TGG 100th Episode with Founder Peter Wood

Hello and welcome back to the Graduate Guide podcast. My name is Afif.

My name is Fahim. Now we've got a very special episode today because it's Peter Wood's 100th episode, so we thought we'd switch you up a bit and get Peter on the other end. Peter, how are you?

Okay, mate. Yeah, it's, uh, definitely is weird to be on the other side, but I'm very much looking forward to having a conversation with you lads.

Yeah, 100%, man. I mean, we've spoken, uh, quite a bit over the last, what, a couple of months, and we've gotten a lot from your, uh, from your experiences. So we thought, I think it's time that we share this with the community as well.

Yeah, awesome. So Peter Wood, like to dig into your development so far and how you've come to be where you are today. So take us back to where it all began. How was university like for you?

I would say, um, university Okay, for context, I arrived in 2020, obviously peak lockdown. Um, yeah, I'd just been traveling for the year. I was working as a ski instructor in Canada, I was being a bartender in Spain. I think I was just like loving this new independence that I had. And arriving in London, I had like such an expectation of what it, it could be, um, and It didn't really work out that way, to be honest. Um, I think university really is what you make of it. And at the time, I think I was like, I was waiting for someone to come and, you know, grab a hold of me, be like, this is what you do, this is how you make the most of it, this is how you can start building your careers, how you can start networking, all these kind of things. And, and there I was, you know, just coasting with my mates. And I feel like, um, yeah, I, I've been so used to life at school, um, being told what to do, having that accountability. And it's a real shock for a lot of people when they get to university, um, and time can go by very quickly. And as much as I enjoyed it and had a lot of fun, um, I did reach a point in my final year, you know, before I started doing anything with the Grad Guide, where I was like 'Wow, like, I'm literally just a history student that doesn't know what I want to do.' Um, and, and I think, you know, that back-against-the-wall feeling is what prompted me to, to build The Grad Guide, what we're sitting on now.

Yeah, brilliant. I mean, I feel like that's a reality that a lot of students are facing. I know a lot of the students, uh, for example, for context, I'm a dental student. I think a lot of my peers are kind of going through that right now where they're like Yeah, it's almost as if there's a set of tasks to do in university, and then apart from that, they're kind of just coasting. What do you feel like that— do you feel like that has an impact on them when they leave university? I know there's a lot of talk about how students feel unprepared when they leave university. Do you think that's got an impact on that?

I definitely think so. I think it's, uh, you know, it's a massive switch to go from completely self-dependent on motivating yourself to work, to being like, well, held accountable at the highest level. Like, literally your ability to stay in that city, for example, is relying on how you perform in that job and getting tasks done and, you know, having a clear structure and, you know, having to get things done by a certain time. It's just not what university life is. Um, and I think like, you know, everybody advertises um, societies and all these different things you can do to make your life really busy at university. But I think if everyone's like pretty honest with themselves, like nobody does as much as, you know, they could do in a day while at university. Like, it's almost frustrating how little there is to do sometimes. Um, and obviously when you get out, if it's, it's either you don't get work and you're, you're still in the same mindset. It's very hard to prompt yourself to really, um, find that job. Or you get into work and you've got a very quick adjustment period to, yeah, being told what to do again. It's, it's definitely a strange, um, feeling. But, you know, ultimately I think it's all made a lot easier if you've worked out what you're passionate about while at university. You know, that's where I was going wrong for so long. It's like just trying to tick the boxes and do what everyone else was doing and not really think about what I would like to spend my time doing. And, you know, it is that classic, um, saying of, you know, if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life. And, and I've been through such an emotional roller coaster with, you know, I found my passion, but could I make a career out of it? And I tried to do other things and, you know, throwing a lot of things at the wall and just seeing what stuck. And it always came back to if I was passionate about something, no matter what schedule I was on, what I was doing at university, I could lock in and do it forever. And I'm just so grateful that I'm in that position now. But our mission is to help every student have that feeling.

I see. And Peter, whilst you're at university, you mentioned there was a gap of time that many people wasted. What was it that drove you to start The Graduate Guide during that?

