Episode 190: Being Prepared To Take The Opportunity with Haynes and Boone’s Shelley Rosensweig

One of my biggest pet peeves is when a person minimizes someone’s success to “sheer luck” or to being in the “right place at the right time”. Yes, some luck may be involved, but what’s really at the root of their success is preparation. Being prepared to take on an opportunity, even if it’s a stretch. Being ready to learn on the fly and confident you can figure it out. Being curious and hungry to continuously improve and do what it takes to get things done. Luck and success happen when preparation meets opportunity. Our guest, Shelley Rosensweig, a Partner in the Investment Management and Private Equity Practice Groups at Haynes and Boone in New York, shares her career journey and how being prepared to take advantage of opportunities to learn helped her advance in her career and become a partner at an earlier age. In her current role, Shelley structures, designs and organizes US and non-US private investment funds and assists clients with seed capital arrangements, the operation of managed account platforms and the organization and design of joint ventures, SPVs and other co-investment structures. Shelley also advises clients with respect to SEC, FINRA and CFTC regulatory and compliance matters, family office related matters, trading issues and employment matters. She further advises clients with respect to distribution and capital raising matters and other strategic initiatives.  In this episode, Shelley shares why you should always take advantage of opportunities to learn, the importance of learning business development skills, and shares advice on accelerating success in your career. Visit https://www.iambeyondbarriers.com where you will find show notes and links to all the resources in this episode, including the best way to get in touch with Shelley. Highlights: [03:02] Shelley’s journey & the lessons she’s learned [05:23] Taking advantage of opportunities to learn [15:26] Gaining clarity on your career path [24:12] The importance of business development skills [35:49] Mentors don’t have to look like you [42:12] Shelley’s advice on accelerating your success Quotes: “When starting a new role or career, take full advantage of learning everything that you can right from the start.” – Shelley Rosensweig “When you are trying to develop your brand or your business, lead with the things that you want to leave people with, because that's what they're going to remember.” - Shelley Rosensweig “Look for mentors whose expertise you value and that will help you regardless of their gender.” - Shelley Rosensweig “Do something that you are completely fearful of, take the risk. There is no such thing as the ultimate failure. You will learn from it and it will make you better.” - Shelley Rosensweig   About Shelley Rosensweig: Shelley Rosensweig is a Partner in the Investment Management and Private Equity Practice Groups in the New York office of Haynes and Boone. She structures, designs and organizes US and non-US private investment funds and assists clients with seed capital arrangements, the operation of managed account platforms and the organization and design of joint ventures, SPVs and other co-investment structures. Shelley also advises clients with respect to SEC, FINRA and CFTC regulatory and compliance matters, family office related matters, trading issues and employment matters. She further advises clients with respect to distribution and capital raising matters and other strategic initiatives. Links: Website: https://www.haynesboone.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelley-rosensweig-05859ab/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Shelchab Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelchab/