She's WILD

Welcome back to the She’s Wild Podcast hosted by Nancy Surak! I’m so excited to have Britney Mroczkowski, CCIM as our guest for today’s episode. As the Designated Managing Broker for eXp Commercial, Britney oversees all commercial agents throughout Florida. Prior to her current role, Britney was the Vice President of Retail Development of BTI Partners where she oversaw all retail development in the Westshore Marina District in Tampa, Florida. She’s a Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker and Licensed Florida General Contractor and also the President of Build It Brit, Inc.

In today's episode Britney and I discuss her entire career journey. Our conversation will leave you inspired as Britney shares how she approached getting her general contractors license and building a brand based on an affirmation she wrote on her bathroom mirror for motivation. Britney hopes to show women in the construction movement what they are capable of and I am so excited for you to listen to this amazing episode.

Memorable Moments:
8:56- I was truly handed land, and that was a really scary moment in my career. I'm like, “What did I sign up for? This is crazy.” But I learned more in those four years than I have in my entire life.

26:14- On my wall right here, there's a big sign that says I can build that. So all of a sudden, people kept saying, Build it Brit. And I started writing it down, I wrote it on my mirror in my bathroom so that every morning I'd have motivation, like what are you gonna do for Build It Brit today.

30:58- My goal with Build It Brit is when anybody has any type of commercial real estate needs, whether it's development, construction, leasing, sales, anything, that they can come to me, and I can get it done.

31:12- I want to be an expert on the whole deal process, not just the deal, not just the transaction, but from the start of the initial idea, to the very close out of a project to where it is operational and income producing.

33:17- The goal would be to show the women in the construction movement, show what we're capable of. My main goal is to prove what we can do when we all work together. I want awareness for women, that you can get a job in construction, and also not be sweating on site all day. There's so many different roles. You can be a developer or you can be a real estate broker.

34:45- I know everyone says find a mentor, but that's truly what gave me the confidence and the ability to do what I'm doing today.

Connect with Nancy:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancysurak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak/
Website: www.nancysurak.com

Connect with Britney
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/builditbrit/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/builditbrit/
Website: https://builditbrit.com/

Britney’s Recommendation & Discount Link on Zena Workwear Boots: https://xenaworkwear.com/?stamped_referral_code=nuTt3vAi&rewards-launcher=view-referrals-claim

Britney’s Book Recommendation:
What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding via Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xLUdW9

She's WILD Sound Production by:
Luke Surak, Surak Productions: [email protected]

In today’s episode of She’s Wild Podcast, I am eager to introduce you to our guest Chloe Firebaugh. Chloe is the Senior Director of Land Acquisition for M/I Homes of Tampa, where she is responsible for managing the land acquisitions process for the division. She has more than 17 years of experience in the residential homebuilding industry, with knowledge in acquisitions, land planning, development, and community management. Chloe has been an active member of ULI and currently serves on the board for the Tampa Bay ULI Council. Prior to beginning her career in homebuilding, she worked for several years in the financial brokerage industry.

Throughout the episode, Chloe and I discuss the different facets of the land industry and how her experience led to her becoming the Senior Director of Land Acquisition for M/I Homes of Tampa. Chloe dives deep into various deals she has been a part of throughout the years and the lessons she learned working through various challenges.

Memorable Moments:
3:11- I've kind of done a little of everything in the Land Department, and I really love the acquisition side. I love deals and running numbers and figuring out how to make everything work.

11:01- I've learned to be my own best advocate, and push forward, and that's how I've gotten to where I am and in the industry today.

23:57- Land is the most expensive I've seen in my career, but then on top of that homebuilding pricing, the cost to build a house, now has gone up 30-40% since January.

30:50- I would just say for anybody thinking about getting into our industry do it. It's a lot of fun, and there is something for everyone.

Connect with Nancy:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancysurak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak/
Website: www.nancysurak.com

Connect with Chloe:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-firebaugh-37ab2a6/
Instagram: @chloefirebaugh

Chloe’s Book Recommendation:
The Confidence Code via Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GXHOBp

She's WILD Sound Production by:
Luke Surak, Surak Productions: [email protected]

Welcome back to the She’s Wild Podcast! I’m so excited to have Brooke May, Vice President of Construction of Belpointe as our guest for today’s episode. Prior to her current position, Brooke served as Vice President of Residential Construction at Strategic Property Partners working solely at Water Street Tampa. She has over 19 years of experience in the construction industry working in multiple roles including as a subcontractor, general contractor, and developer. Prior to SPP, Brooke worked as a Sr. Project Manager with Moss and Associates overseeing multifamily and hotel projects. She also worked with Reinforced Structures, Inc. and helped build iconic projects such as The Perez Art Museum in Miami, FL and The Salvadore Dali museum in St. Petersburg, FL.

