Building Dreams Out of Disasters
I love it when a plan comes together. Except it never does. At least not in the way you meticulously laid it out on those pristine blueprints while you channeled your inner architectural genius.
Real estate development is like being the conductor of an orchestra where half the musicians show up drunk, the other half brought instruments you’ve never seen before, and the stage? Oh, the stage is actually a construction site. Complete with hardhats, mud puddles, and the constant soundtrack of someone using power tools to destroy your sanity.
You sketch out your master plan with the confidence of a seasoned magician. Your investors are nodding along, their eyes sparkling with the allure of profit. Everything’s perfect. You’ve accounted for every possible delay and budget overrun. You are a visionary. A legend. The Assembly King.
And then reality shows up, punches you in the face, and asks, “Did you really think that was going to work?”
Take, for instance, the time I was working on a beautiful project in Toronto’s downtown core. Everything was lined up. We had the permits, financing, and a lineup of eager buyers that made me feel like a rockstar signing autographs. It was the kind of momentum that makes you feel invincible.
Then, BOOM. The city decides they want to “re-evaluate” our traffic study. Translation: You’re now on hold indefinitely because someone decided that your driveway should be a roundabout designed to relieve traffic for the entire street. The entire main floor is ruined. Your saleable GFA just disintegrated and Suddenly, you’re not the rockstar—you’re the guy begging the city planner’s receptionist to give you a meeting before your project bleeds to death.
The thing they don’t tell you about real estate development is that it’s less about being brilliant and more about being resilient and persistent. Anyone can draw a perfect plan. But when everything falls apart? That’s where the real talent kicks in. You have to pivot like a ballerina on roller skates. You juggle a hundred flaming swords while city officials, consultants, and angry neighbors all demand your attention at the same time.
So, How Do You Stay Focused in the Eye of the Storm?
Accept the Chaos: The first step is acknowledging that things will go wrong. When you expect perfection, every setback feels like a catastrophe. But when you expect chaos? Every small win feels like a triumph.
Prioritize Ruthlessly: It’s easy to get overwhelmed when a hundred problems come at you from all directions. Focus on the ones that truly matter—the ones that will derail the whole project if ignored.
Delegate Like a King: You can’t be everywhere at once. You have to trust your team to handle their parts of the mess. Micromanaging only makes the storm worse.
Stay Adaptable: If your original plan isn’t working, change the plan. It’s that simple. Stubbornness is the enemy of progress.
Find Humor in the Madness: If you can’t laugh at the absurdity of it all, you’ll lose your mind. Sometimes, all you can do is smile and say, “Well, this should be interesting.”
Celebrate Small Wins: Progress, even if it’s tiny, is still progress. Take time to appreciate the victories along the way.
I’ve learned to find beauty in the chaos. Because let’s be real, plans rarely come together the way you want them to. But when you pull it off anyway? When you stitch together success from a series of disasters? That’s the real magic.
I love it when a plan comes together. But I love it even more when it doesn’t, and somehow, against all odds, you make it work.
Stay tuned, I’ve got more where that came from.
—The Assembly King