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FROM THE FOUNDER
Advice to my 30-year-old self
Reflecting on lessons learned and sharing life, career, and financial advice for younger professionals.
W ith this issue of The Zweig Letter focused on the Rising Stars of the AEC industry, I thought it might be fun for my current 67-year-old self to look back and give some advice to my 30-year-old self. I’m not saying 30-year-old me would take it – but here it is nevertheless!
Mark Zweig
1. Pick the right mate. If you haven’t already made a mistake and married the wrong person, be picky! You want to find someone who is smarter than you are and who can give you good advice. You also want to be sure you do not get together with someone who has alcohol and drug problems. Find someone who has the same socioeconomic background and the same religious and political orientation that you have. And if you ever want to own a business, find someone who comes from a family where one or more parents was a business owner. If you don’t, you will have problems in your relationship! 2. Figure out where you want to live and go there. The sooner you go, the better. Yes, the housing may be expensive but you won’t care when you are young. You’ll figure it out. Get established and build relationships there versus having to start over later.
3. Slow down a little. Life is more than work. Don’t overcommit too early. Don’t burn yourself out too fast. Don’t give yourself stress-related health problems when you are young. There will be plenty of time for that later! 4. Dream BIG and have very high goals. Shoot for an “A” even if you think you would be happy with a “B,” or there will be no chance you will get an “A.” Swing for the fence versus aiming for a double. You may actually hit a home run every so often if you do. 5. Max out your 401(k) contributions every year to get as much match as is possible and don’t touch it. I did a terrible job with this one because, as an entrepreneur, I sometimes needed big chunks of cash and had nowhere else to go. But it’s a mistake if you want to make your future life better and less stressful!
See MARK ZWEIG, page 6
THE ZWEIG LETTER MAY 12, 2025, ISSUE 1585
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