A letter from June
I chose time over money. Did I get it wrong?
This was the question I had to answer recently, and it made me realise that although I had studied economics, I hadn't been applying many of the principles I learnt at UCL to my own career.
Let me take you back to the beginning.
Like many people, I didn't start off with a grand plan. I just knew I couldn't afford to get it wrong.
When you come from a family of very ambitious people who have built businesses and kept them going for generations, there was an unspoken expectation of excellence. And on a more human level, being raised solo by the most wonderful mother, I was going to do everything in my power to make her proud.
This has been my fuel throughout my career.
So when it came to deciding what direction to take after graduation, I really felt the weight of the decision.
I've said many times that I love a bit of research, so I spoke to lots of people working at investment banks and consultancies. Honestly, the thread that ran through almost every conversation was:
I'm making loads of money, but I never see my home. I'm always at the office. I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner there.
None of that felt very appealing to me, so I stopped applying for those roles.
I would be lying now if I said part of me didn't regret not giving it a go...
Tobi Asare is joining June at Huckletree on 21 September
Last week we told you June would be in conversation with a surprise guest at Huckletree, and we can now tell you who it is. Tobi Asare is the author of The Blend and the founder of My Bump Pay. She sat on the board and senior leadership team of one of the UK's largest media companies, and now works as a board advisor.
June and Tobi will be talking about career wealth: how to price each part of what you do, and how to build a portfolio career that compounds year on year.
Tobi has spent much of her career leading growth and new business, which means years of making the case for what other people's work is worth. She has also kept a running record of her own achievements in a spreadsheet throughout her career, and her advice to anyone about to negotiate is to gather market data from peers and recruiters first.
Join us on Monday 21 September at Huckletree Oxford Circus, 213 Oxford Street. Doors open at 6pm and June and Tobi start at 6:20pm. There will be time for your questions, and for a drink before we finish at 8pm.
The room holds eighty, and we are already close to capacity. If you would like to be in the room, register this weekend. We would love to see as many of you as possible.
What our supertesters told us
Over the last few weeks, some of you tested the new MyPholyo experience. Thank you for being so generous with your time.
One thing you told us connects straight to June's letter this week. When people described their work, they rarely judged it by income alone. They talked about the energy a role gives them or takes away, what they are learning, the reputation and relationships it is building, and work that pays very little today but matters a great deal for where they want to go next.
Almost everyone described a gap between what they are known for today and what they want to be known for next. For many of them, the work that pays the bills also funds a reputation they are building somewhere else, whether that is in coaching, speaking, creative work or a venture of their own.
People were also more open about money than you might expect, and the one thing that would make it easier is knowing why we ask and how we use the answers. What you told us is already shaping what we are building next, and we will show you as soon as it is ready.
In the meantime, we want to hear your side of it. Which piece of work in your Pholyo pays you the least but is the one you would never give up? Hit reply and tell us. We read every one.
