Terranova Corp. founder and chairman Stephen Bittel has dedicated his life to building his business, while promoting the livelihood of his hometown through active involvement.
"The advice I'd give to the next generation is to find a place that feels like family and provides opportunities for mentorship and growth," says Michael Taylor, president and CEO of Current Builders.
"You do have to be passionate about the industry, know the current market trends and be able to talk shop," says George Craft Jr., managing shareholder of Winstead.
"You must learn from the past and challenge yourself to bring something different and better for future generations," says Masoud Shojaee, CEO of Shoma Group.
"I believe in making things happen, taking risks, and embracing failure. Strategy is important, but it is all about execution," says Maureen Waters, partner at MetaProp.
"A core principle I believe in is giving back to our community, through philanthropy and professional organizations," says Lyle Stern, president of Koniver Stern Group.
"Pigs do fly. No one had ever said that even against all odds you couldn't go to work. Good market, down market, flat market. I always thought I had a chance," says Grant Pruitt of Whitebox Real Estate.
"The best advice I received was to speak the language of the individual/industry you're trying to influence," says Breana Wheeler, director of US operations at BREEAM.