For many people I know, wealth isn’t something they ever experience. Growing up in a suburban, middle-class town on the east coast, no one just had millions of dollars in the bank. If they did, they wouldn’t have chosen to live here.
But life on the other coast is far more steeped in the upper echelons of society. However, the millionaires and billionaires are mixed in with the rest of us. My former managers, likely already millionaires, have gone on to obtain even higher paying positions. Yes, they’re good at what they do. But there remains this great divide between the ridge I’m on and the ridge they’re on. Even colleagues who were my equals at one point have gone on to surely earn way more than I’ll ever be able to make. I’m torn on whether or not I actually care.
The idea of being on a career path where I could earn $200k+ a year is tantalizing, in a way, as that kind of income would provide an awful lot of cash to stock away into savings and investments. I just am not a leader in the same way they are. Yes, all of these people that come to mind are male, but they are just good at seemingly like they have their shit together and managing teams of people. What am I good at? Being creative. Editing. Anything other than managing.
It is just so crazy to me how close I am to all this wealth. I’m also close to people who probably have $1M – $2M in the bank, who want to be multi-millionaires. I’m pretty sure if I ever hit $2M I’d quit my day job and do something completely unrelated. I wish I could move up the ladder more quickly, but I also can’t figure out how to. In the opportunities I have to really lead I seem to do poorly because I always get stuck on the details. For example, directing a corporate video voiceover track down to the intention in each line because, god, it was just sounding like Siri on cocaine. I just need to learn to stop caring so much about the details and focus on “more is more.” And promoting all of the work even if I know it’s not perfect. That certainly doesn’t come natural to me.
I like it. I was offered a job to move to the Valley this year. I just said no, in fear of being caught on the very ridge you talk about. I really was fearful of being the richest “poor” person I know.
Were you able to make a comparable salary where you decided to stay?