking companies are hoping to turn the most robust freight market in a generation into stronger long-term financial footing.Carriers are raising rates and investing in new equipment as a monthslong rally in transportation demand gives them the upper hand in setting prices with shippers.

Analysts expect strong results across the sector over the next two weeks as fleets report earnings. Capacity remains tight this summer, normally a slack period for freight, and some trucking companies are turning down loads for lack of available trucks.

“We should still see good margin performance from truckers,” said Brad Delco, a transportation analyst with Stephens Inc. “Supply-demand dynamics remain tight, and as a result pricing has been strong, partially offset by the need to raise driver wages.” www.wsj.com

Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

July 3oth, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles.How Social Experience & Transportation Shaped the Last 10-Years of CRE Development"Elie Finegold: The forces (converging to change the CRE world are):

• Radical mobility – the ability for people to do all sorts of work and tasks from anywhere
• Service economy – the sharing of assets in an efficient way across a network of people
• Autonomy – drastically reduce the cost of moving people and goods around urban environments

All of this is part of a transportation network that is increasingly seamless, increasingly purpose built for going whatever distance you want, increasingly available on-demand, and the cost of which will decrease as autonomy becomes part of the equation. So it’s not just about people going places, it’s also about things coming to you. All of these things together, I still believe, will be one of the most profound shifts in the way that the built environment is utilized, since the invention of the mass-produced automobile." www.disruptcre.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]"So it’s not just about people going places, it’s also about things coming to you." By @ElieFinegold #cre[/tweet_box]

Atlanta’s Changing Transportation Ecosystem"Atlanta’s traffic woes are a well-known story. Despite having the nation’s 9^th largest transit system, we are still an auto-centric city and region, rife with congestion along our main corridors. The lesser known story, perhaps, is the remarkable level of investment and coordination currently underway among our state and regional agencies to make significant changes in how Atlantans move around and through the region." www.atlanta.uli.org

How to Cure Your Dread of Public Speaking"Public speaking is so stressful for so many people that it is routinely used as a stress manipulation in psychological studies. Tell undergrads they have 10 minutes to prepare a speech that will be evaluated by experts, and their levels of the stress hormone cortisol shoot through the roof.Yet success in many roles requires speaking in public. In addition to presenting in my classes, I typically give a talk per week in front of groups. People ask me if speaking gets me nervous. It does not. And I give a lot of credit to my fascination with stand-up comedy. While I’m not a comedian myself, I’ve been a fan of comedians and their process for a long time, and I think there are three lessons that anyone can learn from them about public speaking." www.hbr.org

Much Of The US Electric Grid Could Go The Way of The Landline Phone “IF YOU’RE OLD enough to remember landlines, maybe you remember the feedback loop that turned them from must-haves to luxury items. As customers started switching to mobile, the phone companies had to raise rates on the cord keepers to cover the cost of their telephone lines. That only pushed more people to defect, exacerbating the problem—and increasing the cost.It’s this sort of feedback loop that worries Sonny Garg. He’s the head of energy research for Uptake Technologies and spearheaded the data analytics firm’s new report showing that over the past two decades, the investor-owned utilities that represent nearly half the US grid’s electrical load saw the effective cost of generating one megawatt of electricity rise 74 percent.

Making electricity, in other words, is becoming a less profitable business. And Garg worries that these costs will eventually reach consumers and send ripples throughout the economy. “You don’t need a huge amount of people to leave to cause a huge issue with the grid,” he says." www.wired.com

What Not to Do When You’re Trying to Motivate Your Team

“When leaders look like they are just applying some “motivational technique” they read about, people see right through the superficial, obligatory effort. It looks like they are checking off the “I motivated someone today” box. Motivation is not something you do to people. People ultimately choose to be motivated — when to give their best, go the extra mile, and offer radical ideas. The only thing leaders can do is shape the conditions under which others do, or don’t, choose to be motivated. But the final choice is theirs.Unfortunately, too few managers understand this, and so there is a gap between managers’ efforts and the results they’re getting. A 10-year study of more than 200,000 employees shows that 79% of employees who quit their jobs cite a lack of appreciation as a key reason, and according to Gallup’s 2017 “State of the American Workplace” report, only 21% agree their performance is managed in a way that motivates them to do outstanding work. Here are three of the most offensive forms of “motivating” I’ve seen managers employ, and three alternative approaches I’ve seen work wonderfully.” www.hbr.orgYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

July 23rd, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles.

How Amazon’s Expanding U.S. Brick-and-Mortar Footprint Stacks up Against Other Big Retailers

"Whole Foods locations make up close to 80 percent of Amazon stores across the U.S., underscoring the importance of the $13.7 billion Whole Foods acquisition for the company’s brick-and-mortar push.Thanks to the Whole Foods deal, Amazon is breathing down the necks of traditional retailers like Sears and Macy's, both of which have closed stores this year. However, Walmart dwarfs Amazon's footprint with 5,295 stores across the county. Kroger (2,779 stores), Home Depot (1,981), Target and Best Buy (1,328) each boast a much larger national footprint as well.Unlike many of these companies, which have been building stores for decades, Amazon is new to the physical retail world. Amazon opened it's first brick and mortar store, Amazon Books, in Seattle's University Village mall in 2015." www.geekwire.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]"Unlike many..companies, which have been building stores for decades, Amazon is new to the physical retail world." #cre #retail[/tweet_box]

Why Theme Parks are Spending Millions to Give Guests Free Wi-Fi

"We are constantly evaluating needs and introducing new technology in the parks to enhance the guest experience,” said Liz Jaeger, a spokeswoman for the Disneyland Resort.

