Constantly trying to run with what life throws at you in an upbeat and positive fashion is no easy feat, and who could possibly know that any better than the sellers, buyers, and brokers in our industry? It is safe it to say that just when you think a storm has passed and we are in for sunny weather, another bolt hits and a good deal goes bad or needs serious resuscitation.
Even though we are a bit more used to those large meteorological swings in this fair state, the hit is still the hit, partner! With the challenges we have seen in the debt markets over the last several weeks, and the impact it is making on the year-end push to close transactions, it is yet another reminder that the best approach is to push forward with the right frame of mind coupled with the right strategy or plan. (I would submit to you the former makes it a whole lot easier to accomplish the latter!)
So it’s logical to ask yourself, “What keeps a person going back for more, when the valleys can be so deep and the disappointments are so severe—especially in an industry where you can do everything right, but time, place, and global influences can wreak havoc on outcomes?”
Some would say it’s the deal-junkie syndrome, others might say the good old greed factor, and still others that the ego is out of check, again.
Those behavioral challenges are alive and well, and lurking in the hearts and halls, and certainly something we have all experienced or been privy to. But I would place a stronger argument on the fact that you don’t look around and see the veterans in our business, with the caliber of expertise and ability to influence decisions that impact large transactions, if not for the commitment to be the best they can be, stay the course, and help make great things happen for the client.
Our industry is a big one, where the stakes are high and the responsibility is immense. I jumped into this business, where the sky is the limit, after being a sales representative in a Fortune 10 company where every year if you made your quota, it either got raised or your territory got cut! But once the realization hits that there are no easy deals, no short cuts to success, and no tolerance for mediocrity, it became a positive move with multiple rewards.
After 30 years of braving the cycles, weathering the storms, and catching the waves, I am thankful for the clients who provide the opportunities, teammates who help deliver the solutions, and an industry that provides a lot of happiness and fulfillment along the way!
Susan Gwin is an executive director for Cushman & Wakefield of Texas Inc.’s capital markets group. Contact her at [email protected].
