Michael Saylor, co-founder of Strategy Inc. (NASDAQ:MSTR), once acknowledged that his mother's encouragement planted the belief in him that he could succeed in life.

The Story Of The ‘Best Paper Boy’

During the “When Shift Happens” podcast that aired May 21, Saylor recalled his first job as a paperboy in Dayton, Ohio, when he'd wake up very early in the morning to drop off newspapers.

He remembered there was a competition for the “best paper boy” in the city, and how his mother had encouraged him to participate.

“And she’s telling me, whispering my, ‘You’re going to do great things. You know, you’re going to conquer the world,” Saylor added.

Mama’s Boy

Although Saylor came in second, his mother’s words remained etched in his memory.

“I kind of got this idea in my head that I guess I was expected to be successful,” he stated. “She imbued it in my head and she programmed me.”

Saylor connected his experience to highlight that children often internalize their parents' expectations and start to believe those labels.

A Quick Look At Saylor’s Career Graph

Saylor graduated from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, completing dual degrees in aeronautical & astronautical engineering as well as science, technology and society.

Saylor went on to launch business analytics software firm MicroStrategy. He later steered its corporate coffers into Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC), rebranding it as “Strategy.”

As of this writing, Forbes estimated his net worth at $3.7 billion.

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