THE ENTREPRENEUR | Lucas Hewett

Lucas Hewett fondly looks back at his childhood in Miami and relishes the sense of entrepreneurship his father – a State Farm insurance agent and small-business owner – instilled in him.

“I spent the summers working at my dad’s dive shop . . . That’s actually where I got into sales,” said Hewett, 29, the senior director of the Tallahassee office of GVA Advantis, a worldwide leader in commercial real estate brokerage and management. “I was 10, 11, 12 years old, working at the boat and dive shows, selling scuba equipment . . . That served me well.”

A philosophy major in college, today Hewett is “100 percent responsible” for all company operations in Northwest Florida, including property management, brokerage and construction. The company currently lists $155 million worth of property, and GVA Advantis clients include the St. Joe Company – one of the largest landholders in the state.

In college he was urged to become a professor, but Hewett decided against it, concluding that there was more money to be made outside of the ivory towers of academia.

Still, “I think I’m a frustrated teacher inside,” he said. “And I find that even my sales approach tends to be more philosophical and teaching.

“Philosophy teaches you to read, write, think and speak. Those are good skills for business,” he said.

“I find myself talking about ethics a lot,” he said. “Honesty and ethics are a huge part of (my business philosophy), and I find myself preaching that over and over, and just being generous with people – more than just fair or what’s right, but being generous. I really feel like it just comes back to you, especially in a small town.”

Hewett said he’s not quite at the summit of his career.

“I’ve always been a quick study, so I think my velocity can be pretty high, but I think I’m in the early phases of my career,” he said. “I think, give me 20 years and I’ll be back teaching somewhere in my spare time.”

In his spare time today, Hewett likes to spend time with his family and indulge in a couple of other activities.

“I’ve got a couple old (motorcycles),” he said. “I don’t play golf, but I get the same kind of Zen experience . . . I’m also kind of a pop culture fan. And I still read my philosophy books a lot . . . Those kinds of diversions are nice.” – Jason Dehart