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Networking is an essential—though often neglected—cornerstone of business relationships. In a special episode recorded at the CBRE Women’s Network conference, CBRE leaders explain how to build a robust and authentic network at every stage of your career.
Connected: Building Meaningful Business Relationships
July 19, 2022 38 Minute Listen
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Barbara Perrier
How many of you in the room have ever been part of The Weekly Take? Okay, good. Lots of hands. Guess what? Everybody here gets to be part of The Weekly Take. Spencer, come on up and we'll take us into The Weekly Take.
Spencer Levy
Welcome to The Weekly Take. And this week we are doing it from Chicago, at the Women's Network! I am indeed Spencer Levy. And this, I'm sure you can tell by now, is a special edition of The Weekly Take. On this episode, I play the role of emcee for an audience participation discussion at the recent CBRE Women's Network event, a gathering devoted to networking in the business world. It featured a panel led by Global Head of Occupier Thought Leadership, Julie Whelan, and a live crowd of CBRE talent from across the company. To enhance our conversation, we also ran back highlights from past shows featuring some of the other notable women who've appeared on our air. Coming up: experience, expertise and advice for making connections, doing business and building a career. Networking at the office and beyond. That's right now on The Weekly Take.
Spencer Levy
Today, all of you will be guests on The Weekly Take, as we talk about networking, why you network, how you network, and you don't want to just hear from me. We want to hear from you. And why do we want to hear from you? Because we've had so many terrific guests and we've never attempted to do a live show before. So let's hope we can pull this off. I am proud now to introduce my co lead today, Julie Whelan, who, as of this morning with today's episode, is our most frequent guest on The Weekly Take. Julie Whelan, Global Head of Occupier Research. And Julie is going to lead a mini view up here while I fulfill my destiny to be a game show host for the next 45 minutes. So, Julie, thanks for coming up here.
Julie Whelan
Thank you, Spencer, for finally giving me the stage. So good morning, everybody. We are so excited to be here doing this with you today. I have two guests to be on my panel today. It is Laura Barr from our retail group. So please join me up here, Laura, and also Tonya Brandon from our GWS team. So, Tonya, please join me up here. So, Spencer, we are supposed to set this up as The View, correct?
Spencer Levy
That is correct. So what we're going to do today is, I am going to work the audience and ask you two questions. Who are you? Where are you from? Because we want to make sure we give you proper credit on The Weekly Take. And then we're going to ask you questions about networking. And then our All-Star panel up here of The View are going to discuss each of the segments of networking. So shall we begin, Julie?
Julie Whelan
Spencer, now I think we're ready.
Spencer Levy
Before we begin, because I said I'd give a shout out here today, where are my friends from Canada? That has nothing to do with the show, but I told you I'd give you a shout out. So let's begin, and we start with a highlight. Advice from Carla Harris, author, singer and veteran Wall Street executive who appeared on the show in May.
Carla Harris
What I see with most women, including myself, is that we would invest in the performance currency, making sure that the work is right beyond reproach. You will never be able to criticize me about the work, and we keep doing that. Well, guess what? We can do that in our sleep, and that additional hour, half hour, 5 minutes that we're putting into the work is five min, half an hour or an hour that we're not investing in a relationship with someone. And when you get to the top, the candidates that are being considered, there is an assumption of equity. And what I mean by that, you hear the decision maker saying, oh, they're all good. All of these candidates are really great. You know, we can't really make a bad decision. But you know as well as I do, there's journalism daylight between candidate A and candidate B, but the candidate that gets the nod is the one that people talk about behind closed doors. Oh, Bob is really great. Oh, I saw what he did with that particular client. Oh, you know what? People love working for Bob. And they don't know anything about Nancy, or Nancy’s pretty good, safe pair of hands. But it's not the same kind of qualitative comments happening because Nancy hasn’t invested in those relationships around their table. So she doesn't get the pile on. She gets the one person that may speak, you know, objectively about her. But Bob's getting all these amens in the room. That is what relationship currency does for you.
Spencer Levy
Relationship currency. And I am proud to have relationship currency with our first call out from the audience. What's your name, ma’am?
Spencer Levy
Annette Healey, a guest from The Weekly Take, one of our top retail professionals in the entire firm and a guest on The Weekly Take. So, Anette, I believe that you and I have some relationship currency. I've known you for over 15 years as one of my great friends and colleagues. But you just heard Carla Harris talking about the importance of relationship currency versus just technical skill. Do you have a point of view on that?
Annette Healey
Absolutely. I think that, of course, I come from an Irish background. So the Irish in me always wants that relationship. It is critical, and you can go back to it again. I mean, it just never stops giving. You can go back, as our relationship, 15 years ago. We were talking yesterday, Spencer helped me out with a very difficult landlord who was absolutely determined not to recognize CBRE on a renewal. Guess what? We just renewed and he's paying.
Spencer Levy
There we go. One of the reasons you network and create relationship currency is to get paid. But it pays you in more ways than just money. So, as I go around the room, you can raise your hand or I'm going to put the microphone in front of your face. So these are our two choices. So let me start with a simple question. What's your name, ma’am?
Spencer Levy
Nice to meet you, Kate. Kate, where are you from?
Kate Lapointe
Connecticut.
Spencer Levy
So why are you here today? The first section is why do you network? What is the importance of it to you?
Kate Lapointe
Well, I am in talent acquisition, so building relationships is critical in my line of work.
Spencer Levy
Awesome. So gets you paid, gets you talent. Two great reasons to network. Who else would like to participate in, oh, what's your name ma’am?
Spencer Levy
And what do you do, Stephanie.
Stephanie Marthakis
I work for research in client engagement.
Spencer Levy
Research – why is networking important in research?
Stephanie Marthakis
Well, in my role, I work with your team quite a lot, Spencer, on client engagement. And so I've found over the last 18 months, building my internal network with your team has helped us better serve our clients with our thought leadership.
Spencer Levy
Connecting the dots. Is that a good way to put it? Connecting the dots, getting paid, getting talent. All right. Who wants to be our next guest on The Weekly Take? Oh, what's your name, ma'am?
Spencer Levy
And Melissa, what do you do?
Melissa Coley
I work in corporate communications in New York.
Spencer Levy
And why do you network in corporate communications?
Melissa Coley
Because when I have nice relationships with reporters, they write nice things about CBRE.
Spencer Levy
You see that. Good things happen to good people. You get paid, you get talent, you get connecting the dots, and they say nice things about us in the press. Now it's time for our first segment of The View, of why are we networking? So, Julie, take it away. We want to hear from our extra panel about what we just heard and what you think.
Julie Whelan
Yeah. So, ladies, I mean, I love this term relationship currency. I had actually never really heard it before. And when I think currency, my mind goes to money, and my mind goes to investing and the fact that I want to end up with more money than I invested at the beginning of the day, right. And so that's how I look at this relationship currency, is that when we're investing, we're not investing in any one thing. We all know that we need to diversify our investments to make sure that we're getting the right return at the right time. And that's how we think that we need to look at networking, right, which is that you can't just put your networking into one bucket and expend that one, expect that one person to give you the return. You really need to diversify across, whether it be this company, whether it be outside the company, in order to get that return, depending on where you are in the cycle of your career. So what do you think about what we just talked about?
Tonya Brandon
Yeah. So Julie, I would contend. Right, and you just referenced return on our investment, and relationship building, that relationship currency, it's the gift that keeps on giving. And many of us who've had a chance to actually even hear Carla Harris directly, we actually heard her here once. Who remembers that? How fantastic that was. That was special. And Carla actually happens to be a part of my client organization. But for me, you just think about, and we talked about pivoting in your career, you can take time to build your performance currency. That matters. That's home base. But if you've not built those relationships, it's the relationships that allow your performance to come to life and you can see fruition from that building of relationships.
Laura Barr
I totally agree. And I think there's also a timeline component. So sometimes the return comes more immediately, but so often it comes much later. That can be years later. I think there's an important component, and this will kind of go to the authenticity piece. You’re really building real relationships. There's not a transaction. If you actually get to know the person and you build a true relationship, that return can be so significant, not just in terms of how great it feels, but in terms of specific, actionable kind of work.
