#10 -- Mark Berey, From the C Suite to the Police Academy, Charting the Life you Want

Mark Berey, CEO turned white-collar crime detective, talks candidly about making a contrarian decision to turn in his country club membership for a slot in the police academy after his attempt at retirement. Growing up with both parents running separate, successful businesses, he was infused at an early age with an entrepreneurial mentality and an inquisitiveness that landed him roles as CEO and CFO at Giant Foods, Discovery Communications, and Sutton Place Gourmet.

When advising young people looking to grow and succeed, Mark's advice is to work hard and keep your objectives in mind. "I had a goal and if it meant taking orders from people that I know a year or two later might be reporting to me, I could do that."

Industrious and pragmatic, Mark understands the meaning of true success, changing industries to suit his intellectual interests and knowing when to say when. Speaking about former colleagues, he says, "the ones who are least happy are the ones that are chasing a bar that keeps rising". Having made enough money to be financially secure, Mark changed course later in life by becoming a detective investigating financial and economic crimes.

Mark's journey of realistic authenticity and clear-headed curiosity, will have you excited about the possibilities of your next chapter.