I once met a man in an airport lounge who wore a suit so sharp it could shave your soul. He had slick hair, a gold watch the size of a moon crater, and a Bluetooth earpiece blinking like a smug little UFO orbiting his face. He said things like 鈥渟ynergy,鈥� 鈥渓everage,鈥� and 鈥渓et鈥檚 touch base offline,鈥� which is corporate for 鈥減lease don鈥檛 call me, I鈥檓 very busy adding no value anywhere.鈥�
I asked him what he did, and he said, 鈥淚 empower verticals.鈥�
I blinked. He winked. And somewhere in the distance, a PowerPoint presentation wept.
That, my friends, was the moment I knew: we live in an era where looking successful is a profession unto itself, and actually being successful is something you try to squeeze in between yoga and your fourth Zoom call with a guy named Sterling.
Looking successful is easy. A leased Tesla, a cornflower blue blazer, and a bio that says 鈥渟trategic advisor鈥� to something vague and possibly made of vapour. But real success? That鈥檚 a garage band. It鈥檚 a sweaty melody. It鈥檚 unshaven in ripped jeans. It smells like burnt coffee, missed calls, and hope. It鈥檚 waking up at 2am in a panic because you just remembered you forgot to invoice anyone for anything last month.
Real success is independence. Not just financial 鈥� though that鈥檚 nice, and helps when you want guacamole and rent 鈥� but mental. It鈥檚 freedom from performative nonsense. It鈥檚 not having to say 鈥渃ircle back鈥� unless you鈥檙e talking about a failed moon landing. It鈥檚 the quiet power of saying no, of walking away, of choosing your chaos instead of someone else鈥檚 calendar.
See, independence doesn鈥檛 photograph well. It鈥檚 not glamorous. It doesn鈥檛 have an elevator pitch. But it鈥檚 the warm, perfectly pitched hum of knowing you don鈥檛 need to ask permission. You don鈥檛 need Sterling鈥檚 approval. You don鈥檛 have to wear a suit unless it鈥檚 a court appearance or a funeral.
The trick is that fake success is loud. It's in your face. It's all caps and glossy and smells faintly of a cologne called 鈥淓xecutive Vision.鈥� Real success is subtle. It doesn鈥檛 post about itself. It doesn鈥檛 need followers. It鈥檚 the ability to spend an entire Tuesday fixing a client鈥檚 broken project and adding real value without a single meeting, memo, or middle manager.
Looking successful is exhausting. You鈥檝e got to keep the illusion polished, the mask smiling, the metrics vaguely inflated. But being successful? That鈥檚 calm. That鈥檚 knowing your bills are paid and your time is yours. That鈥檚 sipping bad coffee and smiling because the company you built 鈥� the weird, rarely understood, yet beautiful enterprise 鈥� is actually working and adding value.
So, forget the slick blazer guy in the lounge. The wristwatch is probably leased, too. The 鈥渟ynergy鈥� is a hologram. My friends, If you are looking for an example of success while you wait for your next flight, look for someone with ink on their fingers, a wild look in their eyes, and a deep, unshakable grin of success because they know:
They don鈥檛 have a boss.鈥═hey are the boss, which is far more valuable
And they wore ripped jeans to work 鈥� on purpose.
Douglas Zhivago