Julie Whelan
It's a really great point. We're in such an immediate gratification world that sometimes I think that whatever we deploy in terms of strategy, we think should pay us back right away. But patience is absolutely a virtue when it comes to networking.
Spencer Levy
All right. Let's hear from our next Weekly Take guest on networking, Benji Baer.
Benji Baer
I know since you want me to talk more tactically about advice that I can give to young people, I think it is be true to yourself, be smart, be strategic, connect with people, network, and look for someone who you connect with, who connects with you, who you think can open a door and teach you something. So I'm not sure there's any master plan. I don't think there's a book you can read. So that's my advice. Hard work gets you pretty far.
Spencer Levy
So fear factor. Why don't some people network? Hmm. Let's go over here, see if we get some opinions here. Priya Hempel. Nice to see you, Priya.
Priya Hempel
Good to see you, Spencer.
Spencer Levy
So, Priya, any reasons why you might not want to network? Any fear factor there?
Priya Hempel
I think some people are afraid to be authentic and that their true selves or what they're trying to sell might not be received well.
Spencer Levy
Well, I think some of that, it was discussed yesterday with your last speaker. It's called imposter syndrome. Am I qualified to be here? You know who's qualified to be here? Every single person in this room is qualified to be here. And every single person in this room is qualified to go out and pitch, to go out and network. And it's not just confidence. People need to prepare, but they also need to be true to themselves. Keeping it real is a very important thing. Let's see what we have over here. Who is this person? Oh, hello. What's your name?
Spencer Levy
Hello, Sarrah. What do you do, Sarrah?
Sarrah Stutzman
I am now officially in the people organization.
Spencer Levy
You are in, so you're a people person. Sarrah, why do you think some people are afraid to network?
Sarrah Stutzman
I think they're afraid of what they might hear. Maybe they're not ready to hear bad feedback or constructive feedback or really change who they are.
Spencer Levy
I think that's a great point, Sarrah, because I think the most important person in the room isn't the “yes” person. It's the “no” person. The person that gives it to you straight. And where is my, one of my best friends in the back of the room, Laura O'Brien, who is one of my dearest friends and mentors in that order, who taught me that career is not just a ladder, it is a jungle gym and a hundred other things. But that's a person with courage back there because she gives it to you straight. That's why she's terrific. Thank you, Sarrah. So who else is going to say why are people afraid of networking. What's your name ma’am?
Michelle Abramowitz
Michelle.
Spencer Levy
Hello, Michelle. And Michelle is now regretting that she's sitting on the end here. And I want you all to know that some people that are in the middle, you are not out of bounds because we have three runners back there. And if you raise your hand, we're going to come right at you. So, Michelle, why might some people be afraid of networking?
Michelle Abramowitz
I think there's a fear of maybe not having any value to add to the relationship and being worried of how to get started.
Spencer Levy
And what's your name?
LaTonya Flournoy
LaTonya.
Spencer Levy
And LaTonya, where you based?
LaTonya Flournoy
I'm in Dallas.
Spencer Levy
I love Dallas. So going back to the fear factor, what else do you think stops people from networking?
LaTonya Flournoy
It's the uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable.
Spencer Levy
Being uncomfortable. Well, you know how you overcome being uncomfortable. Preparation. You learn about your audience, and it also takes that magic word. Anybody know what the magic word is? It's not “no”. It's courage. Sometimes getting out there is scary, but getting out there is what we're going to do right now with The View, and why don't people network, Julie?
Julie Whelan
So I love that last point about, you know, basically what you talked about is being an introvert or an extrovert. And as we learned yesterday, right, there aren't too many introverts out there. Most of us are extroverts, it's just the level that we are. And I think that being outside your comfort zone is really important. I'm going to tell you a secret about me. I actually don't like to be in the public a lot, yet that is my job. And so people say, well, you're outside your comfort zone. I say, I was put in a cannon and shot so far outside of my comfort zone that I had to either react or I knew that I wasn't going to be successful. And so Spencer is the one that taught me that preparation really, really is key. Now, I'm going to tell you another secret that I think is why people don't network, especially women. And it's the fact that, a little secret, we don't like to ask for help. We really don't like to ask for help, and then we don't like to disappoint. And so by networking and asking for somebody to spend time with you, you are naturally asking for help. And what that means is that you are put in that driver's seat of actually needing to ask somebody for what you want. And that can be your other very difficult thing to figure out, is what is it that you want that you're trying to get out of that networking relationship? So I know that that's a big block for me in terms of networking, is just wanting to be valuable, make valuable use of that person's time. So what is your, you know, networking block?
Tonya Brandon
Yeah, I would say, Julie, for me, and we talk about the word fear, and has it been fear of failure or fear of success? And I had to come to terms with that. And for me, I think I was just, like you said, nervous and did I have the courage to succeed? And also another attribute that I think is often, women, we find ourselves in that, where we're really thinking, do I have the chance to succeed? I, like you, am on the lower spectrum of extroversion because I believed myself to be an introvert. But we have to step out there and I would say four principles, seek out the right opportunities. Absolutely prepare for what you're going to engage in in that networking environment. Think about how you want to commit. If you're going in, go all in. And then remember, you've talked about asking for help, but in those networking opportunities, you can also give help. So I think those are the attributes that I had to remember. I can succeed. I can succeed. So the yes I can element that Spencer spoke of just a moment ago.
Julie Whelan
I love that, Tonya. You're right. You are giving value to the other person by what you're bringing to the table.
Laura Barr
Totally agree. And there are two things I'd share, I think one, there's a behavioral scientist and just wonderful person, Jon Levy, who wrote a book called “You're Invited”. And one of the things that he's talked a lot about is this notion that if you actually ask someone for help, it often builds more trust than if you do them a favor, which was a surprise to me. And I think one of the other pieces to kind of focus on to help mitigate the fear piece is you don't have to do cold outreach. You don't need to walk up to someone you don't know necessarily if that's not your thing. I'm really big on the warm intro. Go through your network and figure out who knows that person who can make the introduction. If you get an introduction from someone who actually knows the person or who the person kind of has a bit of trust with, they're going to take you far more seriously immediately, mid-term and long term, and there’ll be a lot less of the kind of harder part of building that relationship because you have that automatic trust.
Julie Whelan
Yeah, absolutely.
Spencer Levy
Okay, let's sum up what we heard about why people don't network. Fear factor. Introvert versus extrovert. No value in what I do. You know, there's value in everybody. And just the time factor. Now, if you guys thought I was making it up before, I'm going to tell you a little secret. I'm actually an introvert, and I'm up here doing my thing through practice and preparation. Everybody in this room could be a great public speaker, a great networker, if you put in the time. Let's hear from our next speaker. I think you recognize her. Lisa Konieczka, founder of the CBRE Women's Network, in a clip from earlier this year.
Lisa Konieczka
With the beginning, we were getting a woman into a role and it was so hard for her to really achieve and succeed in that role, whether it was a stretch role or not. But once we got a few women and a few diverse people around the table, it was just absolute, sort of, perfect movement forward because there was enough support for there to be success. So I look at it as two ways. One is, I know we have to walk before we run, which means we have to get people into those roles, but then we have to move. It's not just a check the box. This is about getting amazing talent and diverse thought to get to those brilliant ideas. And that means a lot of people with a lot of diverse backgrounds are really important. So I know for CBRE our focus is really developing our women, increasing their networks and increasing their profile.
Spencer Levy
So we're now going to talk about how do you network the bases? And let's come over here. So what is a great way to network with a lot of people? And that is social networking. Thumbs up. When I started social networking a grand total of five years ago, I had zero followers. I now have almost 22,000, all because I do these goofy little 40 second videos with a thumbs up. What's your name?
Spencer Levy
Sandra, you were shouting out. What were shouting at before?
Sandra Adamson
I joined the Women's Network.
Spencer Levy
Damn right. Now, what else would you join? What other groups would you suggest people join?
Sandra Adamson
I think joining the business line cohorts and other internal organizations would be helpful.
