WATCH: Meet The Maltese Finserv Expert Who Thrives On Staying ‘Foolish And Hungry’
Stay foolish and hungry: that’s the life motto that Maltese consulting firm boss Kari Pisani swears by.
And it seems to have worked out – Pisani is a valuable and lucrative mind in the industry. The non-executive director of a handful of high-flying financial companies and an investor, Pisani is a self-declared student of life.
In the latest episode of Meet the Boss, Lovin Malta sat down with Pisani to discuss the details behind his professional success: what advice would he give to his teenage self? Would he have done anything differently if he could turn back time? And what does success really mean?
Here are six things we learnt from our sit down is Kari Pisani
1. Steve Jobs is one of his idols
It makes sense that a successful person would find inspiration from one of the world’s greatest innovators – Steve Jobs. In fact, Pisani’s life motto is something uttered by Jobs – stay foolish and hungry.
“Being foolish is about staying humble and keep learning. You have to remember that you don’t know it all, there’s always more to learn from other people.”
“The hunger comes from being driven. Stay true to yourself and make the best out of the opportunities you get,” he added.
This clearly worked out for him!
2. He thinks leadership is about adapting to whatever situation comes along
Being driven isn’t enough if you’re stuck in rigid ideas. For Pisani, one of the most valuable qualities in a leader is the ability to be adaptable and confident to power through.
“I think the most important thing is to adapt and want to learn more. Say more ‘yeses’, take more risks don’t let fear and anxiety get in the way of your decisions,” he added.
3. If he wasn’t in the financial world, Pisani would try his hand at movies
If Pisani wasn’t advising some of Malta’s biggest financial players – Pisani thinks he would probably delve into the world of cinema.
“I love the idea of writing and producing movies – I think I’d be in love with the process,” he mused.
Both industries need a certain kind of meticulousness, so perhaps the two aren’t so different after all.
4. He thinks success isn’t what you think it is
Normally we think personal success is directly tied to the number in your bank account. Pisani thinks it stretches way beyond that.
“I think a career should be more than just the pursuit of wealth. It’s always been this way but I feel it’s never been so relevant today,” he said.
5. His advice to his 16-year-old self is to power through the lows
We all wish could turn back time and give our teenage selves some advice. If he could, Pisani would remind himself that failure is as important as success.
“I would tell myself that it’s going to be tough. But you can learn from adversity. There will be failures but there is value in that too. Stay nice and adaptable to thrive in this world.”
6. He thinks the most important thing in business is the people
When it boils down to it, the most important aspect of a fulfilling career for Pisani is connecting to those you work with.
“Being able to connect with people and build meaningful relationships is fundamental to my work.”
This is another episode of Meet The Boss, a Lovin Malta series in which we sit down with local CEOs to share their vision and business tips and discuss some crucial topics. More interviews will be uploaded in the coming weeks.
What did you make of Kari Pisani’s advice? Let us know in the comment section
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