Habib O. Lawal is a product manager, real estate developer, entrepreneur, and business strategist based in Mount Holly, New Jersey. His career has developed across technology, financial services, consulting, real estate, and professional networking.
Lawal came to the United States with his family in 2009 during the financial crisis. Before the move, his parents lost a property to foreclosure after tenants stopped paying rent. The family had limited knowledge of the options available to them and eventually had to start again. That experience later shaped Lawal’s interest in real estate, ownership, and the importance of having access to the right information.
He grew up in North Providence, Rhode Island, where sports became an important part of his life. He competed at the varsity level in soccer, singles tennis, and wrestling. He later attended the University of Rhode Island, earning a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a master’s degree in Cybersecurity.
After college, Lawal joined Fidelity Investments through its LEAP training program. He was eventually placed in Jersey City, New Jersey, where he spent nearly five years. After leaving Fidelity, he explored entrepreneurship, professional networking, and government contracting before joining Accenture in March 2022. He currently works there as a Product Manager.
Lawal began investing in real estate in 2019 and later moved into development work, including projects involving local government. Today, he continues to balance his corporate career with real estate development and a growing interest in creating stronger professional networks.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My day usually starts with figuring out what actually needs my attention instead of reacting to everything at once. I work a full-time corporate role, but I am also involved in real estate and other business interests, so I have to separate urgent work from important work.
I normally keep a short list of priorities for the day. If I have ten things written down, I know I probably have too many. I would rather complete three important things than touch ten different projects and finish none of them.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I usually start by testing the idea in conversation. I talk to people who understand the problem, people who may use the solution, and people who might tell me why the idea will not work.
After that, I try to make it real in the smallest possible way. In real estate, that might mean looking at a property, speaking with a municipality, checking what is allowed, and understanding the actual demand before getting too attached to a concept.
What’s one trend that excites you?
I am interested in the way cities are becoming more open to working with private developers on smaller community-focused projects.
Some properties and spaces may not attract the largest developers but can still be valuable to a neighborhood. I think there is room for developers who understand both business and the needs of local communities.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Writing things down helps me a lot. I do not like relying on memory for everything.
When I have several projects moving at once, I keep notes on what has been decided, what needs follow-up, and who I need to contact. It sounds simple, but it prevents small things from becoming bigger problems.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Hard work and technical ability matter, but opportunities often come through people who know how you think, what you can do, and whether they can trust you. That is something I understand much more clearly now.
I would tell myself to stay in touch with people, make introductions when I can, and take more conversations without worrying about whether they lead to something immediately. Sometimes the most valuable relationship is one that does not turn into an opportunity until years later.
I would also remind myself that networking is not about collecting contacts. It is about being useful, staying consistent, and building enough trust that people remember you when the right opportunity comes up.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
I think being busy can actually be useful when it is intentional.
People often talk about being busy like it is automatically a bad thing. I think having several responsibilities can force you to become more disciplined. The problem is not being busy. The problem is being busy without knowing why.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
Follow up. A lot of opportunities disappear because someone has one conversation and assumes the other person will remember them six months later. I believe in staying in touch without constantly asking for something.
Some of the most useful professional relationships grow slowly.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I step away from the large picture and reduce everything to the next action. If I am thinking about an entire development project, a corporate deadline, networking, and everything else at the same time, it can feel like too much. Instead, I ask what needs to happen next. It might simply be one phone call or one email.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Being willing to move outside of one professional identity has helped me.
My degree is in electrical engineering. I later studied cybersecurity. I worked at Fidelity, explored entrepreneurship, entered product management, and became involved in real estate.
I try to take useful skills from one environment into another rather than deciding that my background only qualifies me for one kind of work.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
After Fidelity, I spent time trying to build a networking business and pursue government contracting opportunities. I expected some of those ideas to move faster than they did.
That period taught me that enthusiasm is not the same thing as having a system. You need consistent outreach, clear positioning, and patience. I eventually joined Accenture, but I did not abandon the entrepreneurial side of my life. I became more realistic about how businesses actually grow.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
I think there is an opportunity for a business that helps smaller municipalities connect with qualified local developers.
Many cities have properties or redevelopment goals, while developers may not know how to find those opportunities. A platform that organizes municipal opportunities, zoning information, development goals, and local contacts could save both sides time.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
I use Microsoft OneNote a lot because I can keep different parts of my work separated without losing information.
I can have notes for meetings, real estate ideas, follow-ups, business concepts, and personal reminders in one place. It helps me avoid having random information spread across emails and pieces of paper.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
I like How I Built This because the stories usually include the messy part of building a business.
You hear about the uncertainty, bad decisions, changes in direction, and periods when the business did not look successful yet. I find those parts more useful than only hearing about the final result.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I enjoyed Suits. I like stories where people are solving problems under pressure and have to think quickly about personalities, relationships, and strategy.
It is obviously entertainment, but I think the relationship side of the show is interesting. Business is rarely just about knowing the technical answer. You also have to understand people.
Key learnings
- Build relationships before you need something from them, and stay in touch through consistent follow-up.
- Turn large goals into the next practical action instead of trying to solve every part of a problem at once.
- Skills gained in one industry can often create opportunities in a completely different field.
- Test business ideas through conversations and small steps before committing too much time or energy.
- Being busy can be productive when the work is tied to clear priorities and a larger purpose.