Spencer Levy
That's great. There's lots of great organizations out there and they're not all real estate organizations. You can just join a women's group. You can join a non-women's group. You can meet people at the country club. Just get out there is a good start. What's your name, ma’am?
Spencer Levy
Tressa. And where are you from, Tressa?
Tressa McLouth
Minneapolis.
Minneapolis! From the files of life ain't always fair. I write these long white papers and they take me forever. I have one, it took me seven months and I put a lot of love into this thing and I put it online. I got maybe, you know, 100, 200 likes. You know what my number one post was last year? I did a post from the airport bar in Minneapolis eating a Juicy Lucy burger from Minneapolis. 40,000 engagements on the Juicy Lucy, 200 on my paper on affordable housing. So life isn't fair, but it makes a point. The point is that it's not always about work. People want to engage with you as a person, not just you as a professional. What's your name, ma'am?
Dena Deiger
Dena.
Spencer Levy
Hello, Dina. Where are you from?
Dena Deiger
Charlotte, North Carolina.
Spencer Levy
Charlotte, North Carolina. I love Charlotte. I was just there two weeks ago. So, Dena, what do you think are one of the basics that you'd like to express about how you network?
Dena Deiger
I would say it's also a real estate organization so that you can build a base and get ideas outside of the CBRE world. I'm new to CBRE, just seven months now, so I've actually been able to use my other networks to help my base here.
Spencer Levy
That's terrific. And so even though Julie is our most frequent and most awesome guest, one of our actual most popular guests is when we had the chief economist from Spotify on the show, having nothing to do with real estate, and all the real estate people called and said, “Wow, I never really thought of it that way”. So you have this network that can help you learn more about the business. So now let's go to our View panel of how do you network the basics?
Julie Whelan
So I think, and at least I'm going to riff off of what your comment was, which was building that profile, because to me, the basics is having and understanding the profile that you want to portray to others. And I'm going to give you a little story. So this morning I talked to my three children on the phone and my youngest gets on the phone and he says,
“Hello, Mom, it's your star child here”. And I said, “Well, that's very good, but what makes you a star? You can't just tell me that you're a star”. And he said, “Well, I filled up all the water bottles for everybody and I set the table for Dad”. And I said, “Okay, now you're telling me why you're a star. Good job”. And I think that that's what we need to make sure that we do, is know who we are, the value that we bring. And some people call it an elevator speech, right? Kind of always have that, because one of the things that I'm just starting to become really clear on is that what I think about myself and how I perceive myself is actually different than how every single one of you perceive me. And so what you need to make sure is that at the basic level, you really understand who you are, who you want to portray to those that you're networking with, and make that shine, and make that star shine in every single networking opportunity that you have.
Tonya Brandon
Yeah, I would agree. And I think the term being authentic came up and you just must be. I’m going to say that again. You just must be yourself because nobody can be yourself other than you. And so I would contend that absolutely is fundamental. If you're going to engage and interact with others, just be yourself. So, and then the other I think is so important. Be intentional. Quality of those engagements in the relationships is much more important than the quantity of those relationships. That's maybe cliché, but I would say, and if you're talking about a personal experience, I've always been deliberate and intentional about where I'm going to engage, and that those, if I'm joining an organization, that it relates to something that I know I'm most interested in and I know I will be able to give all of myself. So I would offer that in addition to Julie.
Laura Barr
I love that and I totally agree. I couldn't agree more about being authentic. I think one of the biggest achilles heels I had for a while and not done growing on this one yet, but in kind of an inclination to be a people pleaser and this idea that everyone you talk to, you really want to connect with them. You want them to like you. Guess what? Not everyone's going to like you, and focusing on the people that you end up connecting with and have those relationships with, that's where it matters. Even, you know, thinking about, in a lot of the roles that we have, you're trying to focus on, all right, I need to get to the C-suite. I want to make that relationship need to work. Well, sometimes becoming friends with your peers, and not sometimes, many times, is the most powerful thing on Earth. And the number of times I've done this where those relationships end up not only just being so deeply fulfilling, but we will run through walls for each other. We are very much in each other's corners, and those have been intensely productive.
Spencer Levy
Well, let's sum up some of these comments we got a moment ago of how do you network? Encourage hard work, find a mentor, increase your profile, Social Media, conversation starters. And I'm going to deviate from the program because I have my dear friend and the first guest we had on The Weekly Take, Darcy Stacom, standing right here. Hello Darcy.
Darcy Stacom
Hello, how are you?
Spencer Levy
So, Darcy, among the 10,000 tips you gave me, you gave me a funny one once, some of them were funny, and you talked about wearing cool shoes. And wearing cool shoes as a conversation starter. Anything to say about that?
Darcy Stacom
Problem is after COVID, I'm actually having to practice walking around my apartment in my cool shoes for my daughter's wedding.
Spencer Levy
Congratulations, Darcy, on a daughter's wedding. But Darcy Stacom, our first guest on The Weekly Take. Okay, let's go on to the next section of how not to network. Are there any things that you would say are things you shouldn't do when you network? What's your name, ma'am?
Erin Miller
Erin Miller.
Spencer Levy
Erin, where are you from?
Erin Miller
Charlotte, North Carolina.
Spencer Levy
Another Charlotte person. Any danger zones? Anything that you might say, don't do this.
Erin Miller
I would say don't not do it just because you're scared of yourself. Like don't just stay on the couch. If you have something that you're supposed to do and committed to doing, make sure you get out there and actually follow through.
Spencer Levy
A little bit of courage goes a long way. And what's your name, ma’am?
Monica Juan
Spencer. I should know better than sitting on the end. Monica Wan.
Spencer Levy
Hello, Monica. And Monica, where do you live and what do you do?
Monica Juan
I live in Massachusetts and I work in the financial and professional services sector.
Spencer Levy
Awesome, awesome. I lived in Boston for three years. It was a great town. I was also at game six of the ‘86 World Series. This didn't work out so well for the Red Sox, but we'll bring that up another time. So any things you would say are the danger zones, things not to do?
Monica Juan
I guess I would just make sure you know your environment, right? Know who your audience is. And I'm saying what to do. I guess not answering directly, but just know who your people are and just make sure that you're well-versed and think about some great questions. So it's kind of a reverse way of answering it, Spencer, but...
Spencer Levy
Be prepared. Be prepared not only on the questions and on the substance, but who's in the audience. Let's hear from our panel about how not to network.
Julie Whelan
So I would say that one of my, I'd say danger zones, of what I think my experience has led to is that what I didn't do when I was younger. And what I didn't do when I was younger is network outside of my comfort zone. And I really think that that was a critical mistake, honestly, in kind of how my career has developed. I've always been in research and I'm very happy to be in research, but I never networked with other people outside of, sort of, that industry within real estate. And as we talked about earlier, there are so many facets of real estate and we need to make sure that when we're networking, you're really going outside of your comfort zone, I think. And even if you don't know a lot about capital markets, go have conversations with capital markets professionals, jump, you know, brush up on enough to be cocktail smart about it, and you never know where things are going to lead. And so that's really my takeaway of sort of what I didn't do right, that I really want to impart, especially on the younger people in the audience.
Tonya Brandon
Yeah. And quite frankly, Julie, those of us that have been in the industry for some time now still have to step outside of our comfort zone. So I think that's fantastic. I would contend, right, Celeste told us yesterday. Be careful of you usurping the conversation. Don't talk too much. Listen, engage such that it is a conversation, and that's how you really build those relationships. So I would just leave it at don't talk too much.
Laura Barr
That is some wisdom. I think also, follow up and follow through. So don't drop the ball. Chris Ludeman has often said it's never too early or too late to follow up and that has saved me a few times when I've realized too much time has passed and I feel so awkward, but you just got to do it anyway, and you never know. I had an informational interview when I was 22 years old with a landlord who I have now become very close with, sent him a follow up and a handwritten, which is always fun to do. And long story short, it led to a huge tenant account that our team now works on, and Hollie Simunovic on our team does an incredible job leading that. And I found out just a few years ago that part of what ended up happening was the reminder, kind of memory he has of this handwritten note that he was so surprised to get. Follow up, follow through. One last little thing, Spencer. I think if somebody asks you a question in that conversation, this was especially helpful really, really early on for me. Remember it and follow up on it. They'll be shocked that you actually did it. And the trust that builds is so significant.
