Everything I Learned From Iron Maiden About Life

What does Iron Maiden have to do with Stoic philosophy?

Nothing really, but this is my newsletter and it’s what I want to talk about.

I’ve been an Iron Maiden fan since I was a kid (more about how I found them below). I’ve seen them live in Sacramento, Los Angeles, Austin and San Antonio (2x). If you’ve ever seen me on a podcast or in a Daily Stoic video, if you’ve come to one of my talks or bumped into me in person…there’s a very good chance you saw me in an Iron Maiden t-shirt. I even wrote about them in my book Perennial Seller.

But mostly, what inspired this piece is that I am taking my 8-year-old to see them later this month…exactly twenty years after I went to my first Iron Maiden concert.

So what have I learned in two decades of an unhealthy fandom of a British heavy metal band?

A lot.

Let me tell you.

Know what business you’re in. There is a story about the manager of Iron Maiden, Rod Smallwood, who has worked with the band since 1979. He is at a dinner honoring the group. A young agent comes up to him and says how much he admires his…