2020 Year in Review: Annamarie Coyne, Bowdoin Construction

What was the most difficult part of working during the pandemic of 2020? The most difficult part of working during the pandemic was ‘“not working,” having lost my job early on. Fortunately, I am now with Bowdoin Construction as their director of business development. I feel that the limitation of face-to-face interactions has made it difficult to get to know people. Zoom meetings are great, but they cannot replace the human connection. 

What are your predictions for commercial real estate in 2021? I have enjoyed attending some of the on-line market forecasts and have spent much of my time over the past few months watching webinars. The message confirms that lab space is hot, along with warehouse and last mile distribution centers. Bowdoin Construction continues to keep busy in these areas while maintaining our presence in the corporate, multi-use residential, academic, and healthcare markets.

What aspects of working from home have you enjoyed most? What I like most about working from home is not having to sit in traffic while commuting. I like the flexibility of being able to build my schedule to meet the demands of work and home life. Finding balance is key when working from home because you do not necessarily have a defined hard stop to the workday; you can easily work too much! 

What is the best advice you have received, and who was it from? I have received a lot of advice over the years although one bit of advice has always rung true. While working my first sales job, my manager, Bob Davis, would always tell me that your mind is your own worst enemy. What he meant was that we are the master of our thoughts and can control what we tell ourselves. I learned to be an optimist and that keeping a positive attitude is important. I believe the power of positive thinking attracts positivity into your life. I like to think I have a glass half-full kind of attitude!