Life is most definitely a roller coaster, filled with unexpected ups, downs, twists and turns that often tend to lead us to destinations that we never imagined ourselves to be. Sometimes the things that we think we want aren’t actually what are best for us, and instead lead us to new opportunities and ideas that we had not considered before.
Marty Chapman is a prime example of how life can lead you down an unexpected path, particularly in the field of career choices. Chapman, CEO of Marlo Holdings, was once a professional guitar player. While chasing his passion playing in a band, Chapman needed money. It was then that the ‘Rockstar Turned Entrepreneur’ stumbled upon new opportunities.
“It’s a funny thing you and you hear it said a lot, you go to school for one particular career path and few people actually take that career path to where they think they are going to be.” Chapman explains. “I’m a firm believer that life will point you in a particular direction and you just need to see the road signs that this is the way to go.”
Driven by what Chapman refers to as ‘The Pleasure Center of The Brain’ Chapman believes that the largest motivating factor for success comes from finding enjoyment with what you do. Just as playing guitar releases feel good chemicals in the brain, Chapman finds the same enjoyment with making goals and reaching deadlines, a key indicator that he was on the right path.
“One of the things I always thought in my younger days was that I could never see myself behind a desk, but the truth of the matter is that just like artist creates things, for me working in the financial business, making money, knowing the right paths to take with certain investing and coming up with solutions to problems that others may not, is a good push of that pleasure center for me.” Chapman explains.
Stimulating the ‘pleasure center’ as Chapman refers, indicates a feel good response within the brain that encourages one to want more of the activity stimulating the chemical release. Just as some people may turn to drugs or other means for this response, Chapman finds his within the workplace, driving him to wake up early and stay late at the office, tirelessly pursuing the day’s goals.
A confessed workaholic, Chapman believes that we are all addicts in one way or another, simply with different addictions to stimulate ‘the pleasure center.’
“I speak at a lot of conventions and I say some of you may be addicts in some way, some of you may not be but I got news for everybody – you’re all addicts, you just haven’t found the thing that really just turns you on, and hopefully what it is that turns you on is a good thing and not something that is a detriment to your health or your life. I think its just the way our brains work and function.” Chapman explains.
Comparing the feelings he gets at work to the same feelings he receives on stage shredding the guitar, Chapman was able to correlate this connection to take on a career within the financial business. Finding the motivation to mix business with pleasure through the enjoyment of entrepreneurship, Chapman has become one of the most influential figures in his field, and encourages others to consider opportunities through the same mechanism.
“I think some people resist things that may be a good fit for them because its not what they expected, but once you start to see that something feels right and its hitting certain areas of your brain you feel fulfilled.”
With Chapman’s advice in mind, there is no excuse to not live life to the fullest. From the office to the stage, we can all be the rockstars of our own lives.
For more motivation and information on CEO Marty Chapman, follow his Instagram @officialmartychapman
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