Frank Van Buren flew Black Hawk helicopters on combat missions in Beirut and Central America before walking into an investment banking associate role at Wells Fargo. What happened in between? A chance conversation on a beach in Cyprus that changed everything. In this episode of Wall Street Diaries, Frank breaks down his full journey from the Army to 26 years on Wall Street, including 5 years in IB, 16 years in high-yield sales and trading, and a final chapter leading talent development for 1,000 emerging bankers. He gets into what the military actually prepares you for, how to know which Wall Street role fits you, and the one trait that separates great salespeople from good ones. 00:00 Trailer 03:30 From Black Hawks to Wall Street 10:08 What the Army Teaches You 13:38 Real Advice for Vets Breaking Into IB 21:40 Why He Stayed in High Yield 16 Years 26:01 A Day on a High Yield Desk 31:54 The Trade That Dropped 100% in a Day 38:08 Good vs Great in Sales 42:44 Why He Left Revenue After 21 Years 50:23 Rapid Fire: Habits, Values and Luck ✉️ Connect with me Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/3dv9ff3b LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mrxd9fvu Book a call ☎️ https://tinyurl.com/2rvxtjmn Website https://tinyurl.com/c3advtcv

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.