In today's episode Brooke and I talk about her extensive career experience. She’s open, honest, and provides excellent insight into her career and she shares tips on what she's learned about what it takes to be successful as a woman in the construction & development industries. We also discuss challenges she faces on projects, such as supply chain issues, and what she does to overcome them.

Memorable Moments:
7:03 - It's very cool to have a tangible product at the end of what you do. I mean, even with the development side, you might think you're just turning and burning dirt. But when it's all said and done, you took that dirt, and you helped develop the building, even if you weren't a part of the construction. For me, the tangibility has always been fantastic.

16:46- I've never had the fear of No. No is not a punishment, no is just no.

17:32- If you're not happy where you are, you're not getting the satisfaction from where you are, the only thing you can do is change. You can't expect everybody else to change for you.

42:01 Learn your stuff and know your stuff. Because if you don’t, they will walk all over you.

42:16 Take the job, do the work. Construction as a whole; you got to have five solid years underneath you doing the grunt work just to even understand how multiple buildings go together, not just one. You can't just be on one project and think you know, it all.

42:54- There's a lot of men who are opening up to it when realizing how thorough and detailed women are, and needing that on their team. Women are being sought after for the positions in construction.

Connect with Nancy:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancysurak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak/
Website: www.nancysurak.com

Connect with Brooke
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooke-may-70161143/

Brooke’s Book Recommendations:

1. What Men Don’t Tell Women About Business- Christopher Flett via Amazon: https://amzn.to/3a7ZkpU
2. Work With Me- Barbara Annis and John Gray via Amazon: https://amzn.to/3LZaryH

She's WILD Sound Production by:
Luke Surak, Surak Productions: [email protected]

In today’s episode of She’s Wild Podcast, I am eager to introduce you to our guest Michele Pino. Michele has been a commercial and site selection specialist with the Land Advisors Organization in Arizona since 2006. She helps school districts, solar developers, public entities, hospitals, medical, and other commercial users plan strategic location decisions. Not only does she have over 12 years of statewide experience in economic development, she also served 8 years in state government at the Arizona Department of Commerce as director of small and national business development.

Throughout the episode, Michele and I discuss the anatomy of a land deal and how her professional experience has allowed her to excel in her career as a land advisor. Michele also shares how working for the Land Advisors Organization sets herself apart from others in the industry. Tune in to learn more about Michele and why she was named one of the Most Influential Women in Arizona Commercial Real Estate in 2021.

Memorable Moments:

5:45- Years ago, deals were more fluid. People saw a piece of land, we could get comps, and we could identify it and make an offer. Both parties were realistic, and land was available.

6:54- I am representing some industrial deals, but you just have to be creative. And you have to take them in places where they might not have thought about before, in order to get it.

10:10- One of my backgrounds is I am a trained mediator. So I used to mediate for the attorney general's office for the state of Arizona, and there are a lot of mediation principles, as you know, in getting a land deal done.

14:22- I think site selection is huge, because the very lovely thing about land advisors is we have this great data, we have this great ability to look at the market and have a great overview of it.

15:44- I'm all about teams. Teaming is the way you get things done. You can be a land broker, but if you don't have an architect, an engineer, and some other folks, you know, you're never gonna get it done.

25:10- Get out in front and take the step, don't stand behind somebody and say, “Okay, I'm supporting you on this deal.” Get out in front and be the part of the deal, you know, negotiate the deal.

Connect with Nancy:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancysurak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak/
Website: www.nancysurak.com

Connect with Michele:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-pino-a29841a/
Land Advisors Organization Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/land-advisors-organization/
Land Advisors Organization Website: https://landadvisors.com/

Michele’s Book/Podcast Recommendations:
Buddha at the Gas Pump: https://batgap.com/subscribe-to-podcast/
Learn more about Brene Brown: https://brenebrown.com/
Learn more about Mindvalley: https://www.mindvalley.com/programs

She's WILD Sound Production by:
Luke Surak, Surak Productions: [email protected]

Welcome back to the She’s Wild Podcast hosted by Nancy Surak! I’m so excited to have Allison Walsh as our guest for today’s episode. Allison is the Chief Executive Officer of Allison Walsh Consulting, LLC and has been empowering women through her services since 2008. She is a seasoned executive, philanthropist, speaker, professional consultant, and Miss Florida 2006. With over 15 years of experience in organizational leadership, mentorship, and career coaching and as a certified positive psychology coach, Allison's platform strengthens the professional development of today's and tomorrow's most successful leaders. Her passion and expertise lie in helping women build their personal brands and businesses so they can live their most authentic and successful life.

