“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
I want to fail. Not have a setback or a misstep. I want a failure so bad that future HBS students will unanimously agree that I’m a blockhead when they read the case about my actions.
Growing up, I wanted to be an actor. Along the way, I discovered that I could make people laugh, and I desperately wanted to become a stand-up comedian. But I chose not to pursue those dreams.
Let me explain: I've spent my life trying to make the right decisions, trying to show "them all" that I could be successful despite my baggage. I wanted it not to matter that I struggled with my weight. Or that my dad went to prison and never came back. Or that I was gay.
Dreams were a risk, so I made all of the safe choices. I went to the right schools and worked at the right companies. Move in, move up, move on. Success, success, success.
I think it’s finally time to reach for more, except now my dreams are different: I want to transform the hospitality industry, explode barriers for LGBT people globally, and inspire people to see the humor in life.
So when I do fail, I’ll know that I failed while doing something I was passionate about. And to me, that’ll be success enough.
— Andrew Levine