For those of you in the US, Happy Thanksgiving.
For those outside the US, it's just another Thursday.
I'm currently in Las Vegas, and if you've followed me for a while, you know that I love to gamble, and I love Las Vegas. It's a city that has everything. Food, entertainment, nightlife, people watching, and more. It's truly the entertainment capital of the world.
I always find a way to tie gambling back to our careers in one way or another — because I'm a firm believer in the idea that you must be willing to take some risk in order to earn a reward.
What I find fascinating about a casino is you have hundreds if not a thousand options on how you want to win — er, lose — your money. There are hundreds of slot machines just waiting for you to insert a dollar. There are dozens of table games waiting for you to sit down. There is a sports book that's inviting with all of the televisions. Each of these options is a method in which you can potentially win. You walk in, you pick a chair, and you start playing.
It could be the hot chair that is returning 10:1, or it could be the cold chair that is going to take your money within minutes. As I wander through a casino, I start to see machines and table games as chance options for me to potentially win or lose. I then try to narrow down the games that look the most exciting to me based on my past experiences, my preferences, and the connection I have to the game.
Some games are not for me at all because they are either confusing or intimidating. Slot machines are really easy because you're just playing a video game that is pre-determined for the most part.
But see, when I think of these options for games in a casino, I equate it to the idea of picking a career or a job. Pick the right one and you can hit stock options and equity and become a millionaire within a few years. Pick the wrong one and end up with a toxic leader, bad customers, an environment that doesn't fit you — and you'll be right back on the outside trying again.
You don't really know what casino game is going to pay you out, just like you don't really know what job is going to be the right one. So all you can do is use the data you have, your intuition, and your preferences from past experiences to decide.
I can promise you one thing though. If you never step foot in that casino to try, you will never have a chance to win that massive jackpot — just like if you're too afraid of risk in your career, you'll never get the opportunity to hit the path that you desire in a large way.
You have a choice in your career to stay the easy path like betting $1 at a time at the roulette table on black or red — or you can wage $1,000 hands on blackjack, like you're always interviewing, starting a new job every 18 months and going for the pay raises you think you deserve.
Sit at the cold table, and you'll get nothing back — just like when you work for a company that is going nowhere. Sit at the hot table that is pre-IPO, with the best leadership team, culture, and product, and you might just strike it rich.
Your career, just like gambling, is all about chance. How long you choose to play a cold game is up to you. How risky you choose to be with it is up to you. How much you are willing to play the game fast and hot is up to you.
And if you're not willing to ever try a new game with new odds, even if just for a few hands, then you'll never know if you could be the next million-dollar player.
Take calculated and un-calculated risks; staying in your comfort zone might feel safe, but it limits your potential to grow and succeed in a big way.