Go Back to Basics

So you've reached the top of the heap and don't know where to go next. How about back to where it all began?

- BY ADAM RATHE

One of the perks of achieving OG status is that often one is inclined to revisit one's humble beginnings. The Rolling Stones played a 650-person nightclub when they released their most recent album. Media titan Tina Brown is scribbling for a Substack newsletter each week. Philly-born Bradley Cooper is chasing his 2024 Oscar noms by opening a cheesesteak shop. How can you make this work for you? Follow these rules.

RULE 1 Write It Down

Graydon Carter is best known as a magazine editor; his frenemy Keith McNally owns some of New York City's most popular restaurants. What they have in common is long memories and forthcoming memoirs. Carter's When the Going Was Good and McNally's I Regret Almost Everything both recall the triumphs and tragedies of gold-plated careers. They also dish dirt and settle scores. Not to be outdone, Barry Diller's memoir lands in May.