Park Lane

What’s the secret to happiness? After a sudden brain aneurysm at the age of 48 that required 16 surgeries and spending 7 weeks in the ICU and literally saying goodbye to his wife - my good friend Scott M. shockingly survived. Last week, I finally got the opportunity to sit down with him and he said something that made my jaw drop and question everything. He said: I would go through it all again just to have learned what I did. Hold up. What near-death insight could be that powerful that you’d be open to going through that much trauma again? Just one: The secret to happiness. Remember, Scott was a leader in his industry, a happily married father, and very comfortable financially. Wasn’t he already “happy”? I can tell you from personal experience- happiness is not rooted in money and devastatingly, it’s not even rooted in success. So, what is it about? Let’s take a step back. Scott and I are both in YPO together. He runs one of the largest cannabis operations in California. Scott was a grinder. Hard-charging like many CEO’s, the pursuit of perfection drove optimal results. But at what cost? Scott said that only after his traumatic experience can he see that everything in his life was viewed through the “gap” lens of not enough. Every achievement was short-lived and replaced with yet another even greater one. Why? Can’t he just be content? For many of us Founder-types- no, you can’t just “turn it off”. And frankly most of us don’t want to kill what makes us special / powerful / effective. But when you see death, I guess something clicks. Scott went on to tell me about a book called The Gap and The Gain. And how it perfectly explains how hard-charging A-types sabotage their happiness for success which will never fill the whole in their heart. It lays out the steps of we can feel “whole” and achieve from a place of security. Step 1 is believing you are OKAY just as you are! That’s right. Even without the money, the successful circle, or the accolades - you do what you do because you are that person already. Not to earn it. Another massive shift is that he now approaches his leadership role in a “service-first” orientation. Why lead an org? - To be in service of your customers - To be in service of your employees - To be in service of your family But don’t get confused. Don’t use work as an excuse to sacrifice your relationships. So what’s the secret then? That God made you whole. There is no hole to fill. You are loved. Believe it. We strive bc that’s who we are, not because we are in need of validation. View every accomplishment along the journey as a GAIN. Not a GAP to where you want to go. Look back at how far you’ve come while maintaining your forward looking goals. The secret is ambition and contentment are NOT mutually exclusive!!! I hope you find yours.

Park Lane Founder and Managing Director Andrew Kline participated in a panel with other prominent sports dealmakers (Charles Baker, Marcus Lollie, and Maddie Winslow) to discuss 'Sports as an Asset Class' at Sportico's Invest in Sports Conference in LA yesterday. Incredible event all around!

Ahead of (or after) the Super Bowl, learn why Las Vegas is becoming the sports capital of the US. Check out Forbes Brett Knight's piece for a deeper understanding of the growing sports culture in Las Vegas, with a couple of quotes from me. Enjoy!!