Spencer Levy
Okay. Now let's get to another point of view on networking. Let's hear from Mary Ann Tighe, another guest on The Weekly Take.
Mary Ann Tighe
I think any kind of specific expertise in any segment of our industry gets you employed, it gets you hired, it builds a reputation. And then I think from out there, you should set up ripples. One of the things that I think has been such a key for my own career is that I not only know the people in our industry, I know the people in all the concentric circles around our industry. And I must say, I think I learned this in my Washington, D.C. years, that you really want to have as big a network as possible because it enables you to get to the answer, or know how the question should be shaped, fast. I have to say that part of my success in real estate is that I haven't waffled around trying to find answers to things. I get from here to there quickly because pretty much, in New York City anyway, it's two degrees of separation, not six.
Spencer Levy
Well, I may have learned the magic word “no” from my dear friend Laura O'Brien about how to give it to people straight. I learned a magic word “yes” from Mary Ann Tighe, who was always “can do”. And it's part, not just because of her attitude, but because of her network of being able to bring people in when she needs them, even if she doesn't know if we have the service. She is a excellent example of a master class on how to network. But speaking of a master class of how to network. I'm going to go to this person over here. What's your name?
Ruth Fischer
Hi, Spencer. Ruth Fischer.
Spencer Levy
And Ruth, what do you do?
Ruth Fischer
I'm the local market leader for Quebec.
Spencer Levy
Very nice. And were you one of those people shouting out when I said hello Canadians?
Ruth Fischer
I was so glad you remembered our conversation yesterday. Building trust.
Spencer Levy
See that? So we're talking about advanced techniques now for networking. And Mary Ann used the word ripples. Does that word mean anything to you?
Ruth Fischer
Well, so everything you do, every interaction, can have ripples. So if I talk with Tara and Tara thinks of something and introduces me to someone else, it creates ripples. And I think that that's really the way, particularly in rooms like this, we can grow and support each other.
Spencer Levy
Fantastic. So let's go over here. Everybody sat in the back of the room. They said, when I was in law school, we called them backbenchers. They were praying they wouldn't be called upon. Wrong answer, folks. What's your name?
Rutendo Orzechowski
Rutendo Orzechowski
Spencer Levy And where do you live and what do you do?
Rutendo Orzechowski
I work in Dallas in the finance and valuation office.
Spencer Levy
So, you heard the word about ripples and advanced networking. Any tips you might give them on advanced networking?
Rutendo Orzechowski
I would say, be genuine and offer up, I guess, other people that you might know tto help the other person.
Spencer Levy
You give what you get, right? It's a, the world is a two way street, or maybe it's more than a two way street. But ultimately, if you do favors for others and you give that warm introduction, somebody on stage used that term before, that is so much more important and it will come back and benefit you over the long term. So in the master class of how to network, we'd like to hear from our friends at The View. Julie.
Julie Whelan
Yeah. So I know that one way not to do a masterclass is just to connect on LinkedIn, and assume that that's going to get you where you want to be for networking, because that definitely does not work. That is a start. It's definitely a way to sort of look at who's in your concentric circles like Mary Ann was talking about, but it doesn't end there. I think that with anything, right, whether it be working out or eating right or even, you know, figuring out personal development goals, you have to kind of set micro goals and then make sure that you're achieving them. So I think that a masterclass in networking is always making sure that you know what those micro goals are, right? Because otherwise time goes by and we're all busy with everything that is making us successful, but we're actually not investing in ourselves. So I think that really having those goals and executing on them is super important.
Tonya Brandon
Yeah, and I'd probably go back to where I started, right? You're going to seek out the right opportunities. You're going to commit and be deliberate and intentional. You're going to know that you not only can help others, but others can help you. And what I loved about what Marianne just talked about is the massive network that you can build. And you commented, right, like those people that you can run through the walls with. And I see several of those ladies in the audience today, and that's what gets you from, are you in that position that you hate now but you want to move to the next one? Well, that network, it’s got to be massive and expansive enough that you can draw upon it. So I would contend that those are really, and what I've just held true to my 22 year career here at CBRE.
Laura Barr
One of the ways that’d be helpful to build that crew of people that will run through walls or go off, run through walls for each other, set up an event yourself. Have people over for drinks, organize something. I set up, well actually, a friend of mine set up, there were 10 or 12 of us, didn't know each other that well. We were early- mid twenties at the time and got together and read a book and drank some wine. We called it a book club. It was the only book we ever read, but we got together a lot more times. That group of women has become, not only are they some of my best friends, but they are some of the most impressive women to me in the country. They're, many of them are in San Francisco, and we run through walls for each other. They have pushed, we've pushed each other career wise. It just took someone reaching out and taking the risk and saying, let's get together. We don't know each other that well, but let's just do it.
Spencer Levy
Well, it’s time for final thoughts. I want to ask our audience here for any final takeaways. And we're going to have our View friends take it home. So what's your name?
Gail Austin
Gail Austin.
Spencer Levy
And Gail, where are you based?
Gail Austin
I'm based in Newport Beach.
Spencer Levy
So any particular takeaways you have from today's session?
Gail Austin
I would say being bold and being brave, and not being afraid to go out there and meet people and extend yourself.
Spencer Levy
Great. Thank you. What's your name, ma’am?
Kim Hourihan
Kim.
Spencer Levy
Kim Hourihan. Kim and I used to share a common wall in Baltimore, and I had this terrible tendency for being kind of loud, occasionally throwing a ball against the wall. But we remained friends ever since. So, Kim, any particular takeaways from today?
Kim Hourihan
I think it's just, you never know where life is going to take you and just go out there, and the importance of those connections, you just can't put a number on it.
Spencer Levy
Agreed. And our last word before we get to the very last word, Lisa Konieczka, any big takeaways from today's networking session. What was – anything you would like to leave our audience with?
Lisa Konieczka
You know, I think the ideas about being bold and having confidence, women don't have, sometimes have a hard time sort of saying, who's going to want to talk to me? And if you can have the confidence to know that everyone in this room wants to talk to you, so just go do it.
Spencer Levy
I agree with that. For the final word, our View panel. Julie, take us home.
Julie Whelan
So this has been powerful and this has been highly entertaining. Thank you, Spencer. So what are your, one takeaway each of what you would leave the audience with?
Tonya Brandon
Yeah. So, I would wrap with remember to have fun. So all of what everyone has said, and have fun.
Laura Barr
I don't think there's anything more important than that. Have fun. Be relaxed. Go do it.
Julie Whelan
And I would say definitely go do it, right. Take 2 to 3 things that we've learned today and go execute on them intentionally and purposefully. That would be what I would leave you with.
Spencer Levy
Well, my final thought is, this is called the Women's Network for a reason. Follow it. I'm privileged to be here. You're privileged to be here. Thank you very much.
Spencer Levy
Another round of applause for all at the CBRE Women's Network for making this show possible. That means everyone who participated from the panel to the audience and many more folks behind the scenes. If you'd like to learn more, please visit our Web site at CBRE.com/TheWeeklyTake. You can share the episode as well as subscribe for the latest insights on our air. And don't forget to rate and review us wherever you listen. We'll be back next week. Meanwhile, I'm Spencer Levy. Be smart. Be safe. Be well.
Barbara Perrier
How many of you in the room have ever been part of The Weekly Take? Okay, good. Lots of hands. Guess what? Everybody here gets to be part of The Weekly Take. Spencer, come on up and we'll take us into The Weekly Take.
Spencer Levy
Welcome to The Weekly Take. And this week we are doing it from Chicago, at the Women's Network! I am indeed Spencer Levy. And this, I'm sure you can tell by now, is a special edition of The Weekly Take. On this episode, I play the role of emcee for an audience participation discussion at the recent CBRE Women's Network event, a gathering devoted to networking in the business world. It featured a panel led by Global Head of Occupier Thought Leadership, Julie Whelan, and a live crowd of CBRE talent from across the company. To enhance our conversation, we also ran back highlights from past shows featuring some of the other notable women who've appeared on our air. Coming up: experience, expertise and advice for making connections, doing business and building a career. Networking at the office and beyond. That's right now on The Weekly Take.
