Design Manager / Project Coordinator Position

Job Description:
We are looking for the ultimate second in command to join our young and expanding real estate technology and consultancy firm.

If you are the type of person that wants to:

1) learn the retail real estate industry from the ground up;
2) leverage your creativity and design skills to solve common industry challenges;
3) organize and take projects from concept to implementation (or abandonment if appropriate);
4) take initiative and have a voice;
5) help a small firm grow and become an influential company;

then this is the position custom made for you and we need to talk.

Responsibilities would include, but certainly not be limited to:
A) Project management for the production and deployment of our custom digital tools
B) Acting as primary client contact for those who have purchased our services
C) Creating and meeting deadlines for the production of tools
D) Training customers on how to use our tools
E) Supporting principal to produce client deliverables including reports, exhibits, lease abstracts, lease plans, and digital tracking systems
F) Providing design input and review for retail Tenant store facade, signage and interior design
G) Reviewing base building and retail tenant drawings for conformance with Landlord design criteria
H) Assisting with corporate administration including tracking systems for employee related production, contact management, digital marketing, presentation support for CEO, and anything else that we create.

About work.shop:
We make tools and provide services to help others become better artists at their craft.

Our clients choose us because we are innovative, responsive, personal and accessible. We make their jobs and lives easier by solving common problems that currently bog them down and detract from their core value at their organization. We make their jobs and lives easier and more fun.

You will get to work on numerous commercial and mixed-use retail projects across North America based out of our Chicago locale. From small boutique single Tenant projects to the largest regional shopping center Owners, we assist our clients by providing technology tools and consultancy services that accelerate and support the development, leasing, design, tenant delivery and construction for retail projects.

Our corporate structure is simple and their are no corporate politics to navigate (regrettably there is also no softball league or fantasy football league either – yet). We expect our team to be able to work independently and remotely (home, road, airport, Starbuck’s) to start and complete tasks as required. We have, but often times do not use our Bucktown/Wicker Park office as clients and projects require travel to their sites or offices.

Growth potential is unlimited and we are looking for the right candidate to help us expand to not only meet but create our next opportunities.

Required Documents:
Please place the following into the subject line of your response: “work.shop – I am the one” then your First & Last name.

Additionally, any graphics, portfolio, web/blog design or posts. Show us your skills!

Qualifications / Skills:
We value, celebrate and require the following personal attributes:

1) Initiative – we set the direction
2) Collaboration – we can’t do it alone
3) Integrity – we must never compromise quality
4) Honesty – we have no greater value
5) Responsibility – we lead by example
6) Accomplishment – we are expected to get it done

Without the natural talents above, success in this position will be impossible.

Candidates must have the following skills:
1) Fluency with MS Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
2) Fluency with digital image manipulation (resizing, cutting, cropping)
3) Fluency with Adobe CS (Illustrator, InDesign, PhotoShop)
4) Proficiency with all web browsers (IE, Firefox, Safari, Chrome)
5) Proficiency with social media platforms (twitter, linkedin)
6) Familiarity with WordPress
7) Familiarity with Prezi
8) Familiarity with MailChimp
9) Familiarity with Google Hangouts / Skype / FaceTime

Ideal, but not essential:
1) AutoCAD
2) Revit
3) Sketchup
4) Fluency in Spanish

Salary:
Negotiable, but in all candor, what we cannot afford in financial compensation (today), we can more than make up for in opportunity, experience, flexibility and lifestyle. You will be part of that solution.

Please reach out directly to Michael via email at michael@workshop-mg.com with your qualifications and why you think that you are the one to help us get to the next level. Cheers!

Chicago Street Art – Grand / Milwaukee

Bucket list #12 – check. Work with street artists to create something inspiring.

I love street art. Murals, paste-ups, slap-ups, stickers, bombs – I love it all. This week we had a chance to use our skills as retail real estate pros to collaborate with two local artist, JC Rivera (@JcRivera) and Sentrock (@sentrock), and our client, Akara Partners, to give life to a dying wall. And through an amazing effort of teamwork, I am so fortunate to have realized one of my dreams. I’ll never forget this week and my coolest day.

While on my way home from an industry event, I drove past the project site located at 500 N Milwaukee Avenue. For years, this 6-corners urban location has been a magnet for high quality, clever and exceptionally creative street art. With demolition of the existing dilapidated grey buildings, as always, I felt a sense of excitement at what will be and mourning for that which was. Most particularly one of my favorite paste-up locales in the Chicago. However, this evening, as room was being made for Akara’s new mixed-use development, I was presented with a vision.

IMG_6120

After the days work had been completed, an older, possibly even entombed, bubble letter red and white tag on the eastern side of one of the middle buildings was revealed. This relic called to me and I was struck with a grand and wildly implausible idea: we could create an artistic phoenix on the walls of the building before it was razed and turned to ash.

I drove home excitedly and couldn’t wait to send out an email to the Owner. After pitching the idea the Akara’s Senior Vice President – Acquisitions & Development, Stephen Bus, I was green-lighted to reach out to some of my favorite street artists in the city. While I could only offer access, permission and one heck of a canvass, two visionary artists quickly saw the potential and replied to my offer.

Sentrock (@sentrock), a prolific muralist whose symbolic works focus on human struggles, minimization of races, classes and individuals, and ultimately the empowerment and transcendence to rise above and overcome, was the first to respond looking for deets. Following shortly thereafter was JC Rivera (@JcRivera), a visual artist ubiquitously known for his popular The Bear Champ character. The project was growing legs. This thing was actually happening.

Knowing that the two had collaborated previously, made this an opportunity of a lifetime and over the next week the Ownership team and artists stitched together the logistics and details required to take this great idea to reality. We cleared with Ownership. We informed the Alderman. We rented equipment. We delivered lifts. We opened gates. We coordinated with our marketing guru, Carmen Maugeri of Mauge, Inc. We showed up Saturday morning.

The Reflection of a Cities Soul (thanks to wiredforlego)

Below you can see how the transformation came to be.

IMG_6126

IMG_6130

IMG_6136

IMG_6141

Akara500NorthMilwaukeeGraffitiBomb_29

Akara500NorthMilwaukeeGraffitiBomb_100

What was created … well, I believe that it clearly speaks for itself.

Akara500NorthMilwaukeeGraffitiBomb_127

What makes this so bitter sweet is that it will end. Like most pieces of street art it will disintegrate. The wall will come down and we all hope to be there when it does. Old will make room for new. And it is my belief, that while difficult, we are and will continue to be better off for it.

IMG_6149

work.shop Teaches at ICSC University

Screen Shot 2015-02-18 at 9.37.14 AM

On March 10, 2015, work.shop CEO, Michael Greeby, instructed Managing The Tenant Coordination Process class with Ben Wood, Vice President of The Greeby Companies, Inc., at the International Council of Shopping Center’s (ICSC) University of Shopping Centers at Penn’s Wharton School in Philadelphia. More than 20 industry professionals came from across the country to attend this special 3 hour course. Nine key topics were covered including, the basics of retail and development, the job and its requirements, the lease and its many important provisions and how to properly set up and use systems and tracking to accelerate the process.

IMG_8074

Michael and Ben’s spirited and energized presentation style had them “passing the mic” back and forth while also incorporating real world exercises and hands-on learning by the attendees. “The retail delivery process has two main goals: to deliver promises and get tenants open” said Michael. “The course breaks down the complicated process and explains exactly how to accomplish these goals. I look forward to the opportunity to teach again.”