From Broadway to Shopping Malls
From Broadway stages to shopping malls, Jason Heymann’s career path is anything but ordinary. With a background that spans acting, casting, agency leadership, and now marketing for major real estate investment trust, CBL Properties, Jason brings a rare blend of creativity, insight, and strategic thinking to the table.
At the heart of his success? One simple but powerful word: curiosity.
In this interview, Jason shares why curiosity is the most underrated skill in the job search and how it can set you apart in a saturated market. Whether you’re hiring, job hunting, or just navigating career growth, his perspective is full of wisdom. Keep reading to find out more!
Your Story
I went to school in Chicago at Northwestern for acting. I’ve always been some type of artist or creative, always interested in story and human beings. I landed a Broadway tour of Avenue Q after school, which took me all over the country. That led to TV and film in LA, but I started getting curious about what was happening behind the camera. I got involved in the agency side, helping launch an entire theatrical department. We started booking Brad Pitt films, the Voice of Siri, and all kinds of wild projects
That opened the door to casting in New York. I worked with directors, producers, and brands to bring global campaigns to life. Then the pandemic hit, and suddenly all the creative silos were in the same (virtual) room. I got to help build Super Bowl campaigns. And I loved it.
At the same time, I started talking more with my family, who’ve been in the shopping center industry for three generations. I’d grown up in malls. When a role opened up at CBL in Chattanooga, it felt like the perfect blend of storytelling, creativity, and family.
What do you look for in new hires?
Curiosity. It’s the common denominator of success. Always. If you’re curious, it leads to imagination. And that leads to innovation and creativity. When I’m hiring, I look for how curiosity shows up in a candidate’s past or even in our conversation.
A curious person will ask, “How can I do this job well?” rather than just trying to land the job. They’ll be prepared. They’ll have looked at our social media. They’ll come in already thinking about the work. There’s a big difference between someone who wants to be right versus someone who wants to discover how to do the job really well.
Can you share a hire that went really well?
There was someone we hired who actually talked about curiosity in her interview, and I remember all of us thinking, “She has it.” She didn’t have direct experience in marketing shopping centers, but she was constantly asking questions. “What does this mean?” “Can we record this meeting so I can watch it again later?” That curiosity led to her knowing our directives better than anyone else, and then building on them. She wasn’t building her own thing down the road. She was building on top of what we had, and that’s where magic happens.
What advice would you give a job seeker 5 minutes before they walk into an interview?
Don’t negotiate yourself out of the job. I see so many people convince themselves why they’re not a good fit before we’ve even started. Let the interviewer decide if you’re right or not. Don’t do their job for them.
And then, get curious. Start thinking, “How can I be a solution for this empty seat at the table?” Interviews are conversations. They’re two-way. It’s about both of you evaluating whether you want to step into this relationship.
So, ask good questions. Try to understand how the person on the other side of the table defines success in this role. And then evaluate your own skill set. Can I do this? If the answer is yes, then get interested in how you would do the job, not just land it.
That’s when the whole tone of the conversation changes from “pick me” to “let’s see if this is the right fit.”
What’s one skill or trait that you think will be essential in your industry moving forward?
Ideas. We’re heading into a world where AI can execute so much, even in fields like medicine and law. But what AI can’t replicate, at least not yet, is the human side. The imagination. The intuition. The ability to pattern hunt.
We’re going to be overwhelmed with data. The key will be interpreting it, discerning what actually matters, and then doing something creative with it. Idea makers are going to lead.
Especially in marketing, we’ve got to be pattern hunters. We need to see what consumers are doing, what trends are emerging, and turn those patterns into ideas that actually move people. That’s what will matter most.
Thank you, Jason, for your wisdom and expertise!
If you want to learn more about Jason and CBL Properties, check out his LinkedIn here or CBL Properties’ website here.