Episode 011: Michael Santora

Introduction:


Today we are lucky enough to have with us none other than Michael
Santora, a man who in every sense of the word is truly on a
mission to make a difference for his clients, the skylines and
infrastructures of cities globally, and for those not as
fortunate. In my professional dealings with Michael, I have found
him to be the Winston Wolf of architecture, design, due
diligence, code consulting and expediting resolution. Yes, like
the character portrayed by Harvey Keitel in the classic film Pulp
Fiction, Michael solves problems! Given that the historical
tradition of a crown, among other things, embodies that of
knowledge, power, triumph, honor and wealth, the mantra of the
firm he co-founded, namely Crown Architecture and Consulting, is
that of ensuring that their designs and efforts will
simultaneously maximize the potential of their client’s property
and budget, while also making a difference for the private and
public sectors.  


 


Episode Notes:


At 3:16, Michael Santora stresses the importance of reading
comprehension in his business. At 4:28, he discusses taking pride
in your work and having a full understanding of your final
product, because at the end of the day your name is attached. At
5:05, Michael talks about work ethic. At 5:57, he touches upon
setting goals and to some, money being freedom as well as a
measure of success. At 7:27, Michael notes that good service
comes with upfront reality - being blunt and not creating a sense
of false hope, while simultaneously being optimistic. At 9:05, he
points out that Crown Architecture and Consulting likes to be
different with the subtle things, and that Crown is always
evolving based on the feedback it receives. Michael describes how
he and Crown are different, given that they, like others, swim in
the same direction as everyone else, but often zig-zag quite a
bit up stream. At 10:18, Michael shares that “It’s hard to argue
with logic and reason.” At 11:53, he advises, “I want to
profitable off of the intelligent decisions I make and the value
I create.” At 12:55, Michael discusses change in the real estate
industry, more specifically retail and last mile industrial. At
13:51, he talks about building with flexibility in design, so
buildings can evolve with changing times. At 14:11, Michael
informs us of Crown’s partnership with Scott Brownrigg out of
London, and Smart Shed, a new type of distribution center
concept. At 16:06, he shares winning the World Architecture
Foundation award for his firm’s concept of redesigning the Park
Avenue medians. At 18:27, Michael explains his love for the
challenge of making something profitable, and growing a
“business.” At 21:16, he discusses having integrity in design and
construction. Building bigger, better and more efficient! At
23:53, Michael shares his involvement in the ACE program,
mentoring, and sitting on the board at Wentworth Institute of
Technology. At 26:01, he takes us back to his first job in real
estate, working as a project manager for a design-build firm. At
30:05, he talks about the topic of failure and his failure to
successfully pitch Platform Media to MTA at 22 years old. At
33:09, Michael dives into his passion for large scale
infrastructure projects. At 38:10, Michael Santora closes it out
with the message of pursuing your dreams.