Dublin-Worthington News Stories

Sunday, January 23, 2022
By: Paul J. Cynkar
Advancing the Leadership Mindset
Finding Success in the Success of Others
Paul Cynkar, January 2022

This is another in a series of member profiles based on discovery interviews that were designed to get an up-close view of the traits and strengths of the members who provide leadership to this organization.
Membership Spotlight: Greg Giessler
Integrity and Impact for the Long Run

 
Tell us about yourself. Give us three facts that include information about your family, your career and your pastimes.
My wife, Amy, and I have two children. Graham is three and a half years old. Andi is three months old. I went through the Worthington Schools and in 1991, my sophomore year I played on the State Champion soccer team. I attended The Ohio State University and earned a degree in Forestry. After graduation I traveled internationally and lived in New Zealand for almost a year. I have been fortunate to have traveled to seventeen different countries thus far. I have worked for Cam Taylor Realtors for twenty years..

How long have you belonged to Rotary? What’s the best thing about membership?
I joined Rotary at about the same time I joined Cam Taylor. The best thing is the people I have met and the relationships I have built with other like-minded people. As I remember, I was asked to lead the Four Way Test Speech Contest immediately upon joining.  It has been especially rewarding to listen to the high school students who participate in the contest.

As you look back on your life and your career, where and when did you have the biggest impact on others? Who was impacted and how?
Three things stand out to me. First are the mission trips to Honduras and the Dominican Republic. I have been to both places numerous times and I enjoyed interacting and creating relationships with people there. Those relationships were more rewarding than the financial support and work that we gave. Next would be The Battle of Worthington, a Leadership Worthington project we started almost twenty years ago in collaboration with Special Olympics. Further, as part of my career in real estate, matching the right people with their right houses is quite impactful.

As you look back, which of the opportunities you’ve had has been the most fulfilling to you personally?  Why?
The ability to travel at a young age and be in places that completely put me out of my comfort zone forced me to adapt and learn. That was definitely fulfilling and beneficial to me as a person. Further, the opportunity to work with my parents, more so, my dad over the last twenty years, has been a blessing. He has always let me do things my own way yet has always been there to reel me back in when necessary. To be able to learn from such a great person on how to live life has been invaluable.

Describe the most challenging project you’ve ever worked on.  What was your role? What was the result? What did you learn?
I’ll describe a personal challenge and a business challenge.  Personally, I am a continual work in progress and sometimes I need to learn to get out of my own way. I have learned that life is a blessing and I need to express gratitude every morning as each day begins. The business challenge came when Amy and I purchased our real estate brokerage from my parents five years ago. I have learned that some of the most challenging efforts such as rebranding, remodeling, managing, and hiring, take a lot of effort. Though these changes can be difficult, they can also be rewarding.

What are some things you are passionate about? What really excites you? What gets your adrenalin flowing? What makes your heart sing?
I have always been a very competitive person. While I was more competitive in my younger days playing soccer and basketball, I continue to channel the competitiveness in running. I have enjoyed running marathons with my fastest time of 3 hours 12 minutes which qualified me for the Boston Marathon. I still enjoy running today but being able to spend time with my son who enjoys golf, baseball, basketball and pickleball (actually anything that involves a ball) really gets me going. We often load up the Thule stroller and hit the bike trails with our gear to get Saturday mornings off right. Andi will be able to join us soon in the Thule double running stroller I got as a gift from Santa this Christmas.

What are you especially skilled at? What is something that others often tell you that they think makes you stand out?
This is a tough question for me. I had someone once tell me everything I commit to I do.  This speaks to integrity which I honestly believe is a strength. Thus, if I really want to do something it gets done no matter how large or small the task.

When you have a moment to sit back and think (dream) about your future, what do you think about? What things would you like to do in your life that you haven’t gotten around to yet?  Is there something else you would like to accomplish?
Even though I am 46 years old, I feel like I am just getting started! I would like to run an ultra-marathon. I have completed a few sixty-mile team relays with Gary Williams (past member) but more specifically I would like to complete a solo fifty miler. I hope someday to continue my travels internationally and also spend more time at Ruggles Beach, Lake Erie and  Sarasota, Florida, places where I have been fortunate to spend a lot of free time.

If you could choose anyone (alive or deceased) to have lunch with, who would it be? Why?
As of today, I would like to sit down with the actor Daniel Day-Lewis. This might be because I have watched a few of his movies recently. He has played some really iconic roles; he gets totally engaged in the characters he plays and he is a master of his craft. I would also like to have lunch with C.S. Lewis. I was introduced to the Chronicles of Narnia in my childhood and recently have started to watch the movies with my son with the hope of reading the books to him soon. I would love to get inside of both of their brains. If neither of those two are available, I would probably give John Bader a call.

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