What do I think success is…?

When I think of success, I think of my brother Scott. He is currently and investment banker living in Manhattan but the path to that success was not easy. His character traits and dedication to hard work tell the story. Scott was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Like most of the kids he grew up with, they attended the local catholic school. When it was time to move onto high school, he was determined to attend the high school of his choice. He attended Saturday classes to help him succeed on his high school placement test. He achieved his goal by getting accepted to Xaviarn and Xavier, both were excellent, however, he chose Xavier. For Scott the travel was 2 buses and 1 train to get to school each day. Just as he studied in grammar school to attend the high school of his choice, so he studied in high school to attend the college of his choice. Scott was accepted to St. Johns and Loyola in Maryland and chose to go to Loyola. He attended school for one semester when he realized that living in the college dorms was not for him. He decided to return to New York and attend St. Johns. Scott began attending St. Johns full time when my mother started her own business. She needed help and Scott was intrigued. He had not held a true full time position with a weekly paycheck so he decided he would go to school part-time and work full time in this family business. The company was small but grew very quickly and Scott thrived as the lead sales representative. Scott also wore the customer service hat and led the marketing group for the company. As technology became part of our daily life, Scott was drawn to the technology and began leading the company towards new marketing ideas and the advent of email. He worked long hours and reaped the benefits of success with a new car and money in his pocket. He still lived at home but spent a lot of time on the road. He finished two years of college work at St. Johns and then took a semester off. He was unsure of his future and where he wanted to go. In his personal life, he met and began dating a very successful woman whose career was in advertising. She worked hard and travelled a lot for business. As Scott continued working, he kept looking ahead. He wanted to do other things but was not sure of the direction. Since it was the 90’s and technology was booming, he decided to open his own company. He opened a litigation support company that would host documents for the law firms. They would review the documents via the web (SAAS – software as a service) through a web browser. At the time, this was a novel idea and he immediately had several clients. He moved his company to lower Manhattan’s west side and hired 3 people. He and his sales representative travelled to various firms in the US and abroad. Scott began supporting a firm in London where he met an Australian businessman who had a product that worked perfectly with his web site. They began a friendship and agreed to work together in the United States. Scott’s company hosted the data while his Australian friend’s software sorted it into organized blocks of information. Together they were quite successful. As Scott continued working in his company he began to realize that he needed his college degree. He realized he still had 2 years to go for his undergraduate degree. As he had before, he began filling out transfer admission forms to the schools in NY. He was looking at the best schools realizing that as his career evolved he wanted to have the best education from the best schools. He applied to NYU’s evening program. He felt that while his career advanced during the day, he would finally get his degree in the evening. He was no longer willing to move through his classes part-time, he began taking a full course of classes so that he could complete his degree as quickly as possible. While Scott attended evening classes at NYU and working full time hours, he decided to get married. His wife, whom he met a few years earlier, had continued her career and was moving up the corporate ladder. She had been recruited by several advertising agencies but chose to head up the advertising group of Ameriprise Financial. They moved into Stuyvesant Town in Manhattan which put Scott closer to NYU. He completed his degree and graduated with honors from NYU. Upon graduation he decided that what he truly wanted to be was an investment banker. He knew he wanted a fast paced industry and he wanted to be part of a changing landscape. He began planning out his path. He was older and that particular industry was focused on the much younger kids. He also realized that in order to work in one of the notable banks, he had to have something different. He decided that he needed his graduate degree in order to move his career. Scott began to focus on schools again but he also had to make a decision regarding his business. He decided to sell. While the business had provided a good income, what he needed was experience in the banking industry if he was going to succeed. He sold his company to his Australian friend. As he looked for an entry level position in the banking industry, most of the doors slammed in his face. He was too old (29) and he did not have the type of credentials (Harvard, Yale etc.) they required. While NYU was a good school, it was not an Ivy League school. He decided he would not give up and continued pursuing his dream. After a few months of sending resumes and making calls, he saw an ad for a very small boutique firm whose primary deals were in South America. He decided to call on them. They told him they were looking for someone younger. He told them he would work for free for six months and if at the end of that time, they liked his work, they would hire him. If not, he would have his experience and make a decision for his future as well. They agreed and he began his career in the banking industry. They liked his work so much; they hired him after 3 months. He was excited by the position and realized this was what he wanted to do with his career. He started working on his applications for school. With his degree from NYU, he felt he had a chance at getting into one of the MBA programs in NY, specifically, NYU’s program. He also considered Cornell, but, really has his heart set on Columbia University. He worked diligently every night studying and attending preparation classes to sit for the GMAT’s. Months of studying paid off when his scores came back and he had what he needed to apply to the programs of his choice. He immediately submitted his application was accepted to the MBA Program at Columbia University. During the same time, his personal life was changing, his wife had given birth to a baby boy he called Connor. He attended the 2 year program in the evenings and Saturday’s and graduated from Columbia Summa Cum Laude with a Master of Finance degree. He continued working for the small company until his graduation. Following graduation, he was recruited by Credit Suisse and began a summer internship. While he enjoyed the company, the time away from his son was growing difficult. The job was very demanding, requiring 12-14 hours per day and some weekends. His wife’s career was also moving forward and together they needed to create some sort of balance. Scott decided he needed to work with a company that was not as demanding on his time. He did not want to miss his son growing up. He took a position with an investment bank that was not as demanding and would allow him family time. He is still there today and he has added a daughter to his family. He hosts seminars at Columbia for others attending the MBA program in the evening and volunteers his time in various charities. Today he lives in midtown Manhattan in an apartment overlooking central park. His kids attend private school and he is now a Director at investment bank where he is employed. His next goal is to be a partner in his firm. Scott is my idea of success. He has not only been successful in his career, but in his personal life. He faced challenges, but kept his focus and ultimately reached his goal. He gives back to the community through volunteer work and hosts seminars for those interested in a banking career. His approach and integrity are also part of his success. His attitude allows him to stay optimistic and positive. His enthusiasm inspires others. He is ethical and goal focused. He is a good listener and allows others to be heard. He is patient and persistent in his efforts to achieve his goals.

These are the traits that have made Scott successful and it is my goal is to be as successful in all areas of my life as Scott has been in his.