But theme parks are not investing in free internet service just to keep tech-loving guests like Barrie happy. There is big money to be made with in-park Wi-Fi because it lets guests promote the park on social media and it gives the park access to valuable data about visitors.

Enthusiastic fans wait in line to be the first to enter the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood before sunrise in 2016. Wireless internet helps theme park guests post images from such attractions. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 

Industry experts note that videos, pictures and messages dispatched from theme parks to social media sites help promote the parks to millions of potential guests on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, among other sites. Last year, Disneyland was the most Instagrammed location in the world, according to the photo-sharing app.

“There is an entire new industry of people posting pictures, going live, streaming while at a theme park or creating photo reports,” said Martin Lewison, a theme park expert and business management professor at Farmingdale State College in New York." www.latimes.com

The Power of Positive People: Are your friendships giving you a boost or bringing you down?

“I argue that the most powerful thing you can do to add healthy years is to curate your immediate social network,” said..one expert, who advises people to focus on three to five real-world friends rather than distant Facebook friends. “In general you want friends with whom you can have a meaningful conversation,” he said. “You can call them on a bad day and they will care. Your group of friends are better than any drug or anti-aging supplement, and will do more for you than just about anything.” www.wsj.com

What Not to Do When You’re Trying to Motivate Your Team

“When leaders look like they are just applying some “motivational technique” they read about, people see right through the superficial, obligatory effort. It looks like they are checking off the “I motivated someone today” box. Motivation is not something you do to people. People ultimately choose to be motivated — when to give their best, go the extra mile, and offer radical ideas. The only thing leaders can do is shape the conditions under which others do, or don’t, choose to be motivated. But the final choice is theirs.

H.ARMSTRONG ROBERTS/CLASSICSTOCK/GETTY IMAGESUnfortunately, too few managers understand this, and so there is a gap between managers’ efforts and the results they’re getting. A 10-year study of more than 200,000 employees shows that 79% of employees who quit their jobs cite a lack of appreciation as a key reason, and according to Gallup’s 2017 “State of the American Workplace” report, only 21% agree their performance is managed in a way that motivates them to do outstanding work. Here are three of the most offensive forms of “motivating” I’ve seen managers employ, and three alternative approaches I’ve seen work wonderfully.” www.hbr.orgWhy Duke Realty Believes There’s Plenty of Room for Development in the Industrial SectorNREI: What underlies that “pretty good” feeling?(Duke CEO) Jim Connor: You’ve got 4.5 percent vacancy nationwide. It’s the lowest it’s been as long as anybody can remember, and they’ve been keeping records 25-plus years. We keep predicting every year that supply is finally going to catch up with demand, and it still hasn’t happened yet. Based on activity, I don’t see that trend changing. When you’ve got that low of a vacancy rate, it allows us to keep the occupancy rate in our portfolios ridiculously high. Our in-service portfolio is 97.5 percent leased [as of the first quarter of 2018], and with that you get great, strong rent growth numbers.The challenge for us—and there’s always a downside with the upside—is we’re really in favor right now, so there’s a ton of capital chasing industrial. Even though interest rates have gone up 50 to 60 basis points in the last eight or nine months, we’ve seen cap rates on industrial compress 25 basis points, and maybe more in some cases. So, there’s a lot of competition out there. www.nreionline.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

July 16th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles.Commercial Real Estate Implications of the Steel and Aluminum Tariffs"The most important thing developers and contractors can do to minimize risk is to include clear contractual roadmaps for addressing eventualities such as price increases on raw materials." www.nreionline.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]"..minimize risk is (with) clear contractual roadmaps for addressing eventualities such as price increases on raw materials[/tweet_box]

Watch Out, Retailers. This is Just How big Amazon is Becoming

"You knew Amazon was big. But did you know it was this big?

Amazon's e-commerce sales in the U.S. are expected to reach a staggering $258.2 billion this year, up nearly 30 percent from a year ago, according to a new survey from eMarketer that looks at the company's sales by product category.That means Amazon is expected to capture nearly half of the U.S. e-commerce market by the end of 2018, eMarketer said. The company ended 2017 with about 44 percent of the market." www.cnbc.com

People on Higher Floors of Office Buildings Tend to Take More Risks (WSJ Paywall)

"People apparently take the idea of the heights of power literally.So says a group of researchers who found that being on the higher floors of a building tends to make people feel more powerful—which may lead them to take bigger financial risks.

“We know that people who are taller take more risks, and we have a sense that people who are risk takers gravitate toward high-elevation activities like skydiving, but I wanted to understand if the reverse is true in a controlled environment,” says Sina Esteky, an assistant professor of marketing at the Farmer School of Business at Miami University in Ohio, and the lead researcher for the recent paper published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology.” www.wsj.com

This Scrappy Startup Wants To Save Family Farms. But Big Ag Is Fighting Back

“Based south of the San Francisco airport and backed by nearly $200 million in venture capital—from the likes of T. Rowe Price, Temasek, Kleiner Perkins and GV (Google’s VC arm), among others—FBN is trying to do nothing less than save America’s family farms while also building what its brash CEO, Amol Deshpande, hopes will become “the biggest agricultural business in the world.” The startup’s founders, Deshpande, 40, and Charles Baron, 34, want to shift leverage from giant manufacturers like DowDuPont and Monsanto. Collectively, farmers produce nearly $200 billion worth of crops a year, but individually they have little bargaining power. By bringing them together, FBN’s sprawling operation helps farmers get better prices on both the goods they buy and the crops they sell. As it spends heavily to sign up farmers and build its online store, the startup has yet to turn a profit. But it expects revenue of $200 million this year, up from $72 million in 2017, and Deshpande and Baron are already talking about an IPO.“What they are doing is amazing in terms of its business potential and its social impact,” says Nancy Pfund, founder of DBL Partners, an investor in FBN and a descendant of farmers. “Certainly big data is in vogue, but information is not enough. You’ve got to bring farmers together so they can level the playing field.” www.forbes.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week! 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

July 9th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles.