Spencer Levy
Today, all of you will be guests on The Weekly Take, as we talk about networking, why you network, how you network, and you don't want to just hear from me. We want to hear from you. And why do we want to hear from you? Because we've had so many terrific guests and we've never attempted to do a live show before. So let's hope we can pull this off. I am proud now to introduce my co lead today, Julie Whelan, who, as of this morning with today's episode, is our most frequent guest on The Weekly Take. Julie Whelan, Global Head of Occupier Research. And Julie is going to lead a mini view up here while I fulfill my destiny to be a game show host for the next 45 minutes. So, Julie, thanks for coming up here.
Julie Whelan
Thank you, Spencer, for finally giving me the stage. So good morning, everybody. We are so excited to be here doing this with you today. I have two guests to be on my panel today. It is Laura Barr from our retail group. So please join me up here, Laura, and also Tonya Brandon from our GWS team. So, Tonya, please join me up here. So, Spencer, we are supposed to set this up as The View, correct?
Spencer Levy
That is correct. So what we're going to do today is, I am going to work the audience and ask you two questions. Who are you? Where are you from? Because we want to make sure we give you proper credit on The Weekly Take. And then we're going to ask you questions about networking. And then our All-Star panel up here of The View are going to discuss each of the segments of networking. So shall we begin, Julie?
Julie Whelan
Spencer, now I think we're ready.
Spencer Levy
Before we begin, because I said I'd give a shout out here today, where are my friends from Canada? That has nothing to do with the show, but I told you I'd give you a shout out. So let's begin, and we start with a highlight. Advice from Carla Harris, author, singer and veteran Wall Street executive who appeared on the show in May.
Carla Harris
What I see with most women, including myself, is that we would invest in the performance currency, making sure that the work is right beyond reproach. You will never be able to criticize me about the work, and we keep doing that. Well, guess what? We can do that in our sleep, and that additional hour, half hour, 5 minutes that we're putting into the work is five min, half an hour or an hour that we're not investing in a relationship with someone. And when you get to the top, the candidates that are being considered, there is an assumption of equity. And what I mean by that, you hear the decision maker saying, oh, they're all good. All of these candidates are really great. You know, we can't really make a bad decision. But you know as well as I do, there's journalism daylight between candidate A and candidate B, but the candidate that gets the nod is the one that people talk about behind closed doors. Oh, Bob is really great. Oh, I saw what he did with that particular client. Oh, you know what? People love working for Bob. And they don't know anything about Nancy, or Nancy’s pretty good, safe pair of hands. But it's not the same kind of qualitative comments happening because Nancy hasn’t invested in those relationships around their table. So she doesn't get the pile on. She gets the one person that may speak, you know, objectively about her. But Bob's getting all these amens in the room. That is what relationship currency does for you.
Spencer Levy
Relationship currency. And I am proud to have relationship currency with our first call out from the audience. What's your name, ma’am?
Spencer Levy
Annette Healey, a guest from The Weekly Take, one of our top retail professionals in the entire firm and a guest on The Weekly Take. So, Anette, I believe that you and I have some relationship currency. I've known you for over 15 years as one of my great friends and colleagues. But you just heard Carla Harris talking about the importance of relationship currency versus just technical skill. Do you have a point of view on that?
Annette Healey
Absolutely. I think that, of course, I come from an Irish background. So the Irish in me always wants that relationship. It is critical, and you can go back to it again. I mean, it just never stops giving. You can go back, as our relationship, 15 years ago. We were talking yesterday, Spencer helped me out with a very difficult landlord who was absolutely determined not to recognize CBRE on a renewal. Guess what? We just renewed and he's paying.
Spencer Levy
There we go. One of the reasons you network and create relationship currency is to get paid. But it pays you in more ways than just money. So, as I go around the room, you can raise your hand or I'm going to put the microphone in front of your face. So these are our two choices. So let me start with a simple question. What's your name, ma’am?
Spencer Levy
Nice to meet you, Kate. Kate, where are you from?
Kate Lapointe
Connecticut.
Spencer Levy
So why are you here today? The first section is why do you network? What is the importance of it to you?
Kate Lapointe
Well, I am in talent acquisition, so building relationships is critical in my line of work.
Spencer Levy
Awesome. So gets you paid, gets you talent. Two great reasons to network. Who else would like to participate in, oh, what's your name ma’am?
Spencer Levy
And what do you do, Stephanie.
Stephanie Marthakis
I work for research in client engagement.
Spencer Levy
Research – why is networking important in research?
Stephanie Marthakis
Well, in my role, I work with your team quite a lot, Spencer, on client engagement. And so I've found over the last 18 months, building my internal network with your team has helped us better serve our clients with our thought leadership.
Spencer Levy
Connecting the dots. Is that a good way to put it? Connecting the dots, getting paid, getting talent. All right. Who wants to be our next guest on The Weekly Take? Oh, what's your name, ma'am?
Spencer Levy
And Melissa, what do you do?
Melissa Coley
I work in corporate communications in New York.
Spencer Levy
And why do you network in corporate communications?
Melissa Coley
Because when I have nice relationships with reporters, they write nice things about CBRE.
Spencer Levy
You see that. Good things happen to good people. You get paid, you get talent, you get connecting the dots, and they say nice things about us in the press. Now it's time for our first segment of The View, of why are we networking? So, Julie, take it away. We want to hear from our extra panel about what we just heard and what you think.
Julie Whelan
Yeah. So, ladies, I mean, I love this term relationship currency. I had actually never really heard it before. And when I think currency, my mind goes to money, and my mind goes to investing and the fact that I want to end up with more money than I invested at the beginning of the day, right. And so that's how I look at this relationship currency, is that when we're investing, we're not investing in any one thing. We all know that we need to diversify our investments to make sure that we're getting the right return at the right time. And that's how we think that we need to look at networking, right, which is that you can't just put your networking into one bucket and expend that one, expect that one person to give you the return. You really need to diversify across, whether it be this company, whether it be outside the company, in order to get that return, depending on where you are in the cycle of your career. So what do you think about what we just talked about?
Tonya Brandon
Yeah. So Julie, I would contend. Right, and you just referenced return on our investment, and relationship building, that relationship currency, it's the gift that keeps on giving. And many of us who've had a chance to actually even hear Carla Harris directly, we actually heard her here once. Who remembers that? How fantastic that was. That was special. And Carla actually happens to be a part of my client organization. But for me, you just think about, and we talked about pivoting in your career, you can take time to build your performance currency. That matters. That's home base. But if you've not built those relationships, it's the relationships that allow your performance to come to life and you can see fruition from that building of relationships.
Laura Barr
I totally agree. And I think there's also a timeline component. So sometimes the return comes more immediately, but so often it comes much later. That can be years later. I think there's an important component, and this will kind of go to the authenticity piece. You’re really building real relationships. There's not a transaction. If you actually get to know the person and you build a true relationship, that return can be so significant, not just in terms of how great it feels, but in terms of specific, actionable kind of work.
Julie Whelan
It's a really great point. We're in such an immediate gratification world that sometimes I think that whatever we deploy in terms of strategy, we think should pay us back right away. But patience is absolutely a virtue when it comes to networking.
Spencer Levy
All right. Let's hear from our next Weekly Take guest on networking, Benji Baer.
Benji Baer
I know since you want me to talk more tactically about advice that I can give to young people, I think it is be true to yourself, be smart, be strategic, connect with people, network, and look for someone who you connect with, who connects with you, who you think can open a door and teach you something. So I'm not sure there's any master plan. I don't think there's a book you can read. So that's my advice. Hard work gets you pretty far.
Spencer Levy
So fear factor. Why don't some people network? Hmm. Let's go over here, see if we get some opinions here. Priya Hempel. Nice to see you, Priya.
Priya Hempel
Good to see you, Spencer.
Spencer Levy
So, Priya, any reasons why you might not want to network? Any fear factor there?
Priya Hempel
I think some people are afraid to be authentic and that their true selves or what they're trying to sell might not be received well.
