What’s A Challenge You Faced Early On?

Learning I didn’t do well in a big company was a challenge I learned pretty quickly.

I’m naturally curious, and always asked “why are we doing it this way?” I didn’t like accepting “a way” just because it was standard.

At the beginning of my career, I struggled realizing there are times to question things and times you kind of have to do what you’re told.

I moved to a smaller company which gave me a bit more autonomy to do things that were more impactful. I found it a lot more rewarding than being a cog in a machine.

When you’re early in your career, find what motivates you, and lean into it.

Another thing I’ve learned is sometimes your jobs can’t provide you all the skills you need.

For example, at work I didn’t do much managing people starting out, so I became involved in the Urban Land Institute running their New York group. There’s no better way to learn managing people than for a volunteer organization, when you have to convince people to do things they're not required to do.