After having that conversation with Mike a while back about greatness, I decided to explore podcasts more. I listened to Ira Glass talks, This American Life, TED Radio Hour, Planet Money, Reply All, Death, Sex, and Money...but I just couldn't get into them fully. What I wanted was a story in which I could invest myself, stretch my brain, and possibly learn. Was I asking too much? Was I missing the point? I wanted something to inspire me to create. These are all considered excellent podcasts - the top ones on the internet. Yet, I was not satisfied. I did enjoy listening to Ira Glass and hearing about the making of This American Life. He discussed how art and business were more closely aligned than one might think and gave examples of the lengths the team had to go to in order to get onto stations. I noted their methods.
While looking at Reply All episodes, I thought I would learn a little bit about the media company producing it, gimlet media. I saw they had a podcast about just that, called Startup, in which the founders documented their experience starting a podcasting company. Intrigued, I began to listen. Alex Blumberg - the idea man behind it all - couldn't come across as more genuine. He recorded everything: humbling conversations with his wife, awkward meetings with a potential partner, and pitches full of stammering. Sometimes the episodes were painful to listen to. However, this was exactly what I was looking for: it was a story over several podcasts and I was learning something. From the first episode I felt a spark ignite, but I couldn't place my finger on the cause. Was it the content of the podcast, the aspect of building a business? Was it the making of the podcast itself? Was it the personalization of the story? I do know that when Alex introduced the audience to Chris Sacca, a mega investor, I liked him a lot. I wished he had more air time, because I wanted to learn more about his side of investing in businesses. I also wanted to hear more from Matt Lieber, President and co-founder of gimlet. He was the business man with experience consulting companies.
After making it through all 19 episodes, I felt a sense of conviction about my next steps. I wasn't so interested in chasing down stories or content. I was interested in understanding how the business worked, and I liked this - media business. I started pondering how I could get myself into a company like gimlet media...
I've thought about going to business school several times. However, the thought usually fizzled out, and I think it's because I was unable to see where it could take me. Now, however, I saw a possibility I liked.
Two years ago, I went to a conference full of entrepreneurs and creative people. Many had a startup or wanted to create one. I struggled to get on the same page with them as far as ideas. After I had been home for several weeks, I came to the conclusion that I was not the idea person and leader. I simply wasn't seeing problems to fix. However, I believed I was the one who could promote that person and be an account manager, which was more or less what I did at my then-job. Later, after watching Mike and getting a glimpse of his business, I think I could also be the one to help keep the idea person in check with numbers - I like working with money and I like spreadsheets.
I've given you all many plans about my future and I wouldn't blame you if you sigh in exasperation again. However, I think I'm going to give the business school thing another shot. My goal is to start in 2017. I calculated that if I save every extra penny, nothing disastrous happens in the next year, I pass the GMAT on the first or second try, and the program doesn't raise its prices, I could have enough saved to pay for it all within two years. I would also need to forgo a car for probably another three years...which hurts so much to write. You have no idea.
A few posts ago I said I wanted to be great. I wanted to be a singularly amazing person who does amazing things. However, my best self may not be visible until I am among other inspiring and talented individuals. It is quite possible that my path to greatness isn't what I do alone, but rather what I do in tandem with others. I think that's the way it's done in many cases - greatness isn't achieved by the singular but by the plural.
No comments:
Post a Comment