NFL Center to Massive Real Estate Deals

Imagine your wildest childhood dream coming true. Something so huge you were never sure it’s even possible. Then every Monday showing up, unsure if you’ll be cut. That was Dave Pearson’s early twenties in the NFL. The only thing he could control was how hard he worked.When his pro football career ended, Dave had to shop for suits. With a 20-inch neck. 🤯 His corporate chapter must’ve worked out, because he’s helping lead the company that that took a chance on him. He’s passionate about redeveloping communities and creating affordable housing. His office sits atop of New York City’s stunning Hudson Yards. He’s led that team to becoming one of the largest, and most successful in the world in terms of deal volume.When we met in person, my first question was “who’s one of your favorite coaches?” He immediately mentioned Alex Gibbs, legendary offensive line coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Coach Gibbs slapped players with a “sensitivity fine.” Whenever you pout or push back on getting coached hard. Two hundred bucks. Posted on the board for the whole room to see. From the highest performing rockstar players, to the youngest guys hoping to make the team. This lesson really stuck.We talked about the moments when a deal feels impossible. When chaos ensues, or people want to bail. That’s Dave’s favorite part: seeing the win despite everything falling apart.Dave Pearson is the Executive Vice President of Related Affordable, probably the largest affordable housing development firm in the United States. We trace his wild arc from Michigan Wolverine to Detroit Lion to Atlanta Falcon to NFL Europe, and the blown knee started his leadership journey.Eighteen years later, to quote another favorite coach, Dave’s still there: “showing up like the weather.”1-Min on winning, despite the oddsIn coaching, I use a 1980s arcade analogy called Player One.Player One takes full responsibility for their performance and results. If Mario wants to progress through the levels, he can’t blame Donkey Kong or Bowser. He must learn to adapt and perform.To go the distance as a leader, it takes resilience and a dance between extreme self-reliance and playing on a high-performing team. Whether that’s a band like U2 or this season’s Seattle Seahawks, a high-functioning team will take us further than we ever could have gone alone. There’s an old African proverb: if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.This is the polarity of Team and Player One.Dave Pearson is the Executive Vice President of Related Affordable, a division of Related Companies, one of the largest privately owned real estate firms in the United States with over $70 billion in assets owned or under development. Over the past 18 years, Dave has helped build and grow the firm’s affordable multifamily acquisitions and development team nationwide, leading preservation-focused investments at scale.Prior to his career in real estate, Dave was an NFL offensive lineman for the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons. He serves on the boards of the Related Affordable Foundation, Randall’s Island Park Alliance, and the University of Missouri Athletic Academic Career Center. He lives in New York City with his wife Caitlin and their three daughters.Please welcome to Hell Yeah You Will— David Pearson.Listen, Share, and Leave a Review* Listen to the episode above, or wherever else 🎧 (32:06)* The 1-min show trailer is here 🎧* Subscribe and Leave us a Review:Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Or, wherever you listen* Share it with someone who could use reminders to keep going.Would love to hear what you think? What inspired you? Get full access to Hell Yeah You Will with Kristoffer Carter at kristoffercarter.substack.com/subscribe