Experienced Businessman and Entrepreneur
What Spain’s Small Towns Taught Me About the Global Rise of American Brands
Walking through the whitewashed streets of Andalucía, I kept pondering retail real estate and how outdated the US seems in that area. That line from my travel notes stayed with me, even as I realized something else during the trip: American brands are everywhere and...
Why Utah Is the Most Underrated Commercial Real Estate Market in the Mountain West, and How Long That Will Last
The Underrated Market Thesis Every experienced commercial real estate investor has learned the same hard lesson at least once: by the time a market is widely recognized as exceptional, the best opportunities have already been taken by those who got there first. The...
Skip the Financial Tutor: Why Your Family Is the Best Financial Education Your Teen Will Ever Get
In my previous posts on teen financial literacy, I’ve stressed the importance of money education and what teenagers should do about it. The response has been huge, and one question keeps coming up more than any other: “Akki, I want my teenager to learn this stuff, but...
Terra Quest: Where People Are Moving Across the West, and What It Means for the Markets We Build In
There’s a running observation in my office: I can usually tell which direction a market is heating up by watching moving trucks. When I start seeing more U-Hauls pulling into a neighborhood than out of it, I pull over and call my site selection team. I'm only half...
Why Out-of-State Capital Is Discovering Nevada Commercial Real Estate — And What Local Brokers Should Do About It
The Capital Is Already Moving If you're involved in the Nevada commercial real estate market and haven't noticed a rise in out-of-state buyer inquiries over the past two years, you're not paying enough attention. California investors like high-net-worth individuals,...
The Mentor Advantage: Why Surrounding Yourself With Coaches Saved My Business
I'll be honest about something I wasn't always willing to admit: there was a period in my career when I thought I had figured it out. I had built something real. The business was growing. The deals were getting done. And somewhere in that momentum, I quietly started...
Building in Secondary Markets: Why Smaller Cities Offer Bigger Opportunities for Impact-Driven Developers
There’s a version of real estate development that is entirely about chasing density. The biggest deals, the tallest towers, the most competitive land markets. For a certain kind of developer, that world makes sense. For impact-driven developers, those who care as much...
The Franchise-to-Development Pipeline: How Restaurant Operations Made Me a Better Real Estate Developer
Most real estate developers come up through finance, architecture, or construction. My path ran straight through the kitchen, or more accurately, through the drive-through window, the POS system, and the quarterly franchise review. Before I ever broke ground on a...
From 20 to 20+ Years: The Leadership Evolution That No One Talks About
Nobody hands you a manual when you start your first business at 20. There's no roadmap for leading people twice your age, no blueprint for navigating a deal gone sideways at 2 AM, and certainly no class that teaches you how to hold a vision together when everything...
The New Neighborhood Anchors: How Drive-Thru Coffee Shops Are Reshaping Community Gatherings
When I started in commercial real estate development over two decades ago, the concept of a "neighborhood anchor" was straightforward: grocery stores, pharmacies, and big-box retailers. These tenants drew foot traffic, created jobs, and served as the economic engines...