Moving to a New City (How to Succeed)

About this video

Martell argues for making the bold move to a new city, drawing on three moves of his own: at 21 he drove out west on a four-day road trip during which 9/11 happened and his opportunities vanished, yet he says that move set the sequence in motion that led to Sphere Technologies, his first success; at 28 he moved from Canada to San Francisco knowing nobody, and within a seven-year period started and exited two venture-backed companies; more recently he moved to British Columbia despite an established life, friendships, and corporate restructuring and family logistics, for a higher concentration of big-thinking people and quality of life. His framework for succeeding after the move has three parts. First, the people you want to meet will be hard to find — they are busy, with companies, lives, and networks already — so nobody will invite you in just because you arrived; in San Francisco he called and emailed 100 people, offered value, and followed up, and those early contacts became allies who lent their credibility to introduce him to investors, friends, and hires. Second, you only get out what you put in: stop being a passive bystander to your network — say yes to invitations, organize the dinners, hikes, and events yourself, be curious about everyone (even people you initially judge as unimpressive may hold deep relationships), and find what each person is passionate about. Third, live an integrated life instead of separating work and personal life — he mountain bikes on Tuesdays and wake surfs on Fridays with founders he coaches and board colleagues, hosts the community at his house, and involves his family and local nonprofits. His closing logic: proximity is power, and you will only suffer the cost of your dreams once you understand their value.

Key takeaways

• The world rewards courageous decisions: Martell credits moving at 21 and again at 28 to San Francisco — where he says he started and exited two venture-backed companies in seven years — with transforming his trajectory.
• The people you want to meet are busy and hard to find; nobody invites the newcomer in automatically — in San Francisco he called and emailed 100 people offering value and following up.
• You only get out what you put in: say yes to invitations and organize dinners, hikes, and events yourself instead of passively waiting on your network.
• Treat everyone as valuable and be genuinely curious — people you might initially judge can hold deep, long-term relationships with exactly who you want to reach.
• Integrate work and life rather than separating them — shared activities with founders and colleagues build a community that makes a new city effortless.

Episode details: published September 12, 2022 · 13:11 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dan Martell’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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