Kevin O’Leary: Take a Chance on Yourself

Kevin O’Leary – Go for It

Businessman and TV personality Kevin O’Leary shares the story of his first and last job, and encourages young people to take the plunge of become masters of their own destiny.

Transcript:

“Whatever you do, somebody can do it better. You have to bring your A game in every single day. There’s nothing unique about any one individual. What’s unique is their passion, their ability to execute, to meet targets and exceed them. I was working once in an ice cream parlor, when I was about 15 years old, my first real job. On the second day, I was asked to scrape the gum off between the Mexican tiles on the floor. I said to the woman who owned this store, it was called Magoo’s Ice Cream Parlor, ‘You didn’t hire me to scrape gum. You hired me to scoop ice cream.’ This girl in the shoe store across the way that’s looking at me, I don’t want her to see me scraping the gum. She said, ‘What are you talking about? I’ll do anything I want with you. Get down on your knees and scrape that gum.’ Then I said, ‘I’m not doing it.’ She said, ‘You’re fired.’ Last job I ever had.

“I owe that woman everything. I don’t like to work for people. Many of you in here I hope inherit that. There’s nothing wrong with it. But if you want to control your own destiny, you work for yourself. That’s how it works. I’m trying to inspire those of you that are on the tipping point. Take the chance, you’re young. Go for it.”