On the mic, I believe that you should get loose.
KRS One
I haven’t come to tell you I’ve got juice.
I just produce, create, innovate on a higher level.
I’ll be back but for now just seckle!
My Philosophy
The B-Boy Guide to Business, Finance & Life was born out of the financial crisis of 2007-08. I just didn’t know it then. After an amazing run– the music stopped, and I didn’t have a seat. I had lived and worked through the credit crisis and received unprecedented exposure at one of the best mortgage-backed securities hedge funds on the planet. This was after receiving a world-class education at two of the best graduate schools in the country. Armed and dangerous with a JD/MBA (or MBA/JD as my B-School School buddies prefer to say), I was ready to conquer. Ready to do damage. Ready to Get Rich or Die Trying. Yeeaah! Ready To Die? Uhhh … no. I was just starting my meteoric climb. Love Biggie. But wasn’t ready to cash in my chips yet. Nor did I have any powerful enemies or a real nemesis. As we were told in B-School (and from Biggie), you’re nobody until somebody wants to kill you … metaphorically of course.
At the fund, I quickly learned the rules: Put up or shut up. Nothing else mattered.
My kind of shop. Performers got paid … playing business got you slayed. There’s a formula on Wall Street: “Experience = # of hours worked x 2.” Based on that formula, my five years on the buy-side were more like 10-years (yes, I rounded up from 9.6-years). What they don’t tell you is it’s not just hours grinding away on the desk that’s valuable: It’s time spent in meetings, presenting at capabilities pitches, Dealer lunches, drinks after work, client dinners, team dinners, conferences, phone calls, and answering a million frickin’ questions from “prospective clients.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s all good. You’re just not aware of it at the time—osmosis doing its work. A born entrepreneur, I devoured everything that was put in front of me. I had no idea how much I’d love finance—especially investing.
Important background information alert
Before we continue, let’s fall back for a second. Time for a quick word from our sponsor to help you understand the man called “The Prez.” Born and raised in a household where music was always playing; music was a part of the family. My personality was forged to the rhythm. Music was everything to me. I grew up on all kinds of music; however, rap music spoke to me the most. Not just rap music but the entire culture of hip hop. The Kangol hats, the Shell Toes, the Lee jeans, the Cazal’s, the bubble letters, the Breakdancing, EVERYTHING, the whole scene. RUN DMC were my heroes. I was (and still am) a B-Boy. Through music is how I process and engage the whole world—particularly Business, Finance & Life.
Now back to our previously scheduled programming
At the fund, I built a successful team and introduced an unorthodox management style (in alternative investments no less). Working for Salomon Brothers veterans was a blessing because they didn’t care how I did it—as long as it worked. And it worked. We delivered results. We not only lived the Big Short, we were instrumental in driving outsized returns. Using hip-hop lyrics, I set the tone for each day. Subtle phrases like “every day I’m hustlin” became the mantra of my crew. This was heard universally across the team from both men and women; whether Ivy League or state college grad; leveraging all people, religions, and cultures. We worked hard and had an esprit de corps that was unrivaled.
Time to Shine
My management style nurtured everyone’s individuality to unlock his or her special gift. As the Field Marshal, I got down in the trenches and lead by example. By tapping into someone’s inner voice, the best of what he or she could bring to the team was brought out in his or her theme song. This not only helped develop confidence and competence, it allowed the team to gel and learn how to understand each other’s contributions and win together. This management style was: Fresh for the new millennium you suckas!