Can Standing Desks Lead to More Deals?

At Transwestern, principal Nora Hogan takes her standing desk one step further, with a sit-walk-stand desk that includes a treadmill. 15 staffers have jumped on the bandwagon. It's been a good start to 2014 for Transwestern, so... is there a link?

Nora says she stands at her desk for at least three hours every day and immediately noticed that she was more alert, especially after lunch. Her results align with a recently released University of Minnesota study. While Nora dons her Bluetooth and walks on work calls, the other 14 (including prez Jack Eimer, who says the more time he spends on his feet, the better he feels) have adjustable height desk/workstations, so they can sit or stand. 

Principal Sanders Thompson tells us he stands about 40% to 60% of the time. “It helps my back in the late afternoon and there are definite health benefits to standing versus sitting, from a cardio perspective,” he says. With his headset, he can walk around while on the phone. The plus: I am more animated and I feel more confident, he says. It’s paying off. He’s working on a 70k SF deal for Gray Reed McGraw and a 7,000 SF deal for Beasley Hightower. Recent deals he’s closed include a 96k SF deal for Lockton, 62k SF for Netherland Sewell, and 25k SF for three other clients. 

National accounts manager Pepsi Windland says she usually stands in the morning until around noon, and then typically sits in the afternoon. She says the standing desk provides freedom to move around, which keeps her energy level high. She tells us she feels brighter and more energized when she stands. The avid runner says sitting all day was causing pain and stress on her hips and lower back. Standing has made a big difference in how she feels. (Looks like there will be a lot of unemployed chairs. Which is nice if you're also in the unemployed line--at least you can sit down.)