5 Minutes Early Is On Time; On Time Is Late; Late Is Unacceptable

An old but certainly a goody! "I have a magic pill to sell you. It will help you make more money, be happier, look thinner, and have better relationships. It’s a revolutionary new pharmaceutical product called Late-No-More. Just one dose every day will allow you to show up on time, greatly enhancing your life and the lives of those around you.All joking aside, being late is unacceptable. While that sounds harsh, it’s the truth and something that should be said more often. I don’t care if you’re attending a dinner party, a conference call, or a coffee meeting - your punctuality says a lot about you." www.forbes.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]your punctuality says a lot about you[/tweet_box]

The Secret to Disconnecting? Bring Back the ‘Away’ Message - (WSJ Paywall)

"When you head out on vacation this summer, you will want to properly get away. No checking in with the office, no sneaking a peek at your inbox and no occasional Twitter browsing just in case Beyoncé drops another surprise album. With the help of an out-of-office email responder and a little bit of willpower, you might even pull it off." www.wsj.com

Can Silicon Valley Disrupt How We Build?

"The construction industry is ripe for digital disruption,” said co-founder and chairman Michael Marks in a press release. (Marks is the former CEO of electronics manufacturer Flextronics, now Flex.) “This new round of funding will enable us to further invest in R&D and continue to scale the business.” www.citylab.com

4 Keys to Staying Healthy in Open Office Layouts“You can have the best system in the world, but if your facility manager isn’t cleaning the screens or the filters, the air quality is definitely not going to be great,” said Lessard, noting that routine upkeep is critical, as well..” www.amny.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]You can have the best system in the world, but if your facility manager isn’t cleaning the screens or the filters, the air quality is definitely not going to be great,[/tweet_box]

Duke Long’s Updated 2018 Top 150 Commercial Real Estate People You Must Connect With On LinkedIn.

Honored to be on Duke's list!  www.dukelong.com

Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

July 2nd, 2018

Happy 4th of July week!Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles.

How Retail Real Estate Continues To Change

"The changes in consumer shopping behavior continue to create upheaval in the business of retail real estate. As certain kinds of space become less valuable or obsolete, the arrangements that landlords and tenants make has had to adapt. I recently sat down with four partners from Goulston & Storrs, a law firm with one of the largest retail real estate practices in the United States, and asked them what they’re seeing in the market right now." www.forbes.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]The changes in consumer shopping behavior continue to create upheaval in the business of retail real estate[/tweet_box]

Why Venture Capitalists Are Investing Billions Into Real Estate Technology

"The bottom line? Now is the time to get involved with real estate technology.

Growth in this sector will continue to increase. Just over the past few weeks, Softbank announced it is eyeing an additional $100 billion for Vision Fund 2.0 and VC firm Fifth Wall is doubling down with a new fund to invest solely in retail technology. If you're an entrepreneur, funding in this space is ample and the market size potential is huge. If you're an industry stakeholder, like a broker, property manager or a construction firm, you have the opportunity to be an early adapter to technology to better service your clients and stand out from your competitors. If you're a real estate investor or developer, you have the opportunity to use data to make better decisions, install smart devices to increase home values and institute more efficient building techniques. Real estate technology naysayers will see their businesses dwindle and the early adaptors will experience exponential growth." www.forbes.com

How to Prepare for a Panel

"Presenting on a panel may sound like an easy lift compared with giving a solo talk. But much like in public speaking, there are potential minefields to be aware of. By following these strategies, you maximize the chances that your point of view will be heard and that your participation will be a success.". www.hbr.org

4 Keys to Staying Healthy in Open Office Layouts“You can have the best system in the world, but if your facility manager isn’t cleaning the screens or the filters, the air quality is definitely not going to be great,” said Lessard, noting that routine upkeep is critical, as well..” www.amny.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]You can have the best system in the world, but if your facility manager isn’t cleaning the screens or the filters, the air quality is definitely not going to be great,[/tweet_box]

10 Examples of Companies With Fantastic Cultures

“Having great company culture is no longer just an option. Today’s workers consider it as much as they consider salary and benefits. In fact, fantastic company culture is almost expected along with other traditional benefits.While the culture that works for one company might not work for another, you can learn a lot from companies who are doing it right, and get started on company culture hacks of your own.” www.entrepreneur.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

June 18th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week! 

How to Give a Webinar Presentation

"One often-overlooked element is ensuring you’re able to maintain eye contact with the camera so that you appear to be looking viewers in the eye. Some platforms display video images in one corner by default — and if so, it’s likely that your eyes will drift over there, making you appear to be staring off to one side for no reason. Guard against this by familiarizing yourself with the platform and adjusting the default settings as needed." www.hbr.org[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]Giving a webinar: One often-overlooked element is ensuring you’re able to maintain eye contact with the camera so that you appear to be looking viewers in the eye[/tweet_box]

Logistics 4.0: How IoT Is Transforming The Supply Chain

"Given all that’s at stake, the value of a connected logistics platform is beyond question. And the next generation of successful supply chain management—known as logistics 4.0—will leverage edge computing and the Internet of Things (IoT) to yield real-time automated, sense-and-respond feedback mechanisms. It will also place cybersecurity and the safe handling of data at a premium.." www.forbes.com

How Being a Workaholic Differs from Working Long Hours — and Why That Matters for Your Health

