There's no question that increased formal credentials can give you an advantage. The question is, is it the best advantage you can buy with the amount of money and time you're going to spend?

You don't see a lot of MBAs as CEOs. The MBAs tend to get hired by the CEOs.

In my experience, the skill of success breaks down into three things. The skill of marketing. The skill of sales. And the skill of leadership.

There's no question that increased formal credentials can give you an advantage. The question is, is it the best advantage you can buy with the amount of money and time you're going to spend?

The essence of building your own brand. People having heard of you - and having a positive impression - before you've even met them. If you can create that effect, doors open for you. A close second, if that's not possible, is people getting a good impression of o very quickly when they Google you

If you can get people who don't know about you to know about you (marketing), and you can convert them into customers (sales), and once they're customers, you can lead them from point A to point B, you can accomplish anything on the planet

Learning is available at the library for free; under a tree with a dog-eared paperback; at a job with a boss who gives you responsibility and mentorship; while traveling; while leading a cause, movement, or charity; while writing a novel or composing a poem or crafting a song; while interning, apprenticing, or volunteering; while playing a sport or immersing yourself in a language; while starting a business; and now, while watching a TED talk or taking a Khan Academy class.