I used to be embarrassed of how little money we had growing up. Now, I realize it's been one of my greatest advantages. My single mom and I immigrated from China to North Carolina when I was 6 months old. I was the only Asian kid for ??????????. (And got bullied daily for it) Not having the money to buy ‘cool clothes’ and looking different? I had everything to prove. But looking back... That chip on my shoulder taught me 4 things that no privilege ???????? could: ??/ ?????????????? When I wanted to break into Goldman Sachs, I had zero connections in finance while my classmates' Dads were MDs at banks. I could've gotten jealous over their warm intros. Instead, I sent ???????????????? of cold emails. Yes, I got hundreds of rejections. But I also, eventually, got the offer from Goldman. AND built my own network from scratch by mastering the art of cold emails. I used these same skills to raise $5M for Stan. ??/ ???????????? In private equity, I'd get to the office at 7am and cold call CEOs all day. My favorite days? 3-day weekends. Because NO ONE else was working. That chip on my should drove me to source the largest deal in our firm's history. ??/ ?????????????????????? When you have: No safety net No rich relatives?? No Plan B You don't give up. You make Plan A work. ??/ ?????????? Growing up, I made every dollar count. And nothing has changed. From instilling a creative and resourceful mindset into our team, to delivering exceptional service to our customers... I obsess over value. __ Look, I'm not romanticizing being broke. It sucked. But it gave me qualities that money can't buy. And honestly? I'd take that chip on my shoulder over a head start any day. What "disadvantage" became your advantage?
Great perspective
Love this perspective. ‘No Plan B’ isn’t just pressure, it’s clarity. You know exactly where you’re headed because there’s no exit ramp ??
I grew up broke too and it gave me the same hunger you talk about. For example...When I start building solutions for clients, I never assume anything will work. I test everything because I cannot afford to fail.....And the hunger never goes away. Even after helping clients raise over $500K, I still work weekends because that is when everyone else stops trying
There’s power in the chip most people try to hide. It sharpens hunger, builds grit, and teaches value in a way comfort never could. This is what resilience actually looks like.
you look cute!
Great post.
The way you turned hardship into fuel is seriously inspiring, John! It’s a reminder that grit, hunger, and self-made mastery will always outlast privilege.
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14 小时前the north meck chip on the shoulder is real as hell