Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, has revealed that his initial career aspirations revolved around becoming a professional waiter. The Reddit co-founder opened up about how his mother’s sound advice played an instrumental role in steering him away from that path.

Although Ohanian is now a successful entrepreneur and venture capitalist, he once envisioned a career in the service industry. During a recent appearance on the ‘On Purpose with Jay Shetty’ podcast, the 41-year-old reminisced about working at Pizza Hut during his high school days, disclosing that his boss suggested that he could move to New York and become a server.

“I told this woman I wanted to be a professional waiter in high school cause I was so good serving at Pizza Hut. My boss Tony, he was like, ‘Hey, you know what, instead of going to college, I think you could do this full time. I was like, ‘I could move to New York.’ He was like, ‘You could move to New York. You can make a great career out of this,'” Ohanian said.

Serena Williams’ husband recalled telling his parents about his decision to not to attend college. Despite his apprehensions about his father’s reaction, Alexis Ohanian disclosed that his dad remained silent about his unconventional career plan.

“And so I remember going home and telling my parents, I was like, ‘I’m thinking about not going to college.’ And the last thing you would tell an Armenian dad is that you’re not going to go to college. Just to be clear. And my dad, to his credit, didn’t say anything,” he said.

Instead, the Reddit co-founder disclosed that his mother encouraged him to think practically. Although she expressed faith in his ability to succeed in any path, she told Ohanian to create a budget and ascertain whether he could sustain himself on a server’s salary in New York. The 41-year-old admitted that his mother’s guidance ultimately led him to let go of the idea.

“My mom, though, so sweet. She was like, ‘Look, whatever you do, I know you’re going to be the best at it. I know you’re going to work your hardest. Why don’t you start with a budget and figure out what it would cost to live there, and then how much you’ll get paid and see if that’s something you wanna accomplish.’ And thankfully, my ADD brain switched pretty soon thereafter,” he added.

Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, eventually attended college at the University of Virginia, where he came up with the idea for Reddit along with his roommate. The 41-year-old has also amassed an estimated net worth of $150 million (according to Celebrity Net Worth).

“It did give me the financial security” – Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian on selling Reddit amid his mother’s cancer battle

Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, recently opened up about selling Reddit to Conde Nast in 2006 for $10 million, describing how surreal it felt to earn more money than his parents had in their entire professional lives.

Ohanian also disclosed that the massive windfall provided him with much-needed financial security, allowing him to ensure the best possible treatment for his mother, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I sold Reddit in 2006. To make more money for 16 months worth of work than my parents would make their entire working lives was already kind of crazy. It felt like I’d gotten away with something,” Serena Williams’ husband said.

“At this point, my mom had been diagnosed, was already starting her treatments, chemo and everything else. It did give me some of the financial security to be able to spend that time and also just get her the best possible care,” he added.

Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, also disclosed that his mother’s cancer ordeal taught him the valuable lesson of what he needed to prioritize with his wealth at a young age.