Well, you have, yeah, you have so much time there, you know, even in final year. And I think, I don't know, if anyone else can relate to this who's listening, but sometimes when you, um, having a really busy day and almost feels like you can't fit everything in, it, it forces you to be more productive and fit more things in. So like, I actually got better grades when I had way more things going on and like less time to do uni work, which is like kind of a weird thing. But you know those days where you're just like slumped and, oh, I've got to go to the library, I've got to work, and then all you can ever be validated on your work is a grade that someone gives, especially in history. It's like very subjective. And I found that like a really manic depressive motivator, just purely being based on grades. Yeah. Um, and I think, yeah, like for me, what motivated me to start it was like, I have always loved speaking to people. I'm very much a product of my environment. Like when I walk into a room, I'm like okay, energy changes, here we go. But I wasn't doing that productively at all. Like, I was, you know, going on nights out, I was going on dates, I was doing all these things. And I thought, if I could just apply this to like the same curiosity and like enthusiasm to speaking to people, you know, it could get me somewhere. You know, very— there wasn't really much more thought that went into it. I was like, all right, I need to get myself, you know, feeling like something's happening, moving forward, doing something. And You know, I don't think everyone has to start a podcast, you know, I definitely— I'm not saying that, but there is no better way to build rapport with someone, and especially with people that have such finite time, who if you just ask them to go for a coffee, it is quite difficult. But if you can start bit by bit providing value to somebody— I knew that The Graduate Guide had legs, not even as a viral podcast or anything, but as a concept to allow me to build my network. And, and so I just, I just never stopped doing it. Every week I spent way more time than I needed to doing it in my final year, and it's the best thing I ever did, you know. Honestly, I don't know what I'd be doing without it, to be honest.

100%, man. I mean, it sounds like you're really— but you are really passionate. I mean, from what you've built, right, and the value you're giving back to students. You did mention something about having your back towards the wall and kind of that flick, that switch when you realize what you're passionate for. What do you think that change was for you? What was that point in time when you realized, actually, this is exactly what I want to be doing, what I want to be building?

I think it was realizing that— I think in the education system, as I was sort of saying before, I've always found it so brutal how assessments that you could put put so much effort in something and you just wouldn't be like rewarded for that unless you were just like, yeah, book smart by nature. Like, so for a lot of people, like, it's a really harsh way to assess your like performance in life and moving forward. And I think I knew that the flipper switch because I found myself just feeling happy when I'd actually been— I hadn't been given anything, I hadn't been given a, you know, gold star or a grade or whatever. I'd just come out of the room and felt like, I can do something, I can actually like build something, I feel like I can provide value to the world. And you know, you— it's very easy to get like all meta and like, you know, oh, like what you can achieve with, with things in the beginning. But I think ultimately I just always sort of focused on, you know, I was so hungry for that feeling every single day that I could go into a room, have a conversation with someone, and have a whole new approach that day, those next hours, that next week. Like, it just really just reshaped and reconfigured my whole mindset and attitude towards careers and life in general. So yeah, that was really the, the moment I knew that the, the switch had flicked. And, um, yeah, it didn't mean that I had all the answers or I even knew how to do it, but I was just so motivated completely differently to the years beforehand.

I see. That's quite interesting, Peter, because you mentioned how you're quite inspired, right? Now we have an amazing studio here, you've got some, some very cool mics and nice, nice cameras. How is it like at the very start when you had that passion but maybe not the resources to act upon that?

Yeah, well, I mean, I think almost any university student can relate to that, um, and it's a weird one where you kind of know in the back of your head that you're going to have to do it at some point, um, but you just don't want to be that guy that's got all the gear but no idea, right? So there's such like a, you know, it's such a hard thing to work out where it's like, um, you're the only one in the beginning that's going to move it forward, and you're the only one who's, who's gonna, you know, make these purchases, or, or nobody's gonna do it for you. Like, they're just not. Nobody cares about you that much. Like, you can't— you know, no one is entitled to people caring that much. And, and I think for the longest time, I actually really tried to not build, like, put it out there. Or I, I knew that the caliber of what I had as a setup was not what was going to do well on TikTok or Instagram. I kind of just was like, I just couldn't believe that I could sit down and have conversations with some of these people. Like, my 6th episode was a manager at Google, and that is just from asking, like, you know, getting very lucky and someone giving you an opportunity. And I was like, I can't do this episode justice. Like, I, I know I can't. 'But I still really want to do it.' So I think, like, to answer your question, it's like, I— it was quite embarrassing, and I had to confront that just by not actually doing the episode justice. Um, and yeah, and I think just slowly but surely you build the confidence that, okay, now's the time to invest, and, you know, I'm actually going to do this properly. And, you know, it's taken so long to get to this point now, but you have to do it at some point, so you might as well do it as soon as possible, right? That would be a big learning for me.

