Emerging Creativity in Real Estate: Recent Episodes

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What does molecular cellular biology and corporate gifting have in common? Chloe Reaumond of Bestowal Gifts. Luckily for corporate gift givers, Chloe ditched biology and pursued a successful career in real estate brokerage which she pivoted into a creative gift giving business. Listen in as we talk about her early career decisions, curating unique products, while fiercely supporting local and women owned businesses. 

Contact with Chloe and her team at https://bestowalgifts.com/

• Larry’s website Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting  for more information on Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting or direct at larry@sgrealestateconsulting.com 

• Connect with Larry on LinkedIn 

• Follow Larry on Instagram @sg_real_estate_consulting

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The pandemic caused Kate Brown to do some deep soul searching - searching for happiness but finding fulfillment by starting IRIDIO her own interior design studio. Her expertise ranges from repurposing and restoring furniture at home to incorporating architectural salvage as one of IRIDIO’s unique services.

She is also a self described maker of things; - from knitting - to dancing - to furniture restoration, and design is all she ever wants to do. Listen in as we talk physics (yes physics), design, dancing and architectural knitting.

Connect with Kate at:

www.iridiodesign.com

hello@iridiodesign.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-brown-putaski-89700152/

Visit Rebuilding Exchange:

https://rebuildingexchange.org/

• Larry’s website Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting for more information on Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting or direct at larry@sgrealestateconsulting.com

• Connect with Larry on LinkedIn

• Follow Larry on Instagram @sg_real_estate_consulting

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Rubin comes from a family of creatives and when his older brother brought home work from his drafting classes it opened this 12 year old’s eyes to the world of architecture and he was hooked.

Ruben Gonzalez is Principle and Technical Director at IA Interior Architects in Chicago. His path of creativity continued through architecture school at IIT and his career as an architect, to being an accomplished painter of portraits, landscapes and of course architectural subjects. This creative outlet gives Rubin a mental break from the day to day aspects of his job that involves both details and big picture views of each project. As a mentor to the younger generation in the firm, he teaches striking a balance between drawing details and seeing the overall big picture of the project all the while promoting creativity. Listen in next for a fun conversation with Ruben Gonzalez.

• Contact Ruben Gonzalez via LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruben-gonzalez-8059b58/

• Or through IA Interior Architects

https://interiorarchitects.com/

• Larry’s website Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting for more information on Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting or direct at larry@sgrealestateconsulting.com

• Connect with Larry on LinkedIn

• Follow Larry on Instagram @sg_real_estate_consulting

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If you you have been listening to this podcast, back in Episode 5 I played an audio story entitled Nov 2022 which described a life in Palm Springs, California working for clients, playing music, having gallery showings and enjoying sunrises with my wife.   

So now, Nov 2022 has become a reality and I say goodbye to Chicago with bittersweet anticipation for a life in California. 

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Jessica Strang is a clinical psychologist and has her own practice. But she is also a power forward in jewelry design with her own business, coco + peach jewelry .

The basketball reference refers to her most recent announcement that her jewelry line will be represented by Viva Stylehouse Showroom in LA, a Fashion PR boutique agency, who cater to area stylists and editorials to pull from for their shows or magazine layouts. As Jessica explains it - it's like being a High School basketball player being drafted in their sophomore year to their dream NBA team.

Listen in as we learn about her path to creativity, how her business donates to her favorite charity and how she still sees brick and mortar retail as an important part of her sales strategy.

• coco + peach website can be found here: https://www.cocopeachjewelry.com/

• Follow her on Instagram @coco_and_peach_jewelry

• Ballet Chicago (listeners can look at the website to purchase tickets for the Nutcracker or donate) https://www.balletchicago.org/

• Jessica's information about her dad, Luis Arévalo - his website is: https://luisarevalo.com/ and his Instagram is @lainchgophotography

• To donate to the Greater Food Depository visit their website https://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/

• Larry’s website Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting for more information on Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting or direct at larry@sgrealestateconsulting.com

• Connect with Larry on LinkedIn

• Follow Larry on Instagram @sg_real_estate_consulting

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She doesn’t name any of her 12 chickens, but they do live in an architect designed chicken coop on their Lake Michigan property in WI . . . along with alpacas, horses, dogs and cat, and her diverse collection of musical instruments.

