why shouldI bother

Every adult I’ve met has some version of the same question — what are you going to do? — and every time, the honest answer is that I have no idea. The world is changing faster than any five-year plan can survive.

So instead of pretending, I started asking. This project exists because I don’t have the answers. It exists because I suspect the people who’ve already lived through the question might.

Matt Earl grew up going to drive-in theaters with his dad. Those nights lit something in him. Before he ever wanted to direct, he was already the kind of kid who wanted to understand people — and once movies caught his attention, he needed to know how they were made.

His dad was a school teacher, then worked at a country club where Matt lifeguarded to help pay for film school. Later, when his dad became an administrator and hated it, Matt saw exactly what he didn't want: a life spent waiting for the weekend.

He never wavered. Assistant director roles, productions like Chicago Fire, The Closer, and Braveheart — each step was part of the same direction. When I asked about retirement, he said his dream is to die on set.

The lesson he kept coming back to: work ethic and connections are equally important. You need both. Find your niche. And if a traditional 9-to-5 genuinely fulfills you, there's nothing wrong with that — just don't choose it by default.

Greg had a great childhood. His dad was his best friend, and more than anything, he wanted Greg to find work that made him happy — whether that meant college, a trade, or starting a business.

His interest in aerospace started with a gift: a model airplane from his dad. That spark stayed with him through high school, where a career exploration program let him focus on aerospace and confirm what he wanted to study.

After college, he landed a job at General Electric working on jet engines. Sixteen people applied. What set him apart wasn't his GPA — it was his involvement in aerospace clubs and extracurriculars. Looking back, Greg says it taught him that grades aren't everything.

Later, after meeting his wife, he left GE to help run her business. It was a major shift, but one he was happy to make. He still carries one regret: graduating with a 2.6 GPA and wondering what he could have done if he had fully applied himself.

He believes college is valuable not because it's the only path, but because it proves you can commit to a long-term goal. And his biggest piece of advice is to never let yourself feel trapped by a ceiling — talk to the people who support you, keep challenging yourself, and keep growing.

why should I bother is the final form of the project — a collection of conversations, notes, and reflections gathered along the way.

It won’t tell anyone which career to choose. It isn’t a self-help book, and it isn’t a manifesto. It’s a document — an attempt to think more honestly about purpose, opportunity, and work in a world that keeps rewriting the rules.