Meet Sarah Ganann

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sarah Ganann a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, so great to have you on the platform. There’s so much we want to ask you, but let’s start with the topic of self-care. Do you do anything for self-care and if so, do you think it’s had a meaningful impact on your effectiveness?

Self-care is such an important part of my day to day. Several years ago, I was working for a tax firm and we were able to all take the Birkman Assessment. One of the categories for assessment was on each individual’s normal response & their stress response. I found it extremely interesting how different our stress responses were! The concept made a lot of sense to me; we react differently if we’re in a stressed state. I try to keep balance day to day so those stress responses don’t come through. You can be more effective in business and in your personal life, if you can keep cool and calm through difficult situations.

My favorite, almost daily self-care activity is to workout in the Infrared Sauna at Hotworx in the Heights! Exercise in general is a great tool to stay healthy in itself and when you add the infrared sauna your benefits multiply! Their slogan is “more workout less time” so it’s great if I only have 15 minutes to do a quick HIIT workout or taking 40 minutes for an isometric workout. They call it 3D training – the Heat, Infrared Energy & Exercise. The heat raises your core temperature which in term can speed up your metabolism. The infrared energy helps your body regenerate so when you’re building muscles and toning your body, you don’t get as sore. The traditional exercise piece helps keep you heart healthy & burn calories. I love that you can book at sauna 24 hours and when you go during staffed hours they are all so welcoming!

Keeping my mind & body strong helps me work more efficiently in my business & provide a better state of mind for my clients.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

CDS is a full-service, Boutique Commercial Real Estate Brokerage. With our experience in ground-up development, we are able to provide services to our clients on multiple sides of a commercial real estate transaction. We work with Retail, Office & Warehouse Properties and Land for Development. We also offer Property Management services for our clients so that they can truly have passive income from their investments.

We have a passion for helping guide new businesses on getting into commercial space for the first time as well as first time investors. We love to teach about what to look out for in the Commercial Real Estate industry & help to ensure you are properly prepared to get into a lease or investment.

Real Estate Brokerage Services:
Owner, Investor &Tenant Representation
Purchasing/Acquisitions
Sales/Dispositions
Leasing
Property Management

Real Estate Consulting Services (a la carte):
Site Selection & Analysis
Market Demographic Studies
Void Studies
Investment Analysis
Project Management
Construction Draw Processing
Bookkeeping & Financial Services
Loan Coordination
Legal Coordination
Administrative Services
Organizational Restructuring

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

In Lisa Morales words, we’ve come a long way, baby! She talked about the evolution of women owned business in her article for The Leader News, and those words have really stuck out to me. We have come a long way. The number one quality that has been the most impactful is having a growth mindset. From the beginning of my career, even as an assistant, I always strived to learn and do more. Being able to ask questions can take some vulnerability but vulnerability is actually strength, realizing that made things a lot easier in seeking knowledge through mentors. I was able to absorb knowledge from colleagues by helping out with special projects that weren’t necessarily on my position’s task list. Asking a colleague to help out with their assigned projects in order to gain experience and education directly, while taking some duties off their plate, is a great way to expand your knowledge and grow your career. There is also a plethora of seminars out there on almost any subject. Seminars are a great way to learn, as you can use options that are on-demand or pre-recorded to fit into a busy schedule. Being curious, humble and surrounding yourself with people who possess the skills you would like to embody will take you a long way.

Consistency is another major quality that has impacted my journey. I have consistently showed up, been there for clients, colleagues and projects. I take ownership of what I put out and can admit when I make a mistake. I care about the product that I put out there and the guidance that I give. No one is perfect but you can follow through and do what you say you’re going to do. If something stands in the way, make sure to communicate and be consistently reliable. Staying consistent can help with a great reputation & will help to build trust in you and your business.

The third quality, or area of knowledge, that has impacted my journey is my love for numbers. I’ve heard that your purpose is your gift and the way that you use it to help others. I feel blessed to have a love for math! I know it’s not the most popular subject in school but it always adds up and makes sense to me. I will eat up those word problems with Johnny having 18 apples & Sue with 14 oranges! My son will say when we will ever need to know…. and I tell him, I use math every day! Following the numbers is what got me where I am today, using those skills to analyze deals, calculate triple nets or operating expenses on leasing projects, cap rates & yields. Being comfortable with formulas has put me in a position to guide my clients and advise on decisions in keeping within budgets so that they can grow! As far as developing or improving, I would say for this part, is more about finding your purpose. What do you love to do and are naturally good at? Math can relate to a lot of careers as does other skillsets. How can you use your specific skill set to help consumers and/or businesses? This formula can lead to great fulfillment in your career.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

We are always looking for ways to collaborate with other business partners. I Co-Lead the Heights/River Oaks Chapter of the Women’s Council of Entrepreneurs where so many amazing women owned businesses gather & collaborate in so many industries! I am always looking for businesses that do great work to refer to clients while we are working on finding commercial property locations for their business or investments.

CDS is also putting programs in place to partner with agents who would like to learn about commercial real estate. When you get your real estate license, a lot of the education is focused on the residential side of the industry. There is not always a clear path into commercial real estate. They say you either are born into it or you fall into it. I fell into it through my love for numbers, but I would love to offer training for sponsored agents in the very near future.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Gaby @Hotworx

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