Spencer Levy
Well, I think some of that, it was discussed yesterday with your last speaker. It's called imposter syndrome. Am I qualified to be here? You know who's qualified to be here? Every single person in this room is qualified to be here. And every single person in this room is qualified to go out and pitch, to go out and network. And it's not just confidence. People need to prepare, but they also need to be true to themselves. Keeping it real is a very important thing. Let's see what we have over here. Who is this person? Oh, hello. What's your name?
Spencer Levy
Hello, Sarrah. What do you do, Sarrah?
Sarrah Stutzman
I am now officially in the people organization.
Spencer Levy
You are in, so you're a people person. Sarrah, why do you think some people are afraid to network?
Sarrah Stutzman
I think they're afraid of what they might hear. Maybe they're not ready to hear bad feedback or constructive feedback or really change who they are.
Spencer Levy
I think that's a great point, Sarrah, because I think the most important person in the room isn't the “yes” person. It's the “no” person. The person that gives it to you straight. And where is my, one of my best friends in the back of the room, Laura O'Brien, who is one of my dearest friends and mentors in that order, who taught me that career is not just a ladder, it is a jungle gym and a hundred other things. But that's a person with courage back there because she gives it to you straight. That's why she's terrific. Thank you, Sarrah. So who else is going to say why are people afraid of networking. What's your name ma’am?
Michelle Abramowitz
Michelle.
Spencer Levy
Hello, Michelle. And Michelle is now regretting that she's sitting on the end here. And I want you all to know that some people that are in the middle, you are not out of bounds because we have three runners back there. And if you raise your hand, we're going to come right at you. So, Michelle, why might some people be afraid of networking?
Michelle Abramowitz
I think there's a fear of maybe not having any value to add to the relationship and being worried of how to get started.
Spencer Levy
And what's your name?
LaTonya Flournoy
LaTonya.
Spencer Levy
And LaTonya, where you based?
LaTonya Flournoy
I'm in Dallas.
Spencer Levy
I love Dallas. So going back to the fear factor, what else do you think stops people from networking?
LaTonya Flournoy
It's the uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable.
Spencer Levy
Being uncomfortable. Well, you know how you overcome being uncomfortable. Preparation. You learn about your audience, and it also takes that magic word. Anybody know what the magic word is? It's not “no”. It's courage. Sometimes getting out there is scary, but getting out there is what we're going to do right now with The View, and why don't people network, Julie?
Julie Whelan
So I love that last point about, you know, basically what you talked about is being an introvert or an extrovert. And as we learned yesterday, right, there aren't too many introverts out there. Most of us are extroverts, it's just the level that we are. And I think that being outside your comfort zone is really important. I'm going to tell you a secret about me. I actually don't like to be in the public a lot, yet that is my job. And so people say, well, you're outside your comfort zone. I say, I was put in a cannon and shot so far outside of my comfort zone that I had to either react or I knew that I wasn't going to be successful. And so Spencer is the one that taught me that preparation really, really is key. Now, I'm going to tell you another secret that I think is why people don't network, especially women. And it's the fact that, a little secret, we don't like to ask for help. We really don't like to ask for help, and then we don't like to disappoint. And so by networking and asking for somebody to spend time with you, you are naturally asking for help. And what that means is that you are put in that driver's seat of actually needing to ask somebody for what you want. And that can be your other very difficult thing to figure out, is what is it that you want that you're trying to get out of that networking relationship? So I know that that's a big block for me in terms of networking, is just wanting to be valuable, make valuable use of that person's time. So what is your, you know, networking block?
Tonya Brandon
Yeah, I would say, Julie, for me, and we talk about the word fear, and has it been fear of failure or fear of success? And I had to come to terms with that. And for me, I think I was just, like you said, nervous and did I have the courage to succeed? And also another attribute that I think is often, women, we find ourselves in that, where we're really thinking, do I have the chance to succeed? I, like you, am on the lower spectrum of extroversion because I believed myself to be an introvert. But we have to step out there and I would say four principles, seek out the right opportunities. Absolutely prepare for what you're going to engage in in that networking environment. Think about how you want to commit. If you're going in, go all in. And then remember, you've talked about asking for help, but in those networking opportunities, you can also give help. So I think those are the attributes that I had to remember. I can succeed. I can succeed. So the yes I can element that Spencer spoke of just a moment ago.
Julie Whelan
I love that, Tonya. You're right. You are giving value to the other person by what you're bringing to the table.
Laura Barr
Totally agree. And there are two things I'd share, I think one, there's a behavioral scientist and just wonderful person, Jon Levy, who wrote a book called “You're Invited”. And one of the things that he's talked a lot about is this notion that if you actually ask someone for help, it often builds more trust than if you do them a favor, which was a surprise to me. And I think one of the other pieces to kind of focus on to help mitigate the fear piece is you don't have to do cold outreach. You don't need to walk up to someone you don't know necessarily if that's not your thing. I'm really big on the warm intro. Go through your network and figure out who knows that person who can make the introduction. If you get an introduction from someone who actually knows the person or who the person kind of has a bit of trust with, they're going to take you far more seriously immediately, mid-term and long term, and there’ll be a lot less of the kind of harder part of building that relationship because you have that automatic trust.
Julie Whelan
Yeah, absolutely.
Spencer Levy
Okay, let's sum up what we heard about why people don't network. Fear factor. Introvert versus extrovert. No value in what I do. You know, there's value in everybody. And just the time factor. Now, if you guys thought I was making it up before, I'm going to tell you a little secret. I'm actually an introvert, and I'm up here doing my thing through practice and preparation. Everybody in this room could be a great public speaker, a great networker, if you put in the time. Let's hear from our next speaker. I think you recognize her. Lisa Konieczka, founder of the CBRE Women's Network, in a clip from earlier this year.
Lisa Konieczka
With the beginning, we were getting a woman into a role and it was so hard for her to really achieve and succeed in that role, whether it was a stretch role or not. But once we got a few women and a few diverse people around the table, it was just absolute, sort of, perfect movement forward because there was enough support for there to be success. So I look at it as two ways. One is, I know we have to walk before we run, which means we have to get people into those roles, but then we have to move. It's not just a check the box. This is about getting amazing talent and diverse thought to get to those brilliant ideas. And that means a lot of people with a lot of diverse backgrounds are really important. So I know for CBRE our focus is really developing our women, increasing their networks and increasing their profile.
Spencer Levy
So we're now going to talk about how do you network the bases? And let's come over here. So what is a great way to network with a lot of people? And that is social networking. Thumbs up. When I started social networking a grand total of five years ago, I had zero followers. I now have almost 22,000, all because I do these goofy little 40 second videos with a thumbs up. What's your name?
Spencer Levy
Sandra, you were shouting out. What were shouting at before?
Sandra Adamson
I joined the Women's Network.
Spencer Levy
Damn right. Now, what else would you join? What other groups would you suggest people join?
Sandra Adamson
I think joining the business line cohorts and other internal organizations would be helpful.
Spencer Levy
That's great. There's lots of great organizations out there and they're not all real estate organizations. You can just join a women's group. You can join a non-women's group. You can meet people at the country club. Just get out there is a good start. What's your name, ma’am?
Spencer Levy
Tressa. And where are you from, Tressa?
Tressa McLouth
Minneapolis.
Minneapolis! From the files of life ain't always fair. I write these long white papers and they take me forever. I have one, it took me seven months and I put a lot of love into this thing and I put it online. I got maybe, you know, 100, 200 likes. You know what my number one post was last year? I did a post from the airport bar in Minneapolis eating a Juicy Lucy burger from Minneapolis. 40,000 engagements on the Juicy Lucy, 200 on my paper on affordable housing. So life isn't fair, but it makes a point. The point is that it's not always about work. People want to engage with you as a person, not just you as a professional. What's your name, ma'am?
Dena Deiger
Dena.
Spencer Levy
Hello, Dina. Where are you from?
Dena Deiger
Charlotte, North Carolina.
Spencer Levy
Charlotte, North Carolina. I love Charlotte. I was just there two weeks ago. So, Dena, what do you think are one of the basics that you'd like to express about how you network?
