Knee of EisnerAmper LLP: A commercial real estate thought leader

Name: Lisa Knee Title: Partner Company Name: EisnerAmper LLP Follow my company on Twitter: @EisnerAmper What year did you start your career in commercial real estate: 1994 Real Estate Associations/Organizations: Long Island Real Estate Group (LIREG) and Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) New York Follow me on Twitter: @knee456 What recent project or transaction are you most proud of? I moved to EisnerAmper in 2014 after nearly 20 years at my former accounting firm. I immediately jumped into a public role within the company, putting myself in front of the industry through moderating real estate events. Earlier this year, I interviewed New York City Planning Department executive director Purnima Kapur one-on-one for the Real Estate Weekly Women's Forum. I then gathered Heritage Partners' Toby Moskovits, Lend Lease's Melissa Burch, and Cushman & Wakefield's Paul Massey for a discussion on new beginnings at the Real Estate Weekly-EisnerAmper Dealmakers Forum. In June, I'm moderating a panel on secondary and tertiary real estate development at the 16th Annual IMN US Real Estate Opportunity & Private Funds Investing Forum. It's exciting, as I've gotten to meet so many new professionals and position EisnerAmper as a commercial real estate thought leader. Who or what has been the strongest influence on your career and why? My family, as my success has made them proud. It's important for my three sons to see how opportunities unfold from hard work and determination. What is the first thing you do when you arrive in the office in the morning? I try to take a deep breath and figure out what needs to be done. My day usually starts way before I get to the office. What time management strategies do you find to be the most effective for you? The best time management strategy for me is to be in the moment for whatever I'm working on. For instance, if I'm meeting with a client, 100% of my attention is on my client and their needs—not on my phone's blinking light or new email. What is the best advice you have received and who was it from? The best advice I've received was also probably the worst advice I've received. Someone once told me, "You can't have it all." I've worked hard all of my life to prove the person wrong. List 3 women that you would like to have drinks / dinner with and where would you go? If she were still alive, I'd love to have a drink with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis at the Campbell Apartment in Grand Central Terminal. I'd also love to meet with Mary Tyler Moore at Valerie Harper's house. And Amy Schumer—anywhere she suggests, I'm game. What is your favorite quote? My favorite quote is from Maya Angelou: "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." What did you want to be when you grew up? I was always a numbers person, so I knew from a young age that I wanted to be an accountant.