Life Advice From a Pro

Glenn was always drawn to architecture. “My first toys were blocks and Lego,” he says. Later, during a summer architecture program, Glenn realized he had “neither the talent nor temperament” to be an architect. His strength was real estate development.

“Developers are important because they set the agenda for what gets built in the world, and the world could use more responsible developers,” he says.

Marry profit and purpose.

One of Glenn’s early inspirations was Jim Rouse, a visionary developer who focused on community-building projects. “Rouse felt like it was his responsibility to do good work with the work he was doing—to wed profit and purpose,” says Glenn. “I felt an onus to try to add value to my work too. I was drawn to commerce, but I wanted to do responsible things.”

After learning about “the enormous impact that buildings have on energy and on our health,” Glenn dedicated himself to sustainable development projects.

Prioritize your health.

As an entrepreneur, Glenn knows a thing or two about being busy. “Creating a successful business is just never easy. You’re often under-resourced, understaffed and overwhelmed,” he says.

He emphasizes the importance of having healthy outlets and taking time for self-care. “Make sure you do the things that help you deal efficiently with stress … and all the [other] things that can impede your ability to be creative, focused and productive,” he says. “For me, it’s exercise, it’s healthy eating, it’s sleep, it’s laughter, it’s love.”