Seb Wallace

I’ve been thinking about the people I know who’ve really ‘made it’ in business.

Not just entrepreneurs (although they feature), but many people who have done well for themselves in business.

One common thing linked them all.

Every one of them, at some point or other, met someone who was incredibly generous towards them. Someone who gave them an inexplicable break.

This accelerated their professional life. The break could have been in school, university, or a job.

One was bought a house in London by his old boss, no strings attached. His boss was wealthy – but he didn’t need to! The guy then jumped ship and started a business, having the base of Mazlow’s Hierarchy of Needs sorted for him.

A top US law firm friend had a senior partner promote him early when he was an associate – taking a risk on him. This meant he had 3 years’ experience on his peers from then on, and was able to make partner quicker than others.

A third was given equal equity, with other 10+ year tenure existing partners, in his fund’s management company. It was at the age of 35, at no cost. They didn’t want everything for themselves.

This generosity is the unspoken side of success. It isn’t ‘made’ by the person (c.f. success through hard work). It is just the honest generosity of a third-party.

Not getting this break is what most people experience. It condemns you to the hard lane – and delayed or no financial independence.

Not catching a break could look like a boss that will only promote you based on age. Or a senior team or business partner that won’t recognise your output (in cash, equity or other material form).

If you have people in your professional life that are failing to recognise you – the law of compounding demands you cut your losses and move on. Life’s too short.

If you don’t move on, you may not catch your break – or you’ll be too old and beaten up by the time you do.