In today's episode Allison and I talk about the power of a personal brand, positive thinking, and goal setting. This episode is filled with amazing advice that you can put into action today! You may want to grab a piece of paper and a pen, because I have a feeling you're going to want to take some notes.

Memorable Moments:
6:15- Every single one of us has a personal brand. It's just what you do with it that separates the good, the great, or just the ones that are just very unintentional.

7:20- You can have such a bigger impact, when you go ahead and shine that spotlight brightly on what it is that you do and who you serve.

14:14- I live and die by the statement of be 1% better today than you were yesterday. That's it. If you continue to do that, consistency compounds and you're going to get amazing results. And it's not going to be as overwhelming in the process.

17:40- There's a lot of strength and power that comes from number one, being able to clearly articulate your goals. But number two, really identifying all of the pathways to get there.

28:16- So no matter what it is, I encourage you to have that budget for yourself to make it a priority each and every year, build it into your budget, whatever it is, you know, I it's part of everything that I do now, because I've seen the return on investment be so significant.

31:34- Employers that invest in their employee strength, take their engagement level in the workplace, from 9%, to 75%.

Connect with Nancy:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancysurak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak/
Website: www.nancysurak.com

Connect with Allison:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonkreigerwalsh/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allisonwalsh/
Website: https://www.allisonwalshconsulting.com/
She Believed She Could Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/she-believed-she-could-podcast/id1505347834
She Believed She Could Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/shebelievedshecouldcommunity

Allison’s Book/Podcast Recommendations:
Niyc Pigeon: “Now is Your Chance” via Amazon: https://amzn.to/39mmatH

The Influential Brand Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-influential-personal-brand-podcast/id1479643724

Learn more about Gina De Vee
https://www.divineliving.com/

Learn more about Rha Goddess
https://www.instagram.com/rhagoddess/?hl=en

She's WILD Sound Production by:
Luke Surak, Surak Productions: [email protected]

Welcome back to the She’s Wild Podcast hosted by Nancy Surak! We are so excited to have Jillian Bandes as our guest for today’s episode. Jillian Bandes is a Construction Manager with Bandes Construction, a Florida based, third-generation construction firm, with a strong portfolio of commercial work for the private and public sectors. Jillian has experience in commercial and residential construction, as well as for-profit and nonprofit development.

In today’s episode Jillian walks us through the challenges of being a female general contractor in a male dominated industry and how she navigates her role with grace. Tune into the episode to learn more about Jillian, her career, and about her volunteer work through a nonprofit organization she leads known as YIMBY St. Pete. YIMBY St. Pete concentrates on public policy approaches that can fix the affordable housing crisis through ways that don’t cost taxpayers money.

Memorable Moments:
9:05- Especially as a GC, I'm almost positive that most of my clients don't ever have the opportunity to work with a female GC on some of their commercial jobs just in the nature of our market.

19:22 There is a national housing shortage. It's a major crisis everywhere. It is really acute in St. Pete, and so I think we have a really valuable role to play in the conversation.

21:27 Affordable housing impacts everyone, it impacts, you know, middle sized businesses like ours, impacts big corporations, it impacts you know, moms trying to get to, a grocery store near where their kids are, you know, it just hits every single part of our society.

23:20 In terms of my company, I primarily want to work with happy employees. I know, that's not always the business goal, you know, I want to make money, I want to have great clients and I really value some of the great clients that I have. But day in day out, the folks you are working with are the folks who you do business with who you rely on to get the jobs done. And I have just such incredible coworkers right now. They really make it worth getting up and doing what I do all day long worth it. I find it really engaging and kind of, they're entertaining in a lot of ways, you know that that lifts you up.

30:15 It took me so long to understand the mechanics of building and I feel like that learning process could have been shortened if I had majored in something that was a little different.

Connect with Nancy:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancysurak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak/
Website: www.nancysurak.com

Connect with Jillian:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillianbandes/
Website: https://www.bandesconstruction.com/
Email: [email protected]

Jullian's Book Recommendations:
Haruki Murakami Books on Amazon https://amzn.to/3vWdAe4
Pema Chödrön Books on Amazon https://amzn.to/3kWdpZU

She's WILD Sound Production by:
Luke Surak, Surak Productions: [email protected]

Brittany Hurdle, a land broker at Hurdle Land & Realty, based in Nashville, Tennessee, has already made a strong name for herself in the development world after only five years. With a focus on serving national home builder land acquisition managers, as well as national trucking companies with remote truck yards, Brittany’s analytical and creative sides unite helping her to put together great deals between buyers and sellers. She's a very active member of the REALTORS® Land Institute, having received the 2020 Chapter Administrator of the Year Award, and is also a member of CREW Network. A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, Brittany was named the 2018 Woman of the Year by The Wilson Post. When she is not busy geeking out over land or working on her new horizontal business ideas, she is obsessing over her labradoodle, Shug, and spending time with friends and family.

