It was a weekday afternoon in June.
The sun was blazing. The air was heavy. And the mercury had eclipsed 100 degrees.
Yet, as I made my way into the air-conditioned comfort of a chain restaurant, I found it nearly empty.
Apparently, this wasn’t dining-out weather for others. But it was for me.
So, I ambled over to the bar and asked for a food menu.
The bartender glanced at the suit I had on and smiled.
You look real fancy for the bar at a Razzoo’s.
I explained that I’d just come from a job interview up the road. One that I thought had gone well.
That’s great, the bartender replied. I’m sure you’ll land the role.
A few moments later, a basket of fried crawfish and shrimp appeared in front of me. And as I dug in, I started to daydream.
What if the bartender was right? What possibilities would that unlock?
Plenty.
I’d finally get to move out of the extended stay hotel I’d been in for months. I’d pay down the credit card debt I’d accrued. Maybe I’d go out on the town and meet people.
This job was the key to unlocking my life. I just needed the opportunity.
A few days later, my phone rang. It was the Marketing Director I’d interviewed with, calling to offer me the job.
I happily accepted.
Over the next several months, I transformed myself from a business novice into a reliable marketing professional. My employer took on clients, and I helped drive results for them. The Marketing Director added two more marketers to work alongside me.
But then, one client decided our services weren’t good enough. They forced their way out of their contract, leaving my employer short on revenue. Tension started to build.
I pressed my nose further into the grindstone. I told myself that my hard work would cure all – preserving the company and my spot in it.
Besides, it wasn’t like I had any other option. I was still low on cash and high on debt. And now, I had an apartment rent to cover.
It didn’t matter.
I soon got the dreaded Hey do you have a moment to talk? Prompt from the Marketing Director. Despite my best efforts, I was being let go.
By the time I made it home and unloaded my belongings from the car, reality had sunk in.
Despite my best efforts, I had failed. Failed at keeping my job and earning a steady income.
I realized how dire my situation was. Before that lunch at Razzoo’s, I’d spent three months in career limbo. I watched helplessly as job application after job application went awry.
Now, I was in a similar spot — with only marginally more experience on my resume.
If I wanted to keep my apartment and the possessions in it, I needed someone to offer me another job. And this needed to happen before my severance dried up.
Fortunately, my luck was better this time. Within days, I was in discussions for three digital marketing positions. I got two offers from those conversations, and I was able to take my pick of employer.
I had gone from losing to winning in a flash. But I remained on edge.
For what had just happened to me could easily reoccur down the line. And if it did, I might not find the same good fortune.
Capitalism is one of America’s great legacies.
It’s no coincidence that the country that declared itself independent in 1776 adopted the economic theories of Adam Smith – theories first were published that same year.
The invisible hand of the free market has helped propel America from a fledgling nation to a global powerhouse. It’s built prosperity and fostered influence.
But those outcomes are far from guaranteed.
You see, capitalism is built on the premise of equal access. Of supply and demand having free reign in a marketplace.
When the two meet, opportunities can proliferate. And when those opportunities are seized, magic can happen.
But even if the conditions are ripe, such opportunities don’t appear on their own. They must be offered up by people. And people are notoriously unpredictable.
As such, the game of capitalism is lathered with risk. If an opportunity falls through, there’s no guarantee that the next one will be as juicy. In fact, there’s no guarantee that there will be another opportunity at all.
I think about this when looking back on my early career journey, and all the bumps in the road I endured. Sure, well-wishers were quick to tell that everything would work out. But was that actually true?
Not in the least.
The truth was that I was taking a capital gamble each time I readied myself for work in the morning. A gamble that my opportunity would still be there at the end of the day. And that another would follow if this one fell through.
This game wasn’t for the faint of heart. I understood that.
But I swallowed my anxiety and played along. Just as I do today.
More than a decade has passed since I was last unemployed. And these days, I’m far more prepared for that adverse outcome.
I’ve built up an emergency fund to cover expenses. I’ve gathered years of marketing experience. I’ve earned a master’s degree in business administration and built a professional network.
But even with that elaborate buffer, I’m hardly at ease. Far from it.
For I know that despite my successes, I’m only three steps removed from desperation. And I recognize that each opportunity that eludes my grasp might be the last one I get.
It’s a sobering reality. But it’s one I readily accept.
You see, I now recognize that life is inherently unfair. Even at its elemental level, outcomes can vary arbitrarily.
A full safety net, a clean slate — it might artificially raise our floor. But it also lowers our ceiling. All while merely distracting us from the world’s sobering realities.
It’s better to face the darkness. To take a bit of risk in pursuit of the golden glow of opportunity.
That’s why I keep riding the roller coaster into parts unknown. That’s why I keep embracing the challenge and accepting the process.
A capital gamble is nothing to sneeze at. But it’s nothing to run away from either.