What if the future of real estate success wasn’t about the latest flashy technology, but about owning your data and building an authentic culture from day one?

In this episode of Foundation Issues, host Dhara Patel sits down with Rivers Pearce, VP of Marketing at ENRG Realty, to explore how data ownership, human creativity, and gut instincts are reshaping the industry’s foundation.

Rivers unpacks why AI alone won’t differentiate your business unless it’s trained on your unique, proprietary data. He explains how consolidating scattered information into a single source of truth can unify multiple real estate divisions, from brokerage to mortgage and beyond—and fuel smarter decisions.

They dive into the rising importance of storytelling in marketing, the irreplaceable role of genuine culture embedded from the start, and the power of trust and honesty in client relationships. Drawing from personal experiences, Rivers shares the vital balance between trusting your gut and rigorously inspecting opportunities in a complex startup world.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why owning and centralizing your data is the real competitive edge
• How AI’s true value lies in being customized with your proprietary information
• The essential role of storytelling and human creativity in marketing
• Why culture must be built organically, not bolted on later
• Insights on trust, honesty, and listening to your gut in business decisions

Connect with Rivers Pearce:

• 🌐 linkedin.com/in/riverspearce
• 🌐 linktr.ee/riverspearce

Connect with Dhara Patel:

• linkedin.com/in/dharapatel001
• outerrealmvr.com

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow construction professional, marketer, or leader, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!

What if the future of real estate wasn’t about flashy sales tactics, but about trust, clarity, and strategy?

In this episode of Foundation Issues, host Dara Patel sits down with Jared Antin, Real Estate Executive at Brown Harris Stevens. With a career that began during the Great Recession and grew into leadership, Jared has made it his mission to elevate industry standards and reshape how agents serve clients, investors, and communities.

Jared shares his journey from brokerage to executive leadership, why agents must evolve from gatekeepers of information to trusted advisors, and how his Clarity Framework, data, context, and strategy, is helping clients make smarter real estate decisions.

He unpacks the challenges of pricing strategies, why honesty is the ultimate marketing tool, and how AI is enabling more personalized service at scale. Plus, he dives into leadership lessons, balancing family with a demanding career, and why consistent, small actions often drive the biggest results.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why trust and clarity matter more than sales tactics in today’s market
• How the Clarity Framework helps clients and investors make smarter decisions
• Why overpricing a home is the #1 deal killer (and how to avoid it)
• How AI is reshaping the agent-client relationship
• The leadership principles that keep Jared, and his teams, grounded and effective

Connect with Jared Antin:

• 🔗 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jaantin
• 🌐 Website: elegran.com/ja

Connect with Dhara Patel:

• linkedin.com/in/dharapatel001
• outerrealmvr.com

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow construction professional, marketer, or leader, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!

What if marketing in construction wasn’t just about making things look good, but about shaping strategy, driving profitability, and helping a company grow for the next decade?

In this episode of Foundation Issues, host Dara Patel sits down with Matthew Stephenson, Director of Marketing at Cummings Electrical and current President of SMPS North Texas. Known for his servant leadership style and ability to build powerhouse teams, Stephenson shares how he stumbled into construction marketing during the 2008 recession and turned it into a career defined by strategy, impact, and growth.

From learning under mentors who emphasized results to reframing marketing as a true business partner, Stephenson’s journey reveals how leadership, persistence, and the right guidance can transform a career—and a company.

What You’ll Learn:

• How Matthew discovered his passion for pursuits and contract-winning strategy.
• Why choosing the right boss can accelerate growth more than salary or prestige.
• How he redefined marketing at Cummings Electrical as a driver of profitability, talent, and business growth.
• The unique challenges of construction marketing, including long sales cycles and hard-to-measure outcomes.
• How servant leadership empowers teams while holding high standards.
• Why industry shifts like AI and the decline of office projects are reshaping opportunities in construction.
• How Lean initiatives and SMPS involvement shaped smarter decisions and award-winning recognition.

Connect with Matthew Stephenson:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthew-stephenson-msmr

Connect with Dhara Patel:

• linkedin.com/in/dharapatel001
• outerrealmvr.com

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow construction professional, marketer, or leader, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!

What if the future of healthcare construction wasn’t just about building hospitals faster—but about rethinking how every component is planned, delivered, and assembled?

In this episode of Foundation Issues, host Dara Patel sits down with Matthew Hardy, SmartFab Director at Robins & Morton. With over 25 years of experience in healthcare construction—and a career that started aboard Navy submarines—Matthew has become a champion of prefabrication, modular strategies, and industrialized construction. His leadership is transforming how complex healthcare projects are delivered, making them safer, more efficient, and more predictable.

Matthew shares how his naval engineering background inspired his passion for prefab, why leadership and team buy-in are critical to success, and how his SmartFab team is tackling labor shortages, logistics challenges, and the need for faster healthcare facilities. From saving $1 million on logistics through innovative warehousing strategies to modularizing central energy plants, his projects prove that prefab isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about building smarter for the future.

What You’ll Learn:

• How Matthew’s Navy experience shaped his perspective on modular and prefab construction
• Why leadership and culture change are as important as technology in driving prefab adoption
• Lessons from major healthcare projects that saved millions through logistics and modularization
• How owners can use standardized design and data to achieve up to 60% off-site labor savings
• The safety, cost, and scalability advantages of modular energy plants
• Why the future of industrialized construction will balance speed, cost, and functionality over aesthetics

Connect with Matthew Hardy:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthewjameshardy

Connect with Dhara Patel:

• linkedin.com/in/dharapatel001
• outerrealmvr.com

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow construction professional, marketer, or leader, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!

