| When you're a woman in CRE trying to get ahead, it's great to hear how it's done firsthand. To that end, NEWiRE gathered three real estate legends—Roz Gorin, Jane Williams, and Sarah Abrams— at the DLA Piper office downtown. |
| We snapped Roz, H.N.Gorin CEO, who says that during a career, work ?can't always be pretty.? (Sort of like the macaroni and glue pic we made in kindergarten.) As a CRE investor/developer, when recession hits she has to face tenants asking for rent reductions and banks that want to take back buildings. What sustains her ispassion for the job and a network of good people. As a child (in a real estate family), she says she was a loner but learned in an early crisis, she couldn't do it all. She founded the Massachusetts Women's Forum (and NEWiRE), and says having a community of confidants makes a huge difference. After the '90s downturnwhen ?our business tanked? and the Gorins didn't have the capital to do deals alone, she was ?terrified? but approached people she had met when she volunteered on boards and for non-profits. |
| ING Clarion?s Jane Williams, who directs the management of her firm's 2M SF Boston portfolio, with Freedom Development'sLaura Veo, says when charting your career, know yourself. If you want to be home for dinner, a high-powered job may not be rightfor you. Not big on joining corporate boards herself, she has preferred to sit on standing committees within the company. She says it's a good way to get acquainted with top execs and raise your profile at HQ. During the rough patches, what keeps her going is passion, confidence, and optimism. As her company transitions to new ownership, Jane says she's ready to take the next step and use the change as an opportunity to re-focus her mind. |
| Sarah, the former president of Fidelity Real Estate Co (a division of Fidelity Investments), left the company and is in transition. She advises people to always be learning about events in the neighborhood, community, and world. The more knowledge acquired, the better equipped you are to write, speak, and influence the decisions of others. She says don't try to have everything at once. When the economy takes a nosedive, it's time to work at 110%. But when work is in a good, settled space, ?Don't waste it.? That's the time to leave the office at four o?clock for the kids? soccer games. |
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