As a real estate salesperson at Corcoran in New York City, Thomas Mikolasko handles all aspects of sales and rentals in Manhattan, with a particular focus on the Upper East Side where Thomas has lived for more than a decade. He has maintained a New York City residency for almost three decades, allowing him to provide clients with comprehensive insight into different neighborhoods and properties.
In addition to his real estate sales activities, Thomas Mikolasko is a co-founder of HCB Ventures, LLC where he assisted in raising over $2.6 million to monetize water rights in Colorado’s Horse Creek Basin. He has also held other leadership roles, including chief knowledge officer at Metropolitan Partners Group and managing director of HFP Capital Markets.
Thomas Mikolasko studied culinary arts at the International Culinary Center, formerly the French Culinary Institute. He holds a communication and economics degree from the State University of New York, College at Geneseo.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
I get up early, follow through with my list, and make sure I don’t overbook myself so I can be fully engaged with each appointment I have. Every night before I go to bed, I make sure that my day is set. I may not get to every task on my list, but I get to most of it and then calendar forward whatever I don’t get to.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I love developing ideas on a whiteboard. I get a lot from sketching ideas out and listing what needs to happen to move a business or idea forward.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Artificial intelligence.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
Keeping a detailed calendar and to-do lists and marking progress in real time. At the end of every week, I review each day to make sure that I did not miss anything.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Life is a marathon and not a sprint. Find something you love to do, be patient, and stick with it.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
If you are not 10 minutes early, you are late.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
I have an acupuncturist and chiropractor who I see regularly (mostly for overall health and wellness, but he also treats sports injuries) who helps with my health and wellness. I recommend him to everyone and there is not one person who I have recommended see him who is not 110% thrilled that they did.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
Unless I have a meeting or commitment of some sort, I just step back and try to get to the gym, ride the bike, or hit the sauna.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
Work ethic. There is no replacement for hard work. Make yourself an integral part of the team. Don’t leave before your boss leaves and put in the extra hours. Opportunities come to those who make themselves available and by putting in the time, people will come to rely on you.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
I acquired a catering company and started a restaurant right at the beginning of the pandemic. I eventually had to close the business, but working in such a challenging industry, during the industry’s most challenging time in modern history, taught me that I had to be flexible when so much is outside of my control. During this time, I had to pivot and sometimes I found myself pivoting when I had just pivoted. I had to continue to keep my head down and work the problem. And in the end, even though I closed the business, I felt the reward of knowing that I did everything I could.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
Excel. I am a big fan of Excel. I use it for everything.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
I am a big fan of Jesse Itzler and his The Keep Going Podcast. I think that his messages are inspirational and that his philosophy of building his life around longevity – from the way he eats and trains to the way he sleeps, thinks, and recovers – all in an effort to live a long and vital life, is something I believe strongly in and continues to provide me valuable insights as I try to live the same kind of lifestyle.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I enjoyed watching the series The Agency. Such a great spy thriller. CIA operations, but from the perspective of the London Station.
Key learnings
- Leading a balanced life is important. Making sure that work is balanced with healthy eating habits, sleep, and a fitness routine (any fitness routine – (walking, biking, weights, meditation, swimming, etc.) is important to manage stress and create longevity.
- Don’t forget that life is a marathon. Love what you do, work hard, and be patient. Things in life have a way of coming around.
- How you respond to challenges in life will help to define you, so when things are at their worst, be your best.
- Bringing ideas to life requires time, and a thoughtful process, so be diligent and do the work to develop the idea by sharing it with others who you trust.