In this episode of Believe In Your Office, we sit down with real estate developer Kristy Kandel to explore her unconventional journey from sales and marketing into large-scale commercial development across the U.S. We dive into her early entrepreneurial mindset, her work building Family Dollar locations across California, and her vision for creating community-centered spaces that bring people together through sports, wellness, and shared experience.
This episode is a deep, free-flowing conversation centered on real estate development, community-building, and how intentional design can shape the way people live, work, and connect.
Key Topics Covered
• Kristi Kandel's early entrepreneurial mindset growing up in Ohio and her first small business experiences
• How a sales and marketing background unexpectedly led into large-scale real estate development
• Behind the scenes of developing Family Dollar locations across California’s small and mid-sized towns
• The realities of off-market deals, land acquisition, and navigating hundreds of municipalities and permitting processes
• Lessons learned from working in high-mobility development environments across the West Coast
• The importance of understanding local communities and adapting development strategies to fit real needs
• The shift from traditional development goals toward purpose-driven, impact-focused projects
• The concept behind Elevate Southwest Florida as a multi-generational sports and wellness destination
• How integrated spaces (sports, wellness, food, entertainment, and childcare) can foster real community connection
• The role of mixed-use environments and repurposed spaces like malls in modern urban development
• Funding innovation through community investment and nonprofit partnerships
• How data, health outcomes, and happiness metrics can shape future community development models
• The connection between lifestyle, accessibility, and the way people form relationships in modern environments
Key Takeaways
• Real estate development is most powerful when it directly responds to how people live, not just how cities grow
• Community design can influence health, happiness, and long-term social connection
• Off-market thinking and local relationship-building remain critical in large-scale development
• The future of spaces lies in blending work, wellness, recreation, and social interaction
• Successful developments are not just physical projects—they are ecosystems built around human behavior
• Impact-driven leadership often means prioritizing long-term community value over short-term gain
• The most effective environments are those that make it easy for people to connect naturally and consistently
This episode sets the tone for Believe In Your Office: real-world conversations about how spaces—whether offices, neighborhoods, or full communities—shape human behavior, business success, and quality of life.
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