The 70/30 Rule That Builds Client Trust ft. Ken Ashley

In commercial real estate, it’s all about the deal. But what if relationships are the deciding factor in who gets trusted with the deal in the first place? 

In this episode of The Wealthy Entrepreneur, host Bob Gauvreau sits down with Ken Ashley, Executive Director at Cushman & Wakefield, to talk about what three decades in commercial real estate have taught him about trust, discipline, responsiveness, and becoming indispensable to clients.

Ken shares one fascinating story after another: how one breakfast changed the direction of his career, why he took a second job valeting cars when he first entered the industry and how he built a long career in a commission-based business where, in his words, he wakes up “unemployed” every morning.

He also breaks down the 70/30 principle for building client trust, the “digital nod” system for staying responsive and the importance of guarding your time from low-payback activities, including the now unforgettable $500 pork sandwich.

This conversation offers a grounded look at how relationships, preparation, follow-up, and real listening can compound into a career that lasts.

If you want to join the conversation and be a part of the Wealthy Entrepreneur community, let us know here: https://www.wealthyentrepreneur.co/the-wealthy-entrepreneur-podcast-guest-submission. Looking forward to having you on the podcast! 

If you enjoyed this episode, handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so, then please either:

Follow, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts

Follow on Spotify 

Instructions on following, rating, and reviewing The Wealthy Entrepreneur are here. 

Highlights:

00:00 Introduction and Meeting Ken Ashley

00:32 The Breakfast That Changed Ken’s Career

02:31 There Is No Shame in Starting Small

03:11 Thirty Years Without a Salary

05:43 What a Tenant Representative Actually Does

06:45 Why Real Estate Decisions Can Become Career-Limiting Moves

07:48 Why Ken Wrote The Prescription

10:00 Why Breaking Into Commercial Real Estate Is So Hard

12:05 The 70/30 Principle for Building Trust

14:32 How to Become Indispensable to Clients

17:41 The Digital Nod and Why Responsiveness Matters

19:30 Why Ken Created the CREI Summit

22:40 Building a Practical Battle Plan for Your Career

24:24 The One Habit That Compounded Ken’s Success

25:35 Tactical Listening and the Law of Familiarity

27:10 The Biggest Mistake People Make Entering Real Estate

28:15 Why a Free Lunch Can Cost You $500

29:03 Final Thoughts

Ken Ashley is an Executive Director at Cushman & Wakefield, where he works as a tenant representative helping companies solve complex commercial real estate problems. His work focuses on large tenant representation in Atlanta and portfolio management for companies with multiple leases. With more than 30 years in commercial real estate, Ken has built a career around relationships, responsiveness, and helping clients make better decisions in one of the most significant cost areas of their business. 

Ken is also the author of The Prescription, a book created to help young professionals understand commercial real estate, how to enter the industry, and what to do from day one. He is the founder of the CREI Summit, a micro-conference built around commercial real estate influence, content, AI and community.

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/kenashleyatlanta 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenashley/ 

X by Twitter: https://x.com/kenashley?s=20 

Website: http://www.cushmanwakefield.com/  

The Prescription Book: https://www.amazon.com/Prescription-Blueprint-Breaking-Commercial-Multi-Million-Dollar/dp/B0GRWPCW1M 

CREI Summit: https://www.creisummit.com 

Visit The Wealthy Entrepreneur Website: https://www.wealthyentrepreneur.co/  

Download The Wealthy Entrepreneur (digital book) for FREE: https://profitsimple.ca/wealthy-entrepreneur 

Like our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/wealthyentrepreneurofficial 

Join The Wealthy Entrepreneur Community for FREE at https://www.facebook.com/groups/gauvreaucpa   

For more podcast episodes, subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@wealthyentrepreneurofficial

Join the conversation and feature on the podcast: https://www.wealthyentrepreneur.co/the-wealthy-entrepreneur-podcast-guest-submission 

Let’s continue to work on becoming a Wealthy Entrepreneur!

The Wealthy Entrepreneur Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so