E1: CEO of Federal Realty Don Wood (NYSE:FRT)

In this episode, the CEO of Federal Realty, Don Wood, joins The Matthews Mentality Podcast to talk about the motivations of fear, pride, and the need to provide for oneself. Don has been with Federal Realty since 1998, where he is a trustee, and has served in positions from CFO to COO to President before being named CEO in 2003. Prior to joining Federal, Don spent 8 years at ITT Corporation, where he served in various capacities, including deputy controller and CFO of Caesars World. The first 7 years of his career were spent at Arthur Andersen, leaving to work for client Donald Trump as VP of Finance for the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, NJ.

Tune in to hear Kyle and Don talk about some of the most instrumental aspects of success, mentality, and motivation. “Know what you know, know what you don’t know, but always stay open.”

Key Topics Discussed:

• Don’s career from his early 20s to his current position at Federal Realty,
• The biggest motivators throughout his career,
• How to influence people when communicating,
• The ultimate factors to success,
• Avoiding the victim mentality,
• A review of how the industry has moved through various market cycles,

Show Notes

01:13 - Intro

03:02 - Wood Motorcars

06:02 - Growing from Covid-19

11:08 - Don's story growing up/family life

16:50 - Early career at Arthur Anderson/work-life balance

24:03 - IQ vs. EQ - Influencing and communicating appropriately

31:58 - VP of Finance of the Taj Mahal at the Trump Organization

41:27 - Finding a partner

43:21 - From ITT to Federal Realty

52:43 - Mentality behind approaching your career

56:01 - Looking back at the sacrifices made

57:34 - Advice to those early in their career

58:54 - CF Foundation/Hotchkiss Disease

01:06:06 - Embracing pride, ambition, and individual achievement

01:09:41 - Surrounding yourself with talented people

01:12:21 - Setting up for success/Retiring

01:14:54 - Retail market/economy today

01:19:22 - Work-from-home

01:21:56 - What does the market look like in 12 months?

01:22:48 - Moving through various market cycles/Lessons learned

01:26:34 - Advice for listeners

01:29:02 - How would you want someone to describe you?

How to Reach Don Wood

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-c-wood/

https://www.federalrealty.com/

Instagram – @wood_motorsports

Additional Resources

https://www.thematthewsmentalitypodcast.com/

https://www.matthews.com/

Follow Matthews on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/matthewsreis

Follow Kyle on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-matthews-ceo

Follow Kyle on Twitter - @kyleMatthewsCRE

Follow Kyle on Instagram – @KyleMatthewsCEO

Follow the Podcast on Instagram - @MatthewsMentalityPodcast

Thank you for listening. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please contact podcast@matthews.com.