"We found that work hours were not related to any health issues, while workaholism was. Specifically, employees who worked long hours (typically more than 40 hours a week), but who did not obsess about work, did not have increased levels of RMS and reported fewer health complaints than employees who demonstrated workaholism. We found that workaholics, whether or not they worked long hours, reported more health complaints and had increased risk for metabolic syndrome; they also reported a higher need for recovery, more sleep problems, more cynicism, more emotional exhaustion, and more depressive feelings than employees who merely worked long hours but did not have workaholic tendencies". www.hbr.org

Why Space Matters: Density"Occupiers have been allocating less square footage per employee, but that trend is starting to slow down as businesses grapple with the right balance of personal, private, communal, and break space. Cushman & Wakefield expects that more densification will occur in the coming years, but the pace will slow down as companies supplement most private space reductions with increases in shared space. This balancing act will result in less attention on purely reducing square footage per employee and more emphasis on the effectiveness and flexibility of the office space.” www.cushwake.com

Top Trends and Metrics to Watch in U.S. Office SpaceWhat's In A Name? How And Why Landlords Rebrand Their Buildings

“PMRG recently rebranded the Peachtree Lenox Building, which it purchased in 2015, reverting it to its address, 3379 Peachtree. For PMRG President Bill Weghorst, the firm had a very practical, and modern, reason for the change: Uber. Focusing on the address as the name makes the building easier for people to locate. “Everybody now uses Uber and navigation [systems], and Peachtree Lenox means nothing,” Weghorst said. “You can make the whole building newer just by doing that. It's just an easy, inexpensive way to give a fresh feel to a property without spending any money.” www.bisnow.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

June 10th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week! 

The Richest Self-Made Woman In Real Estate Shares Her Best Advice

"I’d tell my 20 year old self, “do not let any obstacles stop you. Where there are obstacles there are also great opportunities. And most important, I’d drive home how important it is to get to know the people that truly make the decisions within the company you work for." www.forbes.com

10 Career Lessons From Rags-To-Riches Immigrant Entrepreneur, The Donut King

"The Donut King is the newly released autobiography by Ted Ngoy, a Chinese immigrant from a poor, single-parent household in Cambodia, who fled to the U.S. during the Khmer Rouge crisis, and made millions in mom-and-pop donut businesses, hence the moniker, The Donut King. It is a repeat rags-to-riches story because he lost his donut riches to gambling, rebuilt his fortune and career with completely different entrepreneurial ventures including stints in politics, agricultural and real estate, losing on some ventures and hustling continually into his 70s.

Not only is the book a very fun read (this would make a fantastic melodrama), but there are numerous important career takeaways illustrated in Ngoy’s multiple career changes and fortunes." www.forbes.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]Luck favors the bold, but only if they are adequately prepared.[/tweet_box]

Why You Should Wear Sunscreen on a Plane

"As you soar to a cruising altitude, you’re also flying closer to the ozone layer (by about 20,000 feet.) According to Dr. Dennis Gross, that means the sun’s rays are even more damaging to skin then when you’re on the ground. Airplane pilots are at high risk for sun exposure. A 2014 study done by the University of California found that 56 minutes in the cockpit of a plane yielded the same amount of radiation as 20 minutes in a tanning bed. “Airplane windshields do not completely block UVA radiation and therefore are not enough to protect pilots,” said Dr Martina Sanlorenzo, of the University of California, San Francisco, in the study.” www.thecut.com

In Praise of Extreme Moderation

"Why does it seem like you can’t throw a paper airplane in some offices without hitting a person who is training for a marathon, planning a 10-day silent meditation retreat, or intending on scaling Kilimanjaro? On top of working 24/7 for a company that doesn’t pay overtime? Extremism is becoming the norm not only in our professional lives but increasingly in our personal lives as well, from politics and parenting to food and fitness.” www.hbr.org

Top Trends and Metrics to Watch in U.S. Office Space

“The current economic expansion, now the second longest in post-war history, continues to roll onward at a steady pace. This sustained growth is creating fierce competition for high-quality labor in most industries. Savvy commercial real estate executives are working alongside senior leadership in human resources and members of the C-suite to develop real estate strategies that attract and retain talent in the modern workplace. It is imperative for corporations to stay ahead of the changing commercial real estate trends." www.blog.naiop.orgYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

May 29th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week! 

What to Do With a Day Off

"Happy Memorial Day! If you’re fortunate enough to have the day off from work, the most important thing on your to-do list today is to actually take the day off. Studies have shown that “people only send 40 percent less email” on holiday Mondays compared with regular Mondays. (Thank you, smartphones and tablet

The Store (It Would Seem) Is Not Dead (at Least for Now)

Amazon isn’t going anywhere, so shops that would rather not shut down are adapting, resulting in a somewhat surprising retail renaissance.

In other words, with the old models for retail broken, or at least a good deal less sturdy, and rents finally in decline, risks are being taken. That willingness to experiment means that certain seemingly threatened — but perhaps more resilient than imagined — retailers such as bookstores are returning in new forms. Shakespeare & Co. is opening four stores, but they’re much smaller than the old ones, only 2,000-to-3,000 square feet, because new technology allows books to be printed and bound while you wait, minimizing the need for shelf space." www.thecut.com

Q&A with C&W'a Ben Conwell; Retail's Not a Zero Sum GameQ“Why do you say retail is not a zero sum game?A: I use this phrase to call out the fact that omni-channel shoppers – a group that continues to grow significantly every year – do not shop online OR in physical stores. Rather shoppers are flowing seamlessly from digital to physical and back again, often multiple times before making a purchase decision. Furthermore, regardless of whether legacy physical or digitally native, retailers are increasingly discovering the complementing value of compelling offerings through both platforms. One does not rob from the other: they support each other. Where physical locations are closed, increasingly retailers are seeing a decrease in online sales in the service area. We are seeing the inverse as well – where the roll out of a new, or upgraded online offering correlates with increased physical store sales. This is not a binary proposition – it is an additive one.” www.blog.connect.media.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]Where physical locations are closed, increasingly retailers are seeing a decrease in online sales in the service area.[/tweet_box]

