Check Out Gary Safady’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gary Safady.

Hi Gary, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
To go back to the beginning, as they say, my great-grandfather was an Orthodox Christian priest in Lebanon, and my father labored in the United States incredibly hard to provide us with what he could. I was raised within a family of immigrants in Stockton, one of the roughest cities at the time, but also surrounded by California’s natural beauty. I enjoyed the simple moments of watching my parents and brothers enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner together, and I was thrilled to get a cupcake on my birthday. We didn’t have much, but I knew when I grew up, I wanted to provide my kids with the means necessary to pursue a life full of meaning that would fulfill my family’s American dream.

I was the youngest of four boys, and as the first in my family to complete college, there was no college fund. I woke up at 4 am every morning to get to my job as a union construction laborer and then attended classes at Loyola Marymount in the evenings. I got married and had very little money to buy a home, so we moved in with my grandmother for three years, saved money, with a child on the way, and bought a piece of land to build my first small shopping center instead of buying a home for us. My first land development project was 5,000 square feet. My last project was approximately a 2 million square foot mixed-use town center.

After entering the workforce as part of Labor Union 300 (formerly 802), I grew to be a commercial real estate developer and went on to develop over 4 million sq. ft. of shopping centers, mixed-use projects, and hotels in the United States. That experience has also granted me the fortunate opportunity to invest in creative projects, including being a sustainable technology investor and movie/event producer.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a land and property developer, the term “smooth road” definitely makes me laugh. Such a complex mix of favorable circumstances, meticulous design, and diligent maintenance go into each project. I attribute most of my success to choosing the road less traveled and having faith in a higher power that guides me through the struggles I have faced. While I may seem to have a rough exterior, my inner strength comes from maintaining my faith and humor through life’s challenges.

When I began my professional journey, I started with nothing more than the love of my family and my belief that my persistence, compassion, ethics, and convictions could create lasting change for good. Even after all of my success, I still operate as if I’m starting from ground zero.

Many want to be a big shot overnight before having worked from the ground up. Before becoming a developer, I learned every aspect of real estate development: from appraisal to working on construction sites and brokerage. I then became a developer and created a successful and vast commercial real estate company with operations nationally in the USA, among other entrepreneurial adventures.

I learned to have thick skin in Stockton to protect myself, and that mentality has stuck with me today in order to thrive. I knew I didn’t want to go down the same path as my peers getting into trouble. So I dedicated time to martial arts to train my body and mind over the last several decades. From Muay Thai, ShootFighting, and Brazilian Jiujitsu, these meditative arts focus on listening to your body, anticipating your partner’s next move, and bonding while training with your fellow martial artists. I’ve taken these lessons into my professional life to focus on building relationships and finding my success in the journey rather than the outcome.

Every challenge is an opportunity if you listen to your compassion and find your power in your convictions. Loneliness can cultivate solitude. Opposition breeds innovation. The takeaway is that the road I, and many others, travel has never been without potholes, but I continue to do my due diligence to develop a smoother path than I found until I persevere.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am most well known as a commercial real estate development, aside from my various roles as a film and entertainment producer (CEO of Safady Entertainment’s Machine Gun Preacher and former Virgin Group Board member), a serial entrepreneur (such as being a Westin Hotels franchisee and founder of Monaco Pictures movie theater), and a green technology and contrarian investor (e.g., direct carbon fuel cells, eco-fertilizers, algae-produced edible vaccines).

Behind the scenes, what may not be known about my career is the lasting relationships I have built with my collaborators and co-workers. I’ve always considered every development project I work on as a legacy asset for everyone involved, including the surrounding community. “You will be remembered by this project” is a mantra I share with everyone who works with me. On my latest project, two team members passed away, and we are moving forward with a memorial on the property to honor them. Even after I shut down my previous firm, I’m still friends with everyone I had employed, and I championed their next professional chapter.

The two employees that have remained with me through every era of my career are my assistants, Shannon and Carlos. Shannon has been my loyal executive assistant for 24 years and once helped me lead nearly 800 employees. My assistant Carlos has worked with me for 16 years, originally starting as a personal assistant, then serving as a nanny for my children, and later becoming my property manager. I’ve known him since he was 19, and he’s basically my second son; my children grew up with him and refer to him as their big brother. With 40 combined years of working with me, these two individuals are family to me.

I believe everyone has inherent worth and dignity, and I live by these principles, especially when considering those that work with me and those that live in the communities my projects serve.

My development projects always enhanced the surrounding community by providing local jobs, improving the community’s lifestyle, and bringing vital tax revenue to the municipality. We did the first Bass Pro Outdoor shop in Louisiana. We did one of the first Lowe’s home centers and Sears Grand in California, the first boutique-style small Apple store, and the first Westin Hotel in Alabama. From an economic standpoint, building a more desirable project enabled us to secure the best “in-market” rents, and my centers always remained full of tenants, strong revenues, and consistent job creation.

