A PHD in reality for
the modern entrepreneur
About Do the Hustle
What if the biggest lessons in business and life came not from classrooms, boardrooms, or balance sheets, but from disco lights, devastating knee injuries, and hard-earned second chances? Life isn’t a straight line to the top. It’s a hustle.
From NCAA lacrosse champion to Studio 54 regular to public company CEO, Don Kurz has moved through wildly different worlds and carried a lesson out of every one of them. In Do the Hustle, Kurz blends humor, heart, and hard-earned insights through the wins, wipeouts, and late-night detours that shaped his philosophy on work, passion, and resilience.
About Don
Don Kurz is an entrepreneur, former NCAA lacrosse champion, and former dance instructor who has led companies from startup to Nasdaq. A former senior partner at a major international consulting firm and current executive board chair of leading creative agency Omelet LLC, he has also served as a longtime trustee of Johns Hopkins University and mentor to student-athletes. He holds degrees from Johns Hopkins University and Columbia University.
What Reading Doing the Hustle Can Teach You About Winning
The "Hustle" theme was used to bridge phases of my life. From the Arthur Murray/Studio 54 dance era to the athletic field and to the business world, the "Hustle" defines a common thread for resilience and success. It is the essence of the book.
The "You Can't Will It Principle". This metaphor, which I learned at Johns Hopkins University in a class featuring a transgender Navy officer, is how I determined that passion and authenticity were the keys to success and happiness.
"Don't Fight the Tape". A well-worn Wall Street adage, this learning of avoiding the sunk-cost fallacy is perhaps the most important lesson I have learned in my life.
“Grit over Genius”. Outworking everyone is the only truly defensible moat. In business or life, you control your effort level and no one can ever take that away from you.
The "Private Pyle" and "We not I" wisdom. The joy of the team vs. individual philosophy models involve avoiding ego-driven employees and relationships.
The "Gut Algorithm" over experts. Truly connecting with your gut feelings is a major tool for success and avoiding catastrophic mistakes.
"Accepting and Embracing" the injustices of the world—in business and life. Regrettably, always fighting for what is fair and just is often a losing battle. One needs perspective and the judgment to know which battles to fight and which events to accept and joyfully move past.
vulnerable
surprising
deeply human
"... Do the Hustle distills invaluable lessons in accepting what is, trusting your gut, and pivoting instead of panicking. It’s vulnerable, surprising, and deeply human - proof that adversity, handled with intention and grace, can become the best competitive advantage...
—Michael Kassan, Founder & CEO of 3C Ventures
Greatness isn't linear
“Don Kurz understands that greatness isn’t linear.... For athletes, founders, or anyone navigating the next turn in their life, this book is a reminder that the hustle isn’t about force. It's about feel.”
—Paul Rabil, Cofounder of the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL)
Do the Hustle is a blueprint for the mindset and the tactical plan.
Don has lived these standards his whole life and now he is sharing his experience with everyone. [Do the Hustle] captures the discipline, sacrifice, and mental toughness that define great teams, and shows how those same standards lead to success far beyond the field.
—Peter Milliman- Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach, Johns Hopkins University
OMELET
Don Kurz, Executive Board Chair, Omelet LLC