On a path for veterinarian medicine until she met a bunch of architecture students and heard that creative calling. Renee Hytry Derrington is now the Managing Principal, Design, for the Formica Co. and lives both a personal and professional life of creativity, innovation and trend setting. And she started as most creatives do, with a childhood filled with music and drawing floor plans, with a cat named Sawdust, a name influenced by her parents when building their own house.

Renee’s long career at Formica has taken her around the globe; speaking, designing, working with world renowned architects and she has won numerous awards for her designs of Paper Terrazzo laminate and Reclaimed Denim Fiber laminate along with countless other awards and collaborations. Click below for a few short storytelling videos of how she does her design work.

In between her travels she is spending more time at home and doing the things she loves, spending time with the animals, playing music and enjoying the view. I was fortunate enough to find her at home for this chat about her career and personal creative pursuits.

https://www.formica.com/en-us/articles/our-products/design-story-birchbark

https://www.formica.com/en-us/articles/our-products/design-story-paperfold

• Larry’s website Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting for more information on Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting or email direct at larry@sgrealestateconsulting.com

• Connect with Larry on LinkedIn

• Follow Larry on Instagram @sg_real_estate_consulting

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A Relationship with Creativity.

Episode 10 of the Emerging Creativity in Real Estate discusses some of my favorite quotes from Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic, Creative Living Beyond Fear. The premise of the book is a discussion about “the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness. . ..”

This book was the generator that fueled my curiosity in this podcast to find the creativity within people, outside of their professional life. I have uncovered musicians, play writes, painters, singers, conservationists, and third world volunteers. While we may all have innate creative qualities in us, we need to cultivate them and develop a relationship with creativity.

https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/books/big-magic/

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Over the last few weeks, has your inbox and feed been flooded with dire news of the Magnificent Mile?  Water tower place is being taken over by the bank, across the street from water tower another empty building is headed back to the bank, and on and on down Michigan Ave.  While there are some successes with some short term leases, the overall picture of the once Magnificent Mile is more the Mediocre Mile.   

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This episode I talk to Eastlake Studio Founder, Tom Zurowski, about the firm’s bold creative move to be bought by a Dallas-based consulting company Geniant. The firms will integrate architecture/interior design with digital software and other solutions to deliver what they call exceptional user experiences. This brings full circle Tom’s involvement with tech, as Eastlake originally developed software in the late 80’s as a start up.

But not everything is architecture and new technology at Eastlake. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter demonstrations, the firm started a not-for-profit called Sounding Boards that amplifies the voices of progressive artists through public art. Sounding Boards brought artists and business owners together to create murals on boarded-up storefronts. And as the boards were removed they were installed in an exhibit called Sounding Gardens which is now a new asset for North Lawndale’s Harmony Community Church and its neighbors.

Connect with Eastlake Studio at www.eastlakestudio.com

More details about Sounding Boards here https://www.eastlakestudio.com/play-sounding-boards-garden

Learn more about Geniant at www.geniant.com

• Larry’s website Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting for more information on Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting or direct at larry@sgrealestateconsulting.com

• Connect with Larry on LinkedIn

• Follow Larry on Instagram @sg_real_estate_consulting

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Welcome  to REcap under the Emerging Creativity in Real Estate podcast. In addition to my weekly podcast episode, I wanted to take 5 min at the end of the week to REcap a worthy news item relating to real estate and/or creativity that has caught my eye and give my unfiltered opinion to inspire your thoughts a bit for the weekend.  

What I am seeing around the real estate arena is The big dog in the room right now is workplace strategy fighting a bit with the angry cat of rising interest rates. Who will come out the winner - will there even be a winner or will this be a draw with a rematch down the road.  

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Julie Deignan, the senior director of furniture advisory services for CBRE, is providing services to clients seeking a strategic, creative approach to the furniture bidding process. Her focus is on the "how to buy" not the "what to buy". It’s messy, not transparent, and only a few people understand how it works. Listen in as my guest, Julie Deignan, the Senior Director of Furniture Advisory services at CBRE tells us how she creatively approached these issues and formed a group in a new and emerging field of furniture advisory services. And when she isn’t working furniture, she picks up at a moment's notice to volunteer in foriegn countries, teaching english, taking care of elephants or building houses to pave her creative path.

