A lesson from Jake Paul that every kid should learn

You, like I, probably misjudged Jake Paul. But listen to his interviews on The Bill Simmons Podcast and All the Smoke. He doesn't appear to be the guy we thought he was.

Who is the real Jake Paul? The brash YouTuber who promotes fights by being an "I want you to hate me" villain? Or the thoughtful founder of the Boxing Bullies foundation?

I suspect the latter, but I don't trust myself. So often we're fooled by public persona. We never really know people we don't know. Jake himself says, "I'm purposely misunderstood. This whole thing is a game."

Whatever kind of person Jake Paul is, there is no doubt that he's a sneaky smart marketing prodigy. He started down the road to fame and fortune posting inane videos on Vine. Now, his net worth is at least $20 million and climbing.

Why? How?

One sentence from Paul says it all.

"Playing the game differently is how you win in today's world."

Sure, there's got to be balance between mastering the basic fundamentals of success - hard work, perseverance, making connections... - and being a bohemian like Paul.

The old rules often work. Not everything different and new should supersede traditional and old. But some things should. Including finding innovative ways to make a living. Paul definitely did and continues to play parts of the game differently.

Should kids emulate him?

No and yes. No, don't try to play the game like he did. (Who could?)

But yes, think about how you might play it differently.