14-Minute Watch
Updated: 2 days ago
There’s a quote we love at Fletcher Circle, attributed, perhaps loosely, to Rudyard Kipling:
“If you did not get what you want, it’s a sign either that you did not seriously want it or you tried to bargain over the price.”
We love this quote. We also find it a little uncomfortable. Which is probably why we love it.
We spend a lot of time admiring successful companies and people. We study their products, services, growth, and careers. We read their biographies, listen to Acquired, How I Built This, and hundreds of other interviews, and wonder how they got there.
But at Fletcher Circle, we sometimes wonder whether we're asking the wrong question. Instead of asking how someone achieved extraordinary success, maybe we should ask: What do we truly want? Both as growing companies and as young professionals building their careers. The key is to be honest with ourselves.
Two women recently got us thinking about this: Alisa Wood at KKR and Lizzie Reed at Goldman Sachs.
This is a GREAT interview. And whether you're happy in your current role or struggling with your stage of career, we'd watch this 10 times.
The NOs. The dreams. The doubts. The slow build of confidence. The mentors and coaches. The sacrifices. The imperfections. It's all of us. Yes, even your friends on social media or LinkedIn who say they have it all figured out. They don't. They won't admit it, but they don't.
Great businesses and great careers are built when the ambitions of the company and its people reinforce one another. Businesses don't have to compromise their mission to help employees pursue their own ambitions.
At Fletcher Circle, we believe in creating opportunities for young professionals to thrive while helping businesses grow.
P.S. This isn't about finance, getting an elite job, or how women can succeed in investment banking. It's about ambition, self-awareness, and the opportunities companies can create for people to pursue meaningful careers. Every profession. Every role.
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