What I wish I knew then: Words of wisdom from 25 world-class entrepreneurs
What’s the secret to career success? Here, movers and shakers in fields from food to fashion and hospitality share what they wish they had known when they were starting out.
Good advice is like gold dust: rare, hard to find and all the more precious for its scarcity. Hear the right words at the right time and they could alter the course of your life for the better. We all have stories of transformative nuggets of wise counsel received at pivotal moments of our careers – whether from strangers, family members or the pages of a book picked up by chance in a shop that we walked into on a whim.
But often what inspires us most is the hard-earned knowledge of those who came before us and used their passions to power their success. Whether you’re considering how to start your career or weighing up a radical pivot, we have collated some words of wisdom that might come in handy. Here, 25 leaders from all walks of life share what has helped them most and what they would like to pass on.
Some speak of the importance of building a trusted support network, while others cite specific role models to emulate. But most agree with Los Angeles-based Thai architect Kulapat Yantrasast, who tells Monocle that it’s crucial to constantly expose ourselves to ideas that differ from our own. “When we stop learning,” he says, “we stop living.” Read on for more pieces of gold dust.
1.
Yotam Ottolenghi
Chef and restaurateur
“Having a community around you is the ultimate source of support. It will help you to achieve whatever you seek. Trust and empower people, and remind them how good they are every day. A good education is primarily about building confidence; the rest hardly matters. In my experience, confidence has a lot to do with whatever is holding you back. You can learn everything else along the way. Education isn’t about setting impossible standards, which can be very demoralising. That doesn’t help anyone in the long run. And the skill that we all should have? Knowing how to make a really good tomato sauce.”
Yotam Ottolenghi is an Israeli-born restaurateur and the chef-patron of the Ottolenghi Group. His new book, ‘Simple Too’, is published in September.
2.
Tim Marshall
Journalist
“The best advice that I have ever received is that if you want to change the world, change yourself. Also, ‘Duck!’”
Tim Marshall is a journalist and the author of several books, including ‘Prisoners of Geography’.
3.
Masamichi Katayama
Interior designer
“Above all, you must enjoy what you do. Everything that you put into your work will ultimately come back to you. The secret to my success is that I found what I truly wanted to do and chose it as my work. I can continue doing it without growing tired of it. The best advice that I have ever received is, ‘If you want to create bigger ripples, throw the largest stone that you can into the very centre of the pond.’”
Masamichi Katayama is the founder and principal of Tokyo-based interior-design firm Wonderwall.
4.
Sarah Andelman
Creative consultant
“One thing that I wish I knew when I was younger? Practise sport. And my secret to success is to work relentlessly.”
Sarah Andelman is the founder of creative consulting company Just an Idea.
5.
Neville Brody
Graphic designer
“I wish that I had known earlier that trying and failing are vital steps towards greater knowledge and experience. The worst advice that I have ever received was to give up struggling as a designer and go into advertising instead. The key to a good education is to confront your own limitations and, with support, exploring new and unfamiliar ways of looking, thinking and responding. That creates skilled, independent minds. If the goal is to develop familiar and clichéd ways of thinking, the result is standardised minds. Trust yourself. You’re not there for the institution.”
Neville Brody is a professor of visual communication at the Royal College of Art in London.
6.
Hanna Stjärne
Journalist and media executive
“When you face a difficult decision, leave it until the next morning. Most things can wait and the solution will be more evident after a good night’s sleep. Also, value the success of your team and your colleagues more than your own.”
Hanna Stjärne is the executive director of the Nobel Foundation, Stockholm.
7.
Giuseppe Sala
Mayor
“The worst advice that I have ever received was not to enter politics because nothing would ever change. It’s important to be persistent. Believe in what you do and build a solid base on which your vision can become a reality.”
Giuseppe Sala is the mayor of Milan.
8.
Stefano Rabolli Pansera
Architect and curator
“The poems of [US modernist poet] Wallace Stevens taught me the most valuable life lesson that I have ever learnt: not to attempt to impose an order upon reality but to accept complexity and to inhabit it. Another important lesson is ‘to change nothing so that everything is different’ – a quotation from film director Jean-Luc Godard. Transformation isn’t about altering reality but about changing the way in which we perceive it. And the worst advice? To buy NFTs. Thankfully, I never followed it.”