Throughout today’s episode of She’s Wild the podcast, Brittany shares her inspiring journey in becoming a land broker which began at a very early age. She provides insights on the latest trends within Tennessee land development and discusses 5 things she does to stay on top of her land brokerage business.

Memorable Moments:

22:04 I never imagined how much I knew about land. It’s second nature to me, because that is the conversations that I would hear my dad on the phone in the truck, or we would sit down at dinner and ask about his day, and he would tell us what was going on. And so it resonated with me and I caught on a lot faster than I ever did trying to sell a house.

26:21 I've read planning commission notes and city council notes. Even when I'm not actually at the meetings for my own clients. Sometimes I just go and sit in because you do have to know what's going on for your clients. If you're good, they expect you to know what's going on.

37:67- I did a lot of digging on Google when I very first started, learning who the local developers were and making those contacts. You just got to reach out to people. It really makes a difference.

40:01- So especially us as perfectionists, and wanting to have all of our ducks in a row and checks in our boxes, like sometimes you can overdo that and sabotage yourself and make yourself think no, like, I don't know everything about this, and sometimes you're not going to and that's okay.

Follow Nancy Surak on Social Media:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancysurak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak/
Website: www.nancysurak.com

Follow Brittany Hurdle on Social Media:
Website: brittanyhurdle.com
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittanyhurdle/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brittanykhurdle/

Brittany’s Book Recommendation:
The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery, Brianna Wiest via Amazon https://amzn.to/3MM7HWs

REALTORS® LAND INSTITUTE (RLI): https://www.rliland.com/

She's WILD Sound Production by:
Luke Surak, Surak Productions: [email protected]

Laura leads the residential arm of Lakewood Ranch, the nation’s top-selling multigenerational community in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. She oversees a 16,000-lot residential portfolio under active development by 20 builders with 2,000+ annual home sales. Laura also directs marketing efforts for LWR Commercial and the Lakewood Ranch Golf & Country Club. Before Lakewood Ranch, she was vice president of marketing for Willowsford, a 4,000-acre “agri-hood” community in Northern Virginia. From 2002 to 2007 Laura served as vice president of corporate development for RCLCO in Washington, DC, and before that, held positions with the Urban Land Institute, Greater Houston Partnership, and IBM/CB Commercial.

In today’s episode, Laura Cole, Senior Vice President Lakewood Ranch Communities, LLC, shares her journey into real estate and the top 3 trends she’s seeing as a result of the pandemic.

Memorable moments:
11:07: I love the idea of “I haven't been here before”. But let's draw from what we know, or try to find some analogues that that even come close to this.

12:32 I like thinking long term and you have too in these communities because we won't have homes on the ground for potentially five years. So you better be betting on the right market segment for when that's going to arrive in five years. We are being really tactical and I like the challenge of that.

13:46: The biggest thing right now that we're confronting is the growing caution by the consumer tied specifically to pricing.

15:09: People are looking not only to come to Florida because of the tax advantages and the quality of life, but there's a perception that living in a masterplan community creates an additional layer of security.

15:36 The nuclear family is moving with their extended family. We're seeing these multi-generational moves. One family moving here becomes three or four. They've determined that this is the place where they want to put roots down and it's really rewarding to know that this is a place they want to call home.

28:19 The development industry is particularly well suited for women because everything we do is multidisciplinary. We're good at multitasking and being able to bring in a lot of different facets into account in our decision making.

29:36: I always feel like in our industry that being yourself pays huge dividends…Be yourself and add value.

Connect with Nancy:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancysurak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak/
Website: www.nancysurak.com

Connect with Laura:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-cole-8158526/
Website: https://lakewoodranch.com

Laura's Book Recommendation:
A Land Remembered https://amzn.to/3OAbMyu via @amazon

She's WILD Sound Production by:
Luke Surak, Surak Productions: [email protected]

Stephanie is responsible for leading and directing the leasing, property management, and marketing of Duke Realty’s growing industrial portfolios in Central and South Florida as well as new development opportunities.

