39 Brutal Truths I Know at 39 and Wish I Knew at 20

Podcast: Big Deal by Codie Sanchez
Host: Codie Sanchez
Guest: Solo episode (39th birthday)
Duration: ~1 hour
Listen: Apple Podcasts | YouTube

Codie Sanchez shares 39 brutal truths she learned by 39. Here are the best ones.

Choose Your Hard

“Being poor is hard. Getting rich is hard. Every choice is hard. If you don’t choose your hard, your hard will choose you.” This is the core philosophy. Life is hard either way. The only question is which hard you face.

Amateurs vs. Professionals

“Amateurs want to do what they love. Pros learn to love what it takes.” The discipline to do what is necessary, even when it is not enjoyable, separates those who succeed from those who do not.

Weaponized Distraction

“We have weaponized distraction against ourselves. We have turned silence into the enemy.” Be bored more often. Turn off your phone. That is when your brain turns on.

Urgency Is the Greatest Muscle

“Decrease the time between having an idea and getting it done.” Sanchez waited a year to take her Goldman Sachs job. That delay cost her six figures. Momentum compounds.

Working Smart Requires Working Hard First

“Working smarter, not harder, is a beautiful lie. You will not know how to work smart until you have worked very hard for a irrationally long time.”

Complexity Sounds Smart. Simplicity Makes Money.

The ability to distill complex problems to their essence is more valuable than being able to add complexity. Simple beats sophisticated in the market.

Reputation Is Fragile

“The smartest people I know obsess on their reputations. Do not play short-term games with your name.” Warren Buffett: lose me a dollar and I forget. Lose me reputation and you are gone.

Not Too Old, Just Too Comfortable

Sanchez did not marry until 33. Did not make content until 35. Did not start her podcast until 37. At 30 she thought she had peaked. At 39 she knows it’s just starting.

The Keeper Test

A simple question for evaluating people: if they told you they were leaving for a similar job, would you fight to keep them? If not, let them go.

Crepi il lupo! 🐺