“This is How I Accidentally Became ‘Successful’”: Jack Wang on Chain Reactions, Saying “Yes”, and Trusting the Process
JACK WANG — Thank you all for clicking into the click-bait title.
In fact, I have not “made it” nor am I “successful” by any objective metrics.
But, I do know that I am happy and content with where I am in my journey and I am looking forward to so much more growth and learning ahead.
My name is Jack. I am a Beedie Luminary who just finished my second year at Simon Fraser University, Beedie School of Business. Earlier this year I competed in JDC West, where my team won 1st place in Western Canada’s largest undergraduate case competition. This March, I was selected as an Equity Analyst for the Beedie Endowment Asset Management (BEAM) Fund. Currently, I am doing my summer internship with Deloitte Canada as a Valuation & Modeling analyst intern.
So, is “success” ever really accidental?
The truth is, I didn’t have a master plan.
It started simple enough. In high school, I started working my first job at a car wash and saved my money in Wealthsimple, where I learned that I could invest in real companies. I became fascinated by the financial markets and knew I wanted to go into business. However, I didn’t have the means to pay for university. My teachers, friends, and my girlfriend Selina all urged me to apply for the Beedie Luminaries Scholarship. To my surprise, they said yes, and I became a proud Luminary!
That scholarship opened the door, but what happened next was a complete chain reaction. A series of things that fell simply because I started saying “yes” to things I didn’t feel entirely ready for.
Near the end of my first year, my close friend told me that a spot unexpectedly opened up on the JDC West Finance team, four months after the official intake. I took a leap of faith, went through multiple interviews, and was fortunate to join the team. I met my wonderful teammates, Tim and Sach, as we began practicing cases relentlessly. Because of the bond with the team, we decided to sign up to compete in the CBV National Business Valuation Challenge and placed as finalists.
That finalist placement somehow triggered a first-round interview with Deloitte. After completely bombing my first interview but somehow fighting back to ace the second round, Deloitte extended me an offer to join their Strategy, Risk & Transactions team for the summer. It still feels surreal.
Riding that momentum, our JDC West team went on to win 1st place out of 12 universities in Western Canada. This ended up being one of my fondest experiences in SFU, not simply because of the win, but the community and relationships I was able to build.
Shortly after, I applied to the BEAM Fund at SFU. After surviving a rigorous interview process, I secured an Equity Analyst spot on the team, conducting research to inform the endowment’s investment decisions.
My second year looks entirely different from what I had planned. I call it an “accident” because none of this was mapped out on a calendar. The opportunities were surprises, but I’ve realized that success is just what happens when you decide to show up, put in the work, and embrace the unexpected.
Now, having just turned 20, I want to share a few of my thoughts with you. These are the principles that kept me optimistic and grounded when I was navigating the hardest parts of this journey.
Do it for yourself.
I have seen many people who are richer than me, who go to higher-ranked schools, and who hold job titles at prestigious firms. But for a moment, cut out all the noise. I want to ask you: would you still be doing what you’re doing if nobody was watching? If all the LinkedIn posts, your high-achieving friends, the admired peers, or that cousin your parents always compare you with, if none of them existed, would you be doing the same things?
You will know you are on the right path when the external environment does not justify your decisions. Because after all, it is your life. Don’t let someone else live it for you.
This may sound privileged to those of us coming from extreme circumstances. Sometimes you have to work jobs you don’t want to work just to make ends meet. I won’t claim to understand the struggles people are going through, but I want to share: I started working at 15 to support my family financially. I spent the first year washing cars during the heat wave, and the next three years working across four different restaurants. Those were great experiences that taught me how to work hard, talk to people, and lead. But part of me knew it wasn’t my lifelong passion. I knew I wanted to go into business, so I chased it.
So go do what you love! I’m not suggesting you try to become the next LeBron James or Ryan Beedie, though I’d be more than happy for you to prove me wrong. But find what you like doing, and what you can also get good at.
It might not be the easiest at the start, whether you’re trying to find what you are interested in, or working away towards your goals. But growth compounds, the result will be there, and that passion will continue to drive you forward. My Beedie Luminaries mentor Sushant said it best. “Be passionate and great at what you do, and the money, the recognition, everything else will follow.”
“I want to ask you: would you still be doing what you’re doing if nobody was watching? If all the LinkedIn posts, your high-achieving friends, the admired peers, or that cousin your parents always compare you with, if none of them existed, would you be doing the same things?”
Jack, on finding purpose in work.
Make the right trade-offs.
Earlier, I said that saying “yes” helped me get to where I am today.
That is only half true.
The other half I credit to the times I said “no.” It’s just impossible, at least for me, to do everything at once. I’ve tried, and I ended up doing a mediocre job at everything I committed to. We have a finite amount of time and energy, so weigh your decisions against what you actually think is the highest value.
In school, I said no to taking a full course load and doing five different clubs all at the same time. At Deloitte, I’ve said no when I already have enough projects on my plate.I would rather do a few things extremely well than an average job at everything. Sushant put it best. “When you see a good thing and a bad thing, obviously you will pick the good thing. But when there is a good thing and another good thing, all of a sudden you want to have both.” What he meant is: sometimes we can’t have both. Choosing one sometimes involves giving up another, directly or indirectly. So, “when you want something, don’t think about how much you want it, but rather ask yourself: what are you willing to give up to get it?”
Saying yes is without a doubt important, but sometimes in order to say yes to the right things, you have to practice saying no.
Above all, practice gratitude and humility.
This is the most important lesson I’ve learned.
My mom and I moved to Canada after some family turmoil. We were not exactly comfortable financially, and circumstances were tough. But I am so thankful to be able to have that experience.
People say be grateful despite your circumstances. I disagree. Instead, be grateful for your circumstances. Because they taught me empathy, vulnerability, and perseverance. They taught me how to be calm in stressful situations, how to see things from different perspectives, and how to find hope even when I was at my lowest. My “circumstances” were the best thing that has ever happened to me, period.
I said at the start that I was content with where I am. That’s not because I now have a fancy job title or won a competition. Through ups and downs, I’ve always been grateful and content. It comes from recognizing that life is hard and is not sunshine and rainbows all the time, but knowing you’re doing the best that you can. That is something to be proud of.
If nothing else, believe.
People always say “fake it ’til you make it.” I never liked that saying. Because it is not fake at all. It is, in fact, very real. You may not see it yet, but there is that light at the end of the tunnel.
Instead: “Believe it ’til you see it.”
That may be a slightly unreasonable ask. After all, how can you believe it if you haven’t seen it? But isn’t that what hope is? Hoping that everything will work out, even when you’re unsure in the moment. If you yourself don’t even believe that it’s coming, how do you expect others to?
So be optimistic. Go out there and pursue what life has prepared for you. In 1, 3, or 5 years, you will be happy that you believed, and you’ll be even happier that you have watched your belief come to fruition.
Believe, because great things are coming for you.
Thank you, Jack.
