Do the Hustle: Life Lessons from Studio 54, the Championship Lacrosse Field, and the Boardroom

5 Star Review

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Editorial Book Review:

By TJ Brown

Some memoirs follow a single road. Others bounce between worlds that seem to have nothing in common until someone connects the dots. Do the Hustle: Life Lessons from Studio 54, the Championship Lacrosse Field, and the Boardroom by Don Kurz thrives on that contrast. It goes from the wild and crazy world of nightlife to the strict rules of championship sports and then to the careful choices of the business world. The book is interesting because it shows how these very different experiences all show the same truth about hard work, ambition, and being ready to act when an opportunity arises.

It feels like the book is both alive and thoughtful at the same time. The stories have a sense of movement, almost like watching someone go through very different stages of life while trying to figure out what really matters. One chapter might take readers to the exciting nightlife of a famous time, while another might talk about how important it is to work together and stay focused on the lacrosse field. The story uses these moments to get readers to think about how experiences that seem unrelated can help them succeed in the future.

At the center of the book lies the idea that growth rarely happens inside a single lane. Sports teach discipline, cultural environments teach social awareness, and business requires strategy. These three things all come together in unexpected ways. These themes go beyond the author's own life because they show something that many readers can relate to in their own lives. Skills travel with us, even when the stage changes.

Kurz writes in a casual way that makes stories more interesting than lectures. The way the structure works is like a conversation, moving from story to reflection in a way that keeps the story going. Vivid details help readers imagine how each setting feels, letting them picture both the excitement of high-energy moments and the quieter thoughts that follow.

The book leaves behind a simple but lasting idea by the time you get to the last pages. Life doesn't always go in a straight line, but every experience has the potential to teach you something useful. This memoir is a fun reminder that being persistent, curious, and willing to try new things often leads to the most important lessons.

About the Author 

Don Kurz

Don Kurz is an entrepreneur, former championship athlete and dance instructor. He has been a senior partner in a major international consulting firm, successfully taken a company public on Nasdaq, started a hedge fund, and currently is the executive board chair and principal shareholder of leading creative agency Omelet LLC.

Don served for 12 years on the Johns Hopkins University board of trustees and subsequently was elected a trustee emeritus for life. He was awarded the Johns Hopkins Heritage Award for exceptional life long service to the institution, and he has endowed the Kurz Family Scholarship to provide tuition support for low-income students.

He was a key player on the first Johns Hopkins University NCAA lacrosse championship team in 1974, though two serious knee injuries prematurely ended his lacrosse career in 1976. Don is currently an active mentor of student-athletes at Hopkins. He was voted the Outstanding Athlete at Elmont Memorial High School his senior year and has recently been inducted to the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. 

Don was a dance instructor for Arthur Murray Dance Studios and was a regular at New York iconic disco Studio 54 in the late 1970s.

He earned his BA from Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from Columbia University.