Do you feel defined by a major career setback? Are you questioning your path after a pivotal layoff or a venture that didn't take off? In this powerful episode of No Boxes: Just Verses, we go beyond the bios, beyond the titles to explore the unconventional leadership journey of Equilar Founder and CEO, David Chun. David shares the intimate story of weathering both a major early-career layoff and the devastating dot-com crash just as he started his company. Learn how he turned deep-seated self-doubt into a Masterpiece Mentality, using his personal soundtrack—from the Pet Shop Boys to Journey—as a guide. If you need a playbook for a strategic pivot, financial discipline, and embracing the power of your network to achieve long-term success, tune in.

David Chun is the Founder and CEO of Equilar, a leading provider of executive intelligence solutions. Recognized as one of NACD’s “100 Most Influential Players in Corporate Governance,” he has also received the Disruptor Award from 2020 Women on Boards and the Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business honor. David is a frequent speaker on governance at forums hosted by Nasdaq, NYSE, Deloitte, KPMG, NACD, and Stanford. He serves on the boards of the Commonwealth Club World Affairs, PGA Reach, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and Silicon Valley Leadership Group. He earned degrees from Wharton and UVA.

Key Takeaways:

• Sports as the Ultimate Equalizer: David shares how growing up as an immigrant and an outsider in 1970s New Jersey, athletics became the critical early catalyst for self-confidence, community, and breaking in. Discover why youth sports is an essential foundation for unconventional leadership.

• The Power of the Pity Party (and the Pivot): Hear the raw story of being part of a massive layoff early in his career and facing the extreme self-doubt that followed ("What have I done to deserve this?"). David's core lesson: Allow five minutes for the self-pity, then make the strategic pivot to control your your own destiny.

• Grit and Financial Discipline Build Resilience: Starting Equilar just before the dot-com bubble burst forced David to operate with a brutal level of financial hyper-focus. Learn why discipline and cutting non-essential things were the keys to survival—even when it meant going without a salary for three years—and how this financial grit became a permanent part of his company's culture.

• The Forced Pivot to Executive Governance: David reveals how the tragic events of 9/11 forced an existential choice for Equilar: shut down or make a massive strategic shift. His decision to go all-in on executive compensation and corporate governance was the breakthrough that defined his company's long-term success.

• Relationships are the New Currency (The Exec Atlas): More than IQ or grades, David stresses that relationships matter most. See how Equilar's massive database, which maps connections between C-suite and board members, helps leaders solve the "last mile" problem in recruiting and business development, strengthening your own professional network.

You already possess the grit and the network to power through your next challenge. We hope David's story inspires you to lean into your own unconventional path.

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review the podcast! 

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Theme Song: Pedal to the Medal by Martin Luther (Spotify | Apple Music)

Your Pivot Playbook: 5 Simple Steps to Turn Career Setbacks into CEO Success

Why Your Toughest Days Are Your Greatest Power

Hey, let's be real. Have you ever felt like you took a huge career hit? Maybe you lost a job you loved, or maybe the big new business idea you had crashed and burned right after you started it. It feels terrible, right? You question everything. You think, "Why is this happening to me?"

This article is for anyone who has felt that sting—the person looking at a closed door and wondering where to go next. We're going to share the playbook of a successful founder and CEO who used huge setbacks—like a massive layoff and starting a company during a market crash—to build a multi-million dollar business. You'll learn the simple steps he took to move past the pity party and start controlling your own destiny. Your biggest challenge is about to become your biggest breakthrough.

You are ready for this playbook if you feel tired of things happening to you and are ready to start making things happen for you. This isn't just about reading tips; it's about shifting your mindset. The hard part is already over—you went through the tough challenge. Now, you need to decide if you are ready to be the CEO of your own life and career.

Here's what you need to be successful:

• A "Five-Minute Pity Party" Timer: You need to give yourself a short time to feel bad, then get back to work.

• A Notebook or Digital File: You need a place to map out your connections and network.

• Hyper-Focus: You must be ready to cut out everything that isn't necessary for your goal.

Step-by-Step Guide: Your Pivot Playbook

1. Use the Playing Field to Build Your Leadership Foundation

It’s easy to think that leadership starts with fancy degrees or big titles, but that’s a common mistake. True leadership starts much earlier, often when you feel like an outsider. The problem is that when you feel different, it can lead to low self-confidence and feeling disconnected from others. The new and better approach is to find a place where those differences melt away and the only thing that matters is the team's shared goal. For one CEO, this was youth sports—it was an equalizer where people didn't care what color you were or where your family was from; they only cared about winning together. This early teamwork and building of confidence are the silent foundations for being a strong leader later in life.