Stefano Rabolli Pansera is the founding director of contemporary-art spaces Khao Yai Art Forest and Bangkok Kunsthalle in Thailand.
9.
Ruth Rogers
Chef
“Never hold a party without a margarita. And if I could live my life again, I would probably learn how to play the banjo. I have recently been listening to actor and musician Steve Martin play the instrument and he has inspired me. Meanwhile, one thing that I wish I knew when I was younger is that you don’t have to answer questions right away. You can say that you will think about it.”
Ruth Rogers is an American-born British chef and the founder of The River Café.
10.
Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Novelist
“A skill that everyone should have is the ability to change their minds. And we should also remember that no matter how awful or brilliant a particular experience is, it won’t last for ever. Time will pass.”
Yassmin Abdel-Magied is a Sudanese diaspora writer and the author of literary thriller ‘At Sea’.
11.
Kim Ghattas
Journalist
“Perhaps the least helpful piece of advice that I have received is that I would never succeed as a journalist or make a living from it. It’s a good thing that I didn’t listen. Nothing is as definite or as final as you might think. When I was younger, I sometimes felt overwhelmed by the need for every choice or decision to be perfect. But I have learnt that you can always make amends or adjust course. I grew up during Lebanon’s civil war so I missed a lot of school. But reading avidly gave me a deep sense of curiosity about the world, which has been key to setting me up for success. People should know more than one language – it opens up your mind, your horizons and your heart. The most valuable lesson that I have learnt? It sounds like a cliché but I have come to believe that setbacks always have a reason. Eventually, they lead to something better if you learn from them and focus on creating your own luck.”
Kim Ghattas is a Beirut-based journalist and the author of ‘Black Wave’, about the origins of the Saudi-Iran conflict. Her forthcoming book, ‘The Best Kind of American’, is published in October.
12.
Fareed Zakaria
TV anchor
“Money, fame and career success aren’t the most important guiding forces in my life. Instead, it’s time. That’s what is most valuable to me and I work hard to manage it carefully and thoughtfully. The best lesson that I have learnt is a simple one and it’s still my golden rule: be nice and forgiving. In other words, give people a second chance. It’s good for the world but even better for you. It means that you don’t live with tension bottled up within you. Let it go.”
Fareed Zakaria is the host of CNN’s weekly international-affairs programme ‘Fareed Zakaria GPS’.
13.
Peter Saville
Art director
“The best advice that I have ever received was from [former Pentagram design director] John McConnell. He told me, ‘The solution is the problem.’”
Peter Saville is a London-based graphic designer and art director.
14.
Benjamin Vuchot
Hotel group CEO
“Everyone should have the abilities to quieten their mind through daily meditation and to listen properly. In a fast-paced world, the best connection often begins with understanding what is not said, picking up on unspoken details and responding with empathy. I don’t think that there’s one great secret to success but I have always believed in staying close to people and to the details. True achievement is never a solo endeavour. Beekeeping is a hobby of mine; it has taught me to rely on a collective unity, where every individual’s contribution is vital to the harmony of the whole. The most interesting careers rarely follow straight lines. Some of my most valuable lessons have come from outside the boardroom – from interacting with customers on the shop floor, from moving countries and from learning about different cultures.”
Benjamin Vuchot is the CEO of Hongkong & Shanghai Hotels Limited, the parent company of The Peninsula.
15.
Gildo Zegna
Fashion executive
“When you’re young, you believe that everything has to happen quickly. But building a group that’s meant to last – and the team to drive it – is like being part of a family. It takes consistency, focus and a long-term vision. There’s a lot of value in patience too. When it comes to leadership, hard skills aren’t enough. You also need soft skills, so cultivate both. The classroom teaches you some things; life teaches you the rest. Do what’s right, not what is convenient. This is what my father and grandfather taught me, what I have taught my sons and what I will teach my grandchildren.”
Gildo Zegna is the CEO-turned-chair of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group.
16.
Andrea Trimarchi
Designer
“Uncertainty is an essential part of learning. The key to a good education isn’t a pyramidical structure. Learning should be as horizontal as possible. Stay curious and ask better questions. Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ a lot of times.”
