Put Your Oxygen Mask On First

On every flight, we’re reminded: “Put your own oxygen mask on first before helping others.” It’s a simple instruction, but it carries a powerful lesson that goes far beyond 30,000 feet.

Leanne and I have always been driven by a desire to give to worthy causes. Personally, and through our various businesses, we’re committing substantial time and resources to causes that matter deeply to us. But here’s the truth: none of it would have been possible, or our contributions would have been pretty insignificant, if we hadn’t first built successful businesses.

Too many entrepreneurs make the mistake of stretching themselves thin, trying to give, to serve, to fix, before they’ve secured their own footing. But if your cup is empty, whether it’s energy, time, health, or money, you’re of little use to anyone else.

I’ve always been unapologetic about being business-first. To me, that means recognising that impactful philanthropy only comes from strength. Our ability to support charities, fund community projects, and make a real impact comes because our businesses thrive, not despite it.

When Leanne and I consider a new pledge, we remind ourselves: grow the business, grow the impact. Every success we achieve multiplies the reach of what we can give. That’s not selfishness, it’s strategy.

The Carling Family Office is structured around this principle. We invest in high-growth ventures, we back entrepreneurs, and we build scalable businesses because that’s the engine. The bigger the engine, the more fuel we have to keep driving meaningful change.

For us, our business isn’t separate from philanthropy…it powers it.

This is our way, and the approach that’s allows us to go further than we could have imagined, both in business and in giving. That’s how we do it. That’s why we’ll continue to do it. Because a strong business today means a stronger legacy tomorrow.