Conclusion: Use Teamwork to Level Up Your Confidence

• Find activities (like sports or volunteer teams) that make you feel connected and confident.

• Know that teamwork is the greatest equalizer—it builds bridges and friendships.

• Look for opportunities to get more people involved in team-based activities.

• Realize that the skills you learn working toward a win are the same skills you need to lead a business.

2. Make the Layoff Your Ultimate Wake-Up Call

When you lose a job or a venture fails, the huge emotional pain point is feeling like a victim. You feel confused and you ask yourself, "What did I do to deserve this?" The old approach is to wallow in that feeling for weeks or months, letting the self-doubt become your whole story. The importance of solving this feeling right away is that you must take back power and momentum. The new and better approach is to let that pain be the source of a powerful new commitment: I must control my destiny. This setback is actually a chance to create the career path you want, not the one someone else gave you. It’s okay to have a pity party, but you must set a strict time limit on it and then move on.

Conclusion: Flip the Script on Self-Doubt

• Allow yourself a small, set time (like five minutes) to feel bad about the setback.

• Know that many great leaders have traumatic, unexpected zig-zags in their paths.

• Use the experience to commit to a new goal: control your own destiny.

• Move on quickly and start planning what you will do next.

3. Build Financial Grit Through Hyper-Focus

Starting a new business or venture usually requires a cushion, but what happens when you start right before a massive market crash? The common mistake is to panic, worry about money you don't have, or try to keep up appearances. The problem is that undisciplined spending is what kills most ventures, especially when times get tough. The key is to see the crash not as a death sentence but as a forcing function for extreme discipline. You need to get hyper-focused, cut every non-essential thing, and execute your plan as perfectly as possible. This tough period creates a core company culture of resilience that lasts forever.

Conclusion: Make Discipline Your Survival Tool

• In tough times, see resource limits as a way to force discipline and growth.

• Execute flawlessly because you don't have time or money for mistakes.

• Cut every single thing that is non-essential to your main goal.

• Create a culture of urgency; don't get "fat and happy" with easy money.

• Remember that challenging yourself mentally and physically is where growth comes from.

4. 🧭 Let the Market Force Your Strategic Pivot

When you start a business, you have a perfect idea in your head, but the market might disagree. The problem is that leaders often get stuck loving their first idea and refuse to see when it's failing. For one founder, his original business idea was quickly sinking, and he faced a huge decision: admit defeat or make an aggressive, all-in pivot. The better approach is to pay close attention to the small things your customers actually show interest in. In his case, customers kept asking about the executive compensation data that was a tiny part of his original plan. He took a huge gamble and shifted his entire focus to that niche, and it became the foundation of his company.

Conclusion: Fail Fast, Pivot Hard

• Realize that your first idea might not be the right idea—be ready to change.

• Look for clues: What part of your product or service are people actually excited about?

• A major market event (like a crash or disaster) can be a forcing function to make the necessary big change.

• Commit completely to the new direction once you decide to pivot.

5. 🤝 Treat Your Network as Your Biggest Asset

It’s easy to think that your intelligence, your GPA, or your education are your biggest keys to success. That's a mistake. While being smart helps, it's not the top thing. The problem is that many people spend years perfecting their resume and skills but neglect the most powerful tool they have. The new and better approach is to realize that relationships really matter more than almost anything else. Your network—who you know and who your contacts know—is the real currency that helps you grow your business and find the best opportunities.

Conclusion: Build and Use Your Relationships

• Know that relationships matter more than getting the best grades or being the smartest person.

• Think of your personal contacts as your biggest asset for business growth.

• Look for ways to map out your network to find connections to key decision-makers.

• Remember that the true key to success is getting to know people and helping each other.

Your Next Steps: Don't Stop Believing

The big idea here is simple: You are in control. You can choose to be defined by what happened to you, or you can choose to make a Masterpiece Mentality where challenges are just the necessary steps for growth.

You have the grit. You have the lessons. Now, you just need to act.

Here is your list of steps to implement these ideas today:

1. Stop the Wallowing: Give yourself five minutes to be upset, then tie your shoes and move on.

2. Identify Your Pivot Clue: Look back at your last setback. What small, surprising thing worked or got attention? That’s your next direction.

3. Find Your Equalizer: Join a new team, group, or club this week to build new, authentic connections and confidence.

4. Audit for Hyper-Focus: Write down everything you spend time or money on for your goal, then cut out the non-essential 50%.

5. Map Your Network: Write down five people you need to meet, and then write down two people in your current network who can connect you.

You have survived. Now, go excel!