Bet on Yourself summary

Ann Hiatt didn’t grow up rich, but the lessons she learned from her family built the foundation for the principles that helped her succeed in Silicon Valley. One of the most important lessons she recalls is that with hard work and big dreams, you can create exponential results. In other words, the whole is often greater than the sum of its parts.

Hiatt’s dad was the first person to model this concept for her. He grew up on a potato farm in Idaho but wanted something more, so he pursued and ultimately achieved his dream of becoming a fighter pilot in the US Air Force. Hiatt grew up in the uncertainty of a military family, with the constant possibility of being uprooted for a new assignment – or even of her father being killed during a training accident.

She also learned many lessons from her mom, a military spouse. While stationed in Alaska, Hiatt’s mother started a preschool for the local military families. She also took up painting, ceramics, and other artistic pursuits so she could follow her own dreams amid the isolated Alaskan military community.

From these roots, Hiatt learned to be brave and to pursue big dreams despite the odds – because the risk was worth it. She also learned that growth was linked to sacrifice; often, we have to give up what we have in the moment for the possibility of a brighter future.

Hiatt had always wanted to succeed. But at the beginning, her dreams seemed out of reach. After all, she admits, she wasn’t naturally perfect at anything – she was never the smartest in her class nor the best at any physical endeavors. Instead, she had to overcome her fear of not being good enough. And this is where the importance of having a growth mindset comes in.

Hiatt’s junior high choir conductor taught her that we’re always capable of improving, and that failure isn’t inherently bad – actually, it’s necessary for improvement and growth. With this in mind, Hiatt decided to bet on herself. She took calculated risks that pushed her out of her comfort zone, and which prompted her to work hard and rise to the occasion.

Another big lesson Hiatt learned in her formative years was to empower herself by figuring out the overall purpose of the tasks she received. While working at a music software company, she made the mistake of not paying attention to what she’d thought was a mindless copying task. But the blurry copies she produced couldn’t be used by the sales team for outreach to potential customers. Hiatt had to repeat the task – but now that she knew the packets’ purpose, she did her best to create professional-quality copies that would represent the company well.

With these lessons in mind, it’s time to take a look at your own situation: Are there ways you can proactively push yourself in your current role? What tasks are you executing mindlessly? Could you impact the bigger picture if you got creative with those tasks? Alternatively, are there any familiar tasks you prioritize while avoiding others that might push you out of your comfort zone and encourage your growth? Take a few moments – or as much time as you’d like! – to consider these questions before moving on to the next section.