Abstract Essay, now in its fifth season, features Kevin Hipes—seasoned entrepreneur and commercial real estate expert—as my guest, offering sharp insights on strategy, resilience, and the mindset required to navigate complex markets.

Kevin HipesLiving Loud: Turning Life’s Highs and Lows into Stories That InspireKevin Hipes went from street kid in Queens to garage-rock musician, hippie factory worker, and eventually a commercial real estate leader and author. He’s built, lost, and rebuilt businesses. He’s been a local commissioner, a developer turning around retail and apartment projects, and now writes about the human side of success in Book of Me.What’s compelling for your audience is not just his trajectory, but the lessons he’s pulled out along the way:Resilience & reinvention: When real estate crashed, Kevin lost much—and came back. He’s not selling a fairy tale; he’s lived failure and knows how to turn it around.From art to commerce: His days in a rock band and as a hippie taught him creativity, risk-taking, and authenticity—skills he later applied to business. That gives him a rare cross-disciplinary perspective.Mental health & vulnerability: He’s walked through depression, been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in midlife, and speaks openly about it. He shows people that strength and struggle aren’t mutually exclusive.Practical entrepreneurship + real estate: He’s done deals, overseen large portfolios, and built companies. He offers actionable takeaways—how to evaluate deals, manage risk, lead teams, pivot when necessary.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.