“Our Community at Work” is a new series in the Rampage that focuses on the professional achievements of Ramaz parents and school alumni. In this edition’s installment, we speak to Ramaz parent Robert Schwartz. Mr. Schwartz is a partner at Spruce Capital Partners in New York City, is the proud parent of three current Ramaz students, and the husband of a Ramaz alumna.

While most high school students today might spend their days checking their phones, in high school, Robert Schwartz spent his downtime reading real estate classifieds in the newspaper. Mr. Schwartz made it his goal to learn as much as possible about the professional field of his dreams. What started out as a hobby eventually grew into a full-fledged passion.

After graduating from the Wharton School of Business, Mr. Schwartz began working in merging and acquisitions, a division of banking that handles the transfer or consolations of the ownership of companies. During the early stages of his career, Mr. Schwartz began to personally invest in real estate. His understanding of the field grew to a point where he felt comfortable starting a real estate investment fund. In 2007, he and a fellow classmate from Wharton started Spruce Capital Partners, a New York City based real estate firm that owns, develops, and invests in various properties. The firm and its partners have both acquired and developed a portfolio of assets totaling in excess of $3 billion. Additionally, the partners of Spruce run S3 Capital, one of the most active bridge lenders in New York City. S3 has closed over 250 loans since 2014, totaling over $1 billion.

On the day I visited Mr. Schwartz at his midtown office, I was impressed not just by how modern and open the space was, but more importantly, by how happy all the employees looked. Mr. Schwartz noted that the general positivity felt in Spruce’s office stems from all the employees’ love for their work. Mr. Schwartz, who admitted to working long hours, clearly loves what he does, and which rubs off on the employees at Spruce.  “I find that you’ll be the most successful if you really apply yourself to something that you really enjoy,” said Mr. Schwartz. “I love what I do everyday, and I don’t feel like I’m working.”

On any given day, he can be seen fielding meetings from various banks, investors, and project managers. Sometimes, Mr. Schwartz will venture to one of the firm’s open construction sites, where he’ll meet with the building’s chief architect to assess the progress of the ongoing project. After work, Mr. Schwartz usually ends up at a business dinner with clients. His job requires constant oversight, skillful management, and a strong ability to multitask.

Mr. Schwartz’s motivation and work ethic came from growing up with two immigrant parents, who came to the United States with nearly nothing and worked non-stop to provide for their children. He was always a serious student, enrolling in the honors track at the Yeshiva of Flatbush. Mr. Schwartz also noted that while his studies were his number one priority in high school, he still always found time to have fun and enjoy himself.

In addition to hard work, Robert Schwartz also believes that success in business requires a lot of good luck and well thought-out timing. Mr. Schwartz noted that luck can oftentimes make or break every aspiring businessman. “There’s luck in everything you do,” said Mr. Schwartz.“We buy things when we feel like the capital’s protected and the chances of losing money are slim, but how much money you’ll make and how successful you’ll be depends a lot on the timing of your execution. How well you perform matters, but luck is very important.”