2019 Women in Real Estate: Ann Sobolewski, Bulfinch

Ann Sobolewski

Vice President and Assistant General Counsel

Bulfinch

What is your favorite motivational quote and who was it by? “Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

What is the best business book you have read and would recommend to others? “The Authenticity Principle: Resist Conformity, Embrace Differences, and Transform How You Live, Work, and Lead,” by Ritu Bhasin. I would recommend this book to others because it starts with a different premise than most business books, namely that encouraging authenticity in business interactions is a benefit to both your organization and the individual participants in any given interaction. While I did not necessarily agree with all of the author’s points, I appreciated her different perspective.

What is the best advice you have received, and who was it from? The piece of advice that I have used the most in my life and career was delivered by the main speaker at a leadership program I attended when I was a student, and which I later learned was actually an advertising slogan, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Slogan or not, in my experience the success or failure of a negotiation often hinges on the parties’ initial impression of the situation and each other’s capabilities. For me, this advice reinforces the value of advance preparation, both in terms of strategy and research.