How to Stick to a Schedule When You Work From Home

"We gave you some basics on how to work from home not too long ago, but this pitfall can be extremely hard to overcome. Maybe that flexible schedule keeps you from daily basics like exercising and eating, or maybe it just causes you to work 12 hour days without realizing where the time has gone. Whichever camp you fall into, it’s important to make sure your day doesn’t become a black hole.” www.nytimes.com

Email Is Dangerous

“What we think of as email got its start in the 1970s, with recognizable email addresses, mailboxes, folders, and sending and receiving as we know it now. The network was tiny then, mostly grad schools flirting with the American military-industrial complex. The trust model was around a small homogenous group of technical people, largely known to each other. Because of this, there was no authentication of emails, and there were no privacy measures. Forgery was not only easy, but common. Anyone could send mails saying they were from anyone, and the people running the servers could read everything that went by.Email’s privacy model was always based on courtesy: We wouldn’t look at the messages crossing the network that weren’t for us because that would be rude. It would be even more rude to change them, though system administrators did regularly insert strange messages or modify messages as pranks, or to get their users’ attention. Emails from God or Santa Claus were not unheard of." www.theatlantic.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

May 21st, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week! 

The End Of Parking Lots As We Know Them: Designing For A Driverless Future"Over time, vehicles in autonomous ride-service fleets are expected to be electric, and as their numbers grow, the need for gasoline stations in city centers will drop. When that happens, it opens up a big source of real estate for redevelopment, as does the potential to create new uses for land dedicated to street-level parking.

“Think about all the real estate frontage of all our streets, if we take that back for people space, for green space, for amenity space, restaurants or cafes, right there on our city streets,” Cohen said. "This is our big opportunity as architects, designers and urban planners to take our city streets back."  www.forbes.com [tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]Over time, vehicles in autonomous ride-service fleets are expected to be electric, and as their numbers grow, the need for gasoline stations in city centers will drop. When that happens, it opens up real estate for redevelopment, (and) creates new uses for land dedicated to street-level parking." #cre

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Rise of the Super Commuters"Nationwide, 91.4 percent of commuters who travel under 90 minutes commute via private vehicle, compared to 69.7 percent of super commuters. While part of this gap is due to the fact that a larger share of super commuters are in metros such as New York and San Francisco with more robust public transportation, the trend holds true within metros as well. Compared to those with shorter commutes, a larger share of super commuters travel to work without a private vehicle in 49 of the 50 largest U.S. metros." www.apartmentlist.com

Millennials and Commercial Real Estate“Millennials have been the focus of companies’ young talent recruitment efforts for 15+ years, and now they are an increasingly large portion of leaders in those organizations as the oldest of them are entering their late 30s. Organizations are no longer just planning around millennials, they are being led by millennials. What do we know about how millennials are different from (and the same as) previous generations? And, what does all of that mean for commercial real estate?” www.blog.cushwake.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]Organizations are no longer just planning around millennials, they are being led by millennials.[/tweet_box]

How the World’s Biggest Companies Are Fine-Tuning the Robot Revolution"The big question surrounding automation has long been whether robots would compete with workers or help them. Initially, workers feared robots would destroy jobs across the economy. Scholarly research and real-life experience have eased that concern, although some types of workers and industries are ending up on the losing side.

Today, the question is more precise: In which industries does automation help both employer and employee?” www.wsj.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]"There is robust demand for space by companies of all sizes and from a variety of industries. Expansions are as common as millennials noshing on avocado toast." #cre [/tweet_box]How Retail Stores Can Thrive in the Age of Amazon“In other words, with the old models for retail broken, or at least a good deal less sturdy, and rents finally in decline, risks are being taken. That willingness to experiment means that certain seemingly threatened — but perhaps more resilient than imagined — retailers such as bookstores are returning in new forms. Shakespeare & Co. is opening four stores, but they’re much smaller than the old ones, only 2,000-to-3,000 square feet, because new technology allows books to be printed and bound while you wait, minimizing the need for shelf space" www.thecut.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

May 14th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week! 

Why Automation In Real Estate Is A Blessing, Not A Curse"As technology becomes an increasingly ubiquitous feature of real estate — and of modern life — most opposition to CRE tech has begun to dissipate. Just as Netflix’s value to consumers has eclipsed that of Blockbuster video stores and mobile GPS applications are superior to paper maps, the true benefits of technology are becoming abundantly clear to the real estate industry.

One of the few lingering concerns is that increased adoption of technology will result in job losses. But at its core, automation is about helping industry professionals perform their jobs better and should be embraced, not feared."  www.forbes.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]"One of the few lingering concerns is that increased adoption of technology will result in job losses. But at its core, automation is about helping industry professionals perform their jobs better and should be embraced, not feared." [/tweet_box]

The Robots Are Coming To Corporate Finance“AI isn’t a moon shot for your company. Thanks to increased computing power and improved machine learning algorithms, AI is becoming a reality for corporate finance teams, moving beyond “Do I need to take this risk?” to the point where the greatest risk is in not adopting AI -- because your competitors already have or soon will.” www.forbes.com