Dena Deiger
I would say it's also a real estate organization so that you can build a base and get ideas outside of the CBRE world. I'm new to CBRE, just seven months now, so I've actually been able to use my other networks to help my base here.
Spencer Levy
That's terrific. And so even though Julie is our most frequent and most awesome guest, one of our actual most popular guests is when we had the chief economist from Spotify on the show, having nothing to do with real estate, and all the real estate people called and said, “Wow, I never really thought of it that way”. So you have this network that can help you learn more about the business. So now let's go to our View panel of how do you network the basics?
Julie Whelan
So I think, and at least I'm going to riff off of what your comment was, which was building that profile, because to me, the basics is having and understanding the profile that you want to portray to others. And I'm going to give you a little story. So this morning I talked to my three children on the phone and my youngest gets on the phone and he says,
“Hello, Mom, it's your star child here”. And I said, “Well, that's very good, but what makes you a star? You can't just tell me that you're a star”. And he said, “Well, I filled up all the water bottles for everybody and I set the table for Dad”. And I said, “Okay, now you're telling me why you're a star. Good job”. And I think that that's what we need to make sure that we do, is know who we are, the value that we bring. And some people call it an elevator speech, right? Kind of always have that, because one of the things that I'm just starting to become really clear on is that what I think about myself and how I perceive myself is actually different than how every single one of you perceive me. And so what you need to make sure is that at the basic level, you really understand who you are, who you want to portray to those that you're networking with, and make that shine, and make that star shine in every single networking opportunity that you have.
Tonya Brandon
Yeah, I would agree. And I think the term being authentic came up and you just must be. I’m going to say that again. You just must be yourself because nobody can be yourself other than you. And so I would contend that absolutely is fundamental. If you're going to engage and interact with others, just be yourself. So, and then the other I think is so important. Be intentional. Quality of those engagements in the relationships is much more important than the quantity of those relationships. That's maybe cliché, but I would say, and if you're talking about a personal experience, I've always been deliberate and intentional about where I'm going to engage, and that those, if I'm joining an organization, that it relates to something that I know I'm most interested in and I know I will be able to give all of myself. So I would offer that in addition to Julie.
Laura Barr
I love that and I totally agree. I couldn't agree more about being authentic. I think one of the biggest achilles heels I had for a while and not done growing on this one yet, but in kind of an inclination to be a people pleaser and this idea that everyone you talk to, you really want to connect with them. You want them to like you. Guess what? Not everyone's going to like you, and focusing on the people that you end up connecting with and have those relationships with, that's where it matters. Even, you know, thinking about, in a lot of the roles that we have, you're trying to focus on, all right, I need to get to the C-suite. I want to make that relationship need to work. Well, sometimes becoming friends with your peers, and not sometimes, many times, is the most powerful thing on Earth. And the number of times I've done this where those relationships end up not only just being so deeply fulfilling, but we will run through walls for each other. We are very much in each other's corners, and those have been intensely productive.
Spencer Levy
Well, let's sum up some of these comments we got a moment ago of how do you network? Encourage hard work, find a mentor, increase your profile, Social Media, conversation starters. And I'm going to deviate from the program because I have my dear friend and the first guest we had on The Weekly Take, Darcy Stacom, standing right here. Hello Darcy.
Darcy Stacom
Hello, how are you?
Spencer Levy
So, Darcy, among the 10,000 tips you gave me, you gave me a funny one once, some of them were funny, and you talked about wearing cool shoes. And wearing cool shoes as a conversation starter. Anything to say about that?
Darcy Stacom
Problem is after COVID, I'm actually having to practice walking around my apartment in my cool shoes for my daughter's wedding.
Spencer Levy
Congratulations, Darcy, on a daughter's wedding. But Darcy Stacom, our first guest on The Weekly Take. Okay, let's go on to the next section of how not to network. Are there any things that you would say are things you shouldn't do when you network? What's your name, ma'am?
Erin Miller
Erin Miller.
Spencer Levy
Erin, where are you from?
Erin Miller
Charlotte, North Carolina.
Spencer Levy
Another Charlotte person. Any danger zones? Anything that you might say, don't do this.
Erin Miller
I would say don't not do it just because you're scared of yourself. Like don't just stay on the couch. If you have something that you're supposed to do and committed to doing, make sure you get out there and actually follow through.
Spencer Levy
A little bit of courage goes a long way. And what's your name, ma’am?
Monica Juan
Spencer. I should know better than sitting on the end. Monica Wan.
Spencer Levy
Hello, Monica. And Monica, where do you live and what do you do?
Monica Juan
I live in Massachusetts and I work in the financial and professional services sector.
Spencer Levy
Awesome, awesome. I lived in Boston for three years. It was a great town. I was also at game six of the ‘86 World Series. This didn't work out so well for the Red Sox, but we'll bring that up another time. So any things you would say are the danger zones, things not to do?
Monica Juan
I guess I would just make sure you know your environment, right? Know who your audience is. And I'm saying what to do. I guess not answering directly, but just know who your people are and just make sure that you're well-versed and think about some great questions. So it's kind of a reverse way of answering it, Spencer, but...
Spencer Levy
Be prepared. Be prepared not only on the questions and on the substance, but who's in the audience. Let's hear from our panel about how not to network.
Julie Whelan
So I would say that one of my, I'd say danger zones, of what I think my experience has led to is that what I didn't do when I was younger. And what I didn't do when I was younger is network outside of my comfort zone. And I really think that that was a critical mistake, honestly, in kind of how my career has developed. I've always been in research and I'm very happy to be in research, but I never networked with other people outside of, sort of, that industry within real estate. And as we talked about earlier, there are so many facets of real estate and we need to make sure that when we're networking, you're really going outside of your comfort zone, I think. And even if you don't know a lot about capital markets, go have conversations with capital markets professionals, jump, you know, brush up on enough to be cocktail smart about it, and you never know where things are going to lead. And so that's really my takeaway of sort of what I didn't do right, that I really want to impart, especially on the younger people in the audience.
Tonya Brandon
Yeah. And quite frankly, Julie, those of us that have been in the industry for some time now still have to step outside of our comfort zone. So I think that's fantastic. I would contend, right, Celeste told us yesterday. Be careful of you usurping the conversation. Don't talk too much. Listen, engage such that it is a conversation, and that's how you really build those relationships. So I would just leave it at don't talk too much.
Laura Barr
That is some wisdom. I think also, follow up and follow through. So don't drop the ball. Chris Ludeman has often said it's never too early or too late to follow up and that has saved me a few times when I've realized too much time has passed and I feel so awkward, but you just got to do it anyway, and you never know. I had an informational interview when I was 22 years old with a landlord who I have now become very close with, sent him a follow up and a handwritten, which is always fun to do. And long story short, it led to a huge tenant account that our team now works on, and Hollie Simunovic on our team does an incredible job leading that. And I found out just a few years ago that part of what ended up happening was the reminder, kind of memory he has of this handwritten note that he was so surprised to get. Follow up, follow through. One last little thing, Spencer. I think if somebody asks you a question in that conversation, this was especially helpful really, really early on for me. Remember it and follow up on it. They'll be shocked that you actually did it. And the trust that builds is so significant.
Spencer Levy
Okay. Now let's get to another point of view on networking. Let's hear from Mary Ann Tighe, another guest on The Weekly Take.
Mary Ann Tighe
I think any kind of specific expertise in any segment of our industry gets you employed, it gets you hired, it builds a reputation. And then I think from out there, you should set up ripples. One of the things that I think has been such a key for my own career is that I not only know the people in our industry, I know the people in all the concentric circles around our industry. And I must say, I think I learned this in my Washington, D.C. years, that you really want to have as big a network as possible because it enables you to get to the answer, or know how the question should be shaped, fast. I have to say that part of my success in real estate is that I haven't waffled around trying to find answers to things. I get from here to there quickly because pretty much, in New York City anyway, it's two degrees of separation, not six.
