Burns of GCAR: Staying on top of industry readings

Name: Laura Burns Title: Chief Executive Officer Company Name: Greater Capital Association of REALTORS® Years in Commercial Real Estate: I do not sell real estate. In the last 12 months, which project, transaction, honor or accomplishment are you most proud of and why? Was selected as the Greater Capital Association of REALTORS® first female CEO in its near 100 year consolidated history. What were your biggest fears when you started out in your profession? Because my daughters were still young at the time, the time commitment required to take on association management at the level I was brought in at was a big challenge. There was the fear of doing well at one "job" at the expense of the other. Who are three women- living or dead - that you would like to have drinks with and why? Eleanor Roosevelt, Georgia O'Keefe and Oprah Winfrey. Each of these women used strong independent thinking to do the things she needed to do, was not afraid to step outside of what were the "usual" expectations and each made great inroads for women to strive to do what they know is right for them no matter what tides are against them. What was your first job and what did you learn from it? McDonalds in high school. While I had a lot of fun working there with all of my friends, the job taught me the importance of precision timing, efficiency of motion and the power of advertising. What is your favorite quote? "All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost." - J.R.R. Tolkien What social media and/or face to face networking activities do you find most beneficial professionally? Short, after hours business events - I find person to person is a fascinating way to engage people you do not know and people aren't in a rush to leave as they are at breakfast and lunch events. What are you doing differently in 2014 that has had positive impact on your career? Staying on top of industry readings. What are you doing to increase your client base from local / regional markets to national / global markets? Meeting with leadership of regional similar corporations to explore possible mergers or consolidations.