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O C T O B E R 3 , 2 0 2 2 32 A commercial real estate broker who also coaches B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r Josh Soley, 28 President, Maine Realty Advisors Significant professional accomplishment: Founder and sole owner of Maine' largest full-service commercial real estate firm. MRA assists its clients in sales, leasing, consulting, asset management, property management, development, syndication oversight, and entitlement services. In 2021, CoStar, the world's largest CRE database, named Soley a Power Broker for topping the industry in sales in Maine. Passion project: Coaching basketball at Waynflete School in Portland. I'm about to begin my eighth season as the varsity team's assistant coach. Audacious goal: Expanding MRA beyond Maine. We've begun coordinating trans- actions out-of-state, but have not yet opened sales or management offices yet. In doing so, we may need to consider a rebranding of the company. Favorite quote: "Speak softly and carry a big stick." — Teddy Roosevelt Influential book: Having absolutely noth- ing to do with business or real estate, I am a massive fan of the late Vince Flynn's "Mitch Rapp series" (which has been continued by Kyle Mills). The series provides a phenomenal escape into the world of global politics and espionage. I am a strong believer in trial by fire and education through experience. Books provide knowledge, but wisdom comes from experience. Favorite TV show: "Friday Night Lights" is the greatest show of all time. Coach Taylor, the main character, is a maker of men. His motto — "Clear eyes, full heart, can't lose" — are words to live by. How do you recharge: International travel. I briefly lived in Morocco and have devel- oped tremendous appreciation for the various cultures around the Mediter- ranean Sea. Making moves with maker-focused media B y B r i d g e t R e e d M o r a w s k i Kristan Vermeulen, 32 Founder and host, "Makers of the USA" Significant professional accomplish- ment: My podcast has over 300,000 total downloads as of mid-September, over 8,000 social media followers and over 200,000 unique weekly visits to the website. I've also been featured on national television stations, including "Good Morning America," FOX Business News and local programs like News Center Maine. Passion project: Because of the pod- cast's success and continued growth, I have other items within the business that I'm currently tackling. I'm developing a maker's directory where my audience can find hundreds of makers through- out the nation with a click of a button, filterable by location, type of business (women-owned, Black-owned, etc.), type of product, considerations like that. I'm also hoping to increase maker markets across the nation that invite makers from across the nation to attend. I'm all about the makers! Audacious goal: I'm turning my podcast into a national television show, which started when Netflix reached out in August 2021 with interest. Currently there isn't a show that focuses specifically on mak- ers in this country. I hope to fill this void with a creative program that benefits so many small businesses and communities. Favorite quote: "We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness." — Thích Nhat Hanh Influential book: "Handcrafted Maine: Art, Life Harvest & Home," by Katy Kelleher and Greta Rybus Favorite movies/TV shows: Anthony Bour- dain's "Raw Craft," Questlove's "Quest for Craft" and "Into the Wild" How do you recharge: By playing volleyball every Thursday night in Portland, sailing with friends on the weekends, going on adventures and discovering new places in Maine with my family. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 3 4 » I'm developing a maker's directory where my audience can find hundreds of makers throughout the nation … I'm also hoping to increase maker markets across the nation that invite makers from across the nation to attend. I'm all about the makers! — Kristan Vermeulen Makers of the USA P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY P H O T O / TA R A R I C E As founder and president of Maine Realty Advisors in Portland, Josh Soley was named a CoStar Power Broker in 2021 for topping the industry in sales in Maine. I am a strong believer in trial by fire and education through experience. Books provide knowledge, but wisdom comes from experience. — Josh Soley Maine Realty Advisors Kristan Vermeulen's podcast about makers across the U.S. has hundreds of thousands of total downloads.