Behind Drake’s Success: Oliver El-Khatib

“Without 40, Oli, there’d be no me.”
–Drake

Drake is a multi-platinum recording artist. His songs have 100,000,000 plays on Spotify and his music videos have 100,000,000 views on YouTube.

So what does Drake’s Manager, Oliver El-Khatib, say about their team’s success? You have to know yourself and work hard. In his own words, he says:

“You have to have blind faith. I just had a sickness — a sick belief that it’s all going to work out.”

There’s a reason why the GQ article stops there. Because there is no way better way to end an interview.

I have been very fortunate in life. I’ve attended public schools in wealthy neighborhoods my whole life. From there, I attended a private university. I’ve worked for and been mentored by Commanders in the U.S. Navy, Harvard Business School graduates, and members of Mensa.

I’ve also seen entrepreneurs, single parents, and immigrants struggle to earn a living, provide for their families, and adopt to the customs and norms of their new situation.

What interests me, besides absorbing as much knowledge as I can, is what makes some people leap. The leap to start a company, uproot their lives to join a nonprofit, or migrate to another country.

From what I’ve seen, there is only one thing that separates those who leap from those who do not.

All you need is one person who believes in you.

That’s it. If you have one supporter — a parent, sibling, friend, mentor — then you’ll do it. You have enough social validation (which is the really thing that people fear when they say “failure”) to progress.

The important discovery is that YOU can be that one person for yourself. You can an unshakeable internal validation in your actions. A belief that you can do it, you can reach a bit further, you can get on this stage and speak.

But most importantly, I learned that you can be that one person for anyone else. I am there for friends, family members, and work colleagues. For every person saying “no”, I roll up my sleeves and work alongside them.

I am not special. Anyone can do what I do. Because, more than anything, I am the voice that says yes. That says, “Let’s try it” or “Keep going” when all others have become silent.

I have no special abilities.

I just have this sick, blind faith that things will work.