Connect with Julie Deignan at CBRE

Organizations Julie mentioned:

Best Volunteer Vacations

Global Volunteers

• Larry’s website Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting for more information on Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting.

• Connect with Larry on LinkedIn

• Follow Larry on Instagram @sg_real_estate_consulting

• For Larry's art work follow on Instagram @saintgermaincreative

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When your life mantra goes by Design is Design is Design, and you work in the real estate industry, you are deep into the emerging stage of creativity. As Design Director at Forcade Associates, Yvette Fevurly leads a multidisciplinary team, creating custom design experiences for some of the world’s most prominent brands. And it is apparent talking to Yvette how design permeates not only her entire professional career but her personal life as well. Through extensive travels and the lens of her camera, she captures inspiration that is a family tradition - at least with all the women in her family. Listen in as we talk Design Design Desgin with Yvetty Fevurly.

Contact Yvette and see her work at Forcade Associates

• Larry’s website Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting for more information on Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting.

• Connect with Larry on LinkedIn

• Follow Larry on Instagram @sg_real_estate_consulting

• For Larry's art work follow on Instagram @saintgermaincreative

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Welcome  to REcap under the Emerging Creativity Real Estate podcast.

In addition to my weekly podcast episode I want to take a few minutes at the end of the week to REcap a worthy news item relating to real estate and/or creativity that has caught my eye and give my unfiltered opinion to hopefully inspire your thoughts a bit for the weekend.  

And what a week it has been - in fact it may be the biggest news for 2022 - perhaps the most creative real estate development deal in quite a long time. 

This week the big announcement that Google will “buy” The Thompson Center and once its renovated, move in in 2026.  

Link to Crain's article:

Inside the deal to bring Google to The Thompson Center

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He will not change the shape of a 1957 Chevy Bel Air rear fin but he might just lighten up the bumper design. My next guest, Scott Delano, a design principal at StudioGC Architecture, has many creative outlets besides being passionately engaged in place-making for more than 25 years. From corporate interiors, to high end residential projects, Scott sees each project as an opportunity to gain a deep understanding of his client's needs. Listen in as we talk architecture, photography, design schools and how he rescued his mom trapped in the trunk of a car under restoration.

Contact Scott Delano through StudioGC Architecture

• Larry’s website Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting for more information on Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting.

• Connect with Larry on LinkedIn

• Follow Larry on Instagram @sg_real_estate_consulting

• For Larry's art work follow on Instagram @saintgermaincreative

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This episode, The Path to Nov 2022 explores deep into that time in my life “that changed my life”. A change that came about in a most creative way and a way that I think can help you make a creative change in your life, if that is what you are looking for. Because when you are ready to make a change, it can become obsessive, all consuming, taking over your thoughts, at your job, out with friends, or just sitting at home. You lie awake questioning “what am I doing” “why aren’t I making a change” “how can I get started” - you develop the flight, fight or freeze response. I share that Path to Nov 22 audio as the starting point and continue the conversation with my career coach Kevin Adler of The Altitude Group.

Kevin is a nationally recognized, award winning thought leader in marketing and consumer engagement, a high-altitude mountaineer, and executive coach. He brings experience-based insights and a unique perspective to partner with brands to create smarter consumer engagement strategies, executives to elevate their leadership skills, and organizations to create empowered, inspired, mission-aligned cultures.

Just as he did with me, he challenges you with these smart questions that help you connect to:

• Your vision for the life you want and deserve
• Your values (every decision we make correlates in some way back to our values and when we find ourselves in dissonance, it’s often because we are acting in conflict with our values)
• You Leader Within – the inner wisdom you already possess that knows innately what the answers are to the questions you are wrestling with when you are feeling “stuck”

Kevin can be reached through at:

Website: The Altitude Group

Email: Kevin@TheAltitudeGroupInc.com

Phone: +1-312-560-5794

• Larry’s website Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting for more information on Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting or direct at larry@sgrealestateconsulting.com

