Oppurtunity Maker….

Today on my Grandfather’s (William E. Ryan Sr.) birthday, I had lunch with a former Professor and current Friend. The topic was reviewing my development of my values, vision statement &, mission statement. We came to the conclusion based on my written words and mental rambling that my Mission is to be an “Opportunity Maker” 

As usual I researched what this means in the wired world of the internet. After Googling the term “Opportunity Maker” I was amused as well as felt a bit of irony to see the top search item. It was this book here: The Opportunity Maker: Strategies for Inspiring Your Legal Career Through Creative Networking and Business Development By Ari Kaplan.. You might think why is this ironic? Well recent soul searching has found me with the desire to chase my suppressed dream of becoming a Lawyer. As you can see from the title of the book how appropriate my lunch time conversation coordinates with this use of “Opportunity Maker”

For further detail review the book’s description:

This book is designed to help you harness your potential for business development and empower your legal career from law school through partnership. It provides techniques for defining your personal brand, leveraging your creativity, and maximizing your success. Rainmakers, public relations experts, elected officials, marketing masters, in-house counsel, business executives, career advisers, associates, law students, and others who have walked in your shoes offer perspective on issues ranging from networking, mentoring, and blogging to hosting your own television show, starting a charity, and getting published. Each chapter addresses genuine strategies for connecting with people and establishing meaningful professional relationships.

What I find most interesting is that the term I was at a loss for this afternoon was “Rainmaker”. Which is what I think would be most appropriate as a descriptor for what I wanted in my mission statement as a synonym for opportunity maker. I feel that my nature & nurture has brought me to this point. I think that the characteristics I am drawn to in people and the values I hold important to myself make up the DNA of a person meant for Corporate Law.

What are these values I continue to reference with vagueness? Well I am glad you asked. Here are the 5 core values and the 5 supporting values that I have identified.

 

Core Value: Achievement Winning Problem solving Doing things successfully Sense of accomplishment	Supporting Value: Adventure Risk taking Entrepreneurship Challenging Experiences Trail Blazer
Core Value: Discipline Self Control Commitment Hard working Determination	Supporting Value: Responsibility Accountable for results Reliable Dependable Liable personal initiative
Core Value: Friendship Close Relationships Unity Partnership Mutual Appreciation	Supporting Value: Family Happiness Relations being together Community Team work Sense of belonging
Core Value: Integrity Honesty Standing up for beliefs Courage Candor	Supporting Value: Quality 1st Class Maintain High standards Having real worth Do it right the first time
Core Value: Personal Development Commitment to learning Pushing limits Utilize and improve potential	Supporting Value: Advancement Opportunity to improve Progress Upward mobility Promotions

If you overlay my values with the people that I admire, you will begin to see the composite of how I see myself.  

Name:	Because:	Stood For:	Difference Made:
1. Warren Buffet	Motivating, Dedicated, Focused	Capitalism	World’s Richest Man
2. William E Ryan Sr.	Protective Father, Networker, Strong, Charismatic, Sharp mind	Family, Strength, Truth	Rock of the Family
3. JFK	Irish Catholic, Charismatic, Leader, Change maker	Brought people together to fight for a common cause	Sent a man to the moon, President, Broke the WASP President chain, Cuba
4. Bill Parcells	Ability to turnaround losing cultures/operations Develops Performance	Discipline, Hard work, team building, hazard Mgmt	Rebuilt 4 teams to a winning culture
5. Richard Branson	Took Risk, Failed, Rebuilt himself	Entrepreneur	Record Label, Airline, Author, Plane to the moon

How do these two matrixes align? How would I define myself in the search of my “Mission Statement”? The same way Merriam-Webster dictionary does (option 3):

rain *mak *er

Show Spelled Pronunciation [reyn-mey-ker]

–noun

1.	(among American Indians) a medicine man who by various rituals and incantations seeks to cause rain.

2.	a person who induces rainfall by using various scientific techniques, as the seeding of clouds with silver iodide crystals from an airplane.

3.	Slang. an executive or lawyer with exceptional ability to attract clients, use political connections, increase profits, whose influence can initiate progress or ensure success, etc.: The president has several rainmakers among his advisers.

 I always thought I wanted to be an Investment Banker in M&A. I read every book, watched every movie and looked under every rock to understand the life of an Investment Banker. None of it scared me away. It actually made me more passionate about my childhood dream. I have been carrying this torch from the first time I watched “Pretty Woman” with my Mother. I saw the look in her eyes of the thought of a girl making her way from the difficulties of city streets to finding her fairytale in life of love & success. As a comic is infected with laughter as a child, I was infected that day with the M&A/Rainmaker Dream…

In the pursuit of this dream some might say I have taken a wandering road. First out of undergrad I stay in Upstate New York instead of finding a finance job in Manhattan. Second I move to California to pursue my MBA, once again shunning NYC. I went to UCI, not UCLA because I felt the culture was the best fit for me. After successfully chasing down my MBA which I thought would be the keys to the castle of M&A luxury, I find myself with the keys but no door.

