Is It Best To Take The Safe Path?

One of my favorite professional cyclists retired at the end of 2016.  Had this blog existed then I would have written about it at the time since her story relates to career and finances.  Alas, I’m doing it now. 

Evelyn, or “Evie”, Stevens was no ordinary cyclist.  She was a Dartmouth graduate working at Lehman Brothers on Wall Street in 2007 when she serendipitously discovered the magical world of bikes through her sister.  She soon did her first race and beat all of the professionals – by 4 minutes. 

On the surface she had it all at the time, an Ivy League education and a high paying Wall Street job.  But Stevens had other things in mind.  She quit her job to pursue cycling. 

Stevens quickly signed a professional contract in 2008, gave all of her possessions away, and was racing against the best woman in the world.  She went on to win numerous U.S. championships, compete in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, and to beat the high mark in the most brutal event in cycling, the one hour record. 

She tells the story here in a quick 2 minute excerpt for NBC Sports prior to the 2012 Olympics:

My favorite line from that video is:

I’d be in these conference rooms, and they were always at the top of a building. And it was all glass…. and it’d be a beautiful day. And I just remember thinking “I wish I could just, fly out of here”

As a person who loves the outdoors and hates working under florescent lights, I feel a kinship with Evie.  I’ve uttered statements like that for over 20 years!  Except I never got to work in all-glass conference rooms at the tops of buildings in New York.  I’m sure that would be a novelty for about a week, then wear off quickly.

The funny thing is she initially only planned on taking a year off to “mess around”.  What started as a possible sabbatical or “mental health year” became a successful career in something completely different from investment banking.

Sure, the fact that Stevens found herself to be a genetically gifted cyclist obviously helped in the matter.  But the fact remains she did something that goes strongly against the norms of society.  She gave up a lucrative and sure-tracked career in what’s regarded as a prestigious line of work – to race bikes. 

The latter, especially for professional women, is not exactly highly regarded in the sporting world in America and notoriously pays practically nothing. 

I currently ride with a former female pro cyclist who was on numerous teams with Olympians.  She didn’t even get paid a salary.  All she got in her contract was her travel, hotels, and food paid for when racing out of town.

Playing It Safe

Stevens In Action

Evie’s story always reminds me of what I might not be doing that I perhaps should.  I’ve been working in my industry for more than 28 years and still do part time.  I even held a second job in it for 17 years that recently ended.  It’s what I went to school for and what I became good at.

But did I follow the safe path?  What other paths did I forgo in pursuit of security, safety, and a steady paycheck?  Only now in my 40’s am I digging deeper into passions I’ve had for a long time.  Like writing on this blog and creating graphic arts. 

I’m not as talented at those things as Evie was at racing bikes, but that’s not the point.  Stevens’ story makes me question whether or not I should have pursued other things when I was younger. 

In another interview Stevens said this of leaving her Wall Street job to pursue cycling: 

I just felt this itch to go out and see the world and challenge myself.  A part of me was questioning … am I on the traditional path because that’s what I want?  Or is that the path that I somehow jumped on?  When I started riding, I just felt so free. And I thought, “I’m loving cycling. I might as well go for it.”

Reading that makes me envious of her.  “I just felt so free”…. “I might as well go for it.”

I only wish I had the courage to do that when I was younger.  Some might consider what she did foolish or reckless.  To me she’s nothing if not brave.

Stevens shows it’s best to sometimes just go for it in life.  I feel weird passing that advice on from her since, in my career at least, I didn’t really do that.  Sure, I went into a profession I loved and did well.  But over my working career there were so many times that I wanted to pursue something else. 

Turns out that “just going for it” isn’t in my blood. 

I’m now pursuing the “safe entrepreneurship” path.  That means taking business risks after I’m already financially independent, when I’ve conveniently eliminated most of the risk.  

Where’s Evie now?  She was always a bit private and averse to social media, so I couldn’t find out where she has landed.  Before she retired she stated her desire to get back into finance or business. 

Hopefully the big Wall Street firms would recognize her tenacity, risk-taking, and discipline over the fact that she has a 10-year gap in her investment banking resume.  Or maybe they won’t. 

If I were a hiring manager and Evie applied, I’d take her in a second. Because she obviously has that intangible “thing” that makes people successful.