Why My Job Is the Hardest It's Ever Been, with Lesley Deutch, Managing Principal John Burns Real Estate Consulting

In this episode of She's Wild, Nancy Surak interviews Anne Pollack on her 23+ year career in land use and real estate law that has spanned California and Florida. Anne takes us on her journey from environmental law to becoming a leading commercial real estate attorney in Tampa Bay. Tune in to hear captivating stories from her notable projects, including challenging variance approvals and navigating opposition during large multifamily rezonings. Discover the keys to her success, from networking and embracing diverse roles to her passion for serving clients of all sizes. Anne also shares valuable insights on collaboration in the industry and offers advice for aspiring professionals looking to make their mark in commercial real estate. Don't miss this engaging conversation that sheds light on Anne Pollack's accomplished career and her perspectives on real estate practice, client service, and industry relationships.

About Anne: Anne Pollack is a partner with Fletcher Fischer Pollack, P.L., a boutique, women-owned law firm in St. Petersburg, Florida. Over the past 20 years she has leveraged her knowledge to become an authority on acquiring development approvals and land use entitlements for real estate projects of all types and sizes across Florida, and in representing both private and governmental clients in connection with the sale, acquisition and development of real estate. Her practice also includes consultation on sustainability, green building and resiliency, reflecting the firm’s commitment to serving developers and businesses with holistic legal advice in this changing world. Anne’s sense of community and service has defined her throughout her career as much as her accomplishments in the legal world. She is a vital contributor to the Tampa Bay community and is a fixture in multiple industry, bar, and community-based organizations. She is currently on the board of ULI-Tampa Bay and co-chairs its Women’s Leadership Initiative and is Treasurer of Real Estate Investment Council – Tampa. She is on the Boards of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Creative Clay, and she is Vice Chair of the Insurance and Surety Committee of the Florida Bar Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section. Anne was President of CREW Tampa Bay in 2017.

Connect with Anne:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annepollack/
Website: https://www.fletcherfischer.com/

Connect with Nancy:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancysurak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak
Website: http://www.nancysurak.com

She’s Wild Sound Production by: Luke Surak, Surak Productions: surakproductions@gmail.com

Amber Erickson-Hurdle, CEO of Employer Brand Central and the #4 Top Ranked Branding Expert in the World joined Nancy Surak's podcast "She's Wild" to discuss the intersection of personal, employer and business branding. Amber shared insights from helping professionals and organizations define and position their value.

Key topics included the need for emotional connections in today's landscape, aligning personal, employer and business brands for success, gaining confidence as a woman business owner, strong employer branding's impact on talent attraction and retention, and advice on audits and expertise positioning.

For those wanting to take their business, career, or personal brands further, this episode offers invaluable insights from a world leading branding expert.

About Amber:
Amber Erickson-Hurdle helps professionals and organizations define and position their value to increase their confidence and the bottom line. As an in-demand professional speaker and founder of Employer Brand Central agency, Amber teaches professionals to connect the combined value of personal brands, employer brands, and business brands to increase market share and profitability, reduce turnover, and amplify satisfaction among customers and employees alike. Amber was recognized by Global Gurus for being among the top 30 brand professionals in 2020-2023, ranking #4 in the world for 2023. Although she stays busy running her businesses, she always finds time for her two adult kids, her Cavapoo Gibbs, and all of the outdoor activities she can squeeze in at home or on the road.

Connect with Amber:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theamberhurdle/
Website: https://amberhurdle.com/
Instagram: @Theamberhurdle
Bombshell Business Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bombshell-business-podcast-with-amber-hurdle/id1141690501

Connect with Nancy:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancysurak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak
Website: http://www.nancysurak.com

She’s Wild Sound Production by: Luke Surak, Surak Productions: surakproductions@gmail.com

In this episode of She's Wild, host Nancy Surak sits down with Emily Franklin and Natalia Goldenberg, two up-and-coming developers at DeBartolo Development in Tampa, Florida. Emily and Natalia share their educational backgrounds and career paths that led them to real estate development. They provide insights into their day-to-day work developing projects from acquisition and underwriting to construction and lease-up.

They discuss the challenges and rewards of juggling multiple projects simultaneously and emphasize the importance of problem-solving skills, creativity, and perseverance in overcoming obstacles. They also offer words of encouragement for younger women, stressing the value of mentorship relationships and having confidence in one's own abilities.

They also discuss bringing top female executives to Tampa to educate local women professionals. This inspiring conversation provides a glimpse into the promising futures of these dynamic real estate professionals, while imparting wisdom that will benefit women across the commercial real estate industry.

Connect with Nancy:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancysurak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak
Website: http://www.nancysurak.com

Connect with Emily:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-franklin-45a1a1b0/
Emily book recommendation: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss via Amazon https://a.co/d/4DBchcO

Connect with Natalia:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliagoldenberg/
Natalia's book recommendation: The Obstacle Is The Way By Ryan Holiday via Amazon https://a.co/d/9Ahldzr

She’s Wild Sound Production by: Luke Surak, Surak Productions: surakproductions@gmail.com

In this episode of "She's Wild," host Nancy Surak interviews Melissa Zornitta, Executive Director of Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission. Melissa discusses her planning career, emphasizing the evolving nature of plans and the challenges in balancing redevelopment with suburban growth. As the head of long-range planning for Hillsborough County, she oversees comprehensive planning for multiple jurisdictions on a regional level.

In this interview, Melissa highlights the importance of regional coordination and long-term visioning for guiding growth in a large, evolving community like Hillsborough County. She shares insights on the tangible impacts of planning decisions on communities and stresses the need for adaptive planning to address changing trends.

The episode also explores Melissa's career growth, emphasizing the value of professional organizations. Melissa started in planning through an internship, enjoying the policy and local government aspects. Her involvement in the American Planning Association (APA) played a crucial role in her career progression, providing leadership opportunities and skill development through volunteering at local and state levels, culminating in her role as chapter president.

Connect with Nancy:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancysurak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak/
Website: www.nancysurak.com

Connect with Melissa:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-zornitta-4b03897/
The Planning Commission https://planhillsborough.org/
Melissa's Podcast Recommendation: Harvard Business Review Women at Work https://hbr.org/2018/01/podcast-women-at-work

She’s Wild Sound Production by: Luke Surak, Surak Productions: surakproductions@gmail.com

This week’s episode features the incredible Vicky Lee, Senior Vice President of Development at FOCUS.

Tune in as Vicky takes us on a captivating journey through career and shares what it’s like to lead FOCUS's expansion into diverse markets across the Southeast region. Discover what inspired her transition from architecture to development and gain insights into the challenges and triumphs along the way.

At Focus, Vicky defines strategies for organizational growth, spearheads acquisitions, manages developments valued at over $1.1B. She played a pivotal role in the success of The Atworth at Mellody Farm in Vernon Hills, IL which helped position FOCUS as a suburban placemaking leader.

Vicky’s expertise isn't limited to the boardroom – she actively contributes to the industry as Vice Chair of ULI Public Private Partnership Council (Blue), Vice Chair of ULI Chicago Product Council (Green), and Advisory Board member for ULI Chicago. With an MBA from Cornell University's S.C. Johnson School of Management and a BA in Architecture from the University of Notre Dame, she is a multifaceted leader who graciously shares her leadership insights on the show.

Connect with Nancy:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancysurak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak/
Website: www.nancysurak.com

Connect with Vicky:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vickyglee/
https://workwithfocus.com/
Vicky's Book Recommendation: In Praise of Difficult Women: Life Lessons From 29 Heroines Who Dared to Break the Rules via Amazon https://a.co/d/9zibGUm

She’s Wild Sound Production by: Luke Surak, Surak Productions: surakproductions@gmail.com

Welcome back to She's Wild, my guest today is Emily Rogers, founder and CEO of Emily Rogers Consulting + Coaching. Emily is passionate about living life with purpose and helps leaders and their teams grow and realize their full potential. In this episode, Emily discusses the importance of finding one's purpose and why we should all focus on legacy leadership. She offers advice on investing in executive coaching and explains how coaching can help individuals and teams discover their strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots. Emily also highlights the challenges women face in the workplace, such as underestimating themselves and work-life integration. 

