We had the good fortune of connecting with Eric Reilly and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eric, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I believe taking on a certain amount of risk is absolutely necessary to achieve the success that I’m striving for. That being said, I think the biggest risk in your life you can take is never pursuing your dreams. I’d much rather try and fail than look back on my life 30 years from now and regret never trying.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Currently, I work full-time as a software analyst for a large financial technology company. I support enterprise banking systems and work with banks of all sizes. I went to Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania and graduated in 2019 with a degree in IT. Right after graduation, I started my current role as a software analyst, where I’ve been excelling pretty rapidly. I was incredibly nervous when I started my role. It was a software development position and I didn’t know the first thing about coding. I had two different offers for the same company, one was a less technical position, and the other was the job I ultimately took. The reason I took the more technical position, in my eyes, set the tone for how I wanted to live my life. I took the position because I believed that I was capable of doing the work, and was eager to learn. I thought I would learn more in this position than the other one, so I took it. I didn’t question my ability, I just did it.

Fast-forward about a year later and I’d taken that “Do it” mentality to a whole new level. But before I go into that it makes sense to explain how that change was inspired. In early February of 2020, right before COVID, I had a lot of problems that I brushed under the rug for a long time. I was overweight, my financial situation was not on the right track, and my entire mindset was pessimistic and bleak. I wanted more from life and was looking for answers everywhere. Finally, my mom (who I lived with at the time) gave me a book called “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. Little did I know that this book would essentially be the catalyst for a complete lifestyle overhaul.

The book just resonated so deeply with me on every level, and it gave me practical and actionable steps to begin to implement to alleviate my situation. I never looked back. I went from 215 pounds to 145 pounds in 5 months. I ran every single day until I was able to run a half-marathon. I founded a side business in September with my two best friends and business partners dedicated to helping brands reach their full potential. It’s very much still in the infancy stage of getting off the ground, but I’m incredibly optimistic about it. I also started a motivational Instagram page and podcast talking about my experiences and giving people tips to be a better person. I founded that business, podcast, and my Instagram page because I felt like I had finally found my “why” – and my why was to help people reach their full potential.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My Favorite Spots in Philly? That’s easy. Disclaimer though: I live about 30 minutes outside of Philly, and I know anyone that lives in the city wouldn’t let me live it down if I didn’t mention that.

– Dalessandro’s Steaks (Don’t let anyone tell you Pat’s or Geno’s is the best cheesesteak in Philly. Dalessandro’s puts them to shame)

– Reading Terminal Market

– Xfinity Live during a Philly sports event

– Spruce Street Harbor Park

– Howl at the Moon (But you know… COVID did that one dirty)

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many things that have influenced my success. Some of the major players in my journey have been:

– Stephen Covey (author of “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”)
– My enter family
– My business partners and best friends (Mike and Andrew)

Website: https://linktr.ee/ricksdoinit

Instagram: @ricksdoinit

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdyzUFTFJ_EZ2uVg0RZ_n1w

Other: My Business’s Instagram: @stelladigitalmedia Clubhouse: @ricksdoinit

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