In this episode of Success in Square Feet, Julia sits down with Matt Troutt, Vice President at EastGroup Properties, for a grounded and refreshingly honest look at career growth inside the commercial real estate world.

Matt shares his path into commercial real estate, beginning with wildlife management and moving through oil and gas, brokerage, and ultimately asset management and development at one of the country’s leading industrial REITs. He opens up about learning to choose the path that actually fits, rather than the one that simply looks impressive on paper.

Together, Julia and Matt talk about navigating career pivots with clarity, the value of real, candid mentorship, finding your place within the many lanes of the industry, balancing ambition with a growing family, and how community engagement can reshape your understanding of leadership and community.

This is a conversation grounded in real experience, with no ego and no posturing, and it offers a thoughtful look at what it takes to build a meaningful career in commercial real estate.

Episode Credits

Host and Producer: Julia Beckman

Follow Success in Square Feet on Instagram: @successinsqft

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The Success in Square Feet podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Views are those of Julia Beckman and not of Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.

Forty years ago, a group of attorneys left Winstead to start Munsch Hardt, and today, we’re finding common ground behind the mic. Kidding of course, Jeremy and I are friendly, as are the larger firm relations! In this episode, I sit down with Jeremy Wilkins, Shareholder at Winstead, to talk about his career path from an unlikely summer at the Legal Aid Society in Manhattan (complete with near-arrests and rent reform protests) to building a niche in mixed-use and master-planned developments here in Dallas. We also dive into mentorship, business development, balance, and the relationships that make the commercial real estate industry so unique.

Episode Credits

Host and Producer: Julia Beckman

Sponsored by: Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, P.C.

Follow Success in Square Feet on Instagram: @successinsqft

Connect with Julia on LinkedIn

Listen, share with a friend, and don't forget to rate & review!

This week on Success in Square Feet, Julia sits down with Frank Piasta, First Vice President at CBRE, and one of the most thoughtful dealmakers out there. Frank shares his unconventional path to CRE, from studying medicine and serving in the military to navigating CMBS acronyms and capital stacks at CBRE.

We talk about:

• Learning commercial real estate without a finance degree

• Building credibility from scratch

• And why speaking up matters—even if you're the most junior person in the room

Whether you're switching industries, raising your hand for new challenges, or just love hearing how people really get into this business, Frank shares some great words of wisdom you do not want to miss!