MHN Executive Council: Tough Lessons to Learn at the Start of Your Career
Early-career lessons that reshaped how our experts think about success, from boundaries and delegation to design and data.
When you’re at the start of your career, you can sometimes feel like you already know everything. It’s always a rude awakening to find out that that’s not the case. This month, the MHN Executive Council looks back to the beginning of their careers and shares some of their lessons learned.
Adapt and Pivot
One lesson I learned is that sometimes you are participating in a marathon when you may think it’s a sprint, and sometimes you are participating in a sprint when you may think it’s a marathon. Being able to continually adapt and pivot as new information becomes available is key during times of uncertainty. —Justin Land, CEO, Merchants Mortgage
Smart Design
Early in my career I worked on the interior design for a golf and paddle tennis club that was part of a municipal park district. The designs had been approved and were smoothly underway until an elected official came to me with a request to change the paint color that had been carefully selected to match an overall aesthetic. He was concerned the color actually made the place look “too good” and therefore would be perceived by his constituents as unnecessarily costly.
I was surprised by his reaction but soon discovered that this perception—that exceptional design is the most expensive—continues to exist in the minds of developers and builders. We continue to educate all the parties a project touches that good design is smart design and doesn’t have to be expensive. —Mary Cook, President, Mary Cook Associates
Trust Your Coworkers
When I was a young man managing real estate, I had to learn how to delegate. Like many of my colleagues, I have a Type A (or high D) personality that values workmanship and initiative—two of Oculus’s guiding principles. Although I was academically trained to understand the numbers and building systems, multifamily property management is a people business. It took me many years to learn, and more importantly, to trust, how to hire good talent, provide ongoing training and development, give clear direction and goals, and then step back and let others do their work. I had to realize that not everyone creates value the way I do, and that I should trust—yet verify—the work of my colleagues. —K David Meit, Principal, Oculus Realty
Power of Boundaries
Early in my career, the toughest lesson I had to learn was the power—and necessity—of boundaries. I used to believe that saying “yes” to everything proved my value, but I quickly realized that constantly overextending myself only diluted my impact. Learning to say “no” wasn’t negative; it was intentional, allowing me to protect my time and energy so I could truly achieve that elusive work-life “blend.” I also learned a more sobering lesson when I landed my first corporate “big girl” job: not everyone in the workplace is your friend. I came in eager, open, and probably a little too trusting, and it became clear that sometimes less is more when it comes to sharing and communicating. Those early experiences taught me to be thoughtful about where I invest my energy and to lead with both professionalism and self-awareness—skills that have guided me throughout my career. —Stephanie Anderson, Senior Director, Grace Hill
You Can’t Do It All
I had to learn that being busy isn’t the same as being successful. When I first started, I thought I had to be everywhere at once—answering every call the second it came in, giving tours back-to-back, juggling marketing, paperwork and resident needs without ever slowing down. I felt like if I didn’t do everything myself, I wasn’t doing enough.
It didn’t take long to realize that this approach wasn’t sustainable and wasn’t helping the property. I was moving fast, but not always moving with purpose. My follow-up wasn’t as strong, my marketing strategy wasn’t consistent, and my energy was going into whatever felt urgent instead of what actually drove results.
The real turning point came when I learned how important it is to prioritize. I started focusing on lead quality instead of trying to chase every inquiry. I built better systems for follow-up, learned to communicate realistic timelines with prospects, and began using data—traffic sources, conversion trends, market shifts—to guide my decisions. I also learned the value of leaning on my team instead of trying to carry everything on my own. —Jess Carpentier, Regional Marketing Manager, CSM Corp.
People Business
Early in my career, I thought success in real estate asset and property management was all about numbers—cap rates, leases, and financial performance. The toughest lesson I learned was that it’s actually a people business.
Adapting to that mindset wasn’t easy. I had to learn that results don’t come just from models or metrics, but from relationships—listening, understanding diverse perspectives, and earning trust through consistency and authenticity. Every interaction with residents, vendors, team members, and investors shapes outcomes far more than any spreadsheet ever could.
The data and strategies matter, but they’re only tools. The real work, and the hardest lesson to learn, is realizing that people drive everything. Real estate may be the name of the industry, but people are what make it work. —Richard Doetsch, Director of Asset Management, Hudson Valley Property Group
Interested in joining the MHN Executive Council and sharing your insights? Email Jessica Fiur.
