News + Ideas

The Impact Blog is a spotlight series that highlights and celebrates the diverse employees that make MGAC tick. Beyond their day-to-day schedules, we want to know how they have a greater impact on their colleagues, their company, and the communities in which they live and work. We want to know what makes them get out of bed in the morning, what led them to their current role, and what they hope their lasting impact will be. 

Today, we get to know Bart Mendel, Managing Director at MGAC.

MGAC: Hello and welcome to the Impact Blog, Bart!

Bart Mendel (BM): Hello, thank you!

MGAC: What is your role here at MGAC?

BM: I’m a Managing Director based in the Greater Los Angeles Area.

MGAC: And when did you join the firm?  

BM: I previously founded Stonemark Construction Management, a leading full-service construction management firm for high-end residences and luxury home projects in Southern California. We joined MGAC via an acquisition just a couple of months ago!

MGAC: Yes! Tell us more about how that came about.

BM: When Mark Anderson and I began talking about the possibility, I looked into MGAC. The more I learned about the firm, the more I saw parallels between the two companies. The culture of honoring staff and clients alike—something that’s always been really important to me—was very much the same. The way we focused on unique and challenging projects was identical. There was a shared emphasis on doing great work, leading with honesty, and not shying away from big challenges. It was really very synchronous.

MGAC: And how have you settled in at MGAC so far?

BM: It’s been great. It’s clearly an environment where people can find a lot of satisfaction through their work, and shine because they have room to grow. It’s really nice to see.

MGAC: That’s great to hear. How did you first find your way into this industry?

BM: I started my construction career ages ago, learning trades: plumbing, electrical, and framing. I quickly realized that I’m much more of a manager than a craftsman—I work better with my head than my hands. I ended up starting my own small general contracting firm. As I moved to different cities over the years, I started a new company in each place.

MGAC: How did you find yourself in the trades world?  

BM: I’d always had a fascination with tools, and even now, though I’m not a good carpenter, I like working with my hands when I can. When I was young, one of my father’s friends told me, “You should always know how to work with tools, because no matter what happens in life, you always have the ability to go back to your tools.” That was very sage advice! Now my tools are more computers and project management software than hammers and saws, but he was right.

MGAC: No kidding! Thinking back to those early years, what do you think your younger self would think about your job today?

BM: I never really knew what I wanted to do when I was very young. I was very open-minded, so I probably wouldn’t be surprised by anything. I do think I’d be fairly blown away by the success I’ve had in my career, and I’ve had the ability to work on some of the most technologically advanced and architecturally challenging homes in the world and meet many incredible people. Through the eyes of a child, I think that would be even more impressive. And I did always really enjoy playing with Legos, so maybe that was an early sign I’d end up in this industry!

MGAC: Perhaps! Speaking of incredible homes, how did you come to specialize in luxury living projects?

BM: I started out in the commercial world. The general contracting companies that I founded did some residential work, too, but it was mostly commercial construction. About 20 years ago, after I had moved to Southern California and started a construction management firm, I got a call from a potential client. It was a house for a wealthy individual. I told my wife that I had gotten this incoming call, but that I didn’t want to build a home for someone. My wife started kicking me and said, “You numbskull. This is the career path for you. There’s a whole market out there, and this is just the beginning.” She could see that, even when I didn’t. I took the project, and it became the first step to becoming a leader in construction management for luxury living in Southern California.

MGAC: More sage advice, it seems!

BM: Yes, I suppose so!

MGAC: What do you enjoy most about working in the luxury living space?  

BM: I am definitely drawn to challenges and problem solving, and both are endless in this line of business. Commercial construction varies project to project, but on the whole is more predictable. Both sectors deal with the same key parameters of schedule and budget, but in the luxury living space, the clientele is really unique.

MGAC: How so?

BM: High-net-worth individuals are uniquely particular, and rightly so. They’ve often made it to where they are by working hard and holding themselves to incredibly high standards in their own careers. That pursuit of excellence then tends to extend to their own home projects. They’re looking to make a statement, to create architectural marvels, to do something that’s never been done before. Often these builds are more art museums than homes with extremely high finishes and attention to detail—sometimes we even design entire homes around works of art. Across the board, these projects are incredibly unique and highly personal. All of those layers make them very challenging, but I enjoy that challenge!

MGAC: What does your day-to-day look like right now?

BM: These days, I’m primarily focused on managing the team and growing the company. I work as the Managing Director—getting the work, getting it started with the right project team—and then I’m there to support that team as needed throughout the project as inevitable challenges arise. Additionally, I’m very focused on business development and marketing our capabilities. I’m in a lot of meetings with architects, contractors, and business managers both here in Southern California and in high-end markets like New York, San Francisco, and Seattle.

