If you’re anything like me, you were probably brought up by parents who said:
"Join a stable company, be loyal, work your way up, and save for retirement."
Sound familiar?
But have you ever stopped to consider why these are the golden rules? Why society is so keen on this collective 'safe' approach to career success?
What if we explored something different with our careers. Hell — with our lives.
Betting on yourself is not just about “following your dreams”, being your own boss, or making money.
It's about taking 100% accountability for your career and life. It’s about owning all of your wins and your losses.
When you're the captain of a one-person ship, there are no approvals to wait for, no bureaucratic bullshit to unravel. You're in control.
Isn't that the kind of autonomy we all crave?
I know I did. But I had no idea where to start.
I decided that sharing what I knew on LinkedIn could be impactful, so I started in late 2018.
I had zero idea what I was doing or where it would go, but over the next 4.5 years I created a system to grow my audience past 575,000 followers.
What was once a fun little hobby blossomed into a second career, $7.5M in income, and a network of friends and peers that I could have never imagined.
When I look back at this crazy journey, I realize that going at it alone had no guarantees, and yes, the risk was slightly higher.
You might even argue that I would have been safer tucked into a team where I could have shared responsibility, worked together toward success, and taken blame as a group.
But here's what that golden rules neglect to mention: the rewards of betting on yourself are infinitely greater.
There's a certain kind of joy and fulfillment that comes from building something from the ground up.
And it's not just financial gain; it's the personal growth, the development of our own grit, the incredibly talented people you meet, and the endless possibilities that make it worthwhile.
Could there be any greater reward than living your ideal life on your own terms?
I don’t think so.
So, are you willing to challenge golden rules? Are you prepared to take that 'slightly riskier' path for a potentially infinite reward?
Maybe it's time to reassess what success means to you. And to reassess risk in general.
Because in the end, the only person who should be setting the terms of your life is you.
