The Veritas Forum Work Hard, Play Hard, Now What? | Charles Lee & Adlai Wertman
Nov 5, 2026
Adlai Wertman, USC social entrepreneurship professor and former Wall Street banker, joins Charles Lee, Stanford business professor emeritus and former accounting professional. They explore what success really means beyond money and status, how loss and faith reshape career choices, and whether business, teaching, and service can become callings. A thoughtful conversation on purpose, failure, virtue, and learning to let go.
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Adlai Wertman Left Wall Street To Serve
- After his brother died, Adlai Wertman studied Judaism, Christianity, and Eastern religions for a decade.
- His search became practical when he left Wall Street to help homeless people, treating faith as a mandate to improve others’ lives.
Success Must Come From Your Own Heart
- Wertman argues that media-defined success rewards appearance, status, and money rather than meaningful contribution.
- He defines accomplishment through the impact made on others, insisting students must find success through their own hearts.
Faithfulness Matters More Than Achievement
- Charles Lee distinguishes achieving a goal from living well, since a liar or terrorist can also be “successful.”
- In his Christian framework, faithfulness means discovering what humans were designed for and investing deeply in it.
