I worked as a consultant on a foreign direct investment strategy with a focus on real estate. Till then in my career, I was focused on becoming an academic in international relations, as I wanted to focus on the importance of negotiations in conflict areas. Working as a consultant on the subject, allowed me to understand how interconnected, interdependent and multi-disciplinary real estate is. Real estate intersects: history, politics (local and federal), identity (personal and political), security, health, business, society, planet, technology, and economics (micro and macro). It was moments during that consulting period especially during my conversation with the stakeholders– decision makers and those affected–that shaped both my intellectual & personal curiosity in real estate. Being born a political refugee in India, there was a natural interest to understand land rights, ownership, and equity. To emerging young leaders this is the key. By aligning your personal values & interests with your skills & work experiences enables you to be fully vested in your work. Finding this alignment is not always easy — it might take a magic moment or two; sometimes it is linear and sometime its not. It is your own journey.