In today’s episode, Nancy and Stephanie discuss Stephanie’s unconventional path to the top of the real estate ladder, interesting scenarios that have happened during her career and advice she offers up-and-coming real estate professionals to help them accelerate their journey to success.

Memorable moments:

17:07: As we try to attract new talent, it's important for us to maintain a really strong reputation in the market so that we have a leg up on our competitors in that way.

29:54: You need to build your network of people who can be advisors and experienced resources in the space. Put yourself out there be vulnerable and be a sponge. I think the more you learn, the more quickly you gain respect in the market.

31:23: You can be confident in yourself and know what you bring to the table. But you also have to be willing to know that you don't know everything and that you need to learn, and that will make you better in the long run.

Connect with Nancy:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancysurak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak/
Website: www.nancysurak.com

Connect with Stephanie:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanie_rodriguez_7/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-weyandt-rodriguez-4b384b8/
Website: www.dukerealty.com

Stephanie's Book Recommendation:
Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...and Maybe the World by William H. McRaven
https://amzn.to/3rUkQ7N

She's WILD Sound Production by:
Luke Surak, Surak Productions: [email protected]

Welcome back to the She’s Wild Podcast! I am so excited to introduce you all to Taya Cook and Sherry Larjani. Taya Cook is the Director of Development at Urban Capital where she has played a lead role in developing condominium projects and seeing them through to completion across Canada. Sherry Larjani is an experienced real estate developer and entrepreneur, who’s main focus is to create beautifully designed spaces that bring her visions to life. Sherry is the President and founder of her own real estate development firm, Spotlight Development Inc.

On today's episode of She’s Wild, I sit down with Taya Cook and Sherry Larjani to discuss their 9-story, 200-unit, condominium project, Reina. Sherry and Taya are inspiring female leaders in the real estate industry who have managed to carve out their own niche, despite being surrounded by males. 

These amazing ladies share stories throughout their careers that helped to inspire them to form the first, all-female development team in Canada to build the Reina condo project in Toronto, Ontario. Reina, named after the Spanish word for “queen,” is about leading women building a better condo by doing things differently — through community collaboration, new perspectives, and a commitment to multigenerational living.

I loved sitting down with these ladies and can’t wait for you to hear the entire episode! 

Memorable Moments: 

7:22- Sherry L: “I wanted to show everyone on the site working with me that I can be just like them. I am an equal. I am willing to do the hard work, or pick up that piece of metal, or wood, or drywall, or whatever the case is.”

9:08- Taya C:  “I think being a woman working in this industry for so many years to not have one woman who's at the top, or is highlighted in such an obvious way, it was upsetting, it was really upsetting.”

11:12- Taya C: “I think a lot of people look at the industry and say, “Oh, now there's lots of women who work in it.” But when you actually look at the leadership, roles and positions, there really isn't. And the people who are making decisions on these huge projects, typically, it's a roomful of men.”

22:08- Sherry L:  “I think we carried that throughout the project, even sitting around the table, all of the consultants, if they had something to say, we were willing to hear it. And you know, it wasn't just a saying. We actually paid attention and tried to see how we could incorporate it into our design.”

23:33- Taya C: “I could ramble on for like an hour of all the details. But I think the main thing for the building was that it would be a space where it was accommodating to all age groups and to families specifically.” 

26:20- Sherry L: “You have to have confidence in your own abilities, whatever those are, whatever you're good at, because if you don't have that confidence, and if you're lacking it, you can't sit at a table and prove a point, because if you can't talk the talk, nobody's going to take you seriously. And if you don't have the confidence, then you won't be able to carry a conversation and answer questions.” 

29:14- Taya C: “Because especially most of us who, you know, are not going to put ourselves in risky positions are not going to really put ourselves out there. We can really afford to put ourselves out there at least a little bit more, and just go for something instead of just waiting until we're 100% sure it's the right decision.” 

Connect with Taya Cook:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taya.cook17/

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/taya-cook-55382b32/

Website: http://www.urbancapital.ca/

Connect with Sherry Larjani: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slarjani/

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/sherry-larjani-37644949/

Website: https://www.spotlightdevelopment.com/

Learn more about their project Reina: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reinacondos/

Websites: https://www.reinacondos.com/

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/12/business/women-real-estate-development.html

https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/a31789120/8-trailblazers-who-are-creating-game-changing-opportunities-for-all-women/

https://www.reminetwork.com/articles/eight-women-transforming-canada-multi-residential/

Connect with Nancy: 
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancysurak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak/
Website: www.nancysurak.com

She's WILD Sound Production by:
Luke Surak, Surak Productions: [email protected]