Foundations are Forever

Real estate is full of cool comparisons. It’s never just about buying and selling property. To me, it shows how people dream big—building, saving, and changing not just wealth but also communities and lives. But dreaming big isn’t enough. Everyone has dreams. The real challenge is looking past the short-term and dealing with the unknown.

I’ll admit, thinking about the future can be scary. There were times when I wondered if my ideas were too big or unrealistic. But I’ve learned that the people who make real change are the ones who let themselves dream even bigger. Instead of asking, What’s the next deal? they ask, What’s the coolest version of where this could go?

Dreaming is the easy part. Making it happen is hard. You can’t just draw up plans for the tallest skyscraper and expect it to stand. First, you gather the tools, test the ground, and build one floor at a time. In real estate, you have to balance big ideas with practical steps. Step one isn’t reaching the stars—it’s making sure the ground is solid.

I’ve grown to appreciate the contradictions in real estate: things that stay the same and things that change, dreaming big but being patient, personal goals and public impact. Balancing these opposites is tough, but it’s what makes this work so exciting—and worth it.

A lot of people in this industry only think a few years ahead. But everything changes when you think about the long-term—ten years or more. Every smart choice you make builds on the last one, like a snowball growing bigger as it rolls. Over time, the results can be huge.

Still, playing the long game isn’t easy. You might have to turn down big paychecks if they don’t fit your bigger plan. You might pitch ideas that others think are unrealistic or strange. And yeah, there will be times when you doubt yourself. But I’ve realized those moments are part of what makes you stand out.

The question I keep asking myself isn’t just, What’s important now? but What will last? I’ve learned the answer comes from combining big dreams with patience, and action with a clear vision.

One of my favorite examples of this is Antonio Gaudí, the architect who designed the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. He imagined a cathedral so incredible it would take generations to finish. When people asked why it was taking so long, he famously said, “My client is not in a hurry,” meaning God. That kind of thinking inspires me every day.

Gaudí’s brilliance wasn’t just in his designs but in his ability to think far beyond his own lifetime. He carefully planned every detail so others could continue his work after he was gone. More than 100 years later, his vision is still coming to life—a reminder of the power of dreaming big and planning for the future.

Business, not just real estate, invites us to hold opposing truths, and I think that’s part of its magic. It challenges us to dream big but stay practical, to be ambitious but grounded, to play for both today and tomorrow. For those willing to embrace that complexity and think for the long term, the possibilities aren’t just vast—they’re transformational.