Spencer Levy
Well, I may have learned the magic word “no” from my dear friend Laura O'Brien about how to give it to people straight. I learned a magic word “yes” from Mary Ann Tighe, who was always “can do”. And it's part, not just because of her attitude, but because of her network of being able to bring people in when she needs them, even if she doesn't know if we have the service. She is a excellent example of a master class on how to network. But speaking of a master class of how to network. I'm going to go to this person over here. What's your name?
Ruth Fischer
Hi, Spencer. Ruth Fischer.
Spencer Levy
And Ruth, what do you do?
Ruth Fischer
I'm the local market leader for Quebec.
Spencer Levy
Very nice. And were you one of those people shouting out when I said hello Canadians?
Ruth Fischer
I was so glad you remembered our conversation yesterday. Building trust.
Spencer Levy
See that? So we're talking about advanced techniques now for networking. And Mary Ann used the word ripples. Does that word mean anything to you?
Ruth Fischer
Well, so everything you do, every interaction, can have ripples. So if I talk with Tara and Tara thinks of something and introduces me to someone else, it creates ripples. And I think that that's really the way, particularly in rooms like this, we can grow and support each other.
Spencer Levy
Fantastic. So let's go over here. Everybody sat in the back of the room. They said, when I was in law school, we called them backbenchers. They were praying they wouldn't be called upon. Wrong answer, folks. What's your name?
Rutendo Orzechowski
Rutendo Orzechowski
Spencer Levy And where do you live and what do you do?
Rutendo Orzechowski
I work in Dallas in the finance and valuation office.
Spencer Levy
So, you heard the word about ripples and advanced networking. Any tips you might give them on advanced networking?
Rutendo Orzechowski
I would say, be genuine and offer up, I guess, other people that you might know tto help the other person.
Spencer Levy
You give what you get, right? It's a, the world is a two way street, or maybe it's more than a two way street. But ultimately, if you do favors for others and you give that warm introduction, somebody on stage used that term before, that is so much more important and it will come back and benefit you over the long term. So in the master class of how to network, we'd like to hear from our friends at The View. Julie.
Julie Whelan
Yeah. So I know that one way not to do a masterclass is just to connect on LinkedIn, and assume that that's going to get you where you want to be for networking, because that definitely does not work. That is a start. It's definitely a way to sort of look at who's in your concentric circles like Mary Ann was talking about, but it doesn't end there. I think that with anything, right, whether it be working out or eating right or even, you know, figuring out personal development goals, you have to kind of set micro goals and then make sure that you're achieving them. So I think that a masterclass in networking is always making sure that you know what those micro goals are, right? Because otherwise time goes by and we're all busy with everything that is making us successful, but we're actually not investing in ourselves. So I think that really having those goals and executing on them is super important.
Tonya Brandon
Yeah, and I'd probably go back to where I started, right? You're going to seek out the right opportunities. You're going to commit and be deliberate and intentional. You're going to know that you not only can help others, but others can help you. And what I loved about what Marianne just talked about is the massive network that you can build. And you commented, right, like those people that you can run through the walls with. And I see several of those ladies in the audience today, and that's what gets you from, are you in that position that you hate now but you want to move to the next one? Well, that network, it’s got to be massive and expansive enough that you can draw upon it. So I would contend that those are really, and what I've just held true to my 22 year career here at CBRE.
Laura Barr
One of the ways that’d be helpful to build that crew of people that will run through walls or go off, run through walls for each other, set up an event yourself. Have people over for drinks, organize something. I set up, well actually, a friend of mine set up, there were 10 or 12 of us, didn't know each other that well. We were early- mid twenties at the time and got together and read a book and drank some wine. We called it a book club. It was the only book we ever read, but we got together a lot more times. That group of women has become, not only are they some of my best friends, but they are some of the most impressive women to me in the country. They're, many of them are in San Francisco, and we run through walls for each other. They have pushed, we've pushed each other career wise. It just took someone reaching out and taking the risk and saying, let's get together. We don't know each other that well, but let's just do it.
Spencer Levy
Well, it’s time for final thoughts. I want to ask our audience here for any final takeaways. And we're going to have our View friends take it home. So what's your name?
Gail Austin
Gail Austin.
Spencer Levy
And Gail, where are you based?
Gail Austin
I'm based in Newport Beach.
Spencer Levy
So any particular takeaways you have from today's session?
Gail Austin
I would say being bold and being brave, and not being afraid to go out there and meet people and extend yourself.
Spencer Levy
Great. Thank you. What's your name, ma’am?
Kim Hourihan
Kim.
Spencer Levy
Kim Hourihan. Kim and I used to share a common wall in Baltimore, and I had this terrible tendency for being kind of loud, occasionally throwing a ball against the wall. But we remained friends ever since. So, Kim, any particular takeaways from today?
Kim Hourihan
I think it's just, you never know where life is going to take you and just go out there, and the importance of those connections, you just can't put a number on it.
Spencer Levy
Agreed. And our last word before we get to the very last word, Lisa Konieczka, any big takeaways from today's networking session. What was – anything you would like to leave our audience with?
Lisa Konieczka
You know, I think the ideas about being bold and having confidence, women don't have, sometimes have a hard time sort of saying, who's going to want to talk to me? And if you can have the confidence to know that everyone in this room wants to talk to you, so just go do it.
Spencer Levy
I agree with that. For the final word, our View panel. Julie, take us home.
Julie Whelan
So this has been powerful and this has been highly entertaining. Thank you, Spencer. So what are your, one takeaway each of what you would leave the audience with?
Tonya Brandon
Yeah. So, I would wrap with remember to have fun. So all of what everyone has said, and have fun.
Laura Barr
I don't think there's anything more important than that. Have fun. Be relaxed. Go do it.
Julie Whelan
And I would say definitely go do it, right. Take 2 to 3 things that we've learned today and go execute on them intentionally and purposefully. That would be what I would leave you with.
Spencer Levy
Well, my final thought is, this is called the Women's Network for a reason. Follow it. I'm privileged to be here. You're privileged to be here. Thank you very much.
Spencer Levy
Another round of applause for all at the CBRE Women's Network for making this show possible. That means everyone who participated from the panel to the audience and many more folks behind the scenes. If you'd like to learn more, please visit our Web site at CBRE.com/TheWeeklyTake. You can share the episode as well as subscribe for the latest insights on our air. And don't forget to rate and review us wherever you listen. We'll be back next week. Meanwhile, I'm Spencer Levy. Be smart. Be safe. Be well.
Guests
Laura Barr
Americas Retail Leader
Laura Barr is CBRE’s Americas Retail Leader for its Advisory & Transaction Services line of business. Laura is responsible for CBRE’s Retail growth strategy and client delivery across the firm's Retail leasing professionals.
Julie Whelan, CBRE
Global Head of Occupier Thought Leadership
Julie Whelan leads a global team of researchers tasked with identifying major trends impacting commercial real estate occupiers across all industries. Julie also works directly with CBRE professionals across the Advisory & Transaction Services business to advise clients on real estate markets and strategies around the world.
An expert on the future of work, Julie is particularly interested in how the fundamental shifts toward sustainability and flexibility are reshaping the strategy and utilization of space. As a public speaker, she provides critical context for both massive and subtle shifts in the commercial real estate market, and her analysis has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, Forbes, Business Insider, Bloomberg, Axios, CNBC and more.
With decades of experience working on both the client and services sides of the industry, Julie built her career creating data-driven insights that influence the C-suite on matters related to real estate in large institutions. Before joining CBRE, she was the Vice President of Global Realty Services for State Street Corporation, where she built a team responsible for analyzing the strategic and financial impacts associated with real estate decisions globally.
Julie earned a Bachelor’s degree from Providence College, a Master’s in Business Administration from Suffolk University and completed the Commercial Real Estate Program at Boston University. She lives in Boston and enjoys traveling the world with her husband and three young children.
Host
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Spencer Levy
Global Client Strategist & Senior Economic Advisor, CBRE
Spencer Levy is Global Client Strategist and Senior Economic Advisor for CBRE, the largest commercial real estate services firm in the world. In this role, he focuses on client engagement and public-facing activities, including thought leadership work performed in conjunction with CBRE Research. He also serves as Co-Chair of the Real Estate Roundtable’s Research Committee.
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