HEATHER EWING: The CRE RUNdown
Are you intrigued by Commercial Real Estate? Join Heather Ewing, CCIM each week as she dives into CRE trends, Deals, and Developments throughout Madison, WI. Learn the crucial role of Mindset in CRE and Marathons! Success leaves Clues.
HEATHER EWING: The CRE RUNdown
Ep. 50 Heather Ewing - From Marathon Aversions to Real Estate Resilience and Personal Growth
What if pushing through discomfort could lead to personal and professional breakthroughs? Join me, Heather Ewing, as I unfold my unexpected journey from swearing off marathons to embracing them as a vital part of my life and career in commercial real estate. My story began at 28, when my first marathon left me vowing never to run again. Yet, I found myself drawn back to running, turning it into a family activity that contrasts the lengthy timelines of real estate deals with the quick victories of half marathons. The 2019 New York Marathon became a turning point, challenging me to face past injuries and fears, and ultimately embrace discomfort for personal growth.
Running through Wisconsin's biting winters, I've learned the value of proper gear and mental toughness, drawing parallels between the resilience needed in both marathon running and commercial real estate. The importance of adaptability, mindset, and problem-solving resonates across both fields, providing not only a means to manage stress but also a source of inspiration for tackling real estate challenges. Running seamlessly fits into my busy schedule, even on business trips, offering an efficient way to maintain energy and positivity. With upcoming episodes featuring intriguing guests and more on marathon training, I'm thrilled to have you join me on this adventure on the CRE Rundown.
Welcome to Heather Ewing, the CRE Rundown. I am your host, heather Ewing, and I thought I would take an opportunity for this podcast for just a little one-on-one you and I, so I don't have a guest but I thought it would be fun to share a little bit more about my journey with running and how it's evolved within commercial real estate for myself, also with my firm Abstract Commercial Real Estate here in downtown Madison, wisconsin. So, as I think back, it really started in 2015, the meat of it. But I'm going to take you further back yet.
Speaker 1:So in my late twenties, I think I was 28. I ran my first marathon with my well she was a friend at the time, who's now my sister-in-law and a friend and I thought, if Oprah can do it, why not myself? So the three of us teamed up and ran the marathon. I hated it. I hated it and in fact, I swore that I was never going to run a marathon again. So for those of you that know how much I enjoy it now, it's funny, right, but I've noticed a couple of the things I've sworn off in life have later come back. I see it through a new lens and with that I have a new appreciation and with running, a newfound love. So fast forward. I was involved with various exercise, from hot yoga kickboxing, which led me into karate for many years, competing on a national circuit on that, winning different five-foot trophies and forms and fighting all the different things. So if you don't know me very well, it would probably take you by surprise that I really did love all of that. But it laid a great foundation, one for confidence, for discipline, and in my early years of commercial real estate it was lacking. These days, fast forward 10 plus years I am very disciplined, but that was not always the case, and with running, it has definitely helped me with that as well. But let's dig into it.
Speaker 1:So in 2015, I got into retail and restaurants. I was in brokerage a little bit before that, but really the meat of it was 2015. And with the stress levels, I didn't have a book of business, I was self-funded, everything was on my shoulders, in that sense right, and it was learning a whole new world. And again, no book of business. So it all had to be started from scratch. So with that, there's stress. So I started running and with that I was like I'm sleeping better, then I'm not sleeping, so you add more miles and the trend continued.
Speaker 1:And then at a certain point I was running half marathons and with that it was fun, joined up with my sister-in-law, my brother, and it was just a fun thing. So we ended up racing a half marathon from April through November, so approximately six per year and I ran raised I think, about 25, 26 of them, and of those I pushed hard, I really worked at it. I would place in the top half within my age group. So I got to be what I felt pretty good and it was nice to see the hard work with a more immediate response, whereas in commercial real estate we know the deal terms can take quite a while, so it was nice to see a quicker return on that. Also, with each run it was nice because it was something you did and you completed Quick response on that.
Speaker 1:One of the things I really liked about it too was that with hot yoga and some of these other boutique classes is that you drive 20 minutes, the class is an hour hour, 15, hour and a half, then you have the drive back, then you're going through the shower and it was just very time consuming. So with running, you lace up, throw your clothes on and you walk out the door. So very simple, from beginning to end. You can get a great workout in in only 30 minutes by walking out your door. Let's see here Exercise. So for years I'd exercise five or six days a week, would always take a day off and that was a pretty normal routine for me and it just felt good to be active and I'm very grateful for my health. I know the importance of it and at a very young age, to be really grateful for your health and to treat your body like a temple that's a whole other story for another day.
