FBLA TBL February 2023 - 20

ALUMNI
SPOTLIGHT
NIEL
PATEL
In each issue of Tomorrow's Business Leader,
FBLA asks an alum to share what they are
doing now, how FBLA helped prepare them
for success, and what advice they have for
today's FBLA members.
Niel Patel
Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Investor,
Obsidian Group
Minneapolis, Minnesota
What are your job duties and responsibilities?
My responsibilities include finding, negotiating, and acquiring
commercial properties of various asset types.
When, where, and in what capacity were you
involved in FBLA?
Attending high school in Centerview, Missouri, I was a member
of FBLA throughout all four years of high school and
served as the High School national president in 2016-2017.
What is your favorite FBLA memory?
A few months after I became president, I was on a video
call with a State Officer Team from the Eastern Region.
One of the State Officers told me that during Nationals,
his state had originally planned to give their two votes to
another national presidential candidate. He decided to
walk through the campaign booths a final time before the
voting session the following morning. During that final
walkthrough, he saw me provide a random act of kindness
to another member. He went back to his state team
and fought for me. I only won the election by three votes.
Turns out, the small things that we do when no one is
looking truly do matter.
What did you learn in FBLA that you still use today?
Body language, tone, verbiage, intent, and equanimity all
make a monumental difference in how you make others
feel. Whether you're selling a product or service, presenting
a project, or conversing with friends and family, you can
decide how they perceive you.
| 20 | TOMORROW'S BUSINESS LEADER
FBLA seeks to inspire and prepare community-minded
business leaders. How did FBLA help prepare you to
think about how you could improve your community?
How are you doing so today?
My time as a National Officer showed me the difference that I
could make for others. I've held on to that feeling and shaped my
career around maximizing the time I could spend making a positive
difference in our world.
What advice would you give the 18-year-old version
of yourself?
Why do less when you can do the most?
What books, movies, TV shows, and/or podcasts do
you consider a " must " for FBLA students?
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.
Why should FBLA alumni stay connected with FBLA?
What more can we leave in the world than passing our knowledge
and experiences to the next generation so they are able to solve
the problems that we could not?
What are you most excited about for your own future?
Since I spend a majority of my time acquiring real estate, I look
forward to transitioning back into the start-up world once I've
built a sustainable portfolio. My passion has always been to build
businesses around solving real-world problems.
What are you most excited about for FBLA's future?
I look forward to seeing how the organization continues to reshape
the challenges and opportunities it provides members. The
board, staff, advisers, and volunteers all wish nothing more than
for each student to realize their dreams.
FBLA TBL February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of FBLA TBL February 2023
