During the pandemic, I stood at a major crossroads in my business journey here in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
A promising real estate opportunity came my way as a developer. The deal involved renovation and building work that aligned with what we do at People Properties Limited. But the timing was brutal. Interest rates had doubled, uncertainty was high, and the economy was shaking. 3 others had already tried to make the deal work with no luck. One of the key people supporting my financing up to this point looked at me and said, “Neyaz, don’t do it. You don’t need to take that risk right now.”
Many would have listened. I almost did too.
But I decided to take the bull by the horns. I went full tilt on the project – pushing forward with the renovation, managing the construction, and navigating the uncertain economy. It wasn’t the biggest financial win we’ve ever had. It didn’t completely transform the company overnight. But it became one of the most valuable decisions I’ve made as a real estate developer in Nova Scotia.
Why? Because it made me stronger. It gave me real experience, sharpened my instincts, and proved I could move forward when others froze.
That moment taught me a lesson I keep coming back to: learning to separate noise from signal in business.
Noise is loud and constant. It’s the flood of opinions, warnings, and well-meaning advice that pours in when you’re trying to grow. It comes from family, friends, mentors – even people in construction and financing. Often it sounds like wisdom, but it’s usually filtered through someone else’s fears or stage of life.
Signal, on the other hand, is quieter. It comes from doing your own homework, understanding the real estate market in Halifax, running the numbers, and listening to your own gut as an entrepreneur and developer.
The person who advised me against the deal was older in age, closer to retiring than just starting. For him, at that point in life, pulling back made sense, it wasn’t about gambling or trying to do whatever possible to grow. But I was younger, just getting started, still hungry to grow through experience in renovation and building projects. His advice was right for him – just not for me.
Another notion to be able to see through. I’ve seen this pattern many times in business. People want to see you do well. They just don’t always want to see you do better than them. It’s human nature, and it shows up in subtle doubts and extra caution. Are you naive or can you see through what people really say, the subconscious meanings in their words.
At the end of the day, if you want to win in this game, you have to buy the ticket. You have to initiate. You have to be willing to grind and take calculated risks in the economy we’re living in. Luck rarely just lands in your lap – especially in real estate development in Nova Scotia.
This experience also connected back to something I wrote about recently — the idea that every tree grows in two directions. Taking that deal was the upward growth. The deeper work came afterward: strengthening systems, building better relationships in the local construction industry, and developing the discipline to trust my own signal.
I’ve learned that business is as much about psychology as it is about numbers and bricks. Understanding people – and learning to tune out the noise – has become one of the most important skills I’ve developed.
So here’s my question for you:
Where in your own business or career is the noise drowning out your signal right now?
Are you holding back on a real estate opportunity, a renovation project, or a new direction because of outside voices? Or are you tuning into what’s truly right for you in this economy?
The path forward isn’t always the safest one. Sometimes it’s the one that feels scary but authentic.
– Neyaz Saberi