Speaker 1:Getting back to the running, so I really did enjoy the races not during because it was really painful, you're giving it all, you've got. Races not during because it was really painful, you're giving it all, you've got. But I really enjoyed having the time with family, with friends, the connection. I also liked that I could deliver on it and again, that tied in really nicely with the long lead times for your celebration, with commercial real estate and with that, like I said, I had sworn marathoning off for 17 years, almost two decades.
Speaker 1:So in 2019, my brother's wife asked me Heather, do you want to run New York? And I was like, let me think about that. So I slept on it the proverbial and very real sleeping on it and with that I decided you know what, heather, you're too comfortable with the half marathons. You've done well. Of course there's always room for improvement, but I'm like it's time to get uncomfortable and to shake it up. So I said yes. So I said yes, and years prior I'd also had glute hamstring issues from a karate tournament that I'd ripped those out and they had just always given me problems where I think it was all the fast twitch and I would just rip it out, even with PT different things. So it was very frustrating and that was an earlier love of my life. So I decided all right, we're going to move beyond the fear, move beyond the unknown and handle things as we go.
Speaker 1:So 2019, new York it was my first big marathon. I think there were 51,000 and so many people that ran this race and my goal was to finish. And with that, just a surreal experience Again had never been in a marathon of that magnitude. Madison, I don't know the numbers, probably 2,500. It was almost gosh. What I'm thinking it was 12, 13 years ago, 23 years ago. That math, anyways, it was mind boggling and it was really neat because you would go through each of the boroughs but then also some of these different areas. It was neat because you would be part of this big pack and you really had to navigate your footing where you're going, all of that, and then you would just see a whole nother herd of people coming in and joining in. So there was a lot happening on it.
Speaker 1:So my goal turned out well, I finished it and I thought, with so many people, having never been to New York at the time, that I was like there'll be so much happening. I won't even feel the pain. And one tip for you is I like to take three a leave. I'm not a doctor. This is just what works for me. I take three a leave before every race. It's a little trick of the trade for me, but it was a great experience, really enjoyed it. Was it hard? Of course, was I in pain, of course, and I remember having some cramping, different things like that, had to take my shoe off and stretch and do different things, but I ran across the finish line. So to me that was a goal accomplished and it felt great. That was a goal accomplished and it felt great.
Speaker 1:Let's see here as we advanced, then that really started changing things in my mind and asking more questions about where I was at in commercial real estate, what I wanted to do, what I had done, things of that nature. And then, in 2020 is when I founded and opened up Abstract. As you know, covid was then as well. So April of 2020 is when I opened my doors to a wild flurry of action, and one of the nice things about that was, I said well, you're starting off at quite a time. This is going to show you what you're made of, and the nice thing about that, too, is I had been doing the same thing for over five years, which was really helpful in that ballpark, and I had a can-do attitude. I was like this is what you're going to do, you're going to create a plan, you're going to execute, you're going to adjust and you've always made things happen. So why would this be any different? And so I gave it 200% and that's what counts. So with that kind of like, with marathoning, it's worked out really well between marathons and commercial real estate, especially operating my own firm that since that if you want to say In 2019, I've also ran Berlin, london, paris, chicago and Boston. So now I'm training right now for Milan. So that's very exciting. But with that it's really you have a big picture, it's your goal and you break it down into tactical chunks and with that it's nice because you celebrate the small things.
Speaker 1:I run solo quite a bit but I also run with my sister-in-law. For some of these longer runs Sometimes I'll run with a group and each training plan I use the Hal Higdon believe it or not, the novice one which got me through Boston. But a big contributor to that was my sister-in-law, Ruth. She was really my pace car, if you want to say, in a lot of those different training runs and it was also her belief in me, along with my good friend Petra Killian, that they believed in me, because I remember thinking of, like, I don't think I'm cut out for it, but they believed otherwise. And that's really the power of someone believing in you. It can really carry you a long way. So I'm forever grateful to both of them for that. And I also acknowledge that I did those training runs. They were tough but they were good and I'm really grateful that I dug in and I remember running the London Marathon.
