The Talanian Way

Charles M. Talanian started school in the 1950s, and it quickly became evident that he wasn't the best student. In fact, his teachers considered him intellectually challenged. Even so, he was insatiably curious about mechanical things-how a bicycle worked, for instance, and why a lamp went on when you flicked the switch. In his free time, he'd dig stuff out of the trash and build things. Later, he began tinkering with hammers, nails, and wood and built forts and treehouses. As frustrated as he was in school, he found a place helping his father at his fledgling company, C. Talanian Real Estate in Boston. He specialized in rehabbing older buildings in the city's Back Bay section. Gradually, with modest resources, the company began acquiring retail and office space along Newbury Street. After the author's father died in 1987, he continued to build the company's portfolio until it became among the largest holders of commercial properties on Newbury Street, now considered one of the most exclusive streets in the United States. In this memoir, the author shares his unconventional road to success and the steps he took to turn C. Talanian Real Estate into a powerful force.