What advice did James Smith give a student thinking of quitting university?

James Smith told an 18-year-old Exeter business student, six weeks into his course, that he was not behind. At 18 Smith was not allowed to go to university, at 21 he was failing his final year, at 22 he was door knocking in Gloucester and at 24 he became a personal trainer out of desperation. Smith told him that if he was not door knocking in three years he would already be ahead, and that a year away from home builds independence.

• Smith said he hit his sales target at RSA Security by April and spent the rest of the year with nothing to do.
• Smith argued that hitting targets in a job he hated showed what he could do in one he loved.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Modern Wisdom (2026-10-31). Read the whole episode summary →

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