Speaker 1:I PR'd but I missed Boston, I think the cutoff by like 30 seconds, and I was like, oh, it was so painful. It's one of those. It's a celebration, but really it's not, because I did not hit my big goal in that sense. So after that I really had a burning desire of like I am making it to Boston. So in 23, I ran Paris and I remember for that one too that I was like, all right, I've done all the training, I've been eating pretty clean hydration, all those different things, and I'm like today is the day. So, in beautiful Paris, that day did come and I had a great pace. It was a 845 and seconds pace. So I hit my goal on that, which was really exciting. And then, when the times came up for Boston, I made the initial cut. Of course you apply for it and then you wait for weeks and then you find out if you made the second cut or not, and I did so. That was like whoop, very exciting and one of those personal dreams right Happening right before your eyes, which is super cool. But we ran Boston.
Speaker 1:That was tough. It was tough love, and I had looked at the elevation and it was one of those. I knew about the hills at the end. So in my training I had trained that way, but I am not the person that dissects elevation, but there was a lot more elevation than I was anticipating through the beginning, so it was kind of interesting.
Speaker 1:Also, you always hear about the downhills really chewing up your quads. It's true, but it was really neat because I had never ran in a marathon of that caliber where everyone has to have a certain time requirement. In others there can be time requirements, there can be lottery, people can get in through donating to different charities, and that's how I got into New York for that back in 2019. How I got into New York for that back in 2019. But there's a lot of different methods. But with Boston it's nice. They keep it to 30,000 or less, and I don't remember the exact numbers of what they allow from people running for charity versus others having to qualify with time only. So it was a really special race, a really great memory, and I couldn't tell you how good it felt to also complete that one too. So that was a big deal. Excuse me, it's that time of year, mm-hmm. So with that, that brings us to the present of Milan, and what we've been doing is having an international marathon in the spring and then a domestic in the fall.
Speaker 1:So I joke, running year-round in Wisconsin is not for the faint of heart. Again, people people that don't really know me may think I'm frail. Who knows right, I'm not a big person, but at the same time I'm hardy and I used to actually funny story, used to be a tomboy when I was younger, right? So it was me and the boys playing soccer, all these different things. So I've always loved movement and freedom.
Speaker 1:If you want to say but anyways, coming back to it, is that running through the winter in Wisconsin is not the most exciting thing. If I had to take cold over really hot temps, I would take the cold. I think I have a new low temp that I've been able to run in. That is, zero degrees here in Wisconsin, but ideal race weather for me 40, low 40s is ideal, and the nice thing about it kind of like commercial real estate is that you adjust and you learn.
Speaker 1:What tools do I need? You know what clothing, what gear? Is there anything that I have to put in my water so it doesn't freeze? Luckily that hasn't happened, unless you don't get your lid as tight as you need to. Then it freezes onto your jacket or other places. Also, making sure that you have the hydration for days prior, that you're eating real carbs, that you're eating your protein, your greens.
Speaker 1:I am not vegan, I'm not vegetarian. To each person their own. Whatever works for you. I am a protein lover and that works really well for myself, but it's also you know, some of the different things too. I love chewing gum when I run. I have for years I have only swallowed it, I think, two or three times for all the thousands of miles, all of the marathons, and it's just something that I do and I really enjoy it.
Speaker 1:Can I run without it? Yes, but it's not something that I do and I really enjoy it. Can I run without it? Yes, but it's not the same experience. So, having the right hydration, the right gear, you start to learn which wind breakers you know. You have some thinner ones when there's just minimal wind, others it goes up and they provide greater coverage from the wind and elements. But you learn what works. Neck coverings I actually wear a ski mask and I love it because you can change the forehead through the side throat, everything.
Speaker 1:So, long story short, maybe I'll do a gear check for you guys on another podcast, if you want, and with that, what I really love about marathon training is being out in nature. We're indoors so frequently, we're in meetings, we're in networkings, we're touring sites, we're in these different kitchens working with contractors for buildouts. Maybe we're out on land parcels at different times for new development or different things of that nature. But I really do love my time outdoors in nature. To me it's that place of connection, of peace, and that's where I do solve a lot of the different questions. I have the different real estate. Maybe I'm having a problem in a transaction or it feels like there's an impasse of getting that creative idea of what can be done or guidance for next steps, things of that nature. So I really do love the outdoors and it's also really pretty seeing the transition of the weather, the different colors and looking at the trees and when the flowers are coming up the lake especially when it's not frozen and, of course, animals, and it's just that connection to life, right. So that's something I really enjoy.
