Matt Higgins

So...

So...

No, first of all, I love the pattern interruption. I mean, the words burn the boats is an inside joke, actually, in my head. It's actually often used by right wing people. And it can sometimes be very like, burn the boats to hell with everyone. I'm saying the opposite. The boats I'm talking about in my book are the metaphorical boats that that beckon us to retreat from our own ambition.

No, first of all, I love the pattern interruption. I mean, the words burn the boats is an inside joke, actually, in my head. It's actually often used by right wing people. And it can sometimes be very like, burn the boats to hell with everyone. I'm saying the opposite. The boats I'm talking about in my book are the metaphorical boats that that beckon us to retreat from our own ambition.

It's the reasons why we erect barriers to our own progression subconsciously. Like I need to do this before I do that. The boats I'm talking about are to burn those so that you stop looking over your shoulder and stop questioning whether or not you deserve it. And we don't realize we do it to ourselves, but the truth is that is everything.

It's the reasons why we erect barriers to our own progression subconsciously. Like I need to do this before I do that. The boats I'm talking about are to burn those so that you stop looking over your shoulder and stop questioning whether or not you deserve it. And we don't realize we do it to ourselves, but the truth is that is everything.

Like the belief, the consideration even, not even the belief, just consider whether you can make that leap like you talk about. And I have a great story in my book. It's one of my favorite ones in there. I had a student at Harvard Business School.

Like the belief, the consideration even, not even the belief, just consider whether you can make that leap like you talk about. And I have a great story in my book. It's one of my favorite ones in there. I had a student at Harvard Business School.

And what I found fascinating when I first started teaching there and mentoring students, from me having not gone there and started where I started from, it seemed so obvious that that student has de-risked their life. You will never have a bad career. You're going to make six figures. You won. And you deserve it, because it's an amazing institution.

And what I found fascinating when I first started teaching there and mentoring students, from me having not gone there and started where I started from, it seemed so obvious that that student has de-risked their life. You will never have a bad career. You're going to make six figures. You won. And you deserve it, because it's an amazing institution.

And so yet they're so fragile and vulnerable, just like the rest of us. They don't know what they should do. And in fact, they have a different kind of pressure. which the world expects them to do amazing things. And they're not clear what they want to do. So I had one of my students who came to see me and he was about to take a soul crushing job at a massive private equity firm.

And so yet they're so fragile and vulnerable, just like the rest of us. They don't know what they should do. And in fact, they have a different kind of pressure. which the world expects them to do amazing things. And they're not clear what they want to do. So I had one of my students who came to see me and he was about to take a soul crushing job at a massive private equity firm.

And he was sad about it in my office. And we started talking. I was like, well, you know, you don't seem that happy. He's like, it's just not what I want to do. And I was like, what do you want to do? He's like, I want to have my own firm. I believe I could do it. I said, oh, well, what does it take to have your own firm?

And he was sad about it in my office. And we started talking. I was like, well, you know, you don't seem that happy. He's like, it's just not what I want to do. And I was like, what do you want to do? He's like, I want to have my own firm. I believe I could do it. I said, oh, well, what does it take to have your own firm?

And he's like, well, you have to have deal flow and you have to have these things. You have to understand what's feasible and blah, blah, blah. And I was like, well, do you know how to do those things? And he goes, well, I do. I said, well, why can't you start your own firm then? He goes, I've never been a managing director at a firm. I said, oh. Well, is that a rule? He's like, well, generally.

And he's like, well, you have to have deal flow and you have to have these things. You have to understand what's feasible and blah, blah, blah. And I was like, well, do you know how to do those things? And he goes, well, I do. I said, well, why can't you start your own firm then? He goes, I've never been a managing director at a firm. I said, oh. Well, is that a rule? He's like, well, generally.

I said, well, I just invested hundreds of millions of dollars in this little chair I'm sitting in right now. I've never been a managing director. I had no idea. I got to go back and interview. And so he goes to me, he goes, yeah, but who's going to give me money having never done this? I said, you're right. No one's going to give you money. Until one day, somebody gives you money.

I said, well, I just invested hundreds of millions of dollars in this little chair I'm sitting in right now. I've never been a managing director. I had no idea. I got to go back and interview. And so he goes to me, he goes, yeah, but who's going to give me money having never done this? I said, you're right. No one's going to give you money. Until one day, somebody gives you money.

Somebody's gonna give you any good. And that's how the conversation, true story. He calls me a couple months later asking for my size. And I'm like, what do you want my size for? I wanna send you my swag from the firm that I just created when I walked out your door. I made a ton of phone calls. Everyone said no. He goes, but one, some person gave me money and gave me $10 million to start this firm.

Somebody's gonna give you any good. And that's how the conversation, true story. He calls me a couple months later asking for my size. And I'm like, what do you want my size for? I wanna send you my swag from the firm that I just created when I walked out your door. I made a ton of phone calls. Everyone said no. He goes, but one, some person gave me money and gave me $10 million to start this firm.