An honest, genuine, and often thought-provoking discussion among four women retail real estate professionals doled out career advice, shouted out the names of life-changing mentors, and discussed the challenges of being pulled at from different angles and priorities.
Left to right: Moderator Emily Whalen, Rappaport; Vicki Davis, Urban Atlantic Development; Julie Fox, MCB Real Estate; Veronica Kamara, KLNB; and Bethany Kazaba, Neighborhood Retail Group.
Major takeaways from the conversation at the ICSC Mid-Atlantic Dealmaking Session in Washington, D.C., included: be present, build relationships, recognize that your reputation is everything, and surround yourself with positive individuals.
Alluding to the volume of women working in the retail real estate sector locally, Vicki Davis, Managing Partner, Urban Atlantic Development, said, “People working in retail real estate look much different here compared to elsewhere in the country, and that is a credit to both the men and women in the room…. Women are treated like the dominant customers that they are, while also noting the increased number of women entrepreneurs.”
Davis’s advice was to “treat every decision like it is your own business and think like a developer.”
“A few years ago, I started saying yes to every volunteer role and jumped at every chance to be involved in any corporate group,” said KLNB Principal Veronica Kamara. “I believed that the more rooms you are in, the more opportunities you will have, and I brought a positive and energetic outlook to every assignment. That tends to rub off on others.”
Bethany Kazaba, CEO, Managing Principal, Neighborhood Retail Group, urged attendees to “identify three people that are highly-respected and three people that intimidate you and then ask each of them to help you with your career. Anyone that is successful will gladly agree, but they will not identify you first and seek you out. You need to advocate for yourself. Your reputation compounds over time, and if you are reliable and demonstrate integrity at all times, opportunities will naturally follow.”
“A few years ago, I participated in the Polar Bear Plunge, which, as the name suggests, involves immersing yourself in the icy Atlantic Ocean in the middle of the winter,” explained Julie Fox, Vice President, Retail Leasing, MCB Real Estate. “It was part of a dare, and the experience taught me the value of placing yourself in uncomfortable situations. You emerge stronger and better every single time, and I started applying that to situations in my professional life. I also intentionally surround myself with like-minded people who are always exuding positivity, rather than negativity. I refuse to be around people that are toxic.”
Mentioned in this article: KLNB, MCB Real Estate, Neighborhood Retail Group, Urban Atlantic