Emily Rogers, an executive coach, is dedicated to empowering leaders through her work. With over a decade of experience, she has partnered with 500 leaders across various industries and career stages, from young high-potentials to CEOs at Fortune 500 companies. Emily also serves as a leadership development trainer and team coach, conducting over 350 workshops and retreats. She finds inspiration in witnessing how inner transformation brings positive change and powerful ripple effects to relationships, organizations, and communities.

Recognized for her fresh approach to leadership, Emily authored a leadership excellence column for six years and is a sought-after speaker, presenting keynotes and workshops worldwide. Forbes featured her insights 18 times, solidifying her position as a thought leader. In 2022, she was a finalist for the ATHENA International Leadership Award and received recognition as January's Small Business of the Month by the Lakeland Chamber. She was also a finalist for the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce Businesswoman of the Year in 2021 and was named as a Person to Know in Polk County, FL by Florida Trend in July 2023.

Emily holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Florida State University and another master's in Educational Leadership from the University of South Florida. Her coaching training includes programs with the Coaches Training Institute and CRR Global. Emily is certified to administer the Leadership Circle Profile™ and Collective Leadership Assessment™.

An active member of professional organizations like the International Coach Federation, Emily contributes to her community by serving on the boards of the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce and United Way of Central Florida. She resides with her husband on their family ranch in Lakeland, Florida, where they grow citrus and raise beef cattle. 

Memorable Moments:

10:17 My legacy Leadership Program is all about helping people get clearer about who they want to influence, how they want to influence, and the positive change that they want to create in people's lives, in their communities, and in their families.

13:14 Women tend to underestimate themselves and their leadership effectiveness. And they're always surprised and humbled to see how effective they truly are when we conduct a leadership assessment in the form of a 360. Women underestimate themselves and they are often underestimated in the workplace, just due to gender bias. Beliefs that people hold about women's place in the workplace, women's place in the world, and some of those things are generational and there's still a stronghold on some of those old, outdated beliefs. And women also struggle more with work life integration than men. Career planning can be a little bit more dynamic for women, just because their priorities can ebb and flow as they choose to have families and focus on different areas of their life or their work. Many of the leadership challenges are the same, but there's some gender differences that are unique to women.

29:28 The advice I often give the women leaders that I work with is don't give away your power. Claim your power and use it for good.

Emily's Book Recommendation:  "Good Power" by Ginny Romettyn - https://www.amazon.com/Good-Power-Leading-Positive-Change/dp/1647823226

Connect with Emily:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyhowellrogers/

https://emilyrogers.com/

Emily's Legacy Leadership Program: https://emilyrogers.com/programs-2/legacy-leadership/

https://www.facebook.com/EmilyRogersConsultingandCoaching

Connect with Nancy:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/nancysurak

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak/

Website: www.nancysurak.com

She’s Wild Sound Production by: Luke Surak, Surak Productions:  surakproductions@gmail.com

Welcome back She’s Wild, the Podcast for Women in Land & Development. Today's guest is Ashley Gurbal Kritzer. Ashley is the real estate editor at the Tampa Bay Business Journal and a Bookstagrammer (@ashleykritzer). 

In this episode, Ashley and I discuss her career as a real estate market reporter in the Tampa Bay Region and how she’s covered some of the area’s biggest breaking news stories in the commercial real estate industry over the past decade. Ashley has established herself as the leading source for local real estate news in the Tampa Bay region and she offers up tons of advice for folks looking to develop a better relationships with the media. She shares her approach to reporting and tells us how to become a source as well as how best to pitch story ideas. She even talks about how to work with her when a deal is confidential and describes makes a story newsworthy. 

