My Business Philosophy:

To enjoy the process and to love what you do is the first step to ultimate success. Creating anything is the greatest joy in life. I do what I do because I love to create. Doing what one believes is right no matter what the cost builds character. We live in a society where style has overshadowed substance. Character is the benchmark by which businesspeople are judged.

About Cameron Kuhn

Cameron Kuhn is a seasoned real estate developer with over 30 years in commercial development. He is the founder of the Kuhn Company which maintains the mission to create value and investment opportunities by building or purchasing commercial office properties and converting them to office condominiums. The strategy is to sell revenue producing leases to investors in professionally managed and maintained buildings. On the renovation side the goal is to increase value by purchasing properties that are known to have problems and to recapture the original architect’s dream.

The Company’s tools are positive attitude and complete focus, with the policy being ZERO tolerance for vacancy in leased buildings. The Kuhn Company’s team has created a win-win situation for our owners and tenants.

“Reinventing ourselves as Americans is not only our obligation; it’s our responsibility…”

Cameron Kuhn: The Responsibility to Reinvent

By Matt Gomez

“The market today is in an absolute freefall that will continue for at least two more years,” says Cameron Kuhn, Orlando, Fla.-based commercial real estate developer and president of Kuhn Companies.

But the opportunities for entrepreneurs may be better than ever, he says. You just have to know where to find them.

As a longtime commercial real estate developer Kuhn has transformed downtown urban skylines and helped revive entire communities in Chicago, Orlando, Jacksonville and St. Petersburg. Now he wants to do the same for the U.S. economy by infusing individuals with something they may already possess: the American spirit.

“All aspects of business are being affected by this bad economy,” Kuhn says. “Not just housing and commercial real estate, but restaurants, travel, entertainment — across the board. It affects every American, rich and poor, whether you realize it or not.”

While not alone with this gloomy prediction, Kuhn says the worst thing people can do now is give up on their dreams or believe all is lost. “Because if you believe it’s lost now, just wait until you lose some more,” he says.

And he speaks from experience.

When recent global economic crises decimated the commercial real estate and housing markets in the United States, the developer formerly known as “Mr. Downtown” found himself deep in debt and the target of 55 lawsuits. It was time to do things differently.

“I owed $220 million when I found out I was in trouble,” Kuhn says. “I was hit really hard by the economic downturn, but it affects everyone.”

Fortunately, he knows how to take a punch. By “getting creative” and keeping a sharp focus on a return to success, Kuhn is weathering a storm that has devastated many people — families, businesses, banks and governments.

“Since then, I’ve been able to pay off and renegotiate out of nearly all of it,” he says. “Life is a learning process. That will never change for me.”

After all, he says, it’s the American way.

Crepes, soy meal and franchising

“Reinventing ourselves as Americans is not only our obligation; it’s our responsibility,” Kuhn says. “That’s the beauty of this country. We can create. We endorse creativity. We live by it. We need to go back to the drawing boards on everything and find a way to get things done, but do it better. You’re starting to see glimpses of that now.”

Kuhn cites himself as an example. With real estate ventures deep underwater, Kuhn turned his creative talents in other seemingly odd and potentially lucrative directions.

“My wife and I started a street-vendor crepe company,” he says. “I’ve never made a crepe in my life, but it was her dream. We bought a couple of crepe carts and are now selling them on the streets in downtown Orlando. We’ll be franchising the carts by March 2010.”

Another venture took him far from Orlando and into the global commodities market.

“I’m in the midst of selling 50,000 tons of soy meal,” Kuhn says. “I’ve never done this before, but I saw an opportunity and found a buyer. Greece doesn’t buy American soy meal. So now I have to find soy meal in Brazil, but there are buyers in Greece. And there’s a $1.2 million commission on this deal.”

Kuhn looks to America’s pioneering spirit and bold embrace of capitalism to see it through tough economic times like these. Passion, he says, trumps the paralysis of fear.

“In our current marketplace, we are trying so hard to hang on to what we’ve got, we’ve missed the opportunity to do what we can do,” he says. “People are so fearful of losing their homes, their luxury cars, their status and lifestyles, that we’ve stopped looking over the horizon at the business opportunities that exist. There are better opportunities now than existed in my whole career. We just have to open our eyes and minds to the possibilities.”

And entrepreneurs of all shapes and sizes will lead the way.

“It doesn’t matter that you have no experience,” he says. “What do I know about crepes, soy meal and franchising? Nothing! You just have to have the desire to learn and grow – and the passion, perseverance and confidence to get things done.”

A self-made business leader with no formal college education, Kuhn encourages people to look beyond their fears and failures and keep focused on the gifts that will make them successful.

“You have to ask yourself, what kind of value can you as an individual bring to someone?” he asks. “People will pay for your talents; you just have to show your value.”

Kuhn forecasts even tougher times ahead for the U.S. economy, but among the struggles are enormous opportunities for people willing to reinvent themselves – and others.

“It’s an exciting time for business leaders,” Kuhn says. “When Americans are put in a corner, we make things happen. It’s what we do. It’s how we were built.”

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Cameron Kuhn: Quick hits

Business philosophy: “Enjoy the process and do what you love to do. Creating anything is the greatest joy in life. I do what I do because I love to create. Do what you believe is right no matter what the cost. It builds character. We live in a society where style has overshadowed substance. Character is the benchmark by which businesspeople are judged.”

Business leadership: “The greatest business mind in my lifetime has been Steve Jobs, creator and founder of Apple. He’s the best of the best.”

Inspiration: “I listen to Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, and Tony Robbins (I’ve done all of his tapes) …

Guiding principle: “Life is a learning process. That will never change for me.”