September 29th, 2025

How do you define legacy?

Is it having your name on a building?
Writing a best-selling memoir?
Raising your kids?

Think about the last restaurant you went to that carried a famous name, even though the food wasn’t that great. Or maybe you recently saw a movie from a big-name director, only to realize they’re past their creative prime.

In those cases, the “brand” is trading on the legacy of someone at the top, even though they’ve long since departed from the original vision.

Now flip that. Think about the things you do today because of what someone else passed down to you:

• Maybe the last meal you cooked was your grandmother’s favorite recipe.
• Maybe the last vacation you took was inspired by stories your friend shared about their trip.
• Maybe the advice you give your team today was first given to you by an early mentor.

We waste so much time obsessing over making ourselves the focus of our legacy by chasing external signals that “prove” we’re important and worth remembering. But in doing that, we miss the one thing that cements legacy in the first place: contribution to others.

When I was younger, I fell into this trap. I chased any award or opportunity to show other people that I was successful. Instead of focusing on the things that would create the most change for others. And now, every day I get a message from someone who has seen something I've created and used it to improve their career, or their life. And that means a hell of a lot more to me than another certificate or vanity award.

If you shift your focus to teaching and sharing what you know, not for recognition, but from a genuine desire to help, your knowledge and impact will live on in the people you’ve developed.

That’s how you build a legacy that truly lasts.

Because the more you focus on being remembered, the faster you’ll be forgotten. But the more you focus on developing others, the longer you’ll last.

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Welcome to First Things First, Reader. I created this newsletter as the reminder I needed to reflect on how far I've come, as well as prepare for the journey ahead.

Today I'll share with you:

• Why top finance talent is now hiring talent agents
• Why you should be cautious about hugging a job that won't hug back
• Why you're thinking about legacy all wrong

I’m so glad you’re here. Let's get started.

Want to hire at a top hedge fund? Call their agent

If you're a famous Hollywood actor, chances are you've got an agent. They help keep you organized, secure and negotiate your compensation for future projects, and above all, clear the way for you to do what you're best at: being a talented actor.

Well now that top talent in finance is pulling down offers of $50M or more, that same principle is being applied outside of Hollywood.

This recent story in the Wall Street Journal profiled Ryan Walsh, a former finance guy who launched a firm about a year ago to help manage the job search of top portfolio managers. So far, he's already helped 12 clients land offers worth a combined total of $180 million.

And it makes a lot of sense to me. If you've been working in the same role for years, you may not know what the current market rate is for someone of your skill set, or what companies are out there that need someone like you. Working with an agent takes care of all of that, in exchange for a single-digit percentage of the final signed offer.

Funny story, I used to work at a startup that applied this same mindset to Big Tech. And as someone who has a talent agent right now, I can definitely see the value in having someone dedicated to making sure you get the most out of your next move.

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Don't hug a job that won't hug you back

In the midst of today's difficult job market, a new trend of job hugging has taken shape. This is basically choosing to stay where you're at because the risk of leaving seems too high.

And I get it, with hiring slowing down, economic uncertainty, and AI still making its way through certain industries, it may seem like the best thing to do is keep your head down and hug the job you've got.

But the problem is that your job likely won't be hugging you back.

Layoffs are still all too common today, and the fact is that loyalty to a company or job is a thing of the past. So even if you're choosing not to leave, that doesn't mean you're necessarily safe from being asked to go.

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What's your legacy going to be?

This morning's message above was inspired by this incredible short essay by Justin Welsh. You can read the full version of it here.

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A few resources to help you on your journey

Career Wrapped: We already know you listened to a lot of Drake this year. Instead of a Spotify Wrapped, why not create a "Career Wrapped" for this year instead?

Download for free!

LinkedIn Search Secrets: Most people have no idea how to take full advantage of LinkedIn to find jobs or people to network with in their industry. Here's your guide.

Download for free!

One Pager: This promotion template got me promoted twice in two years. This will help you summarize your skills and drive your yearly review conversations at work!

Download!

I've spent the last few years creating and collecting the best resources to help you level up in your life and career. Check out my most popular ones above, or view the full list here.

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Reader

It really means the world to me that you show up to explore these topics with me each week, so thank you for reading. If something above resonated with you, consider sharing it with someone else who might need it too.

If you have any feedback, you can always reply or email me at me@colinrocker.com

And remember that you’re not behind, because you're a "first". Which means you were never made to follow.

Chat soon,

-Colin

Colin Rocker Founder, @careercolin & For The Firsts ​Instagram | LinkedIn​

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