Andrea Trimarchi is a co-founder of Italian design studio Formafantasma.
17.
Klaus Zellmer
Automotive CEO
“Several of the defining steps in my career came through roles, projects or challenges that I hadn’t anticipated and initially might not have considered myself fully prepared for. There’s value in knowing your strengths and building on them. But if that becomes an excuse to remain in your comfort zone, it can limit both personal potential and organisational progress. For me, growth has often begun when I said ‘yes’ to something unfamiliar. Adaptability isn’t just about individual capability. It requires the ability to nurture followers who understand the need for change, trust the direction that you set and contribute their own energy and expertise. That’s how a group becomes a team and a team becomes one that wins. If I could share one secret to success, it would be to expand your role before someone else expands it for you – and be bold enough to step into unfamiliar territory.”
Klaus Zellmer is the CEO of Czech carmaker Škoda Auto.
18.
Tara Bernerd
Interior architect
“The moment when you think that you’ve learnt everything is the moment when you stop growing. So practise the art of staying interested. The world is full of extraordinary people, places and ideas, and I have found that curiosity has opened more doors than any grand plan ever could. So much of our work is about our relationships and the people we meet.”
Tara Bernerd is a UK-based designer and the founder of interior-architecture practice Tara Bernerd & Partners.
19.
Kulapat Yantrasast
Architect and designer
“The key to a great education is to be around curious minds that don’t necessarily agree with you. When we stop learning, we stop living.”
Kulapat Yantrasast is a Thai architect and a co-founder of Los Angeles-based interdisciplinary design practice Why Architecture.
20.
Ben Smith
Airline executive
“One thing that you learn as you grow older is that life goes by so quickly. You can choose to spend your time with a lot of people but bear in mind that you won’t ever get any of those days back. So make sure that you spend them with the ones who you truly care about and those who genuinely care about you. Also, try to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. Not everyone is comfortable with that but I am.”
Ben Smith is the CEO of Air France-KLM.
21.
Amanda Levete
Architect
“One day you realise that you can learn as much from your younger self as you can from decades of experience. Hold on to your passion. You can figure out the rest as you go.”
Amanda Levete is a British architect and the founder of London-based studio AL_A.
22.
Thomas Chatterton Williams
Author
“The worst advice is to just be yourself. That is well-meaning but mistaken. Everyone can benefit by learning from and emulating what is excellent in others, often by reading about lives and perspectives other than their own. The best advice that I have received came from my father. He told me to read as much and as widely as possible while I was young because in adulthood, no matter your intentions or plans, life gets in the way. Though I’m now a writer and it’s part of my job to read, I see just how right he was and I’m grateful for those early years. Everyone should develop the ability to listen and not just be quiet until it’s their turn to speak. This is harder than it seems.”
Thomas Chatterton Williams is an American cultural critic and writer.
23.
Alain de Botton
Philosopher and author
“Every choice is painful. The only kinds of success that are worth measuring are serenity and the absence of anxiety.”
Alain de Botton is a Swiss-born writer and the founder of The School of Life.
24.
Roksanda Ilincic
Fashion designer
“Learning is a lifelong conversation. Art, travel, literature, architecture and human encounters all become teachers if we are attentive. I wish that I had known when I was younger that uncertainty isn’t something to fear. It is often where imagination begins and where the most meaningful work takes shape.”
Roksanda Ilincic is a Serbian-born fashion designer and the founder of label Roksanda.
25.
Arthur Person
Fashion executive
“Too often, France’s elite business and engineering schools, its grandes écoles, teach their students how not to listen to their own instincts and to fold themselves into narrow career templates. But the key to a good education is letting a child take an interest and open up. It’s about constantly widening the field of what’s possible for them, whether through concerts, exhibitions or discoveries – all with a real sense of pleasure. It should be an ongoing dialogue, involving them in every decision that concerns them.”
Arthur Person is the head of Parisian menswear label Octobre Éditions.
Quotes gathered by: James Chambers, Grace Charlton, Julia Jenne, Rory Jones, Tomos Lewis, Ed Stocker