This recession has closed many doors and has forced me to re-evaluate my intestinal fortitude to see my dream through until the end. With this recession’s cause as well as most devastated sector being financials, I do not see it growing back to the gluten stature it once was. Well at least not in the near future to enable me to pursue traditional career path of Banking at this point in my professional career. So what does that mean to me? Well less jobs because of more unemployed experience talent along with more MBA graduates. Needless to say more regulation by the government to establish safety nets with the intention to prevent this type of financial meltdown in the future. How do I stay a step ahead of these dominos as the layers of onion continue to be peeled back? How do I do this on my terms? LAW SCHOOL!!

As did my two matrixes came together, so did these economic factors for me. More regulation means more OPPORTUNITY! What are life’s constants? LAWS, death & taxes. How are all three of these constants always changing? They are based on the interoperation of the people that use them and protect them. They are applied by the logic and constructive arguments set by the best and brightest in the field. This is why there will be an influx need for Lawyers in these coming years. Especially in M&A while the banks redefine themselves through the new layers of regulation.

The irony of all of this is that I write this post on the Birthday Day of William E. Ryan Sr. a person I greatly admired. For the same reasons of why I want to be a Corporate Lawyer: dedication, determination, rainmaking ability and trail blazing legacy.

I leave you with this. No matter what your dream is, no matter how long your path is. Stick with it and do it on your terms. The purpose of one’s mission statement is to become the person you want to be. So no matter the goal, no matter the challenge; keep your vision statement in mind to ensure you keep your eye on YOUR prize. I might not have the most conventional way of doing things, but I have a drive and a focus that I feel is unmatched when I decide to do something.

Role Models…..

How do you pick a role model?  Do you have to pick just one role model?  How do you pick that role model?  How do you identify with the guiding light of one individual when you are blind to the path they took. 

Why limit yourself?  When you can’t decide who YOU want to be, why do you think there is one person who can solve all your fears and shortcomings.  Why do you want to tack your sail to just one boat. 

Like the Army says “Be Strong, Army Strong”.  This I find to be a very interesting comparison.  If you think about it.  The Army trains a group to be one person, one mind, one harmonic unit.  By definition an army is (sec. 4) “any body of persons organized for any purpose”.  Similar to the idea of molding yourself based on your role models.  The Army brings out the best in a band of men for the purpose of one.  Why can’t you do the same? Hand pick the best characteriscs of your role models to become the strong cohesive individual you want to me. 

Do not settle, do not fear failure, do not quit on yourself…

Abraham Lincoln Didn’t Quit

Probably the greatest example of persistence is Abraham Lincoln. If you want to learn about somebody who didn’t quit, look no further.

Born into poverty, Lincoln was faced with defeat throughout his life. He lost eight elections, twice failed in business and suffered a nervous breakdown.

He could have quit many times – but he didn’t and because he didn’t quit, he became one of the greatest presidents in the history of our country.

Lincoln was a champion and he never gave up. Here is a sketch of Lincoln’s road to the White House a common list of the failures of Abraham Lincoln (along with a few successes) is:

• 1831 – Lost his job
• 1832 – Defeated in run for Illinois State Legislature
• 1833 – Failed in business
• 1834 – Elected to Illinois State Legislature (success)
• 1835 – Sweetheart died
• 1836 – Had nervous breakdown
• 1838 – Defeated in run for Illinois House Speaker
• 1843 – Defeated in run for nomination for U.S. Congress
• 1846 – Elected to Congress (success)
• 1848 – Lost re-nomination
• 1849 – Rejected for land officer position
• 1854 – Defeated in run for U.S. Senate
• 1856 – Defeated in run for nomination for Vice President
• 1858 – Again defeated in run for U.S. Senate
• 1860 – Elected President (success)

Before reading this I would of picked:

1. William E Ryan Sr.
2. Warren Buffett
3. Richard Branson
4. Bill Parcells
5. John F. Kennedy

Why this list of 5?  Outside of my Grandfather I have not met any of these men.  As well as I have not talked to any of these men.  Face value alone I see a few things that draw me to these role models.  Things like:

• Irish Catholic
• New York City education
• Richest man alive
• President of the United States of America
• Superbowl Coach
• Change leader
• Entrepreneur
• Charismatic
• Bankrupt
• Self-starter

These are things that I have views through public perception.  As I feel that it is a good start.  I will not completely attach myself to this list until I really look at their road-map.  I am not saying that if these men went through their lives unscaved I can not respect them.  I just want to follow their path and see how they reacted in the face of challenges and recovered from failure. 

This list is not final by any means, nor restrictive to only 5.  As I continue to search my core I will post my list.  I will explain why I choose who I choose, but right now I will begin with this list.  I will compare their stories to my personal values and goals.  I will begin to pull what I feel are their best qualities and begin to wield these qualities to the best of my ability. 

I leave you with this.  Nothing is final, so pick your role models based on how they test themselves and how they adjust to change in difficult times…

“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” – Abraham Lincoln