My first job out of college ended up being a huge mistake. But, I recovered and took with me some lessons learned. Back in the Roaring 1980s, the hottest investment bank was Wasserstein Perella. The founders started a new M&A firm and proceeded to cherry pick very successful partners from other firms. A roster of
Category: Philosophy
Acts of Wedding Kindness
Two particular details have stuck in my mind. First, while at Kripalu, I saw a t-shirt with this on it: “Love all, serve all.” Second, I’ve always remembered reading about Thomas White. A very wealthy man, once he took care of his family, he vowed to die penniless and give away his remaining wealth. He
The Graduates
I saw this post on Facebook, and it really resonated with me. I’ve given talks over the years to students at Brown and Yale. I’ve told them: Congratulations! But, getting into a highly-selective school may be one of the worst things to happen to you. You see, there is a risk to people who
The Gratitude Tour
Yesterday, I went back to Harvard Business School for an alumni conference, which I found energizing and interesting. Going back was fun, as it made me feel young again. I have fond memories of business school: people were very nice, the professors were nearly always engaging, and many life-long friendships were formed there. I learned
More Hope
A friend holds a senior admissions position at an Old Ivy. Every year, they’re flooded with applications, and the work load sounds crushing. “It’s OK, though,” my friend said. “Reading these applications gives me hope.” The reason is that there are so many young people doing great things and, upon graduation, are unleashed onto the
Aftermath
After someone passes away, there is The Aftermath. Since Whitney died, there have been many emails and calls involving some of us who knew him and miss him. For me, it has been great to connect with old friends and colleagues. It is a shame that, at times, it takes a tragedy for people to re-connect. Unfortunately,