Say It Skillfully® is a show that helps you to benefit from Molly Tschang’s expert guidance on the best possible ways to speak your mind at work in a positive and productive manner. In Episode 98, Mark Parsells, Founder and Managing General Partner Montpelier Ventures, shares a life journey that’s included Capitol Hill, running major, global multi-billion-dollar divisions for American Express, Bank One (Chase) and Citigroup, and being Chair and CEO of three private equity and venture backed FinTech businesses. Mark shares what it was like growing up the youngest of four boys with a minister-turned-entrepreneur father, who made being at the top the only option. He talks about difficult times at home and learning to embrace the truth that parents—and leaders—are people, too. Lively political conversations over dinner led to studying political science and then working for Senator H. John Heinz III, where Mark learned how things really work. Keen to cut his own path, he shares his decision process to business school and finding his way to the private sector (and his epiphany of a $20,000 summer internship vs. his annual Senate staffer salary of $18,500!). He chronicles his remarkable ascent and impact at American Express, where he succeeded at being entrepreneurial within the corporate bureaucracy—and was invited to the annual shareholder meeting to review his strategy that brought credit cards as a form of payment to government institutions for the first time in history. With humor, he recounts another epiphany of being a “terrible junior employee!” and is not bashful that he was horrible at taking feedback (and encourages you not to do what he did…). Unexpected twists and turns—in particular, a defining wake-up call overcoming lymphoma—and his time at Citicorp after being recruited by Father of the ATM John Reed and then a massive business turnaround for Sandy Weill are both sobering and inspiring. Don’t miss hearing how Mark went against everyone’s advice and chose to leave behind the world of corporate jets for his true north, one of happiness and no regrets. Learn how to navigate work while being invaluable and true to yourself. Molly’s thought for the week (Thank you Mark!): Do what YOU think is the right thing to do.