Not everyone is going to like you, even if you try

I used to be a finance bro. And the way to be “popular” in my program at McGill, the Honours Economics and Finance Program, the cream of the crop, was to “Fit in”

Wear suits. Go to networking events. Kiss a*s to your professors

I hated it. I made one friend from that program, who I am still friends with to this day

It wasn’t ME

I was trying to be someone I’m not. And as a result, I think a large reason I hated my program was because I didn’t feel like my connections with most of my classmates were genuine

I would try to put on a “persona”

“Hi Mike, what do you wanna do with your degree?”

“Either consulting, research, or investment banking”

“Really? But you like making videos, no? So how does that make sense?”

It didn’t. And people could see that. And because they could see that…

They could tell that I wasn’t being genuine. And when you aren’t genuine, it makes it harder to go through life with high energy and enthusiasm

When you stop trying to be cool, and focus on having fun… friends will come FLYING to you

I started making content full-time in January. And nothing made me prouder than being able to shake people’s hands, look them in the eye, and tell them, “I make videos for a living and I absolutely love it”

In my social interactions I had way more energy

When I woke up in the morning, I always started my days in an amazing mood

And that made it easier to make new genuine friendships, and in the last 8 months of making videos I made more friends than in my 4 years at McGill

And it’s all because I stopped trying to be cool, and I focused on having fun

I stopped trying to fit into this “finance bro” persona, and instead live every day with the goal of HAVING FUN