There’s something eye-opening about spending your days with people who fly private, have global calendars and take the kind of phone calls that start with, “close the door.”

When you work side by side with powerful, wealthy executives, you grow up quickly – not because you’re told to, but because your forced to.

You learn their pace.

Their strategy.

Their appetite for risk.

Their attention to detail.

And suddenly, nothing intimidates you anymore.

You stop being impressed by money. You stop being blinded by titles. You stop shrinking in rooms just because others are louder.

You learn to see past the shine – and into the substance.

Because proximity to power teaches you the most unfiltered truth: Some people have wealth and no wisdom. Some have influence but no integrity. Some lead companies but don’t lead themselves.

And yet – some use power with humility. Some lead with clarity and conviction. Some prove that excellence and empathy are not mutually exclusive.

And you sitting there, taking notes, moving schedules, preparing briefings, you’re absorbing every move like a quiet masterclass.

What to emulate.

What to never repeat.

What you won’t tolerate.

It sharpens your standards. You know how you want to be spoken to. How you want to lead. What kind of work lights you up and what you’ll never sacrifice your peace for again.

You learn what you want, not from having it – but from watching the consequences of having the wrong version of it.

Maturity becomes instinct. Discernment becomes non-negotiable. Boundaries stop sounding like attitude – and start sounding like self respect.

Because after seeing the inside of power, you stop chasing the illusion of it. You start building the real kind.

The kind rooted in humanity, not hierarchy. In competence, not arrogance. In clarity, not chaos.

And as you reflect, you recognize what a privilege it truly was – to learn, observe, and contribute in a space where every decision mattered.

John and Paul – thank you.

For every challenge that built confidence, every responsibility that signaled belief, every moment where the work required more than capability, it required composure.

The role was not small –

it was foundational.

It was formative.

The kind of experience that does not stay behind, it travels with you – in how you lead, interact, contribute and influence.

Until the next Business Day – here’s to the role that teaches you strength, the work that reveals your standards, and the people who shape the professional you become – often long before you realize it.