Jun 6
2016

June 6, 2016

The Art of Social Media in Presidential Politics

In my blog dated March 20, 2015, “The Importance of a Digital Persona,” I discussed in detail that, as we continue to progress as a digital, socially-connected world, one’s relevance will be perceived by their digital persona. This truism is now being played out within our political election process in the 2016 U.S. presidential race. Since 2012, Donald Trump has been planning and refining his “Art of Social Media.” I would contest that it’s not only Donald Trump who has…

Posted in Business, Politics, Social Media |

May 10
2016

May 10, 2016

Protecting the Downside

Although I consider myself an optimist, I know better than to assume that failure is avoidable. The fact is that failure is simply inevitable in certain situations, and I am constantly practicing and refining my ability to deal with failure. “One must continuously see and strive for the upside while protecting the downside” – Scott N. Beck— I would like to reflect on protecting the downside through the lenses of real estate, world economics, politics and life lessons. Real Estate…

Posted in Business, Global Business, Real Estate |

Apr 6
2016

April 6, 2016

Links Between the Increased Global Standard of Living, Technology and Education

I always have considered myself a glass half-full type of person, a person who does not accept the status quo or simply think outside the box, but, rather, I tend to create my own box.  Lately, I have begun to ponder what external forces exist in 2016 that have enabled me to be so optimistic about our collective futures. Global Prosperity Let’s start with the average standard of living: it is higher now than it ever has been at any point,…

Posted in Business, Global Business |

Jun 1
2015

June 1, 2015

The Cure for Cancer

Last month, I watched a CBS 60 Minutes episode that caught my attention. The show was part of their series on the war on cancer this time highlighting the latest weapon of interest: a modified poliovirus that targets a particular type of brain tumor, the always fatal glioblastoma. This episode immediately caught my attention as some dear friends of mine just lost their father to this exact type of cancer. Whereas other methods of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation…

Posted in Medical |

Mar 20
2015

March 20, 2015

The Importance of a Digital Persona

Today, simply having a website just isn’t enough. Your digital storefront and your online reputation extend beyond the pixelated confines of your corporate domain to the social networks of Facebook, Twitter, Linked in, Pintrest, and Instagram. These, and others like them, constitute what are commonly referred to as “social media networks.” Your presence (or lack thereof) on these networks collectively forms your digital persona, your personal “state department,” if you will, an online cadre of ambassadors that represent you in…

Posted in Business, Real Estate |

Jul 28
2014

July 28, 2014

Creating Place and Building Community

Place is not just buildings, it’s people and people are at the heart of creating place.  People deserve special buildings to celebrate their community so it’s important to remember place is not simply about the buildings it’s the science of building community.  A basic human need is socialization with other people. Buildings such as community centers seek to join people together while places like art galleries exist to further celebrate community while simultaneously providing the community with freedom of expression….

Posted in Real Estate |

Apr 28
2014

April 28, 2014

The Importance of Supporting Local Artists in an Urban Community

In the 1970’s, the New York City neighborhood of SoHo experienced a renaissance of art and culture. At that time, SoHo had many historic buildings that were unattractive to the commerce and manufacturing industries, but many of the upper floors of these buildings consisted of loft space which was well-suited to the needs of artists. The artists liked these lofts because of the large open windows, open spaces for work, and the lower rents.  In time, the SoHo neighborhood began…

Posted in Arts |

Mar 5
2014

March 5, 2014

The Rubber Band Effect

When you look around the world, many great cities have been built on a north-south axis. Some examples of foreign cities include Beijing, Bogota, Lahore, and Athens. What causes cities to be built on an alternate axis is usually some type of water tributary, railway, or topographical impediment. Just like most cities, Dallas, Texas is built on a north-south axis.  When Dallas initially expanded out of downtown, it followed Preston Road, a dirt road at the time, to the north away from Downtown Dallas….

Posted in Real Estate |

Feb 25
2014

February 25, 2014

The Art and Science of Pivot

Often times in business, when it comes to making decisions, you may or may not have time to base the decisions off the data available. In times like these, the decision is made based on your instincts and experience. If you break down the combination of entrepreneurship and innovation, it all comes down to finding the balance between the two. It’s common for startups to have a sixth sense and just dive right into it and realize later that they…

Posted in Business |