I was going through resumes this week for an open position and came across one with a simple sentence at the top:

“I need a chance.”

This person wasn’t joking.  They had zero experience whatsoever, and their interests had nothing to do with what I was looking for.  I deleted the email immediately.

I got to thinking about it later, dug up the resume, and called the person on my way home from work.  More than anything, I had 5 min. to spare and was curious to see how they might try and sell me on their candidacy.

It didn’t work.  However, it became the perfect topic for this week’s post.

When was the last time someone gave you an opportunity you didn’t deserve?

Was it the sports coach who let you start even though you were the worst on the team?  Or maybe the pretty girl you asked out 14 times and later agreed to be your girlfriend?

We all start somewhere.

A few days went by after receiving the resume, and I decided to do something interesting.  I started by picking out three people who gave me opportunities that have shaped who I am today:

  1. The first paying customer of the first company I ever started
  2. The leader of a band who groomed me to play drums in front of thousands of people
  3. A professor who believed in me to pursue an atypical career path

I wrote each of them a note.  By hand.  With those things I believe people still refer to as a pen and paper.

Take a few minutes and think about the opportunities you’ve been given — in life, in school, in relationships, in work.

Next time someone asks you for a chance, give it to them.  You never know where it might take you.

See you next Sunday at 8:30pm.  🙂

Austin Rhoads headshot

About Me

Hi, I'm Austin.

After graduating from Elon University, I moved to Miami, FL through the Venture For America Fellowship Program.

Miami has since become my home where I spend my free time running, biking, taking pictures, and trying to become friends with Pitbull.

I'm always looking for the next challenge.  That's exactly why I started my own business-to-business sales company, launched the Miami Talent Pipeline, and most recently committed to sharing 52 ideas with you for the next year.

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