Max Salk

Max Salk is a 31-year-old investment analyst living and working in New York City. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2011 with a degree in finance and a minor in history. After graduating from college, Max spent the early part of his career with Morningstar in Chicago before leaving to join PPM America, where he was an Assistant Vice President at on the credit research team. Max left PPM America in June 2015 to move to New York to join Blackstone, where he is a Vice President and U.S. credit research analyst.

Max’s interest in financial markets began in his later college years when he began to research and trade stocks in his free time. His interest in and understanding of the markets expanded even further during his time at PPM America, where he first had the opportunity to closely follow companies and research and recommend investment opportunities for a living.

In addition to his career in financial markets and research, Max is an amateur photographer. His work primarily features landscapes from his travels, and can be found on his photography website and instagram.

In his free time, Max likes to travel, exercise, listen to music, golf, bowl, follow the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Bears, and spend quality time with friends and family. Some of his most memorable travel moments come from his time with friends on road trips across the western United States, including drives to the Grand Canyon, southern Utah, and Yellowstone National Park. Music is one of Max’s passions as well. His favorite artists include Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, The Band, Tom Petty, and a variety of old-time blues and folk musicians.

Max also actively volunteers with and supports the Navy SEAL Foundation, which is a non-for-profit organization that raises money to support active-duty and Gold Star SEAL families. The mission of the organization is to provide financial and other support resources for the families of Navy SEALs, where a SEAL can often be away from his family for months at a time.

Where did the idea for your career come from?

My interest in landscape photography began while I was spending a semester during college in Rotterdam, Holland in 2010. One particular morning stands out as memorable to me. It was a very foggy morning, and I took my camera with me while I went out for a walk around one of Rotterdam’s many harbors. The dense, low fog provided a unique and interesting affect and backdrop. In fact, one of the many photographs I took on that walk is the first image that visitors to maxsalkphotography.com see when they visit the website.

Thereafter, I brought my digital camera with wherever my travels took me. Since then, I’ve traveled to a variety of different locations and have taken hundreds of photographs. My favorites tend to be ones that capture open, vast, dramatic landscapes. After awhile, I decided that I had enough of a portfolio to start a dedicated website.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

It’s difficult to say what exactly a “typical” day looks like, as there can be a number of things that arise unexpectedly throughout the day. However, there are a few habits and things that I do throughout the day to try to stay as focused and productive as possible. For example, after first waking up, I usually catch up on morning emails in bed. This way, when I get into the office in the morning, I can jump right into whatever it is I’m working on. Also, when I need to focus on something, I’ll usually put in my headphones and listen to jazz or classical music. I will also get up periodically throughout the day and go for a walk or stretch my legs.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I believe that almost everything starts with having a plan and being prepared. If I have an idea – in my personal life or work-related – I will always start off with a framework around how I want that idea to turn out, along with a plan for how I want to implement that idea.

However, it is important to remember that you never truly know how something will turn out until you actually move forward with your plan. Planning and preparing is critically important, but only takes you so far. After you start actually implementing something and seeing the early results, your initial idea, plan, or process may evolve into something else.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive?

I do my best to be pragmatic in how I approach situations, while paying close attention to details. I find that this helps me prioritize better, spend the appropriate amount of time on different issues/situations that may arise, and ultimately improve my work product overall.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Life is full of a variety of different opportunities, and there is no one path to success or satisfaction, however you want to define it. Find something that you love doing, and pursue it relentlessly. If it doesn’t work out, try something else. Time is on your side.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

I’m very old fashioned with technology. I am usually one of the last people I know to try a new device/product, because I usually avoid spending time and money on these types of things unless I feel like it will really improve a process of mine or solve a significant problem. For instance, it took me until 2018 to download Spotify. I had been using (and still regularly use) the same iPod I’ve had since 2007.

What is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

I am very diligent in my work, and spend a lot of time preparing in detail whenever I have to present something to others, whether internally or externally. Presenting your work to others is a unique opportunity for a variety of reasons. On one hand, it is a test of how well you truly understand something and your ability to explain that thing to others in a clear and concise manner. On the other hand, it is an opportunity for others to see your work product and contributions. People may not know what you are doing every minute of every day, but they will form impressions of your work product and contributions based on how and what you present to them, and how you communicate that information.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your career?

Being consistently reliable, paying close attention to detail, and going the extra mile in your work always pays off and is typically visible/noticeable to others.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I recently spent around $100 for a day of ski school in Colorado on a trip with friends who are much better skiers than I am. The five hours I spent with the instructor went a long way in building confidence and skills, and allowed me to enjoy the remainder of my trip that much more.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

Anything with a daily calendar that gives you alerts and reminders throughout the day.

What is the one film that you recommend our community should read and why?

Free Solo, with Alex Honnold. It is an amazing and inspiring story. It follows the story of an individual who carves out his own path, is completely above-and-beyond dedicated to his craft, and pursues it to the ultimate extremes.

What is your favorite quote?

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin

Key Learnings:

• Preparation is critical, but you never know how something will turn out until you get the ball rolling
• The ability to present and communicate your work clearly and concisely to others is almost as important as the work itself
• The more engaged and stimulated you are in the work you are doing, the more motivated you will be, and the more likely you will be to ultimately find success in that pursuit.