Atlanta Office Is So Red-Hot, CRE 'Is Pinching Itself To See If This Market Is Real'"Atlanta's real estate industry is pinching itself to see if this market is real,” Cushman & Wakefield Executive Director Ken Ashley said in an email. “Velocity in Atlanta's office market is at a torrid pace. There is robust demand for space by companies of all sizes and from a variety of industries. Expansions are as common as millennials noshing on avocado toast.” www.bisnow.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]"There is robust demand for space by companies of all sizes and from a variety of industries. Expansions are as common as millennials noshing on avocado toast." #cre [/tweet_box]Ford: Tech Culture Can Rise From Ruins“One way to compete is with stick and bricks” said Ken Ashley, executive director at Cushman & Wakefield, a real estate services firm. "younger workers are interested in creating impact. It feels good to work in a space that is historically significant." www.autonews.comAtlanta Office Is So Red-Hot, CRE 'Is Pinching Itself To See If This Market Is Real'“We are very pleased with this opportunity to provide a workplace environment that will enhance the effectiveness of our organization,” said Fred Burke, CEO of Guardian Pharmacy Services. “We are most appreciative of the excellent work done by Sam Hollis and Ken Ashley of the Cushman & Wakefield brokerage team in helping us locate here. We are impressed with the level of quality offered by the building owner, KBS Realty Advisors, and the expertise of the Cushman & Wakefield team managing the building. Our team looks forward to enjoying this office environment for many years to come.” www.bisnow.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

May 7th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week! 

How Much Should You Charge for a Speech?"First, it’s always worth inquiring about their budget. If you don’t ask, conference organizers are delighted to never bring up money at all and assume you’ll speak for free. Raising the issue forces them to admit it would be pro bono, or allows you to start a conversation about fees. For instance, you can email them: “Thanks for getting in touch about your conference. It sounds really interesting. Can you provide some additional information about the topic you’d be interested in having me address, who the attendees will be, and your speaker budget?”."  www.hbr.

 [tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]If you don’t ask, conference organizers are delighted to never bring up money at all and assume you’ll speak for free.[/tweet_box]

Change Your Twitter Password Right Now“On Thursday, Twitter  chief technology officer Parag Agrawal disclosed in a blog post that the company had inadvertently recorded user passwords, in plaintext, in an internal system. This is not how things are supposed to go! And while Twitter has fixed the bug, and doesn't think any of the exposed passwords were accessed in any way, you should still change your Twitter password right now to make sure your account is secure..” www.wired.com

Atlanta's Cheap Office Stock, Talent Pool Have Made It A 'Goldilocks' For Back Offices"Atlanta offers a not-too-hot, not-too-cold situation,” Ashley said. "It's the Goldilocks of real estate." New York City certainly has a vast pool of potential employee talent, but real estate costs make acquiring those heads expensive. At the same time, a place like Oklahoma City may have much lower-priced office space, but the reservoir of talent is not as deep, Ashley said. “It's always easier to cut costs to help with profits than it is to sell more gear or services," he said. "So back offices are relatively low-hanging fruit."www.bisnow.comWhat to Do If Calls, Texts, and Coworker Drop-bys Are Stressing You Out"As a time management coach, I’ve found that these reactions happen because one of the main keys to managing your own time is managing expectations with others. In a society where people have the ability to communicate instantly, a quick response can become an expectation. But it’s an expectation that we can’t always meet, especially when we’re trying to get work done. This gap between expectations and what we can actually do can lead to a lot of guilt, especially when it comes to the people closest to us. When left unaddressed, this guilt can manifest in a fight-or-flight response — we snap at people who interrupt or simply ignore attempts at connection.." www.hbr.orgAtlanta Office Is So Red-Hot, CRE 'Is Pinching Itself To See If This Market Is Real'Pleased to be quoted in the piece: "“Atlanta's real estate industry is pinching itself to see if this market is real,” Cushman & Wakefield Executive Director Ken Ashley said in an email. “Velocity in Atlanta's office market is at a torrid pace. There is robust demand for space by companies of all sizes and from a variety of industries. Expansions are as common as millennials noshing on avocado toast.” www.bisnow.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

April 30th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week! 

How Humble Leadership Really Works"Leaders often do not see the true value of their charges, especially “lower-level” workers. But when leaders are humble, show respect, and ask how they can serve employees as they improve the organization, the outcomes can be outstanding. And perhaps even more important than better company results, servant leaders get to act like better human beings."  www.hbr.org

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]servant leaders get to act like better human beings[/tweet_box]

For Warehouse Workers, Technology Starts to Look More Like Home“At Flexport’s warehouse in Hong Kong, workers receive shipments of various shapes and sizes that need to be loaded onto a cargo jet with the weight and volume evenly distributed. Each box gets assigned an emoji based on what’s inside and where it’s going, then a planner decides which plane it should go on and where it should be placed. Handlers simply look for the emoji—printed on a label affixed to each box—and place them as instructed. You’re not reading a number, you’re looking for an emoji,” said Phoebe Rockwood, product manager at Flexport. “And they’re recognizable because they’re used all the time—these are symbols we’re all familiar with.” www.wsj.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]‘You’re not reading a number, you’re looking for an emoji.’[/tweet_box]

Loft Office: The Hidden Cost"Our projections suggest that tenants of these loft office conversions can expect an increase in occupancy costs of anywhere from $2-$4/sf based solely on an increased tax pass through from the landlord.  That is roughly a 10% percent increase and it is possible that loft office conversions located in up and coming areas (like those near the Beltline) will see multiple tax reassessments during the term of a tenant’s lease." www.evolutioncre.com

Workplace Advice I Wish I Had Known"Remember the power of tact." www.hbr.org

Atlanta Office Is So Red-Hot, CRE 'Is Pinching Itself To See If This Market Is Real'Pleased to be quoted in the piece: "“Atlanta's real estate industry is pinching itself to see if this market is real,” Cushman & Wakefield Executive Director Ken Ashley said in an email. “Velocity in Atlanta's office market is at a torrid pace. There is robust demand for space by companies of all sizes and from a variety of industries. Expansions are as common as millennials noshing on avocado toast.” www.bisnow.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

April 9th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week! 