Yeah, I mean, I think you touched on something really important there, which was kind of that feeling of almost imposter syndrome, of almost feeling like I'm in these rooms and speaking to these people who have done it all and kind of I can't do them justice. I think that's something that a lot of students struggle with, especially coming out of university. They're dropped into the world of work and they kind kind of lost, they don't have a sense of direction. And you mentioned how you kind of putting it off and putting off, putting, making it public and things for the longest time. What do you think kind of then pushed you to do that? And what do you think other students can take from that if they want to kind of follow their passion, but they're scared, they're scared to take that first leap?

Yeah, you know, I mean, for me, I realised the power of LinkedIn. Like, it honestly, as a student, I remember just going on that app initially and being like, why would anyone use this? It's literally just successful people congratulating other successful people and emojis flying everywhere. And like, how to build your personal brand. I was like, this is not useful to me at all. Or like, jobs that were being listed that I had no experience to be able to apply for. But then I like, you know, I had a realization that— and this, this I I can't stress how crazy I think this is, but you can walk into any room or down any street in London and you can look at the brand, you can look at the company that's in the building, and you can find out for any role, for any person within that, who that person is on there. And you can message them, and there may be a chance that you can meet them. And I just think, like, to not actually realize just how incredibly overpowered that is as a student, it's like such a handicap that You know, all it takes is the ability to overcome a bit of fear of cringe. And this isn't even, you know, talking about posting. This is literally just like optimizing your profile, saying what you're passionate about, and configuring a personalized message to try and get response. And anyway, I realized that, you know, in me actually building this personal brand that I have now, um I was able to actually go into my conversation and say, okay, I'm not just this naive student that has, you know, can ask interesting questions. I'm actually someone that can platform yourself to a group of students in a way that other people haven't been doing it. And I think that's when I realized, to me, this isn't about having vanity metrics or loads of viewers or whatever. It's actually the ability to learn what being able to offer someone feels like. You know, like actually being able to go into an interview or conversation, say, oh, I do this for people, you know. And that is such a, you know, an incredible realization and motivator to say, hey, fuck it, I don't care if I look like an idiot or if people are going to say, oh yeah, can't believe that guy's— have you seen what he's posted on LinkedIn? Like, none of that even came into my brain because I was just, I was so sure and adamant that this was always going to be my best offering as a person, the ability to make someone buy into a conversation, bring out a new side to them, and, and ultimately make things happen that weren't happening before, you know, being disruptive. And I think everybody has to try to find out who they are in a career sense. And, and I think, you know, LinkedIn has a really amazing way for people like myself to, to just every day have the opportunity to break some things and try and fix them again. Um, it's, it's very exciting, and every student should really look out for it, I think.

I think a lot of students as well, what they struggle with on LinkedIn, especially the ones I've spoken to, is almost thinking, well, if I reached out to these people, they're going to be thinking, okay, who is this kid? Who's a student? How will they be able to help me?

Or what—

I don't even know if they'll help me, right? What would you say to them?

