Building My Tallest Building - Randall Townsel
Randall Townsel, a prolific Chicago real estate developer and business owner with over 750 completed residential and commercial projects, shares his powerful journey from aspiring athlete to industry leader. Townsel detail how a near-death experience—surviving a drive-by shooting, transformed his outlook, fueling an unrelenting drive to maximize every opportunity and build his “tallest building”.
“No” is Nothing
Getting a “no” means you are getting closer to ‘yes’.
Townsel’s entrepreneurial spirit emerged early, as he was drawn to the autonomy and challenge of business ownership. Initially, he pursued a professional football career at university, but after his life-altering incident, he was forced to pivot. This pivotal moment led to a profound mindset shift, instilling a deep appreciation for life and a refusal to waste time or energy on setbacks.
“I'm going to build my tallest building. I'm not worried about what everybody else is doing. I've got to build my tallest building.”
Throughout the interview, Townsel emphasizes the importance of resilience, perseverance, and maintaining a competitive edge. He describes how rejection is simply part of the process. He urges entrepreneurs to avoid distractions and comparisons, focusing instead on their own goals and standards. He underscores the importance of self-leadership and objectivity.
“If I want something, I’m going to do the dang thing, and it doesn’t matter who I’m lining up against.”
Townsel also offers practical business advice, cautioning listeners never to fall in love with a piece of property or any asset, and to always make decisions with clear-eyed objectivity. He credits his success to a relentless, competitive mindset, explaining, “If I want something, I’m gonna do the dang thing, and it doesn’t matter who I’m lining up against.” The conversation is filled with actionable insights, including the abundance of opportunity, the value of channeling adversity into fuel for growth, and the necessity of moving quickly from rejection to the next opportunity
“There's a lot more out there and you just keep throwing at the wall...something's gonna stick.”
Randall Townsel’s story is one of resilience, adaptability, and unwavering self-motivation. His journey from aspiring athlete to successful real estate developer is marked by a refusal to let setbacks define him, and a relentless focus on building his own path regardless of external circumstances.
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A professional football player.
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As a young person, I always wanted to have autonomy of my time.
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More of Randall Townsel on LinkedIn and his company website.