This month’s INSIGHTS is a bit more free-flowing than usual. First, I want to bring you up to speed on a couple of industry-related items that should interest you, and secondly, offer a couple of personal recommendations: one on a book I think you’ll enjoy, the other a podcast. Although the book and the podcast are not technically “business-related,” they both offer valuable lessons that, hopefully, you can apply to your business life.
AIR CRE & SIOR: Last month, a few AIR CRE Board Members and I met for lunch with SIOR CEO Tom McCormick to discuss the state of the industry as well as the opportunities and challenges in front of our two organizations. Tom is a long-time CRE professional and very well-respected industry leader, and having spent his career in Southern California, is very familiar with AIR CRE. One by-product of our discussions was AIR CRE’s decision to sponsor SIOR’s 2019 Fall World Conference in Portland this October. I look forward to attending this event and the opportunity it presents to spend time with many of the most successful brokers in the country and to explore potential cooperative projects between AIR CRE and SIOR.
CRE LEGISLATION: With elections right around the corner, I want to alert Members and industry professionals to AIR CRE’s voter guide, which will be distributed in the coming weeks. There are a number of initiatives making their way through the legislative process in Sacramento that directly impact our industry on a large-scale. Everyone invested in commercial real estate must be aware of what is at stake come election time and have the knowledge to vote intelligently. Using AIR CRE’s official voter guide will help you do just that.
Register to Receive Legislative UpdatesREAD: The World’s Fastest Man, by Michael Kranish: Have you ever seen Hennessy’s “Wild Rabbit” commercial on tv, usually airing during sports programming? The ad introduces a cyclist named Marshall “Major” Taylor. I had never heard of him before, but after seeing the commercial for about the 10th time, I Googled his name and after reading a bit about him, purchased a biography of Taylor’s life, written by Michael Kranish. I don’t want to give away too many details, but I will say it is a fascinating read about one of the world’s first international sports stars who rose to the top of his sport in spite of many societal challenges, including blatant racism. I highly recommend The World’s Fastest Man…you won’t be disappointed.
LISTEN: “30 for 30” Podcasts – The Sterling Affairs: Donald Sterling. The name is infamous, but what you might not know about Donald Sterling is that long before the tape recordings that launched a media frenzy, ultimately resulting in a lifetime ban from the NBA, Donald was (and may still be) the largest residential landlord in LA. This series examines the “hardnose tactics” that Donald and his wife Shelly employed in buying, developing and amassing properties, as well as the salacious scandal that eventually led to the sale of the LA Clippers to ex Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer for a record, $2 billion. Real Estate, race, wealth and sports all intersect in this notorious L.A. tale…one of the more compelling podcasts I’ve listened to in a while.