I think, yeah, that is a difficult one because it is quite demoralizing when you, when you don't get those responses, especially when, you know, you've sent 10 and not got any. But one reminder I would say to everyone, and, you know, I'm being someone now that gets messaged by people, like, it's never personal someone not replying to you. Like, there's always context to their life as well. Like, if they do respond, maybe they just had that spare hour where they just got, you know, they just got promotion, or they're just, you know, got a big deal come through and therefore, oh, you know, now's my time to give back, or, oh, that person asked a really interesting angle question, or, you know, I've not done this in a while. It's never like, oh, I never speak to that person. Like, why did— how much an idiot you thought you could speak to me? Like, it's very rarely that. Um, and so I think people have to think, like, if not now, what can you actually do in the meantime to prove yourself that you know, you're actually going to be someone worth speaking to. And it's happened so much with me, um, and a sort of case study that I love is like, after getting the guy from Google on, I was like, I can get anyone on now, this is easy. And I was like reaching out to people like, would you like to come on my podcast? Like, they're like, no, sorry, busy, mate. Uh, sorry, yeah, well, and, and, and this happened with the, you know, managing director of BCG and You know, I was like, oh God, I don't even— I don't even know what to say. I don't even know how to respond to this. Like, let's just move on to the next. And after 9 months later of continuously doing the episodes and I guess speaking to people more on my level or more attainable at the time, and, you know, configuring this weird and windy road of podcasting, he actually reached back out to me and said, you know, love what you've been doing, you know, I don't know if I'm the coolest guest anymore, but would love to come on. Um, and I was like, well, this is such an important lesson. and, and being like positively self-critical to yourself and saying like, listen, like there's— it's not that you're not gonna be someone they want to speak to ever, um, but you need to earn your badges more, like ultimately. And that's— that should actually be quite an exciting thing, you know, understanding what it is you can do to improve and be better and be a more, you know, valuable person to speak to. I think every student should be obsessed over that, you know, because it's not about ticking boxes, it's not about doing what everyone else is doing, it's about building your own dream career. And the only way you're going to do that is by really identifying what is important for you as a person to offer as a, as value to a company, to a person.

I see. So that's a pretty interesting full circle moment, Peter, when that BCG guy reached out back to you. So would you say that posting on LinkedIn was able to validate yourself or get yourself out there more? And what really, uh, caused you to overcome that stigma and have the confidence to go out there and start posting your episodes?

It's, it, what— it's not one big light bulb moment or anything like that. I think I, I'm always striving and working towards being more authentically myself online. Like, ultimately, um, it's just a really difficult thing to just assume that people are going to like your your, your most authentic self. Um, and, and I've never been the guy who's ever posted Instagram captions or, you know, done TikToks or whatever. Like, it's just never been me. Um, but I have to say, with LinkedIn, there is an element of— everybody understands that you're going on that app very intentionally to try and build a career for yourself. You're hustling. Like, and, and even if it's a bit cringe, I think everybody to some degree respects it, right? They respect the hustle. Um, and they've all probably done it at some point themselves. So I think in the beginning you are gonna be posting things where it's just like, I did a podcast with this person, or, you know, try to put yourself out there as little as possible to be attacked. But the more and more you realize that people are actually finding what you're saying valuable and interesting, the more and more you're like, okay, let me try a little bit more of myself the next one, and more of myself. And, you know, I've got to the point now where I genuinely think, um, I'm so sure of myself, um, and, and I'm so sure of the value in what I'm building that even if it doesn't go viral, even if it doesn't have the reach that I want, I know that me speaking my truest self is going to help meet people more than just regurgitating what other people say that, you know, does well. So I think it's really important to just, in general, in life, just really keep trying to find ways to not validate yourself, but believe in your fullest self being someone of value. Not to everybody, but to, to the people that really need it. And that's going to just serve you so well in life, I think.

Yeah. I mean, another thing that you touched on there is people kind of having that shell and not wanting to put themselves out of that for fear of criticism or fear of, okay, what people are going to say. And a lot of people, I feel like, and this was the same with me when I first started posting, posting on social media was that I thought I need to be perfect, I need to be polished, I need to have the best setup, my visuals and audio have to be perfect if I want to really stand out. But what I came to realize as well, and you can probably attest to this, is that people are interested in the journey and building yourself up. So what would you say to your audience who are wanting to put themselves out there but feel like they've not done enough to be worth people's attention, to be worth out there, been putting themselves out there?

Yeah, I mean, I think with careers and putting yourself out there and all these, and all these things, you have to work out what works for you. Ultimately, some people are born like intrinsically with like a very unapologetic energy, like, I'm gonna put myself out there, this is me, and you're gonna have it. And and they may lack other things that other people have, like, you know, perfectionism and refinement. And they ultimately— both of those things need to match at some point to produce the best content, like the actual, you know, standard and quality of it with the ability to be yourself. And then other people are going to be very perfectionists and they're going to make sure everything's perfect, and then they have to work on being unapologetically themselves. And I think when you can understand what you are before you begin. Like, what do you actually possess? Like, even if it's just in conversation with someone, you know, when you go to ask a question, when you go to have a conversation with someone, how much of— how often are you actually saying exactly what you want to versus like really thinking about, you know, or overthinking what will be valuable in this conversation? And I think that will be pretty indicative of how you'll then go on to put yourself out there online. And then ultimately, I think a lot of life is just pushing one thing forward and then pushing the other thing forward. And, you know, eventually you'll, you'll get to a point that you're, you're pretty content with, and, and you can, and you can really just focus on the actual content and what you're producing and less about, you know, is this well produced enough? Am I, am I saying anything important or anything and more just like, you know, I'm so excited to put stuff out there. Like, that's genuinely how I feel now, but it's taken so long. And, you know, and I'm talking very specifically about LinkedIn. I haven't even— I'm gonna have a whole new journey with putting myself out there, you know, on Instagram and TikTok and all these kind of things. Like, you know, you have to do it, but I keep delaying it because you'll never, you know, you'll never be ready, so you just got to do it at some point as well.