• Connect with Larry on LinkedIn

• Follow Larry on Instagram @sg_real_estate_consulting

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Most people think engineers think in a linear fashion - but not Andrew Lehrer. Andrew is a licensed professional engineer in Illinois and California and the Practice Leader for Environmental System Design (ESD) High Performance Buildings Vertical with over 20 years experience. But THe projects he leads require a creative approach to engineering all the building systems. and with todays focus on LIfe Sciences - that creativity is even more important to build a profitable asset. Knowing Andrew for close to 15 years, I thought I knew alot about him, but he divulged a talent I never knew he had. He’s humble about his creative talent but now that it’s been revealed, hopefully he will share it with everyone.

Contact Andrew at Environmental Design at Environmental Systems Design

• Larry’s website Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting for more information on Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting.

• Connect with Larry on LinkedIn

• Follow Larry on Instagram @sg_real_estate_consulting

• For Larry's art work follow on Instagram @saintgermaincreative

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Laci Hoskin’s story begins with taking the LEED exam back when it first was available and being the first in CBRE’s office to manage LEED certification for clients and growing that business line until she became the Director across North America.

Now she is the founding principal of Novo Sustainability - her creative vision is to support a world where governments, corporations, organizations, and individuals live by three simple rules: to do no harm, to do good, and to actively engage with each other in their communities through sustainable actions and programs. Laci is actively living those values now as she moved back to her small town roots with her husband and 3 kids to purchase 155 acres at the base of a mountain in southwestern Maine. She plans to be a steward of that land for generations to come and it will also be a place to experiment with some of the sustainable design strategies she wants to bring to clients. Listen in as we find out about how Laci has a business to grow, a house to build and a barn to renovate.

Connect with Laci at Novo Sustainability

• Larry’s website Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting for more information on Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting.

• Connect with Larry on LinkedIn

• Follow Larry on Instagram @sg_real_estate_consulting

• For Larry's art work follow on Instagram @saintgermaincreative

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Jon is one of the youngest professionals to reach Senior Vice President level in CBRE’s Advisory & Transactions Services group in the Chicago Region, completing nearly 500 deals across 50 countries. Many colleagues sing the praises of Jon’s dedication and expertise - but Jon can sing on his own. In fact he has written, produced and played many of his own songs as an accomplished musician and songwriter. Of course that isn’t satisfying enough, Jon has a dream to write a musical and get it on stage. Listen is as we talk about RE transactions, and a more indepth look at his own personal story that created the framework for his new musical venture.

Contact Jon at Jon Milonas

Get a copy of Jon’s book Kicking Off Your Office Lease at https://www.amazon.com/Jon-Milonas/e/B01DTB8KGC%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

• Larry’s website Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting for more information on Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting.

• Connect with Larry on LinkedIn

• Follow Larry on Instagram @sg_real_estate_consulting

• For Larry's art work follow on Instagram @saintgermaincreative

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It’s the first episode of Emerging Creativity in Real Estate!

If you want to know who I am, why I am here, how I got here and what I am doing now, then this is the right episode.

I was a drumming and architectural drafting 7 year old, heading to a career in architecture which turned left into real estate development but a lifelong lover of creativity.

After completing over 5 million square feet of commercial and residential projects valued over $2 Billion, I started my own business, Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting along with this podcast to interview guests on their emerging creativity.

• Larry’s website Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting for more information on Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting.

• Connect with Larry on LinkedIn

• Follow Larry on Instagram @sg_real_estate_consulting

• For Larry's art work follow on Instagram @saintgermaincreative

For a look at my Miles are my Meditation bike jersey head to Cycology Clothing at www.cycologyclothing.com/collections/mens-cycling-jerseys

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A new weekly podcast about emerging creativity. This will be a place to uncover and share the creative forces within real estate and discuss how we use those creative forces every day to do what we love to do - develop, sell, design and build places to live, work, eat and entertain. We all have obvious or not so obvious creative talents and I am curious to discuss them with my guests and relate my own stories.

Want to be a guest? Drop me a line at larry@sgrealestateconsulting.com or look me up on LinkedIn

For a more detailed description of what I do, visit my website at Saint Germain Real Estate Consulting

Follow my Instagram page @sg_real_estate_consulting