Intrinio's Founder Rachel Carpenter: "I knew in that moment I would never work for someone else."

Today, Rachel Carpenter's the co-founder and CEO of the FinTech firm Intrinio. But before she was calling shots, a single comment from a single bad boss altered the direction of her entire life.

I almost got fired once for putting the wrong stamp on an envelope. "You'll never be successful if you behave like this," my boss said. "It's only 50 cents, but this inattention to detail on a larger scale is going to sink you."

I lost it. I was studying Finance, but the next day I added Entrepreneurship as a second major. I knew in that moment I would never work for someone else for the rest of my life.

I turned down all the job offers I received. I slept on a couch for a year. I taught myself to program. I stayed in roach-filled hostels on a bunk bed in NYC while pitching clients and investors. I barely made my rent while my friends were taking stable jobs, enjoying healthcare benefits, and starting to build their 401(k)s. They didn’t understand. They asked me what my "Plan B" was. I lost a lot of those friends.

I never stopped, because I never forgot the manager who belittled me, micromanaged me, and left me frustrated and underutilized. Today I'm the CEO of a rapidly scaling financial technology firm using machine learning and data science to power thousands of algorithms, apps and innovations. I write for Forbes. I've spoken all over the world. And I'm on the other side of the management table now, with 13 employees.

I'm almost happy for the existence of bad bosses. Sometimes the most wonderful things can come out of frustration, when you decide you've had enough. I think of her often. I promise myself I will be different. I will lead my team with encouragement and give them space to fail. I'll never be like her.

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