Yeah, so Peter Wood, 100 episodes. Before we go into the future of Grad U Go, let's take a bit of a step back Out of all the— out of all those 100 episodes, what would you say some memorable moments have been over the years?

Yeah, I think people, you know, often ask, and I'm glad you didn't ask it like this, you know, what's your favorite episode? And I think each episode is like really important within the context, you know, it's not even the how big a guest they were or anything like that, it's it's either the how comfortable I felt as a host and a real moment I'm like, okay, you know, I smashed it, this is me. Um, or, you know, somebody, somebody said something to me that just really stuck. And I could— and I can give 3 sort of short case studies of this. And I think the first one was, um, Sam Horby, which I often reference. He's the founder of All Sam, which is a very successful, um, company building Amazon FBA brands. And he, he basically reconfigured my whole attitude towards entrepreneurship. For the longest time, I feel like I've been scared out of it. Like, don't do it when you're young. Like, you know, it's— you have to sacrifice everything, you're gonna hate your life to build it, and all these kind of things. I was like, why would I want to do that to myself? And, and he made me actually think, okay, it really is about— you know, sounds so simple, but like what is the point in doing anything if you're not happy doing it? Like, you know, and I think it's all about the allocation of the right person into the right thing they're building. And, and he was like saying, yeah, of course it's really hard, and of course, you know, things go wrong and everything, but I know that this is the best use of my abilities to this world, on this earth. And, and you just really like try and enjoy the journey. And I think at the time when it was like sort of 20 episodes in, and I technically was doing something quite entrepreneurial it made me think, oh no, like, actually, this could be the right time to go and keep building this, you know. I shouldn't just stop because people are scaring me out of it. I should really try and find out for myself. So that was important at the time. And I think the next big one was having the co-founder of Huel on, James. Um, really lovely guy, um, but at the time, I, I, I thought in my head this guy's really busy, you know, he's probably got a really important meeting to go to next, and he kind of just wants to come in, have the conversation, get done, and leave. And that was my attitude at the time. And this was before I had Macarena, my producer. I was trying to produce this episode by myself with video and everything, and halfway through the episode, camera blinks, stops recording, everything crashes. I'm like, oh God, like, this is so embarrassing. Like, cop out of hue, everything. Like, my mind was spinning. And then as I went to go fix camera and try and get it done, he started just talking to me, like, actually just getting to know me, like, what I'm about. So for 10 minutes, we just had a conversation, and it was the best thing for the next bit of the episode. Like, we'd established that rapport. I'd learned that he was actually interested in me, and it wasn't just that one way, you know, me just asking questions and, you know, trying to get as much value out of him at the time. It was like a genuine conversation that people could be a fly on the wall of. And he said to me at the end, because I always ask how I can improve as a host, he's like, what you did in those 10 minutes, do that at the beginning. Like, why would you not do that? And, and at the time I was just like, uh, because I didn't think he would, like. But now I always make a point of believing that even if I am nowhere near as accomplished as them, or have very little to offer in terms of understanding of their industry, I will always have that relationship building bit before where I just get to know them on a more personal level, like express interest in them, because that, that is myself. I'm curious. And I had to become what I wanted to be. I had to stop holding myself back. Um, and then I would say like the final one is really probably my first episode back after going full-time on this, it was— I actually don't know who it was, and, and it's more just I remember so distinctly feeling like this was the right decision. This, this is what I'm meant to be doing my days. Like, I, you know, I think it was so formative, the other roles I did, you know, and building in different spaces, and I learned so much, and I about how to do things and also how not to do things. And, and I was just sat here, you know, just— I just couldn't stop smiling and thinking about the ability to actually build a career where me speaking to people and really leaning into what I think I'm good at, it was becoming to feel like a reality. Um, and, and I was just getting like, you know, validation that I never got in my other roles. And, and I think, you know, there is a chicken and egg thing where you've got you know, you can't just do things you're comfortable with. But that's not in my nature. It's more like, I think you have to really care about what you want to be comfortable— to get comfortable with. Um, I didn't want to become— to get comfortable with being a person who got really good at sending emails or Excel or anything. I didn't care enough about that. But I really— even when I was an awful host at the beginning and I was scared in the Q&A, I really, really cared about becoming the best host so that I can help solve this careers crisis by bringing about transparency and awareness. You know, I really care about getting good at that. So those would be my answers. Awesome.

