by Rob Murchison

I launched my career forty years ago as a bag boy at the neighborhood Winn-Dixie, and nearly two decades ago, I helped found Intelligent Buildings (IB). This December, IB will celebrate its 20th anniversary. I’ve encountered countless personal and professional challenges and triumphs throughout this journey. Yet one thing remains constant: the invaluable guidance of exceptional mentors. Their support has been instrumental in helping me navigate failures and achieve success, and I am deeply grateful for that.

During the summer of 1985, my second job was as an auto parts delivery boy, driving around Charlotte and delivering parts to local repair shops. At the end of each week, I kept track of my mileage and hours, receiving payment in cash. Despite my father’s advice about taxes, I didn’t ask. When the summer ended and I received my final paycheck, I asked if they would send me paperwork confirming they had paid my taxes; I was told it was my responsibility as a contractor. Feeling lost, I turned to my father, an attorney. With his help and his accountant, I filed my first tax return and settled with Uncle Sam. The lesson stuck with me, and to this day, those early challenges still guide me.

Fast-forward almost two decades to when Tom and I founded IB. I needed a mentor, and fortunately, my father was looking out for me through one of his best friends.

For those of you crazy enough to do it, the amount to learn is staggering—and in many ways, it still is! We weren’t just navigating taxes but learning how to lead people, grow a business, and create something meaningful from scratch. On top of that, I was a young parent trying to juggle the responsibilities of fatherhood, marriage, and business. The pressure to balance family life—ensuring I never missed a single important moment in my kids’ lives—while working absurd hours to keep the company afloat was overwhelming.

Every day felt like climbing a mountain: discarding one business plan after another, establishing an LLC, finding ways to cover payroll before receiving payments from customers, and there were instances when they didn’t pay at all. And yes, pay those taxes. It was relentless. There were sleepless nights, constant doubts, and moments when everything seemed on the brink of collapse. Without the proper guidance, I could have easily lost my way. That is when John Hatcher, my dad’s friend, spent dozens of selfless hours guiding us.

During my college years, I connected with John, an accomplished commercial real estate professional, business owner, and tech aficionado. His willingness to guide me in assembling my first computer, an Intel 286, left a lasting impression. Starting in 2001, his expertise in both commercial real estate and technology was invaluable. John’s genuine and open demeanor fostered a strong sense of trust. His encouragement motivated me to pursue and obtain my North Carolina Real Estate license while still in college. I am truly grateful for his support and mentorship during that transformative period of my life.

I’ll never forget his stark but necessary advice: “Rob, if you’re going to run this business, you need to accept the possibility of losing everything—even your house. If you can face that fear, you’re ready.”

John’s mentorship helped me see that the very challenges I faced—whether in business or at home—could either break me or drive me to new heights. His guidance transformed fear into fuel, and that passion continues to shape the organization today. Without him, I’m not sure how I would have made it through those early years.

Throughout my journey, I’ve been blessed with mentors from all walks of life, younger and older, lifelong friends, fellow employees, customers, and competitors. Yet they all share a genuine care for others and a deep empathy for our personal and business challenges. They want us to succeed but also understand that we’re all human.

Let’s focus on the current challenge. Commercial real estate (CRE) is a crucial part of the global economy, but the pandemic has brought about significant changes in this sector. The way and the place where we work have undergone major shifts, leading to new requirements for our workspaces. Our office spaces now need to meet our needs just as well as our home offices, which are only a few feet away in our bedrooms. AI is revolutionizing how we work, relax, and interact with friends and family.

However, all this innovation relies on data centers and many of them. Without owners and operators embracing CRE technology, it will be impossible to navigate the increasing complexity. Yet, the technology is a major source of frustration for many people. The transformation of the built environment is rapidly taking place across all types of assets, including offices, life sciences, retail, hospitality, multifamily, and everything in between. We need to adopt a purposeful, human-centric approach.

Without mentorship, today’s and tomorrow’s talent will struggle to thrive in this new landscape. The shift to remote work has only compounded this because mentorship is deeply rooted in trust—a trust built over intellectual and emotional connections. The emotional connection is tough to foster over Zoom or Teams. Ironically, while CRE is undergoing transformation and pushing us toward remote solutions, the face-to-face interactions it facilitates, which are essential for strong mentorship, remain crucial.

Without action, we risk getting trapped in an endless recursive loop—stuck in the complexity of CRE and the accompanying tech, compounding the systemic problem of the growing skills gap. But mentorship is our way out, turning this challenge into a #PositiveLoop—where knowledge and skills feed back into the system, creating more opportunities for growth and success.

It’s no secret that CRE tech faces a major skills gap that’s widening daily. The good news? There’s an untapped pool of talent out there. However, it will take time, resources, and the commitment of small and large organizations to servant leadership through mentorship.

The question is: Are we ready to invest in the future?

Let’s start by mentoring someone today.