What if the future of real estate marketing wasn’t about chasing clicks on big listing platforms, but about authentic leadership, empathy, and mastering emerging AI tools?

In this episode of Foundation Issues, host Dhara Patel sits down with Dalia Kalgreen, AI and tech translator, multifamily motivator, and marketing and operations expert, to explore how the industry is evolving beyond traditional SEO and apartment books toward generative AI and genuine connection.

Dalia shares her journey navigating the rise and fall of internet listing services, the challenges small businesses face with ever-changing search algorithms, and how empathy has become the ultimate sales superpower. She opens up about a life-changing moment that redefined her approach to leadership and trust in business.

Together, they unpack how generative AI like ChatGPT is transforming visibility, why authenticity is the key to building lasting relationships, and the empowering mission of the Sheweet Society to elevate women leaders in real estate and beyond.

What You’ll Learn:

• How AI is reshaping real estate marketing and online visibility
• Why emotional intelligence beats automation in sales
• The changing landscape of SEO and what it means for small businesses
• Leadership lessons from personal tragedy and transformation
• How women are breaking new ground in leadership roles
• The importance of community and authenticity in business growth

Connect with Dalia Kalgreen:

• 🌐 directpathsolutions.com
• 🔗 linkedin.com/in/dshafi

Connect with Dhara Patel:

• linkedin.com/in/dharapatel001
• outerrealmvr.com

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow construction professional, marketer, or leader, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!

What if the future of sports design wasn’t about bigger stadiums—but about smarter, more connected communities?

In this episode of Foundation Issues, host Dhara Patel sits down with Jon Niemuth, FAIA, Principal and Director of Sports at Gensler, to explore how the world’s largest design firm is redefining what it means to build for performance, culture, and connection.

With three decades of experience shaping everything from the Seattle Seahawks’ home field to the Sacramento Kings’ LEED Platinum-certified arena, Jon shares how technology, sustainability, and storytelling are transforming sports architecture into a living ecosystem.

He unpacks how fan experiences are becoming frictionless through data and design, what “authenticity” really means in community-building, and why leadership in high-pressure projects starts with getting out of your team’s way.

What You’ll Learn:

• How stadiums are evolving from venues into lifestyle ecosystems
• The role of data and technology in modern sports design
• Why authenticity is the new metric for community impact
• Leadership lessons from high-stakes, multimillion-dollar projects
• How design, business, and performance intersect to shape culture

Connect with Jon Niemuth:

• 🔗 linkedin.com/in/jonniemuth
• 🌐 gensler.com
• 📸 Instagram & Twitter: @JonNiemuth

Connect with Dhara Patel:

• 🔗 linkedin.com/in/dharapatel001
• 🌐 outerrealmvr.com

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow construction professional, marketer, or leader, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!

What if the secret to winning clients isn’t just great marketing, but building a culture your employees can’t stop talking about?

In this episode of Foundation Issues, host Dhara Patel sits down with Christie Hendricks, Director of Marketing and Culture at Abstract Construction and one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in Construction. With a career spanning insurance, business development, and senior marketing roles, Christie has mastered the art of aligning a company’s external story with its internal reality.

Christie shares how integrating marketing and culture not only strengthens brand identity but also drives employee happiness, and why that happiness is the best business development strategy there is. From spotting early signs of morale dips to encouraging young marketers to speak up, Christie’s approach is part leadership, part strategy, and part humor. The result? A workplace where culture becomes a competitive edge.

What You’ll Learn:

• How authentic culture fuels client trust and long-term success
• The importance of leadership buy-in for real cultural change
• How to identify and address morale issues before they impact projects
• Why boldness and speaking up can accelerate your career
• Tips for choosing a company culture that fits you, not the other way around
• How cross-industry inspiration keeps ideas fresh
• The role of humor in building a resilient, connected team

Connect with Christie Hendricks:

• LinkedIn: Christie Hendricks

Connect with Dhara Patel:

• linkedin.com/in/dharapatel001
• outerrealmvr.com

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow construction professional, marketer, or leader, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!

What if the key to unlocking new revenue streams wasn’t just selling more, but tearing down the walls between your teams, and adding a layer of immersive tech to the mix?

In this episode of Foundation Issues, host Dhara Patel, CEO of Outer Realm, sits down with Lorena Morales, RevOps Executive, Advisor, and Design Thinker, to explore how breaking silos, recovering “lost” deals, and integrating VR are reshaping operations in the built world.

Lorena shares her journey from product design to pioneering RevOps as a service, including how she recovered over 20,000 abandoned opportunities through a “rescue revenue” initiative, and why traditional GTM titles and heavyweight CRMs are losing relevance. She also explains why aligning marketing, sales, and customer success isn’t optional; it’s essential for sustainable growth.

Dhara adds her perspective from the immersive VR space, showing how virtual environments accelerate decision-making, improve project delivery, and serve as collaborative, data-rich tools, not just visualization gimmicks. Together, they unpack the challenges of innovating in a legacy driven industry and where the next decade’s biggest opportunities lie.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to recover value from “abandoned” opportunities with rescue revenue strategies
• Why dismantling silos is the fastest route to operational efficiency
• How AI is reshaping real estate operations today, and what’s next
• Why traditional GTM roles and bulky CRMs are losing traction
• How VR can drive collaboration, not just visualization
• Leadership lessons on time management, trust-building, and leading change in resistant industries

Connect with Lorena Morales:

• linkedin.com/in/moraleslorena
• medium.com/@eledeloca

Connect with Dhara Patel:

• linkedin.com/in/dharapatel001
• outerrealmvr.com

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite platform.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow construction professional, marketer, or leader, and don’t forget to leave us a review. New episodes drop weekly!