From Football to Finance: How I Ended Up Enjoying the 9–5 Life (Kind Of) | Louis Addison
If you told me a year ago that I’d be spending my free time going to LSE open days and getting work experience in the corporate world, I would’ve said you’re mad. Me? I was strictly football. Whether it was playing, watching, or debating who’s better between Messi and Ronaldo, that was my world. I used to laugh at the idea of sitting in an office from 9 to 5. Honestly, I even used to mock people who talked about “networking” and “internships” like they were playing a sport.
But things started to shift when I stumbled across a few TikToks from Lenon and Joel. They were breaking down finance in a way that didn’t feel boring or out of reach. I still remember when I found out Lenon secured a private equity internship at 18, I had to run that video back twice. I didn’t know what private equity was at the time but he explained it to me and simplified it for my understanding. That opened my eyes. It made me think: maybe there’s more to this corporate stuff than I thought.
That curiosity led me to Investate, and it’s honestly been one of the best decisions I’ve made. The team, the community, and the mentorship, everything just felt different. There was no gatekeeping, no judgement, just real people helping others figure things out. And that’s rare.
Thanks to Investate (and a special shoutout to Richard Preston) I’ve been able to attend LSE open days and secure a few work experiences that are helping me get a proper feel for the industry. As someone completely new to this space, I’m soaking up every bit of it. It’s like stepping onto a new pitch where I don’t know all the plays yet, but I’m learning quickly.
And while I still don’t love the idea of spreadsheets as much as scoring goals, I’ve started to enjoy the structure, the grind, and the feeling of progress. I’ve realised that the corporate world isn’t just quarter zips and trying your hardest not to break code it’s also about mindset, ambition, and putting yourself in rooms you once thought weren’t for you.
I’m still figuring out what my exact path looks like, but I know one thing for sure: I want to do a Project Saka—become an academic weapon while still kicking ball. Balance both sides. Chase both dreams. Because why not?
So yeah, the guy who used to mock 9–5s is now lowkey enjoying them. Funny how life works.
Big up Investate for making that possible.