Speaker 1:And also the human performance. I love that and again I'll share this on another one. But just, I was in a really bad car accident when I was younger, so I really have a great appreciation that I have the ability to walk, to run, to see and all of these different things. So human performance. I love to know what I'm made of and then I like to see of how can I extend that, how can I build my resources, mentally, physically, spiritually, otherwise, so that I can perform even better, not only in these races, but obviously in commercial real estate, in the deals, in my personal relationships, business relationships, everything in life I see it as a performance sport and I say that in a neat and exciting way versus one of work and having to meet. So I just have a uncanny zest for wanting to know what I'm made of. In that sense and also with the mindset it's so important.
Speaker 1:Again, commercial real estate deals can take months, they can take years and it's really keeping the energy moving forward. And what I mean by that is helping people to remember what the next steps are if they're starting to get down, because if it's a newer operator they're probably not used to all the ups and downs that can be encountered throughout a deal, or maybe they're bored right, really keeping the eye on the prize. Also, sometimes it turns out that a property just may not be the right fit after certain due diligence and things of that nature, which at that case, thanks, but no thanks, right, if it's not the right fit. And keeping the energy also is staying positive, looking for ways to solve the problem, not complaining, and it's really being creative, using deal structures that maybe helped you to win a deal over here or something that really benefited a client over here. Maybe you're speaking on their behalf, maybe it's a unique type of referral that they need. So it's really keeping that energy and the deal moving forward and making sure that it's still aligning and that it really does check off for the right investment for them. So commercial real estate, like so many things, is a long-term relationship. It's a long-term focus that you want to do the right thing for the person here and now. That will continue them on that right path for future work together.
Speaker 1:Also, marathon running it really does help in breaking things down. So in my earlier career, many, many years ago, I spent 11 years in operations supply chain and it was seeing the big picture and breaking it down, prioritizing, looking for limiting factors, all those different things that could really disrupt the flow of production and other things, and with that I take that same vantage point here in commercial real estate and marathoning ties in perfectly. See the big vision, break it down tactically, look ahead. What are you going to encounter? And when I'm in a marathon, maybe even a long training run or a race, you're checking in your internal body system of how is it feeling and as time goes you are able to discern better of is it a weak mind or is it a weak body? Where are you feeling it? Is your hydration off? Is it that you need more calories? So it's all these different factors put into one. But I love that marathoning has really helped me to see the big picture, break it down and tactically address as you go. And it's also understanding how much you have within and so that you don't consume all of your energy too soon. And that applies to the deals too. Right, that applies to the deals too right.
Speaker 1:So much of life, I think running or with commercial real estate is having your finger on the pulse and understanding where people are at. How are they feeling, what are their fears, what are their concerns. You have all those things in marathons too. So it's checking in and addressing and taking care of things sooner rather than later. It's when things fester that things can get out of control. For example, let's say you have a nagging calf or you have some part of your body that keeps talking to you. You can't just ignore it. We've all done it and I think runners are notorious for it.
Speaker 1:But without making sure all of you is working well, there's going to be problems and at times you need to adjust a run. Or maybe you're skipping some runs to take care of something. If it is bothering you, you're seeking out the professional that can help you with it. You're making sure that you're stretching foam rolling. You know I love taking four-pound salt baths. They're great, right, it's nice for loosening up muscles. I like to push on some of the different trigger points, work things out. I also have Norma Tech legs that I got last summer. Those are great too. And so, finding different modalities. I am a big fan of red light laser therapy. I've been doing that for years and I've got another story on that, one of why I love it so much. But it's, it takes work to be able to run, and it's one of those. Again, I'm 50. So it's, I'm no longer 20s, 30s, 40s, right, and so you'll notice different shifts and changes.
Speaker 1:But I think so much of the aging process, or maturing, is really how you care for yourself. Your mind, body, spirit and I always say, your relationships and support systems factor into that, along with your career. Are you doing something that fuels you, or is it constant work and drudgery? If you're in that ladder, get a new career. If you want to get into commercial real estate, talk to me. I'm happy to share the pluses and the minuses and answer any questions that you might have.
Speaker 1:And, of course, big advocate of movement, I have found running works really well for me. I like it from the time attributes. When I do travel on business trips, it's easy to pack my tennies and whatever else I need and run from there as well, so running can be a great companion. I suggest people lace up, do whatever feels right for you. If you want more of these running marathon training chats, whatever you want to know in these realms, I would love to hear from you. So please drop it in the comments below and thank you for joining me on Heather Ewing, the CRE Rundown, this heart to heart moment that we're able to share here, and look for more podcasts with a lot of great guests in the coming episodes and years. Thanks.