What You Can Learn from a Famous Investor About the Good Life
Creative Commons

What You Can Learn from a Famous Investor About the Good Life

John Templeton, who died in 2008, may not be as widely known today as Warren Buffett (though investors made pilgrimages to his Templeton Fund annual meetings in Toronto long before they started visiting Omaha). But, says Mary Mazzio, director of a new documentary film about Templeton’s life, his influence lingers, both in the continuation of his namesake fund under Franklin Templeton, and through the John Templeton Foundation, which “funds scientists, philosophers, and others who are studying the big questions of life.”

Here are three key life lessons Mazzio learned from Templeton’s example during the course of making her film, Contrarian.

Frugality Matters. Templeton earned enough so that he certainly could have splurged on the finer things in life. But frugality remained an important virtue to him. “He saved religiously, always avoiding the usual trappings of wealth,” says Mazzio. “He lived very humbly. His grandchildren remember his sea-green jacket that he wore constantly for many, many years.  John Templeton never flew first class – always by coach.  He remarked to a close friend that ‘I get there at the same time as the first class travelers.’”

Hard Work Wins. When his father lost everything during the Great Depression, he called John – a freshman at Yale – and told him he’d have to come home. Paying for college was out of the question. But, recounts Mazzio, “instead of moving home, Templeton threw himself into his studies (to qualify for scholarships) and began working three jobs to pay for his own tuition. He also supplemented his income with poker games with wealthier Yale students.” If you’re willing to work hard and be creative, anything is possible.

Bucking Convention Is Your Competitive Advantage. If you want to make money as an investor, you have to find your competitive advantage – and for Templeton, that was his utter lack of concern for convention. As a world traveler who pioneered the concept of investing in emerging markets, and the husband of a full-time working wife in the 1940s, he “did not follow the herd, either in investing or in how he led his personal life,” says Mazzio. “John Templeton had remarkable common sense and the confidence to stick by his own convictions.”

Mazzio has made several previous films about entrepreneurship, includingTEN9EIGHT, which tells the stories of inner-city teen entrepreneurs; andThe Apple Pushers, about immigrant street cart vendors. “For me,” says Mazzio, “being entrepreneurial is the equivalent of being an adventurer.  Taking on new challenges, getting back up to the plate after striking out.  The concept of failure is one that is woven throughout nearly all of our films. There is so much I have learned from entrepreneurs – including how to be a better person and a better parent.”

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com.

Dorie Clark is a marketing strategist who teaches at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. She is the author of Reinventing You and Stand Out, and you can receive her free Stand Out Self-Assessment Workbook.

Brent Harding

Solution Consultant | Business Motivator | Problem Solver | Team Engagement |

9 年

Thank you.

回复

要查看或添加评论,请登录

Dorie Clark的更多文章

  • The Surprising Lessons I Learned from Tracking My Time

    The Surprising Lessons I Learned from Tracking My Time

    Welcome back to my LinkedIn newsletter! Time is our most valuable resource, but do we really know how we’re spending…

    28 条评论
  • The Essentials of Launching a Podcast—Without Overcomplicating It

    The Essentials of Launching a Podcast—Without Overcomplicating It

    Welcome back to my LinkedIn newsletter! Podcasting has become one of the most powerful tools for awareness, networking,…

    48 条评论
  • How Masterminds Help You Achieve More—Together

    How Masterminds Help You Achieve More—Together

    Welcome back to my LinkedIn newsletter! Over the past couple of weeks in Miami, I've hosted my Trajectory Mastermind…

    11 条评论
  • Practical Productivity Strategies: Focus, Margin, and Momentum

    Practical Productivity Strategies: Focus, Margin, and Momentum

    Welcome back to my LinkedIn newsletter! Productivity isn’t just about getting more done—it’s about making the right…

    18 条评论
  • The Secret to Achieving Your Goals in the New Year

    The Secret to Achieving Your Goals in the New Year

    Welcome back to my LinkedIn newsletter and hello to 2025! As we step into a new year, it’s natural to set ambitious…

    50 条评论
  • Maximizing Engagement and Leads with Webinars

    Maximizing Engagement and Leads with Webinars

    Welcome back! In the world of digital marketing, webinars stand out as a dynamic alternative to the often transient…

    29 条评论
  • Strategizing for Long-Term Career Success

    Strategizing for Long-Term Career Success

    Welcome back to my LinkedIn newsletter! As we enter the season of reflection and goal-setting, this edition is…

    46 条评论
  • Creating and Sustaining Personal Growth

    Creating and Sustaining Personal Growth

    Welcome back to my LinkedIn newsletter! In this edition, we explore strategies for creating and sustaining professional…

    40 条评论
  • Building Bridges For Your Career

    Building Bridges For Your Career

    We're back again with another edition of my LinkedIn newsletter! In this issue, we explore how effective networking…

    13 条评论
  • Harnessing Challenges for Growth

    Harnessing Challenges for Growth

    Welcome back to the newest edition of my LinkedIn newsletter! This time, I'm taking a look at the transformative power…

    24 条评论

社区洞察

其他会员也浏览了