I mean, yeah, I think that's really important as well. It's kind of being driven by your purpose to do the stuff that, you know, normally you might not even think of. Okay, I needed to become like a good, good at speaking people on the go, kind of as a podcast host. Another thing that you touched on I mean, this has kind of been like a running theme, is kind of putting yourself out there as a student and realizing that these people who are— we look up to as massive business owners and successful people are just humans like us, right? And how much has that impacted the future of The Graduate Guide and your vision in terms of empowering students to take up that position and kind of network with these industry leaders?

Honestly, that's been, I think, the, the biggest realization in this whole process has been the actual damage that it can have on society and people's careers in putting people on pedestals that they didn't even want to put themselves on. I speak to these CEOs that are like the most scary people that no one would ever actually ask what they think to you, and I'm like, God, you literally were what we like. You didn't know what you wanted to do, you know, all you did was just back yourself, execute, execute for years and years and years, and you got to the point that you're at. There is no difference in, you know, personality or mindset or outlook. It's literally just a matter of years and repetitive and sticking to, you know, sticking to the mission, you know, what you want to achieve in your career. And, and I think there's no telling I— and it's very hard to like actually put into numbers or, you know, ROI or KPIs, any of these words or whatever, in making people more accessible and like really humanizing people. I think it just— people, I think, are natural dreamers and believers, and life throws a series, some more than other, of things that are meant to try and make you stop believing in that. And if you have somebody that, you know, every week you're getting delivered a new person that has achieved everything you want to, and they're talking about how hard it was and all these things that you're going through, like, how much can that actually just affect someone's attitude towards how they're going to try and do things differently that next day? Or, you know, how they're going to perceive the outlook? Like, you know, it's crazy for me to think about the points in my life where I just genuinely thought I would offer nothing. Like, I would never be good at my work. I would never be someone people cared about. Or— it upsets me to think I felt like that. And, and all that happened in the meantime is that I was surrounding myself by people that made me think it was possible. And, and I just really want to— whether it's someone doing it for themselves, I just want the Graduate Guide to make them feel like that. It's, it's just so, so important for me, to me, that people are really achieving their potential when it comes to a career, because my God, do we need it as a world. Like, we need great people, we need disruptors, we need innovators. And I think the mindset and the awareness of what's possible is where it's got to begin.

100%.

And where do you see the future of the Graduate Guide in kind of pushing that vision? What have you guys got planned for the future?

