Mellody Hobson

When I looked at the greats, no matter who they were, from Warren Buffett to Steve Jobs to, you name the person, Jamie Dimon, you could look at Walt Disney, you could look at just so many greats. They did one thing extremely well and they went deep. And I tell people, an expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less. So that's not my quote. It's a quote that I read.

When I looked at the greats, no matter who they were, from Warren Buffett to Steve Jobs to, you name the person, Jamie Dimon, you could look at Walt Disney, you could look at just so many greats. They did one thing extremely well and they went deep. And I tell people, an expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less. So that's not my quote. It's a quote that I read.

So you know more and more about less and less. And so think about it. I said, there's a difference between a general practitioner where you just go to the doctor and they're checking you out and brain surgery. So I wanted to be the brain surgeon of my field. How did you choose finance? Because money, I was desperate to understand money as a child.

So you know more and more about less and less. And so think about it. I said, there's a difference between a general practitioner where you just go to the doctor and they're checking you out and brain surgery. So I wanted to be the brain surgeon of my field. How did you choose finance? Because money, I was desperate to understand money as a child.

So that's what I mean by my trauma became my purpose. I really wanted to understand very early on how money worked so that I would not repeat the cycles that I was in. And so really it all made a lot of sense to me. Once I got there, and this is really important, I said, I want to be known for something that I do so well that it distinguishes me.

So that's what I mean by my trauma became my purpose. I really wanted to understand very early on how money worked so that I would not repeat the cycles that I was in. And so really it all made a lot of sense to me. Once I got there, and this is really important, I said, I want to be known for something that I do so well that it distinguishes me.

So in finance, one of the things that I do really, really well is I have a great ability to communicate ideas. And I would read the people who could do it very well. And there was a guy who wrote for Barron's Magazine, which is a weekly financial magazine named Floyd Norris. He wrote the beginning article every week. He was genius, genius writer.

So in finance, one of the things that I do really, really well is I have a great ability to communicate ideas. And I would read the people who could do it very well. And there was a guy who wrote for Barron's Magazine, which is a weekly financial magazine named Floyd Norris. He wrote the beginning article every week. He was genius, genius writer.

And then I would read Warren Buffett's annual letters, genius, genius, genius, where they would simplify ideas. Such hard concepts. Warren Buffett would talk about everyone thinks he's looking for a needle in a haystack. He's like, I own Coca-Cola. I just look for haystacks. So that just that idea of like, look for a haystack, not a needle.

And then I would read Warren Buffett's annual letters, genius, genius, genius, where they would simplify ideas. Such hard concepts. Warren Buffett would talk about everyone thinks he's looking for a needle in a haystack. He's like, I own Coca-Cola. I just look for haystacks. So that just that idea of like, look for a haystack, not a needle.

And so I would read what they would write and I'd say, well, one, I want to be able to write extremely well about money and I want to be able to communicate this concept. to anyone who could be a bus driver, a CFO, a school teacher. And to do that actually is harder than, you know, if you are a scientist and you're only speaking to PhDs, you have a common language, you have a lot of jargon.

And so I would read what they would write and I'd say, well, one, I want to be able to write extremely well about money and I want to be able to communicate this concept. to anyone who could be a bus driver, a CFO, a school teacher. And to do that actually is harder than, you know, if you are a scientist and you're only speaking to PhDs, you have a common language, you have a lot of jargon.

If you're trying to break down that science to everyday people, you have to figure out how to put it in terms that they can understand. And I wanted to be able to do it all. And it's not even a question of high, low. It's a question of being clear, concise, and simple about things that can be very hard to explain.

If you're trying to break down that science to everyday people, you have to figure out how to put it in terms that they can understand. And I wanted to be able to do it all. And it's not even a question of high, low. It's a question of being clear, concise, and simple about things that can be very hard to explain.

So one of the things that I love so much that I will tell you, for years and years, I started off working on television. I worked on Good Morning America for a decade, and then I worked on CBS. As an expert, right?

So one of the things that I love so much that I will tell you, for years and years, I started off working on television. I worked on Good Morning America for a decade, and then I worked on CBS. As an expert, right?

Right. And the great thing about that is you get so few minutes and you must simplify. Right. And so what I would do on my way to the studio when it would be, you know, four in the morning, five in the morning, I'd sit in the front seat of the black town car and speak to the driver. And I would run my script by the driver.

Right. And the great thing about that is you get so few minutes and you must simplify. Right. And so what I would do on my way to the studio when it would be, you know, four in the morning, five in the morning, I'd sit in the front seat of the black town car and speak to the driver. And I would run my script by the driver.

And I would say to him or her, every single time I say something you don't understand, stop me. And so I used them as my focus group, just the car ride. And I would go over and over and over again. And so that was one way that I would hear. And Diane Sawyer in the beginning, she would call me in the middle of the night. She's like, I've read your script. I don't understand this.

And I would say to him or her, every single time I say something you don't understand, stop me. And so I used them as my focus group, just the car ride. And I would go over and over and over again. And so that was one way that I would hear. And Diane Sawyer in the beginning, she would call me in the middle of the night. She's like, I've read your script. I don't understand this.