Jason Hughes of San Diego: Five Things You Didn’t Know About the Hughes Marino CEO

Hughes Marino Chairman, CEO, and Co-owner, Jason Hughes has been an influential figure in tenant and buyer representation, project management, portfolio lease administration and audit, and culture consulting for three decades. He began his career in the 1980s working for Cushman & Wakefield in Los Angeles and later moved to San Diego, where he has represented corporate, nonprofit, and municipal tenants in their lease and purchase negotiations. He founded Hughes Marino in 2011 with his wife, Shay Hughes, and now it’s the largest exclusive tenant and buyer representation company in San Diego and one of the largest in the nation. Today, Jason Hughes’ firm has offices throughout California and Seattle, Denver, and New York City. Not even the pandemic has slowed his meteoric growth—Hughes Marino says it’s busier than ever before.

And others have taken notice. The San Diego Business Journal recently named Jason Hughes the “Most Admired CEO.” But like most top CEOs, Hughes didn’t reach this level of success by chance. His days begin early, and his plans are always well-curated and purpose-driven. Here are five things you may not know about Jason Hughes.

Jason Hughes

1. Like Apple CEO Tim Cook, he doesn’t sleep in.
   Jason Hughes typically starts his day sometime between 4:30 to 5 a.m. He reads emails and a couple of newspapers while having a cup of coffee and a small bite to eat before heading out to the gym. Then he and his wife walk the local trails for about an hour. Jason Hughes then takes a quick shower and is back at his home office by 9 a.m.
2. He’s a voracious reader.
   Jason Hughes is a big fan of author James Clear’s Atomic Habits book, which recommends individuals itemize the top six most important things to do the next day the night before and then stack them in order of what’s most important on top. He has found that the old “plan your work and work your plan” adage is a secret weapon for productivity.
3. His wife helps him turn ideas into reality.
   Jason Hughes is a mastermind at developing engaging ideas, but he credits his wife Shay for turning those ideas into reality. According to Jason Hughes, she is a genius at executing a plan and understanding all the intricacies of making something happen.
4. He never takes accomplishments for granted.
   Former Chairman and CEO of Starbucks Howard Schultz is one of his heroes, and he lives by a quote from the legendary coffee mogul. “Success is not an entitlement. You need to earn it every day.”
5. Perseverance is a way of life for him.
   He doesn’t give up and has made that ethos a way of life. The only time he abandons an idea is after it’s been proven to be fruitless. “I’m always telling myself to somehow move forward, even when I’m figuratively on my hands and knees, and sometimes flat on my stomach. I figure out a way to inch forward one way or another,” Jason Hughes has said. “It’s hard not to be productive when you’re moving in a forward direction, regardless of how slow you might be moving.”

Author: Digital Solutions