Tune in to learn more about Ashley and how to best work with real estate reporters to gain valuable media coverage on breaking news.

Connect with Nancy:

Instagram:https://instagram.com/nancysurak

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak/

Website: www.nancysurak.com

Connect with Ashley:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleygurbal/

Instagram: @ashleykritzer

TBBJ Website: https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/bio/23231/Ashley+Gurbal+Kritzer+

She’s Wild Sound Production by: Luke Surak, Surak Productions:  surakproductions@gmail.com

Welcome back to the third season of She’s Wild, the Podcast for Women in Land & Development. In this episode Tathiana Novaes, Brazilian Photographer, Art Director and Owner of Daydream Fotografia joins us to discuss why all of us should be investing in personal branding photography. She shares what it’s like to work with amazingly accomplished professional women helping them discover their best selves. Prior to founding Daydream Fotografia, 8 years ago, Tathiana worked as an Art Director for TV shows, pilots, and music videos for almost 10 years. Her natural ability to see things differently than most photographers allows her to capture personality in her images like no other. 

After looking at her own photos, she decided to focus on working with women and encouraging them to invest in their images and to take charge of their narrative. Culturally curious she’s able to boost confidence of everyone she works with and says, "Your Brand is already out there, by default, the idea is to have it by DESIGN". 

Tune in to learn more about Tathiana and learn why you should invest in personal branding photography.

Connect with Nancy:
Instagram:https://instagram.com/nancysurak
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak/
Website: www.nancysurak.com

Connect with Tathiana:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daydreamfotografia/
www.daydreamfotografia.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tathiana-novaes-3563191b2/

She’s Wild Sound Production by: Luke Surak, Surak Productions:  surakproductions@gmail.com

Welcome back to the third season of She’s Wild, the Podcast for Women in Land & Development. 

In this episode of She's Wild, the Podcast for Women in Land & Development, Eva Rose Daniel, the Founder and Owner of The Speak Shop, is the featured guest. Eva is a public speaking consultant who provides one-on-one and group coaching to help CEOs, professionals, and speakers improve their delivery and content. As the owner of The Speak Shop, she specialize in helping thought-leaders develop and deliver engaging content through presentation coaching, writing, speech writing, and content strategy. Prior to founding The Speak Shop, Eva  worked with Dave Ramsey and his team of speakers as a Senior Speech Writer. 

Tune in to learn more about Eva and learn how to Unlock the Secrets of Powerful Public Speaking!

Eva's Book Recommendations: 

Chatter: https://a.co/d/fzpQla2   

Humor Seriously -https://a.co/d/bRRcbPw

Making Numbers Count - https://a.co/d/0aiTxAG

Connect with Nancy:

Instagram:https://instagram.com/nancysurak

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak/

Website: www.nancysurak.com

Connect with Eva:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-rose-daniel/

Free Download: 12 Questions You Must Ask For A Killer Speech - https://thespeakshop.com/

She’s Wild Sound Production by: Luke Surak, Surak Productions:  surakproductions@gmail.com

Welcome back to She's WILD, today's guest is Debra Koehler, President of Sage Partners, a real estate development company based in Tampa, Florida. 

In this episode, Debra and I discuss her company's mission to offer innovative approaches to affordable housing and her 35-year career in real estate development. Debra has successfully developed over 2.5 million square feet of office and hotel space and nearly 10,000 affordable and workforce multifamily units in over 35 communities throughout Florida. She has also raised over $1.25 billion through the sale of affordable housing tax credits, tax-exempt municipal bonds, and conventional project financing.

Debra is an icon in the development industry in Florida and  when you listen to this show you'll quickly see why. 

Connect with Nancy:

Instagram:https://instagram.com/nancysurak

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancysurak/

Website: www.nancysurak.com

Connect with Debra:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-koehler-8a560311/

Metro 510: https://metro510.com/

Vista 400: http://vista400fl.com/

She’s Wild Sound Production by: Luke Surak, Surak Productions:  surakproductions@gmail.com