Born and raised in New York, Steve Lacaj maintained good grades in high school, all the while captaining his varsity football team. He was awarded a full scholarship at Pace University, and eventually began his professional and financial services career as a financial advisor. As his career progressed, Steve Lacaj learned the value of cultivating client relationships and perfected a method of managing these relationships on a daily basis. Steve went on to become one of the founders and managing members of a private equity firm located in New York City that offers a selection of exclusive private stocks focusing on early, later, and growth-stage companies. Currently, Steve Lacaj is the fund manager for that firm.
How have you achieved success?
One of the most important things I’ve realized is just how powerful the mind can be. Keeping and maintaining a positive mindset and outlook on life has been a major key to my success. I believe that the expression “you are what you think about” could not be more true. Also, I believe that removing all negativity possible from your life is crucial, and even more important is flooding your mind with positive thoughts. That will have a major impact on anyone’s life. In my case in particular, though, I’ve always had big goals. What most people think is completely unrealistic, I’ve always believed is fully attainable. It never bothered or scared me that my goals were ambitious—instead, it fueled me to do everything I could to achieve them. And most importantly of all, my belief in my ability to succeed has always been greater than my fear of failure.
What obstacles have you overcome in the process?
Removing any distractions that were not in line with what I wanted to achieve in life has been a pivotal factor in my success. Years ago, I realized that every minute I spent doing something that was not in line with my aspirations, I was making a conscious decision to not do something that can make me hit those goals faster.
What drives you to succeed?
Being able to change someone’s perspective on their own life, and helping them to shape their future for the better is what gives me motivation. Helping people in need has always been one of my long-term drivers for achieving success.
How has your definition of success changed over the years?
As a young man, my definition of success was becoming as wealthy as possible. At the time, in my mind, success and money were the same thing. As I got older, I began to realize that hitting the goals I set for myself, whether short or long-term, was a much better definition of success. Elon Musk once said: “Stop being patient and start asking yourself, how do I accomplish my 10 years plan in 6 months? You will probably fail, but you will be a lot further ahead of the person who simply accepted it was going to take 10 years.” These are now words that I live by.
What has success meant to you?
Everyone’s definition of success varies. For me, being successful means more than just being wealthy. I measure my success on the influence I have on the lives of others. Many people base their success on the amount of money they have in the bank, however, I base mine on how much of a positive impact I’ve made on someone’s life. What I tell myself is this: I may not be the one who changes the whole world, however, I can possibly be the one who sparks the mind of the one that does.
Do you have advice for others on how to be successful?
MIND OVER MATTER. You can be whoever you want to be and that’s one of the greatest blessings life has to offer. Whatever you think about will determine the decisions you make on a daily basis. Those decisions can put you on a path to become the best version of yourself, and it all starts with your mindset. Put another way, the thoughts that consume your mind will determine the exact type of person you will become. Surrounding yourself with the right people will play a major role in your success. And the ‘right people’ doesn’t necessarily mean wealthy individuals. The ‘right people’ are those who will push you to become the best version of yourself and never let you settle. When you surround yourself with like-minded individuals that constantly push you beyond your own limits, you can and will achieve things you might’ve thought were never possible.
Website — stevenlacaj.com
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/Steven-Lacaj-104087568973043
LinkdIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-lacaj-286423236/
Twitter — https://twitter.com/LacajSteven
YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4z_HaU6n6iVTum6rQswT8g
Crunchbase — https://www.crunchbase.com/person/steven-lacaj