"Did Education Make Me More Afraid of Taking Risks?"

Throughout my career, I've often felt that the more educated I became, the more cautious I became about taking risks.

This might be a slightly controversial observation. And I am not even sure if I am right. But throughout my career, I have often felt that the more educated I became, the more cautious I became about taking risks. In some ways, education gave me knowledge and confidence. But in other ways, I sometimes wonder whether it also made me more concerned about making the wrong decision.

Over the years, this feeling became stronger as I spoke with highly educated candidates and clients. Many had impressive degrees and successful careers. Yet when conversations shifted towards starting a business, changing industries, taking a step backwards to move forwards, or building a second source of income — the hesitation was often obvious.

Then COVID happened. And I think COVID changed many people. The question shifted from “How do I earn more money?” to “How do I get more time?” “How do I spend more time with my family?” “What does success actually look like?” “Do I want to work for somebody forever?”

One of the unexpected lessons for me came through the laundromat industry. Historically, it was not a business that many professionals or university-educated people actively pursued. Yet over the last few years, I have noticed more investors, professionals and corporate employees entering the space. Many of them are not chasing prestige. They are chasing freedom — freedom of time, choice and ownership.

Looking back, I think I became a product of the same thinking myself. Entrepreneurship was not an easy decision. But eventually it started feeling like: now or never.

Perhaps that is why so many people started thinking differently after COVID. Not necessarily about working less. But about owning more. Owning their time. Owning a business. Owning an investment. Or simply owning more of their future.

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