Having Your Smartphone Nearby Takes a Toll on Your Thinking"The results were striking: individuals who completed these tasks while their phones were in another room performed the best, followed by those who left their phones in their pockets. In last place were those whose phones were on their desks. We saw similar results when participants’ phones were turned off: people performed worst when their phones were nearby, and best when they were away in a separate room. Thus, merely having their smartphones out on the desk led to a small but statistically significant impairment of individuals’ cognitive capacity — on par with effects of lacking sleep."  www.hbr.org

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]The results were striking: individuals who completed these tasks while their phones were in another room performed the best[/tweet_box]

Dial P for Privacy: The Phone Booth Is Back“There has rarely been a premium placed on privacy for American office workers,” Mr. Saval (Nikil Saval, the co-editor of n+1 magazine and the author of “Cubed: A Secret History Of The Workplace) said in a phone interview, noting that while cubicles cut down on visual distractions, “you still have to deal with noise, and noise travels pretty easily. It’s an incredibly common problem in open office plans.”

Added Mr. Saval: “The clearest instance of how much of a problem it is? People put on headphones all the time. Headphones have become the new walls. It’s also a signal: Don’t disturb me. Because you’re constantly surrounded by other people, and you’re cheek to jowl, just crammed in with other people.” www.nytimes.com

Life After Amazon: Why Whole Foods Will Not Become a 'Conventional Grocery Store'"...Whole Foods remains a bridge to mass retailers. The chain's product criteria are so rigorous that buyers from other companies view acceptance there as a badge of quality. The pack also looks to Whole Foods for merchandising trends. "In the eight months since we launched, I have sat in maybe 10 natural-channel chain meetings," says Hirshberg. "And they have all asked what Whole Foods is doing with us." www.inc.comWhat to Do If Calls, Texts, and Coworker Drop-bys Are Stressing You Out"As a time management coach, I’ve found that these reactions happen because one of the main keys to managing your own time is managing expectations with others. In a society where people have the ability to communicate instantly, a quick response can become an expectation. But it’s an expectation that we can’t always meet, especially when we’re trying to get work done. This gap between expectations and what we can actually do can lead to a lot of guilt, especially when it comes to the people closest to us. When left unaddressed, this guilt can manifest in a fight-or-flight response — we snap at people who interrupt or simply ignore attempts at connection.." www.hbr.orgAtlanta Office Is So Red-Hot, CRE 'Is Pinching Itself To See If This Market Is Real'Pleased to be quoted in the piece: "“Atlanta's real estate industry is pinching itself to see if this market is real,” Cushman & Wakefield Executive Director Ken Ashley said in an email. “Velocity in Atlanta's office market is at a torrid pace. There is robust demand for space by companies of all sizes and from a variety of industries. Expansions are as common as millennials noshing on avocado toast.” www.bisnow.comYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

March 12th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week! 

These are the top 2 contenders for Amazon's HQ2, according to economists and housing experts"Most said Northern Virginia and Atlanta are highly likely, while Los Angeles, the New York City area, and Miami are considered long shots.

Atlanta has ample space for Amazon to grow, a business-friendly regulatory climate, and very low housing costs — which could all be big selling points for the company. Northern Virginia is close to policymakers in DC and has an emerging tech industry."  www.businessinsider.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]Atlanta has ample space for #Amazon to grow, a business-friendly regulatory climate, and very low housing costs — which could all be big selling points for the company #HQ2 #cre[/tweet_box]

 Why More Companies Are Operating Lean (Even When They Can Afford to Hire)

"The data shows that fast growing companies are hiring fewer people, even as revenue swells..Founders choke up talking about their full parking lots and how many employees  children they've help put through college." The reality is that companies are doing more with less. www.inc.com

Ambitious Warehouse Project will Seek Twice The Usual RentTractor trailers will haul loads to second floor of 3-story, $90M structure near JFK"Real estate developer Triangle Equities has purchased a large parking lot near John F. Kennedy International Airport and plans to erect one of the city’s first multistory warehouse buildings there.

The company, along with an undisclosed pension-fund partner and investment firm Township Capital, paid $25.4 million for the roughly 3-acre site at 130-24 S. Conduit Ave. The group will spend roughly $90 million more raising a 300,000-square-foot, 3-story warehouse on the parcel." www.crainsnewyork.com

What to Do If Calls, Texts, and Coworker Drop-bys Are Stressing You Out"As a time management coach, I’ve found that these reactions happen because one of the main keys to managing your own time is managing expectations with others. In a society where people have the ability to communicate instantly, a quick response can become an expectation. But it’s an expectation that we can’t always meet, especially when we’re trying to get work done. This gap between expectations and what we can actually do can lead to a lot of guilt, especially when it comes to the people closest to us. When left unaddressed, this guilt can manifest in a fight-or-flight response — we snap at people who interrupt or simply ignore attempts at connection.." www.hbr.orgThe Vast Difference Between Managing and Leading"Authentic Leaders understand the difference between what gets managed and who gets led. Authentic Servant Leaders understand better than anyone that people who are led commit to the leader and their vision. They understand that people who are led will outperform people who are managed every single day." www.stevekeating.meYour success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

March 5th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week! 