In my greatest achievement before selling the company over a decade ago, we developed the Bridge Street Town Centre in Huntsville, Alabama, and my own line of luxury movie theaters called Monaco Pictures, which I later sold to Cinemark. Nobody said I could pull this project off since the biggest mall developer owned two rival malls nearby and would block our efforts from getting tenants and approvals. But we did it despite the naysayers and had almost 90% of new tenants added to the market. We also worked with the local stakeholders and politicians to allow movie theaters to serve alcohol, and Monaco Pictures changed the industry by providing an upscale dining and nightlife experience alongside screening movies.

I was dubbed “The Stealth Developer” by a retail development publication because I could maneuver faster and more effectively than large-scale developers by maintaining a smaller operation. While I do move with stealth from an industry perspective, I’m also very transparent about my projects to the public eye. I’ll give anybody a tour and share the story behind the project and its intended benefits for the community, whether they are in support or oppose my project.

Storytelling is a twofold process. First, you must develop a vision of the project with the ethos of what you believe in your heart. The second part is listening to people’s views and modifying the plan to address as many concerns as possible. Meeting with concerned people and taking them through your vision and process is valuable. They may not like the whole project, but I can always learn from their perspective. I’m always adaptable and compassionate, and my projects are often enhanced when I take the time to listen and ensure that there is a win for all parties.

For example, my vision for the Bulgari Resort Los Angeles is to create a luxury experience for guests at the resort that is eco-friendly and embraces the beauty of the Los Angeles canyons. Visitors think of Los Angeles as all Hollywood and big lights, but really the topography — from the beaches to the mountains — is our treasure. I was inspired to create an example of an upscale development that harmoniously showcases and protects the natural environment for the next generation.

In the case of the Bulgari Resort, there were many concerns, specifically around overbuilding, construction, noise, fire safety, wildlife, the environment, and traffic. I believe we’ve taken the time to address all those issues.

I am very proud of my team of professionals surrounding me for the Bulgari Resort. Our leading team of experts is an inclusive coalition of environmental, wildlife, and fire protection consultants that have spent years adapting the design of the Project to ensure net environmental and community benefits. We are a diverse group who share the same passion for the environment and making a positive difference in Los Angeles.

Ensuring ecologically sustainable and community-responsive land development and nature preservation remains at the heart of all my projects.

I am proud that this labor union-endorsed labor of love will preserve the Santa Monica mountains, plant and preserve drought-resistant and native trees to double the current foliage, protect roaming wildlife through its borderless design, enhance the canyon’s landslide and fire-protection infrastructure, provide a dog park for neighbors, and share the natural beauty of Los Angeles with resort visitors from across the globe using beautiful, sustainable architecture.

Readers can find accurate information and updates about the Bulgari Resort Los Angeles project on the Enhance Our Canyon website from The Benedict Canyon Neighborhood Coalition.

https://www.enhanceourcanyon.com

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The biggest lessons I’ve gained in my journey have been in matters of the heart, which affect everything from business interactions to societal change and personal development. As interconnected humans, if we follow our internal passion and pay attention to what is needed in the world, we can make an impact in our lifetime and be successful in our careers.

I’ve always modeled my life with a dual focus on what I believe are the most important attributes: passion and compassion. Passion for what you do and compassion for others. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve softened a bit. I used to be more aggressive and relentless in my career pursuits, beliefs, and everyday life. While this served me to dream big and work hard, as I traveled the globe and met all kinds of people, I realized that I needed to be adaptive and care for others first. Beyond compassionate, reflective, and human-focused people being more successful in life, our divided culture needs these values more than ever.

Even from a business standpoint, I listen with an open heart to all opposition and concerns I encounter in my projects. There is a human story I can relate to, and I adapt the project with their needs in mind. You have to be open-minded, listen to various constituents, and still have the confidence to move forward and find a middle path. My projects are enhanced when I engage in this sort of dialogue, and I’ve become a better person by taking the time to listen.

To anyone reading this who is trying to find their purpose in their career, I encourage you to reflect on what you’re passionate about and what there is a demand for in the world. Learn what you need by working for others, but don’t work for someone else for the rest of your life. Be adaptable and receptive to the wisdom of everyone you work with; soon, you won’t just be making money for someone else. Eventually, you can create your own business that you’re passionate about. You deserve to thrive independently. Being an entrepreneur is hard work, but with it comes the rewards of making a lasting impact that you can take pride in.

Image Credits
Kaylin Mae Sigal