Hey friends,
Mentor…Tuesdays? Sorry team, we had construction going on outside my parent’s home and I didn’t have WiFi last night to write and share this.
I had a call last night with a fellow entrepreneur friend who was struggling to take a break from work. He mentioned that he always ‘feels bad’ for taking a break or taking some personal time off because it would mean that he isn’t working on his startup. This guilt is real and it affects all entrepreneurs, so, today I wanted to write a short note about how to think about it and why taking a break is actually necessary.
Let me explain using the legend Kobe Bryant, again. We all know about his ‘Mamba Mentality’, and when you read that, what probably comes to mind is: never stopping, always be pushing, sweating, putting in the work, training, outlasting the competition, etc. All of these are great, but somehow, given the fast-paced nature of our lives and careers, we always think Mamba Mentality means exhausting ourselves. What we forget is that even though Kobe was in the gym sweating at 4 a.m., he also gave his body, and mind, the needed rest so he could achieve greatness in the long-run; tough workouts came hand-in-hand with stretching sessions, long cardio activities were done in parallel with ice baths, and time spent training with the team was balanced with time spent with his wife, daughters, and friends. When he meant Mamba Mentality, that means in all aspects, not just aspects where you sweat and exert.
So, as you start your week working on a new project at work, or continue working on your startup, never feel bad about hanging the gloves and giving the machine, your body and mind, rest. Rest for it to re-energize, rest for it to think, rest for it to find comfort with friends and family, and finally, rest for it to win another day.
Hope this short note helps you pause and helps you win the long game. All the best!
Sherjan
Videos this Week 🎬
Difference Between Analyst, Associate, and Vice President: Ever wonder how the role changes as you rise in an Investment Bank or a Management Consulting firm? In this video I describe the key differences between an Analyst, Associate, and a Vice President at firms like Goldman Sachs and McKinsey & Co. Knowing this will help you figure out if you want a short or long-term career in these competitive industries.
Mentor Hour: Career in Investment Banking and Venture Capital - Arizona State University: Hosted a Mentor Hour with my good friends at Arizona State University American Marketing Association. We talked about business careers such as Investment Banking and Venture Capital, and then touched upon how to break in and to prepare for such a career while in college.
How to Meet Deadlines at Work Like a Pro: If you're in investment banking, management consulting, or accounting, you'll get a bunch of comments or work related to making changes on a "deck", or in common terms, a PowerPoint presentation. Whenever you get a task like this, your manager will always want to know "When can I get this by?". Answering this question with confidence and accuracy can make you a great employee. In this video I talk about how you can forecast your ETA and crush it at work.
My Personal Mentor 🎙
Pawan Varyani - Pushing Africa Forward with Academic City (listen here)
Pawan leads strategy at Academic City, a state-of-the-art STEM focused University across Africa, pushing the boundaries on practical and skills based learning. Prior to leading strategy, Pawan worked at Nio and Faraday Futures in California. In this episode we talk about Pawan's early childhood in South Africa, he path to the U.S., and how even though he grew up in an affluent family, how he always kept focused on working on projects that he felt most passionate about. Tune in!
Quote of the Week
Best day to network was yesterday.
Resources 📚
🚀Breaking into Investment Banking, Consulting, Accounting - Enroll Here
📄Build the Perfect Resume - Free Course - Enroll Here
🙋🏽♂️1-on-1 Coaching with me - Enroll Here