Meet David Jacobson | Real Estate Advisor, Professional Speaker and Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with David Jacobson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi David, what do you attribute your success to?
I would have to say it is how I use my sense of humor. Since the death of my father when I was eight years old, I have been using humor to cope with adversity. At age twenty two, I was diagnosed with a severe form of arthritis. At the time of my diagnosis, I was hoping to start a career in Judo. Again, therapeutic humor helped me cope with the set backs and chronic pain that I would be dealing with the rest of my life. After perfecting my use of humor as a coping mechanism, I started to expand its use to other areas. Most importantly in the areas of success in leadership.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I chose a career in social work in Tucson, begining at Kino Hospital in the psychiaric department, working with the homeless, who had mental health issues and went on to work at Univeristy Medical Center in practically every department over the next ten years. What I am most proud of in this position was working with trauma patients and their families. This lead to my position as Manager of the Social Work Department. I was in this position at the time of the Tucson shooting tragedy and had the priviledge on meeting President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, who came to Tucson to help inspire those affected by this tragic event. Even in such dire circumstances, after the initial shock, therapeutic humor played a role in recovery and I utilized it appropirately to help others heal. I went on to become a Federal GS-14 Chief of Social Work at two Veterans Administration Health Care Systems. My last position in administration was Director of Behavioral Health Case Management at Banner University Medical Center. After retiring, I continued professional speaking and wrote my latest book: Highly Humrous Leadership: A Fun Effective Approach to Management and Supervision. It is the answer to the question: Can your sense of humor help you become a better leader. A quesiton, until recently was rarely, if at all asked.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’d start with Tombstone. It’s like walking into a living history. The people, the places. you can feel the past in every step you take. There’s also a thousand places to watch the Arizona sunset, something you cannot describe, but only experience. Then there are the must sees, such as the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Sabino Canyon, Colossal Cave Mountain Park, Mission San Xavier del Bac and the Pima Air & Space Museum. There are so many, the rest you can find in any guide to Southern Arizona.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I dedicate my shoutout to my parents and siblings that have past on,father, Israel, mother, Rose, and my siblings, Alan and Jessica. There are so many to credit, I could right a book that just listed the names of all who have influenced who I have become and am still becoming. I also dedicate this to my wife, together for 40 years, Laurie Jacobson, I would not have become the leader I have become were it not for her.

Website: https://davidmjacobson.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/david.jacobson.182/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-jacobson-lcsw-chp-9989062/

Twitter: @Jacobsonwriter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.jacobson.182/

Youtube: https://youtu.be/jO7O-rz2zQc?feature=shared

Other: https://authordmjacobson.com/

Image Credits
Laurie Jacobson, Isaish Anderson, Engel and Voelkers Tucson