Work Like a Crackhead (Sort Of)

Driving downtown to play squash yesterday, I passed a group of addicts and had a thought: a crackhead will do anything for their next hit.

It was a strange thought—but I’m a strange guy. And no, I’m not saying we should aspire to that lifestyle. Obviously.

But maybe we should ask: why is it that addicts show more commitment to their goal than half of America?

Maybe that’s too harsh. Then again, maybe it’s not.

We’ve built a society full of soft hands and softer resolve. One of my favorite lines about illegal immigration is: “Yeah, but Americans just won’t do those jobs!”

Maybe it’s time we revisit that paradigm.

So; if you took on $150K in student debt for a gender theory degree from a private school?

That’s on you.

Didn’t get promoted after showing up late, doing the bare minimum, and quietly quitting six months ago?

Also on you.

I once had a kid interview with me and say, “I’ll do anything to work for you… I’ll even go to the field once a month.” I laughed and said, “If you really meant that, you’d live in a cardboard box in the field until I came to get you.”

He didn’t get the job.

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Right now, because I enjoy side quests and law school doesn’t start up again for a month, I’m working on a real estate project with a partner. I’d love to make it sound sexier than it is, but we’re buying old homes, rehabbing them, and then… well, you know the drill. It’s a little risky. We might be early. But we’ve got a concept, and we think our approach is different.

Either way, here’s what I’ve learned from watching friends and colleagues who’ve made it big: the key to success is having multiple ways to win. And rule number one—buy right. Overpay and you’re dead.

But here’s the part I love, and it might surprise you: if we miss the price point and can’t see a clean exit, I’ll rent out my current house and live in the project until we figure it out. Because I believe in consequences. And in figuring it out.

I know a lot of people who want to be entrepreneurs. My advice? Own your decisions—good and bad. Don’t wait for someone to bail you out. Don’t whine when the market turns and you get caught. Find a way to win.

That’s why I love sports. Athletes make their own luck. The best ones outwork everyone. They show up early. Stay late. Train when it sucks. Train when they hurt. They don’t talk about manifesting. They grind until results show up.

And business? It’s no different.

That’s the energy I think we should all want around us. Not soft entitlement. Not “I’ll do anything… unless it’s hard.”

So no, don’t be a crackhead.

But maybe… just maybe… Work like one. Own your choices. And be willing to live in a “starter home” if that’s what it takes to win. Because no one’s coming to save you. And if they do, it’s probably just to charge you rent.