There have been many instances that have reaffirmed my decision to get my MBA at Fuqua, none more so than the first five words of Professor Jon Fjeld’s LinkedIn Live presentation: “Profits are not a purpose.” This hit home to me as I have strived to live a purpose-driven life and wholly believe that without a greater purpose, all successes are fleeting.

Grounded by Belief

From the time I was 16, I knew that my purpose in life was to show others that faith, morality, and ethics are essential to success. Every big decision in my life since then has been driven by this purpose— it should come as no surprise that my number one Clifton StrengthsFinder theme is belief.

I have not been perfect at this by any stretch, but this focus on living a purpose-driven life has led me to move to the middle-of-nowhere Delaware and work in an industry in which I had no prior experience. I was drawn to the motto of a high performance for a higher purpose. My purpose led me to move again to the beautiful state of North Carolina to help start an entirely new processing plant, and it inspired me to make an impact by leading Mountaire’s people and culture. Finally, my purpose has led me to Fuqua to grow as a leader and as a person.

Following My Purpose to Fuqua

As I was looking at MBA programs, I was looking for an environment that would be challenging and allow me to grow while still focusing on being a good husband and father.  Fuqua was one of a few schools that met those criteria. (An average temperature near 65 degrees didn’t hurt!)

When I came to campus, then-Dean Bill Boulding spoke about the impact business will have on the world. His passion for the necessity of triple-threat leaders — leaders with intellectual quotient (IQ), emotional intelligence (EQ), and decency quotient (DQ) — was perfectly aligned with why I was getting an MBA. I immediately knew that Fuqua was the right place for me. This place would help me grow and live up to the charge that business leaders are given: to use business as a force for good. I have kept that in mind with every decision since becoming a Fuqua MBA candidate.

How do I strive toward this purpose as a student? Since day one, these three priorities have led my decision-making.

1. I want to build deep, lasting relationships with people that change my life.

At first, I didn’t know what this really would look like until another member of my cohort, Miles Davis, challenged me to define deep relationships so I wasn’t just “networking”. I’ve defined this as developing relationships that if I am traveling to or near their city, I want to go out of my way to have dinner, grab a coffee, or just catch up with them. This goes beyond building relationships that help me grow in my career or find a new job and emphasizes creating a community. The relationships I’ve built have far and away exceeded my expectations, as I know that these people will be in my life forever. I’m still over a year from graduating and already saddened by the thought of not getting together with everyone monthly.

2. I want to take advantage of every opportunity to grow that Fuqua provides.

Although our time on campus is very compact, Fuqua has provided many opportunities to challenge myself. This means that when on campus, I have committed to shutting off outside distractions — ensuring I am fully engaged with my Fuqua team. In this time, I’ve learned how to play pickleball, met with the career coaches at Fuqua’s Career Management Center (CMC), attended every optional event put on by the Weekend Executive MBA program team, tried out being a consultant with the Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum (FCCP), and even wrote this blog, my very first. Each of these has challenged me in some way to not only grow but to ensure that I am living with purpose.

3. I want to invest in highly efficient learning to balance family, school, and work.

Initially, this started as an investment in learning everything… that took way too much time, so after the first term, I realigned. Fuqua has provided such great course material that I could spend endless hours digging deeper into each topic discussed. Focusing on highly efficient learning has helped me lean more into my teammates to grow from their experience and expertise. The Team Fuqua culture is real, and I have learned I don’t need to learn everything on my own. Yes, tools like AI and Speechify have also helped me be more efficient!

As I look ahead to what’s next for me, I realize that I won’t exactly be leaving Fuqua behind when I graduate. The people I’ve met, the experiences I’ve had, and the things I’ve learned will stay with me forever, making me a member of Fuqua for life. I will lean into all that I have gained as an MBA student to apply it to my “day job.” Having been blessed with opportunities to make a lasting impact on people’s lives, I know that I have not only the responsibility but also the skillset and community to lead a purpose-driven life and, one day, a purpose-driven business.