What Do You Do For Work?

This was a pertinent question before the '90s. It likely helped people quickly gauge who was present in a room or what type of knowledge someone had. It facilitated conversations, helping people find common ground. It's like knowing someone's address and looking it up on Zillow. Today, asking about work can lead to a myriad of answers and rarely gives me insight into the success or skills of an individual. I like to ask, “What makes you a Derek?” or “What makes you a Whitney?”. This feels like the better question in this millenium when getting to know who is next to you on an airplane.

Here is the cut and dry: I have two “jobs” that I tell people about that make me a Scott: Co-founder of Convoi Ventures and Phi. I take no income from these ventures because they are both in the growth stage and need to be fed resources. Both have massive potential to bear fruit after nurturing and exposure to sunlight over several seasons. In every business I've started, I've used this strategy of feeding the baby plant before harvesting. If you harvest too early, you may kill the plant or stunt its growth. I'm not sure if that's true in farming, but it feels right.

Only once in my life have I had a decent salary. It was at Disney after they purchased a company my partner and I had started. For two years, I was making $250k a year as a salary, and that was the first and last time I had a six-figure salary or a stable salary at all. For those close to me, how I support my life is hardly a secret. I am a 'degen' - a slang term for someone who engages in high-risk financial activities. Through dealings in crypto and selling two companies, I manage to maintain my lifestyle.

I used to split my time between Phi and Convoi, 70/30. But writing daily and responding to reply emails has easily become 10% of my new day. I don’t view what I do as a job or work; to me, it's simply living out my purpose. I can't categorize my activities into neat buckets of work, play, or family. I have my family with me when I do all three of my jobs, and I have fun doing each of them. I will never retire, as that would mean stopping the activities I love and the fun I have doing them.

So, when someone asks me "What do you do for work?" my answer is the same as if they asked "What is a Scott?" I am a writer, a connector, a very embarrassing dad of 3 girls, a husband that worships his Queen. I make credits and spend credits in the most peculiar ways. I am Morpheus to many, helping those still unaware that we are in a Matrix. I love to hear myself talk, and love to hear others talk. I love questions from truth seekers. I will often tell people who want to know about Phi. If someone is really interested they learn about Convoi. If I see that they are open, I might talk about crypto…but that is a trigger word for many who have minds that are not open for expansion.

Lastly, before I sign off today, I want you to know that I take my work very seriously. I think about who reads these messages. Hundreds of messages come back to me each month, helping direct me to subjects I should talk about next. This message today is for Lorri.

What do you do for work? What makes a John? What should I write about in the future?

In solidarity,

SP

Here is an image depicting a character resembling Morpheus from 'The Matrix', engaged in writing emails on a computer.