MGAC: Do you enjoy that part of the job?

BM: Absolutely. I would have died to be in these high-level meetings early in my career! It’s exciting to be able to build relationships with some of the industry’s most accomplished and recognizable professionals.

MGAC: What’s an ideal day on the job look like for you? 

BM: Well, I’m not sure I’ve ever lived my ideal day! In my line of work, some challenge is bound to pop up every day. Ideally, that would be a small fire, maybe two fires throughout the day, that I could deal with quickly. Then, I’d like to visit a jobsite to see work that’s been accomplished. After that, a lunch meeting with an industry colleague or a new contact. From there, maybe some follow-up calls to potential new clients. Small fires only, getting out and seeing the work, and then building relationships. All of that makes for a great day!

MGAC: As someone who is used to putting out fires, what are some of your best lessons learned?

BM: It’s not easy, but stress comes with the territory, so I find that it’s essential to have a method for dealing with that stress. For me, that’s meditation. It’s been a lifelong practice that helps with both stress and problem-solving. I find that the insights I need to solve problems become much more accessible because I’m not in my own way. From my meditation practice, I’ve learned to set aside all the things that are irrelevant—how I feel about a person involved, or all of the noise that surrounds challenges—and in this way I can go right into the heart of the challenge and figure out how to solve it in a very creative way.

MGAC: How did you initially begin that practice?

BM: I developed an interest in spirituality and meditation as a teenager. I met my first Buddhist spiritual teacher when I was 20, and started studying with him after that, so my construction career and my Buddhist meditation career happened concurrently. When my career began, I was living at a Buddhist meditation center in Vermont and simultaneously working on the building crew there, learning the trades. From there, these paths have remained interwoven, and I think my consistent meditation practice has really informed my work and been a big part of my success.

MGAC: That’s really great. Speaking of your work and success, when you think broadly about your career, what kind of impact do you hope to have?

BM: I’ve always had the philosophy that I’d like to leave the world a better place. To me, that extends to the projects—of course, we’re building really cool projects—but mainly to the people, the teams, and relationships you are building. Connecting people and building well-oiled teams that deliver projects is really rewarding and important to me. I think that’s a really great legacy to leave behind.

MGAC: Absolutely! Now are you ready for some rapid-fire questions?  

BM: Sure!

MGAC: How would you describe your job in five words or less?

BM: Managing unique people and projects.

MGAC: You’re starting your workday. What’s the first thing you do?  

BM: Check in on the emails that have come in since I signed off. Many of our clients live and work overseas, so my inbox never sleeps!

MGAC: And the last thing? 

BM: Turn off my computer.

MGAC: What’s the number one item on your to-do list right now?  

BM: It’s a running to-do list item: build relationships and grow the company.

MGAC: Early bird or night owl?

BM: Early bird. I am up by 4:30 or 5:00 every day. That way, I’m able to meditate for an hour. It’s my favorite time of day.

MGAC: What’s the most interesting thing on your desk right now?

BM: I keep a pretty clean desk, so it’s all very standard, I do have pictures of my grandchildren here always, though.

MGAC: What can you not get through the workday without?

BM: Coffee.

MGAC: What’s something you find yourself saying a lot at work?

BM: “Well, what do you think?” I often have members of the senior staff here coming to me with gnarly questions. Most of the time, I find they have the answer; they just need to find confidence in what they already know. Turning it around to them often does that.

MGAC: What’s the most-used app on your phone?  

BM: My mail app.

MGAC: What’s a book you’d like to recommend? 

BM: The Art of War by Sun Tzu. It’s about more than just war and does a great job of touching on how to work with people and manage different relationships and problems.

MGAC: Looking at the industry ten years from now, what do you predict will have changed?

BM: More building with global warming and climate change in mind. Here in Southern California, we just went through fires that left communities looking like war zones. With the increase of events like this, I think we’ll see people prioritizing building in a way that makes structures less vulnerable.

MGAC: What would your dream project look like?

BM: I’ve already done a few of them! Any project with a really appreciative client and a technical challenge is a great one. I’ve also had the opportunity to work on a few Buddhist meditation centers—we even have one project happening right now—and those have been really rewarding.

MGAC: What are you known for around the office?

BM: Having a calm demeanor. Being a problem-solver.

MGAC: What’s something your colleagues don’t know about you?

BM: Despite the calm exterior, I always carry stress! It’s unavoidable.

MGAC: Where might we find you if you’re not at work?

BM: Relaxing with family and friends. Planning trips to see my grandkids in the Czech Republic and France.

MGAC: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?

BM: Twenty-eight years ago, one of my Buddhist teachers told me I’d be successful if I moved from Boston to California. He was right!