We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dustin Sutton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dustin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

One of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken was moving to San Diego after college with no job, no plan, and no real connections. I grew up on the East Coast in Philadelphia and went to the University of Delaware. Like a lot of recent grads, I wasn’t totally sure what I wanted to do—but I knew I needed a change of scenery and a fresh start.

So I packed up and moved across the country. No job lined up. No network. Just a gut feeling that I’d figure it out once I got there. And truthfully, the start was rough.

The first job I landed was in a warehouse—sweeping floors and loading trucks. It was humbling, especially after being a high achiever in high school and college. I had imagined jumping straight into a white-collar role, but that wasn’t my reality. Still, I showed up and did the work. That job reminded me that nothing is beneath you when you’re building something from the ground up.

That season of life gave me grit, humility, and a perspective that still guides me today. It shaped how I approach business, leadership, and relationships—treating everyone with respect, staying hungry, and never being too proud to roll up my sleeves.

Looking back, that leap of faith to move across the country with nothing but belief in myself was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It wasn’t easy or glamorous, but it laid the foundation for everything I’ve built since.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Dustin Sutton—an entrepreneur, commercial real estate professional, and podcast host based in Southern California. My career path has been anything but linear, and I’m proud of that. I’ve built my professional life around three core pillars: business development, innovation, and community.

I got my start in commercial real estate more than five years after moving to San Diego from Philadelphia. At the time, I didn’t have a job, a network, or even a clear plan—just the belief that I needed to bet on myself. My first role in San Diego was sweeping floors and loading trucks in a warehouse. From there, I transitioned into outside sales, moved into leasing, and eventually made my way into property and asset management.

Today, I serve as an Account Executive at Meissner Commercial Real Estate Services, where I help owners, investors, and institutions nationwide optimize their portfolios through strategic management, accounting, and operational support. I bring a holistic understanding to my role—because I’ve worked across the sales pipeline, in field operations, and on the asset side, I know how the pieces fit together and how to create meaningful value at every step.

Outside of CRE, I’m the founder of RANGEZ, a golf tech startup developing wearable AR rangefinders that deliver real-time insights to players. We’ve built a working prototype, secured nearly 100 pre-orders without paid advertising, and partnered with outstanding teams in design, software, and sports innovation. RANGEZ was born from a love of golf and a curiosity about how to turn bold ideas into tangible products. Our mission is to help players enjoy the game more efficiently with a hands-free, data-driven, and stylish solution.

I also founded BCREN (Black Commercial Real Estate Network), a nonprofit that supports more than 1,200 Black professionals in the industry through mentorship, networking, and career development. Creating a space for connection, representation, and growth in commercial real estate is one of the things I’m most proud of.

And then there’s my podcast—Tools, Talents, and Techniques—where I sit down with entrepreneurs, executives, and creatives to unpack how they built what they built. It’s a passion project that allows me to spotlight meaningful stories and share insights that resonate across industries.

What sets me apart? I believe it’s my range. I speak the language of real estate, tech, startups, and community building—and I navigate those worlds with purpose. I bring the grit I developed early on, the mindset of a builder, and a genuine sense of responsibility to everything I do.

At the end of the day, I care about the work—but I care even more about the people behind it. Whether I’m helping a client stabilize an asset, launching a product that reimagines how we play, or mentoring someone just starting out—I aim to show up fully, do the work, and leave things better than I found them.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

A couple of years ago, I made the decision to leave Meissner and join a tech startup. It wasn’t glamorous—and honestly, it wasn’t always fun—but it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I took the risk, bet on myself, and stepped into a completely new environment. That experience opened my eyes to how people in a different industry think, how they operate, and how they build.

After the startup, I went out on my own as a commercial real estate broker. I closed a couple of deals, but I quickly realized that the day-to-day grind of brokerage—and the way I’d need to approach it to be successful—just wasn’t for me. And that’s okay. I learned a lot. I learned what it means to take a risk and come up short, and more importantly, how to grow from that. I realized that even in the moments that felt like “failure,” I was building skills, expanding my perspective, and proving to myself that I had capabilities others may not have seen in me—or that I hadn’t yet seen in myself.

Those pivots gave me clarity. They taught me what I enjoy doing, what I don’t, and what kind of environments bring out the best in me. I also realized something else: what I had at Meissner the first time around was unique. So when they asked if I’d consider returning, I was thrilled. I came back with new insight, new energy, and a broader understanding of business, tech, and entrepreneurship.

Because of those experiences, I’m more well-rounded, more confident, and more intentional. Taking those risks gave me the courage to launch RANGEZ, my golf tech startup, and to start my podcast, Tools, Talents, and Techniques. It all built on itself. Sometimes the pivots that don’t look like wins from the outside are the ones that shape you the most. For me, they made all the difference.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Being curious, being authentic, and focusing on real relationships.

I’ve found that when you lead with curiosity—when you truly listen to people, not just to respond but to understand—they’ll tell you what they need. I approach every interaction by asking myself: How can I help? How can my skills, my company, or my network create value here? That mindset has helped me become a trusted resource—and when people trust you, they want to work with you.

I don’t chase deals just to chase them. I try to create win-win-win scenarios, where everyone involved walks away better off. That approach has led to clients referring me, opportunities finding me, and deals happening in organic, often unexpected ways.

Even though I’m involved in a number of things—commercial real estate, RANGEZ, my podcast, BCREN, and volunteer work—they all connect. They give me a broader perspective and allow me to show up in different spaces with insight, empathy, and value. People sometimes think that doing a lot of things would stretch me thin, but for me, it’s the opposite. These things energize me. They overlap, they open doors, and they allow me to build a network where opportunities and deals naturally flow.

So the strategy? Be yourself. Show up with intention. Offer help without expecting anything in return. When you do that consistently, people remember—and clients come from that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tools-talents-and-techniques-with-dustin-sutton/id1692838507
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustincsutton/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dustincsutton/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustincsutton/
• Twitter: https://x.com/dustincsutton/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DustinCSutton
• Other: https://meissnercres.com/

  https://open.spotify.com/show/7pQZ551Ct4jVRQ2BqB7Zr2?si=835c70f7f9b0439b

Image Credits

RANGEZ, Inc.
Sutton Enterprises LLC
Meissner CRES
BCREN