5 Shifts That Mark My Rebirth: From Real Estate to Regeneration

An invitation to burn your boats and walk barefoot into the future.

For over twenty years, I’ve travelled the paths of the built environment, real estate, innovation, and sustainability. My polished shoes took me through boardrooms, conferences, and construction sites. I believed in the promise of smart cities, scalable impact, and infinite growth. I helped shape numerous urban stakeholder organisations in the Netherlands and beyond, and I now realise they were still rooted in a fragmented past. Somewhere along the way, those shoes began to feel heavy, muffled, out of step with the deeper rhythm of the world I longed to serve and the truth of who I am. What once felt like progress started to feel hollow, devoid of soul, as my true potential lay quietly beneath it all, waiting not to be used, but to be remembered and lived.

In 2024, I broke the cycle. I burned my boats by selling my house and shutting down PropTech for Good. I decided to embark on a tour of regeneration – literally and metaphorically –regeneration of myself and nurturing my soil for the future. I ate pufferfish and wagyu beef in Japan, experienced the faith cultures of Riyadh and Kyoto, and fell in love with the old cobblestone paths and regenerative urban projects of Portugal. I traded Excel sheets for books and podcasts, time to do nothing and feel, and profit models for presence. I listened to the land, to artisans, to souls old and new. And what I heard was clear: we cannot solve the problems of the past with the mindset that created them. We need regeneration. We need to remember and unlock future potential.

Here are five shifts that mark my rebirth – from Real Estate Strategist, PropTech Evangelist, and keynote speaker to Weaver of Worlds, Trailblazer in Regenerative Urban Futures, and Storykeeper of Transformation (learn more about how to walk with me), walking between what was and what wants to emerge. These shifts might spark something in you, too.

1.   From solving past problems to revealing future potential

In real estate, success has often been measured by the amount of money earned and the effectiveness with which problems are managed, such as obtaining permits more quickly, designing smarter building operations, and achieving greener certifications. But regeneration raises a different question: what wants to emerge here, and what is the potential of this place, this community, this moment? I don’t want to work on solving old problems. I want to unlock potential, future potential. Not to impose, but to invite. Regeneration doesn’t fix what’s broken; it asks what wants to be born. Each project becomes a living investigation, not a closed (point) solution. It’s less about giving the ‘right’ answers, but more about having the courage to listen to what emerges, nurturing the soil, and creating conditions conducive to life.

2.   From Metrics to Meaning

We have the freedom to choose our attitude. Meaning – not happiness or power – is the most critical driver of human life. ESG, SDGs, and KPIs once gave me direction, even meaning. But far too often, they became limitations. They indicated what was easy, instead of what truly mattered. In my rebirth, I seek meaning rather than numbers. Meaning for myself. But also, for what restores dignity to people, a neighbourhood, or an organisation. What brings joy and vitality to a public space or a canteen? What helps a city or organisation breathe again (in a natural way)? Now I ask myself: Does this create life? If not, why do we build it?

3.   From Transaction to Evolution

My previous life was shaped by transactions, deals, pilots, KPIs, and strategies aimed at optimising systems and minimising harm. It was about achieving more with less, balancing trade-offs between eco and ego. But beneath the surface, something essential was missing from life. The current system rewards efficiency, not vitality. It extracts results but rarely encourages renewal. Today, I am no longer focused on extractive transactions; I am embracing (restorative and) regenerative evolution. My vision isn’t to fix what’s broken, but to recall what’s alive. Regeneration isn’t a strategy; it’s a sacred, systemic, and soulful process of reweaving relationships, purpose, and potential. It unfolds not through control, but by creating the right conditions: I start by listening deeply to the place, to the people, and to what wants to emerge. I don’t consult; I convene. I host spaces where dialogue becomes a gateway, where organisations, cities, and individuals remember how to build with life, not just on top of it. This work doesn’t produce products that solve past problems; it nurtures presence and unlocks future potential. It doesn’t optimise performance; it awakens participation. In a world driven by scale, speed, and scarcity, this process creates space for coherence, reciprocity, and reverence. It fosters a sense of belonging, meaning, and futures worth inhabiting. Where I once delivered results, I now nurture inner and outer evolution, one conversation, one ritual, one living lab at a time.

4.   From Planning the Future to Living the Present

Urban foresight shaped me. I wrote trend blogs, advised boardrooms, and lived with constant anticipation of what was to come. I became fluent in signals, strategies, and scenarios, always hunched over, constantly scanning the horizon. But keeping your body stuck in the future comes at a price. Mine forgot how to rest at times, and fear sometimes became a companion. My nervous system tuned into urgency, not intimacy. The more I predicted, the more I fragmented. I lived for gentle rebellion, pushing boundaries in the (inter)national built environment and disrupting the status quo with visions of what could be. But my regenerative path whispered a more profound truth: true rebellion begins with return. To the smell of cedar. The silence of the ocean tide. The sacred pause between inhale and exhale. These are not retreats from the future, but the proper foundations of it. Because the future is not a spreadsheet, nor a KPI, nor a keynote, it is now woven into the way we move, speak, build, breathe, and belong. This shift calls me (and you) to presence, to practice, and to daily rituals rooted in devotion, acts of silent reverence that restore balance and quietly work their way into the next century.

5.   From Career to Becoming

What began as a career has become a pilgrimage—a deeper exploration of meaning, mystery, and movement. I no longer introduce myself with familiar titles that limit and debilitate. Titles freeze identity; they trap us in mechanical systems built for efficiency, not essence. As I often say, “Pyramids make mummies.” We are not artifacts. We are alive. Instead, I offer roles as living invitations. I introduce myself as a Weaver of Worlds, a Pioneer of Regenerative Urban Futures, and a Storykeeper of Transformation. I choose these not as personal brands, but as paths of commitment—roles that reflect my essence and call me to be present every day. The Weaver of Worlds signifies connection—across silos, sectors, and souls. I bring people, ideas, and systems into coherence, weaving invisible threads into patterns of possibility. The Trailblazer reflects my passion for leading into the unknown, into the wild edges of urban futures, where regeneration is not just a concept but a way of being and creating. And the Storykeeper? That’s my commitment to memory and meaning. I help others remember who they are, what matters, and what is truly worth creating. These roles are not just for me. They define how I am there for others – with presence, provocation, and care. My impact lies not only in the results but also in how I create space for the essence to emerge – in people, in places, in organisations, and systems. This is becoming. And you are invited too.

Burn the Boats

Let me be clear, these shifts are not easy and require time. Moving between worlds is challenging (I have experienced it before; more on that in my next blog). I am still learning, feeling, and experiencing. I always will be. It is a process of evolution. It’s becoming. If something is stirring in you – a longing, a quiet discomfort – trust it. These are the signals of rebirth. Perhaps the structures you have built over time no longer feel like home. Maybe your tools seem blunt or borrowed. Your rhythms might feel rushed and potentially stressful. I won't give you a formula. But I invite you to burn your boats and leave behind what no longer serves you. Walk barefoot. Reconnect with the ground. Let your soul guide your steps. We do not need more experts; we need more aliveness – life energy (our ki), not burnout management. Your rebirth will differ from mine, but it begins in the same way: by listening. By letting go. By daring to ask: What if I build not from fear, but from love? Not from habit, but from wholeness? I invite you to walk with me. To take the first step. The journey will not always be easy, but it will be extremely valuable for yourself, others, and our planet Earth.

Author

Menno Lammers

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