Yeah, I mean, so much. I guess this is a big part of it. I, I really see what we're building as a, as a movement that's so much more than me. Like, it's not a founder-led brand, and it shouldn't be. It's a concept that we need to embrace the newfound connectivity in the world that platforms like LinkedIn have brought. And students should dream this big. Like, they should be sitting in these really well-produced podcasts. They should be able to speak to these industry leaders. They should be able to fly the flag of what's possible in their industries by telling amazing stories. And I'm not going to be able to do it myself, and I shouldn't be able to. Like, everybody should have the ability or option to do that. Um, and you know, the reason you guys got this gig is because you just— there was no sense that you guys were bullshitting your interest in this. You were like 100% convicted in I don't know anything about dentistry, but you really, really wanted to do something in that world. And I knew how important you could see it being and just being around exceptional people in that industry. And how— and I can't wait to see how this, this whole opportunity propels you guys forward. Not that you, you both need it, you're obviously doing amazing things already, but it's like that on the media side is really a big mission. And, you know, there's just going to be more and more content telling more and more stories and more and more industries in more and more bits of the world. Like, that really is the long-term vision on that side. And yeah, I'm— I think on the events side of things, um, which is what I'm really most passionate about, um, I don't think there's anything you can't replicate in life. The feeling of having a conversation with someone that you just fuck with so much that they just, you know, that in-person connection and what that can do for you. And, and I feel like the way we're going about events, and, you know, we've really just started, but people are buying into this concept that careers should be accessible. It should fill you with, like, optimism and faith, and you should be excited for the ability to do that. And I think right now people think networking events, particularly as a student, not as entrepreneurs or founders, people that should be good at networking, as students, the thought of going in a suit to a corporate place and listening to someone give a keynote speech and being left there alone and just talk, you know, having to prove yourself worth to be able to speak to someone, like, that's just like the most scary thing. And it shouldn't be that way. There should be people in the room who really want to give value back. And students who really want to gain value, and it should both be put in a place where you can have whatever conversation you want. You should feel comfortable. Like, that's why we rented out a football pitch and had people playing football, and there was a barbecue and music. And it— people— it doesn't exist. And why should something that students feel really comfortable in doing, going out, having parties, nightlife, playing sport, all these things, why would that not be blended with careers? Like, it's the most, like, I don't get it kind of thing. I really don't. Um, and I have so many sort of mentors that are telling me that what I'm doing is the right thing. And in different spaces, you've seen, you know, very simple things and tweaks be done that make the world of difference. And I think I'm not reinventing the wheel here, I'm just trying to fuse things together in the only way that I know how. And, and I think it's, it's just, it really is incredibly exciting going into this, this new year. Like the team we're building, buying, we're getting from, from people, and, and the value that we're— we, we have the ability to produce. You know, I don't think there's a cooler thing to be building than The Garage Guide for me personally at the age of 23. Um, and to be able to say that, like, I don't mean that to like be like, oh, look at me. Like, I've really felt like whether it's not having anything at all or being in the wrong job, I've really felt like I just never would feel like that. Like these people that I interview, I just never have that. But funny enough, it was that podcast I sort of accidentally started my final year that I'm actually building as a business. And I think, you know, it's just a— my message to people would be like, don't overcomplicate careers. Don't, don't think about it too much. Don't worry about too much. Just start doing something, and you never know what will be the thing that you do for the rest of your life.

Awesome stuff. And Peter, I look back at some of the episodes, and a common theme that has come up is you ask everyone at the end of the, the podcast a question. I'm gonna ask you that question as well. What does success look like to you?

Oh, I kind of knew this moment would be coming. Um, and you know, it is interesting listening to everyone else's, and you know, I would be lying if I didn't say that it is constantly changing because I'm asking that question so much. Um, but I think it's really important to consider everything and try and take the stigma out of it and say, you know, you Yes, making money is, is important, but I think if you can make money that's part of a bigger mission, then you get the feeling of, um, you're doing something philanthropic that adds value, but you're also allowing yourself to live the best life. And there should be no embarrassment in saying that. Like, you want to be on this earth to give value and have fun. Like, that's what it should be. Like, what— there's no use in being unhappy. And if you are so privileged as to not have financial stress or, or not to have mental health issues or all these things, it is your absolute duty to utilize that privilege to build something better than what you were, you were given. And, and I think for me, like, I've been given so much as a base layer, and I, and I had to really— I found it incredibly— I found it so weird how difficult it was to actually just feel happy even though I've been given so much. And I think now I know what it is that makes me happy and where I can add value. Like, it would be like genuinely like incredibly bad of me and rude of me not to strive to build something, you know, amazing, like something truly exceptional. And whether I'll do it or not, I'm not going to determine my success on that, but I think the feeling of building and being happy and doing something is really how I pinpoint success on a day-to-day basis. Um, so yeah, that, that would be my current definition of success. I'm sure it will change as time goes on, but yeah.

Awesome, some words of wisdom there.

Yeah, 100%. I, I truly believe that there's a lot of golden nuggets that came from this conversation, man, and I thank you for giving us the opportunity to interview you. Putting out all this knowledge to the world, man.

It's been a pleasure. And, uh, yeah, it's weird coming on my own podcast, but, um, couldn't have picked two better hosts to do it with. Yeah, awesome.