The Case For Minimalism"As Will Rogers once said, I had become busy "spending money I hadn't earned, to buy things I didn't want, just to impress people I didn't like."" www.forbes.com

10 Principles for Leading Through Change: A Navy SEAL's Approach"When I reflect on my many mistakes as an entrepreneur and business leader, I find solace in leaning into the core principles that forge SEAL culture: We are not perfect but we are lifelong learners. We crave peer-to-peer feedback. We are forced to move at the speed these wars require yet must remain vigilant in being guided by the very values we fight to uphold.And one of the fundamental foundations of our fight club's culture is adaptability. We embrace the rigors of change and use it to our advantage. Our post-9/11 reality demands it. Our nation expects us to be physically harder and mentally tougher than our enemies. That is our burden of command and what drives our every deed. Resilience is the bedrock of our success both on and off the battlefield." www.Forbes.com[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]Resilience is the bedrock of our success both on and off the battlefield.[/tweet_box]

5 Ways to Get Over Your Fear of Public Speaking"If you find that fear inevitably gets in the way of your ability to speak in public, we have some good news for you. You don’t have to overcome your fear in order to be a good public speaker. It never goes away entirely. Instead, it’s about having less fear — think of it as being fear-less." www.hbr.org

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"]You don’t have to overcome your #fear in order to be a good #publicspeaker. It never goes away entirely. Instead, it’s about having less fear — think of it as being fear-less. @harvardbiz #cre[/tweet_box]

The Future of Amazon in the Age of Amazon"But here’s the thing about the Mall of America: It’s fighting back. “I hear all this doom and gloom in the industry,” says the mall’s SVP of business development, Jill Renslow, with an upbeat, Midwestern delivery. “I’m like, ‘Folks! Keep your chin up! There’s so much opportunity!’ ” The mall completed a $325 million expansion in 2015, says Renslow, who started working there as an intern in the mid-1990s and has seen it endure recessions and upheaval before. A new 342-room JW Marriott has opened upstairs, and retailers like Zara and Anthropologie are being lured to the space. The mall is experimenting with new leasing models to attract pop-ups and younger players like Untuckit and Toms Shoes. Renslow, who is eager for people coming to Minneapolis for the 2018 Super Bowl this February to visit the mall and be surprised, doesn’t view Amazon as a competitor but as a partner; she recently worked with Amazon to install a set of pickup lockers at the mall. She believes retailers in general can “bring online shoppers to brick-and-mortar.” I ask her directly: Is physical retail dying? “Not at all!” she says." www.fastcompany.com

Scenes From D-Day, Then and Now"Tomorrow, June 6, 2014, will be the 70th anniversary of the D-Day Allied invasion of Europe in World War II. Seven decades ago, the largest amphibious invasion in history took place, changing the course of the war. Nearly 200,000 Allied troops boarded 7,000 ships and more than 3,000 aircraft and headed toward Normandy. Some 156,000 troops landed on the French beaches, 24,000 by air and the rest by sea, where they met stiff resistance from well-defended German positions across 50 miles of French coastline. Two photographers recently traveled to France, seeking to rephotograph images captured back then. Getty photographer Peter Macdiarmid and Reuters photographer Chris Helgren gathered archive pictures from the 1944 invasion, tracked down the locations, and photographed them as they appear today. Starting with photo number two, all the images are interactive -- click on them to see a transition from 'then' to 'now', and see the difference 70 years can make." www.theatlantic.com

Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken 

Bookmarks: 5 Interesting Articles That May Help You This Week

February 26th, 2018

Each week, I select a few articles that rise above the fray and hopefully help you on your journey in the CRE world. They pull from one of four "corners:" corporate real estate, technology, management science and anything positive. I welcome your comments on these articles and the submissions of others (with credit to you if I post them). I wish you a terrific week! 

The Beginner’s Guide To CRE Tech: Why Commercial Brokerages Are Aggressively Launching New Tech Services"...Cushman & Wakefield’s (announced a) partnership with real estate startup accelerator MetaProp NYC, announced in July. These accelerators, also known as seed accelerators, are mentorship programs that provide educational elements for tech startups for a fixed period of time." www.bisnow.com

Autonomous Cars Are About To Transform The Suburbs"We may well be on the verge of evolving a new kind of highly sustainable, near–zero carbon form, one linked by technology, and economically (and increasingly culturally) self-sufficient. Autonomous cars will remotely park in solar-charged sheds off-site, to be called to the home through handheld devices, thus eliminating the need for garages and driveways. With safer vehicles that can see and react to situations better, roadways will be designed with much less paving to mitigate stormwater runoff and flooding. Homes will have drone delivery ports built in, greatly reducing the number of daily household trips and congestion." www.Forbes.com

 [tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"] Autonomous cars will remotely park in solar-charged sheds off-site, to be called to the home through handheld devices, thus eliminating the need for garages and driveways[/tweet_box]

Suburbs Heat Up as Downtown Rents Cool"Once viewed as a symbol of 1970s and ’80s urban flight, the outlying areas around America’s cities have suddenly become cool again. With more and cheaper land on which to develop from the ground up; plenty of 1990s apartment product that’s ripe for rehab; and lots of 1970s-era strip malls being redeveloped into mixed-use projects, walkable urbanlike pockets have been popping up in the ’burbs, and renters have followed." www.multifamilyexecutive.com

[tweet_box design="box_09" float="none"] walkable urbanlike pockets have been popping up in the ’burbs, and renters have followed[/tweet_box]

The Oddball Bromance Between Blockchain and Real Estate'Would you put your house on the blockchain? What does that even mean? What about just buying property with cryptocurrency? These are the questions that cryptocurrency and real estate pioneers are investigating." www.inc.com

How to Increase Your Influence at Work"To be effective in organizations today, you must be able to influence people. Your title alone isn’t always enough to sway others, nor do you always have a formal position. So, what’s the best way to position yourself as an informal leader? How do you motivate colleagues to support your initiatives and adopt your ideas? How can you become a go-to person that others look to for guidance and expert advice?." www.hbr.org

Your success blesses others. I wish you a great a hugely impactful week!Ken