Leslie Cohen, CREW Boston

In real estate, as in most industries, you’re only as good as your reputation and your relationships. Concept, permitting, construction, sales, management–none of these can be done without the right network. This isn’t news–some would even call it common sense–and yet, so many of us hang back and simply “check the box” by showing up at networking events without really making the most of opportunities. Relationships matter, and the breadth and depth of those relationships help define you. It’s a lesson I’ve seen played out year after year. I saw it in our transformation of The Fenway and the incredible diversity of constituents from whom we needed buy-in, from landowners and residents in the earliest days to the newest generation of innovation economy entrepreneurs moving their businesses into the neighborhood now. I saw it when we began developing the mixed-use Continuum project in North Allston, with another group of deeply engaged community members and pioneering retailers. And I saw it play out in a new way over the past year as president of CREW Boston, reminding me that no matter how broad we might already feel our networks are, there is always so much room to grow.

If we stick with our routines–the teams we work with on a day to day basis, which can be a diverse mix depending on our project portfolios–we can absolutely develop strong relationships and stretch ourselves to grow and learn. But ultimately, we’re selling ourselves short by not getting out there in a more purposeful way. What can we learn from colleagues who do our jobs in other organizations, those with whom we would never otherwise work directly?

I was selected to participate in CREW’s VP to CSuite mentoring program in 2011, and it’s not an overstatement to say the program changed my life. The power of mentorship cannot be overstated—this work ultimately led me to my current role as COO. This was the experience that first prompted me to get more involved in CREW, run for a board position and then for president. Now, during my term as president as well as in my role as COO, I’ve been in a better position to extend a hand to others.

And all of those experiences have opened even more doors—many that still aren’t often open to women in the CRE field. We have to treat our own careers with the same care that goes into our projects. With a thoughtful plan and the willingness to see it through, we stand to gain so much. By taking on leadership roles, making a name for ourselves in circles one or two degrees wider than where we started, and making meaningful connections, doors will open before us—and we can hold those doors open for others.

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Leslie Cohen, COO at Samuels & Associates, is the 2015-2016 president of CREW Boston.