It’s time to stop asking and start doing.

By Chris Rohrbach

I feel so fortunate to work for this remarkable company, Hughes Marino, that encourages, dare I say requires us, to relentlessly pursue growth and learning. It is one of our Core Values after all.

Chris at Work

In a recent leadership training session with Hughes Marino teammate John Jarvis, we were drilling down into the essence of what we do as a company, and how we are, in fact, champions of the underdog. Every day we advocate and negotiate on behalf of corporate America in a commercial real estate industry that has been set up to serve the interests of the property investors and owners. The idea that we are making a difference, that we are stepping forward as leaders and changing things for the better, really motivates me, fires me up and gives my work meaning at a much deeper level. It was in this context that Jarvis asked “OK, so in what ways are we stepping forward and showing up as leaders in our communities to change things for the better?” I took a risk and shared an idea I have been carrying for some time, the idea of handing out meaningful, powerful, potentially life-changing books to the homeless in our community. (Unfortunately, Seattle has a homeless problem.) But then I added a quick, beneath-the-breath, accidentally-out-loud “but who am I…?” Then the conversation got real, and evolved into deeper introspection, as Jarvis noticed and probed this question, “Who am I?”

Chris at Home

One of my very favorite things to do is read books with my two young children before bedtime. I am blessed to have two happy and healthy young kids. One book in particular that I love to read with my daughter is titled, “This Little Trailblazer – A Girl Power Primer” by Joan Holub and Daniel Roode. This book highlights some of the most iconic women throughout history–from Rosa Parks to Florence Nightingale and many more. The other night after reading it for the 100^th time, I asked my daughter, “what would the world look like today if these women didn’t step forward?” And then I reframed the question and silently asked myself, “yeah, what would the world look like today if these powerful women had been stopped by that simple question, ‘Who am I?’”

At Hughes Marino, we talk a lot about our work, our life, our Core Values and about how we can all make a positive impact in the world. Every day we all have an opportunity to step forward and answer the call—with our families, our communities, our coworkers and our clients. No matter who we are or where we come from, we all have something to share and a story to tell. We all have the ability to make an impact. It is time to stop asking and start doing.

Who am I?

I am Chris Rohrbach.

Let’s go.