Nickerson previously had been a part-time chief marketing officer for Infinityy while running Nickerson Cos.; Schoonmaker brought her on board because of her real estate experience and connections. But now she\u2019s turned over the day-to-day operations of her agency to her top lieutenants there: Molly Silvia, Shannon Mulaire, and Joseph Soto. <\/p>\n
Other investors in Infinityy \u2014 which has seven employees, working remotely for now \u2014 include: Doug Hirsh, Sid Lakireddy, Second Century Ventures (an arm of the National Association of Realtors), and Bullock Capital (a San Francisco real estate firm).<\/p>\n
Infinityy\u2019s software can be integrated in an individual agency\u2019s listings, or in those offered through a regional multiple listing service. (The Miami Association of Realtors was the first to sign on.) The software augments listings by allowing potential buyers to ask questions, not just about the property itself, but also the neighborhood, the nearby schools, and the broader community; the AI assistant can also connect the buyers directly with the property\u2019s agents.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the minute I saw this, I thought, this solves a problem we\u2019ve been trying to solve for a very long time,\u201d Nickerson said. \u201cIt\u2019s how do we represent a property in a way that people can best understand it, and make decisions quickly [about] whether it\u2019s the right choice for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nickerson launched her marketing agency in 2003 after working for Codman & Co., a local commercial real estate brokerage. (It has since merged with Newmark.) She originally thought she would go back into real estate but the flexibility of running her own business, especially while raising three young children, was too good to pass up. With this latest position, she gets to do both: run her own firm, and return to real estate.<\/p>\n
Eng likes wearing two hats<\/p>\n
Just how long can Phil Eng juggle two of the toughest jobs in state government<\/a>?<\/p>\n The MBTA general manager and interim transportation secretary<\/a> has a quick response for those who are wondering: As long as necessary.<\/p>\n Eng addressed this curious professional circumstance last week at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. Governor Maura Healey hired Eng to run the T<\/a> three years ago, and she named Eng her transportation secretary as well in October, after Monica Tibbits-Nutt left. (He did not get a bump in pay, though, on top of the roughly $500K a year he earns as MBTA general manager.)<\/p>\n There\u2019s no sign that Healey is about to hire someone else as transportation secretary anytime soon. And the conventional wisdom is that Healey keeps the popular T boss in both roles at least until after the election in November \u2014 a long time to be an \u201cinterim\u201d anything.<\/p>\n Eng did not offer any sort of timeline at the chamber. But he also did nothing to dissuade those in the room from thinking that he could be wearing both hats well into the future. Toward that end, he discussed examples of how he held multiple roles in New York\u2019s transportation bureaucracy, where he spent most of his career.<\/p>\n \u201cI want everyone to know here, for as long as I\u2019m needed, I will do both roles,\u201d Eng told the chamber. \u201cI enjoy both roles.\u201d<\/p>\n He said he needs to rely on talented top lieutenants to pull it off, and cited two of them by name, undersecretaries Samantha Silverberg and Jon Gulliver. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just about one person,\u201d Eng said. \u201cIt\u2019s about the leadership team that you build.\u201d<\/p>\n Good luck persuading PR executive George Regan<\/a> to take a weekend off, let alone a week or two.<\/p>\n But a health scare in February landed Regan in Mass. General Hospital\u2019s intensive care unit for nine days. For much of the time, he says, he was discouraged by his wife Elizabeth Regan and multiple doctors from using his cell phones. In terms of time away from work, he adds, \u201cI set a record.\u201d<\/p>\n He started feeling ill on the way back to Massachusetts from the Super Bowl, on the plane flying home from California. Within two days, he ended up in the hospital. (He didn\u2019t want to disclose the ailment.)<\/p>\n At one point, he woke up and saw a few dozen bouquets of flowers from well-wishers that included clients such as auto mogul Herb Chambers, developer Jon Davis, and Denella Clark with the Boston Arts Academy Foundation.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s when I thought I was in a funeral home when I woke up,\u201d Regan says.<\/p>\n The executive committee at Boston-based Regan Communications Group kept the firm running while its founder and chief executive was incapacitated. \u201cThey did a better job than if I was there,\u201d said Regan, who is in his 70s.<\/p>\n Regan is now starting to chat with clients and journalists again, but he\u2019s not quite sure when he\u2019ll return to the office.<\/p>\n \u201cIt puts what\u2019s important into perspective,\u201d Regan said of his recent hospital experience.<\/p>\n His wife, a flight attendant with JetBlue, had more than one reason to be stressed.<\/p>\n The couple, Regan said, is expecting a baby boy, their first child (also to be called George), in early April.<\/p>\n Does that mean he\u2019ll take more time off from work? His sheepish response: \u201cI think so.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking to The Boss for advice<\/p>\n Should executives turn to The Boss to learn how to be a better boss?<\/p>\n Andy Freed sure thinks so, and he\u2019s got a roughly 200-page book out<\/a> to show you how: \u201cLead Like The Boss: The Bruce Springsteen framework to elevating your leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n Freed leads Virtual Inc., a Wakefield company that provides marketing, accounting, and other services to associations. In his spare time, he often chases Springsteen concerts. He\u2019s been to nearly 100 of them.<\/p>\n After a Phoenix show in 2024, Freed jotted down leadership lessons he gleaned from Bruce Springsteen on the plane back to Boston that he posted on LinkedIn<\/a>. (Examples: \u201cTell a story,\u201d \u201cenergy is infectious,\u201d \u201cbuild a full team.\u201d) He knew that he had the makings of a book. <\/p>\n Freed hired book-writing coach Marni Seneker<\/a> to help him, and ended up signing a contract with John Wiley & Sons. Wiley demanded a manuscript by July, so Freed would find a few hours on most days to work on it while juggling his chief executive responsibilities.<\/p>\n His own development as a leader took a turn last year when he was diagnosed with cancer. His once-limitless energy has diminished. It\u2019s forced him to be more intentional about his communications with clients and coworkers. He relinquished his chief executive role<\/a> to Greg Kohn in January, and appointed Lynne Feldstein as chief operating officer, though he remains Virtual\u2019s chairman.<\/p>\n The plan was to go on a book tour but with his multiple visits each week at Mass. General for cancer treatments, he\u2019s not traveling much. So he\u2019s talking with journalists and podcasters to get the word out, and he hosted a launch party at the Harvard Club last month.<\/p>\n Oh, and he\u2019s getting his book to The Boss himself. Just last week, E Street Band guitarist Stevie Van Zandt<\/a> received a copy and volunteered to share a book with Springsteen. Now, Freed has to figure out what he\u2019s going to say in his message when he signs it.<\/p>\n While Springsteen references dominate the book, Freed also cites lessons from other prominent personalities, such as director Barry Sonnenfeld and Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella. Among the takeaways: lead with forethought and intention, as if you are a rock star writing a set list before taking the stage.<\/p>\n \u201cSo much better than opening the PowerPoint and hoping for the best,\u201d Freed said.<\/p>\n Spoken like a true boss.<\/p>\n Jon Chesto can be reached at jon.chesto@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @jonchesto<\/a>.<\/p>\n