The Mentor Who Changed My Perspective

My current manager Brittney Hanson has been a major supporter with her mentorship and allowing me creative freedom to grow and learn.

"Success is 98% perspiration and 2% inspiration" - Kim Taylor. My dad was my mentor and always made the point that anyone can have a great idea but only those who work hard towards their vision will achieve success. You need to get off the couch, get out from behind the desk, actually go and do the work and meet people to achieve success. Ideas are only 2% of the equation.

My first real boss, Marcus, never raised his voice. Not once in three years.

I was 23, ambitious, and loud about it. I thought pressure meant intensity: more urgency, more hours, more noise. Then a launch we'd spent eight months on fell apart two days before shipping. The room went into panic, and I was leading it.

Marcus walked in, sat down, and waited until everyone stopped talking. Then he said, "The calmest person in the room gets to decide what happens next."

Twenty minutes later, we had a plan. We shipped a week late, and it worked.

What he taught me wasn't a management tactic. It was a way of being. Calm isn't weakness, and it isn't sedation. It's clarity under pressure, and it's the most magnetic trait a person can have.

I've built my life, and eventually a company, around that idea. Innerbloom's whole promise is calm, clear, and connected, because Marcus showed me that presence is power.

Every hard day as a founder, I ask myself one question: am I the calmest person in this room?

If I'm not, I'm not leading yet.

My mentor, Gary Katz, once encouraged me to consider a simple but powerful question: "What makes Zach happy?" He told me that if I could truly understand the answer, both my personal and professional life would thrive. That advice changed the way I approached my career. Instead of simply pursuing the next opportunity, I began focusing on finding genuine fulfillment in my work. That shift ultimately led me to where I am today a place in my career where I am challenged in healthy ways, encouraged to grow, and able to be myself.

Gary taught me the importance of authenticity and of surrounding myself with like-minded professionals who value and support one another. Sadly, Gary passed away in 2023, but his mentorship continues to influence the way I work and the way I lead. To honor him, I try to share that same wisdom with the people I meet: give people the freedom to be themselves. When people feel comfortable being who they are, they are happier, more engaged, and more fulfilled. And when you find genuine happiness and purpose in your professional life, that is often when meaningful success follows.

In my career I had lots of people that influenced my skills on both sides of the spectrum, on what to do and what not to do. Most notable are Dr. Carlos Sanchez and a dear friend Dr. Curtis Anderson, they reshaped the way I approach by reviewing and planning.

I'd have to say my last partner. We were partners for 7+ years, specializing in Tenant Representation and he was also the Managing Director at my previous firm. As a bonus, he was a commercial real estate litigator before becoming a broker and his mentorship for the past 7+ years in lease negotiation and contract review has helped me immensely to notice how certain lease terms impact the overall expenses throughout the lease term, and how certain problems that many consider common, can wind up costing thousands to a Tenant. I was also taught to put myself in my clients' shoes and listen carefully to their needs and/or concerns, which helps to locate the perfect property for their present and future office or warehouse needs.

With the mind can conceive and believe you can achieve! My first mentor M Shapiro.