Back in 2010, I walked into an internship interview w/ @VenueProjects wearing a half Windsor knotted tie and (not joking) broken glasses.

Phx building veteran Jon Kitchell shook my hand and said, “You know, I only wear ties to funerals.”

That interview changed my life.

A few minutes later, Jon asked me where I saw myself in 5 yrs. I gave my rehearsed answer, mentioning grad school and a potential career in city management.

Jon said, “That doesn’t sound like as much fun as working with us.”

He was right. Venue opened my eyes to a new world.

It was a world of abundance and possibility. A world where empty buildings meant new beginnings, where history informed the future, where somebody could bring a risky, creative vision to life and capture the upside.

I still remember driving home to my apartment in Tempe, cruising east on Broadway and seeing properties whiz by my passenger window. A McDonalds, an apartment building, a retail strip—and all of a sudden a realization. Somebody owns and controls every one of those buildings. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤯" title="Explodierender Kopf" aria-label="Emoji: Explodierender Kopf">

It’s a simple shift in perspective, but a critical one that many miss, especially those of us that grow up without entrepreneurial examples. I’m just thankful I found mine early in life, and grateful for the mentorship I received. Can’t wait to pay that forward someday.

But beyond seeing the power of ownership, I learned a different take on real estate from Venue’s principals. It was grounded in mottos like Create, Don’t Compete. Deliver the Unexpected. Build Places for People.

It was about real estate as culture builder, not just commodity.

Over the next couple weeks, I plan to share more about and reflect on @VenueProjects past projects, especially the adaptive reuse portfolio, which has really become our team’s core competency and passion.

It’s a great time to be rebuilding Phx. I’m excited for the future.