In my first real job, I took home $1,123 every 2 weeks.
I worked 70 hours a week, which works out to $8.02/hour.
Factor in the commute time, gas, dry cleaning (suit and tie every day), and other expenses and I’m down to $6/hour.
I oversaw people who made $250/hour, fully billable, which was $500,000 a year per person– if you remember the US Web/CKS agency.
The Bain and McKinsey folks were at $800/hour, plus got incredible perks.
Man, was I pissed about how these wet-behind-the-ears consultants were making 4,000% more than me.
What took me 40 hours of toil to earn, they made in ONE HOUR.
And I was their boss!
But my mentor told me to focus on my learning curve, not my earning curve– since over time, I’ll be further ahead than if I was job-hopping every year.
And he was right.
I’d not trade the relationships and experience I gained 22 years ago at American Airlines, which led me to Yahoo!, Facebook, and now Kaqun.
Are you focusing on your earning curve or your learning curve?
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is co-author of the #1 best selling book on Amazon in social media, The Definitive Guide to TikTok Ads. He has spent a billion dollars on Facebook ads across his agencies and agencies he advises. Mr. Yu is the "million jobs" guy-- on a mission to create one million jobs via hands-on social media training, partnering with universities and professional organizations.
You can find him quoted in major publications and on television such as CNN, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, NPR, and LA Times. Clients have included Nike, Red Bull, the Golden State Warriors, Ashley Furniture, Quiznos-- down to local service businesses like real estate agents and dentists. He's spoken at over 750 conferences in 20 countries, having flown over 6 million miles in the last 30 years to train up young adults and business owners. He speaks for free as long as the organization believes in the job-creation mission and covers business class travel.
You can find him hiking tall mountains, eating chicken wings, and taking Kaqun oxygen baths-- likely in a city near you.