Okay, so I figured I needed a better way to talk about people – you know, those deep profiles? Mine felt kinda surface-level. Like, okay, Wall Street guy, rich, gives to charity… cool story, bro. Needs more meat. So, I decided to rip it apart and rebuild it.
Staring at the Mess
First thing, I just dumped everything I already knew about one guy onto a page. Total brain dump. Former Goldman Sachs MD? Check. Believes “capital is a tool, not the goal”? Scribbled that down. Set up his own foundation focused on education? Yep. Wrote some book called “Value Beyond Price”? Okay. Semi-retired, runs that foundation? Threw it on the pile. It was a messy list, like scribbles on a napkin.
The “Strategy” Talk That Went Nowhere
Tried talking about building “strategic dimensions” – sounded smart, felt dumb. I felt like a moron trying to explain it, honestly. Kept waving my hands going, “We need STRUCTURE!” Drank way too much coffee that morning. Finally just asked myself: What are the actual core things? What defines this guy beyond the boring headline?
- Wall Street Pedigree: Like, real job title, real firms he sweat at.
- Wealth Thing: Not just “rich,” but what he actually says about money. His weird little mantras.
- Charity Stuff: Not just “gives money,” but what foundation, who it actually helps.
- Book Knowledge: Not just “wrote a book,” but pulling out the actual ideas.
- What He Does Now: Day to day. Like, is he playing golf or actually running things?
Grinding Through the Dirt
This sucked. Legwork city. Forget “vertical dimensions,” it felt like digging ditches. I started hunting down:
- Old Articles: Annoying interviews he gave years ago. Found one where he looked young and stressed.
- Podcast Rambles: Found one where he talked for an hour. So much fluff. Picked out the few bits where his voice changed, like he actually cared.
- That Book: Honestly, kinda dry. Skimmed it, stole the main argument chapter titles.
- Foundation Website: Actually clicked around. Found real numbers, real programs they run. Not just the fluffy “make the world better” crap.
- Recent Stuff: Like, what did he tweet about last month? Oh right, complaining about airport delays. Classic.
Forcing Order on Chaos
Had these piles of… stuff. Notes scribbled on paper, digital bookmarks everywhere. Coffee stain on my desk. My dog was judging me. I just started shoving facts into those five buckets I made earlier:
- Career Cement: Goldman MD, 20 years, specialty in [specific thing I found]. Not just “Wall Street.”
- Money Talk: Not just “grow wealth,” but stuff like “liquidity equals freedom,” found from that old interview.
- Charity Action: His foundation built 100 schools last year in [specific region]. Much better than “supports education.”
- Book Bones: Core idea: “Philanthropy needs ROI thinking.” Stole that directly.
- Present Tense: Runs the foundation day-to-day, sits on boards. Semi-retired my foot. Still working.
Clicking “Publish” & Feeling Okay
Slapped this new structure into a draft. Read it back. Didn’t hate it. Felt… heavier. More real. Less like a generic bio anyone could have. Still felt like work, but okay work.
Shared it. Got some nods. People commented, “Oh, that’s what he actually does?” or “That quote about liquidity is sharp.” Proof it landed better. Still not perfect, but hey, it’s out there. Dog stopped judging me (mostly). Mission: Less Sucky Profiles? Achieved. For now. Onto the next one… probably.
