Two weeks after graduating high school, I arrived at Shocco Springs Baptist Conference Center to begin my first “real job” and experience the most pivotal summer of my life. While most of my friends frolicked on beaches enjoying their last summer before college, my ten hour workdays as a “Summer Staffer” consisted of scrubbing floors, cleaning toilets, preparing meals, cleaning dishes, hauling trash, and busing tables. While these duties yielded an education in how to survive a gritty physical environment, the most vital education I received was in how to survive a gritty social environment. My boss was fired for stealing, a direct co-worker was arrested for murder, and another co-worker stalked me. Various fellow staff members allowed these unexpected circumstances to distract them from their daily responsibilities, but I understood that Shocco guests still demanded our services. Rather than retreat from a back-breaking job amidst criminals, I daily maintained a laser-like focus on getting my job done despite feeling intimidated. Overcoming the intimidation brought forth two lessons that changed my life forever: life will always throw you curve balls and you must adapt to them, and secondly, there is no substitute for hard work. These lessons prepared me for the real world and greatly motivated me to obtain a higher education.

Upon graduating from the University of Alabama, I had a unique professional and personal opportunity to move to San Diego. Professionally, I became one of the youngest Assistant Managers at a national retail chain. On a personal level, I did not know anyone in the city and had the opportunity to build a new life. After being on the job for one week, the only other manager resigned and I was instantly responsible for every duty in managing the store: selling, hiring, firing, and inventory management. I worked twelve-hour shifts at least three times per week. Again, adjusting to curve balls and working hard gained the attention of my boss and I was rewarded with several pay increases. However, the real reward was the thrill of managing. I was falling in love with making a positive difference in my employees and customers while steering a company toward profitability. I knew I wanted my own company one day.

After two years in San Diego, I returned to my roots in Birmingham and, along with my job as a Replenishment Analyst at Hibbett Sports, began volunteering at Sav-a-Life, a pro-life non-profit organization which provides counseling to pregnant women contemplating abortion. The Elliot Institute states that within the first few weeks after having an abortion between forty percent and sixty percent of women experience negative reactions. Within eight weeks after their abortions, fifty-five percent expressed guilt, forty-four percent complained of nervous disorders, thirty-six percent had experienced sleep disturbances, thirty-one percent had regrets about their decision, and eleven percent had been prescribed psychotropic medicine by their family doctor. These are just a few of the effects that the pregnant woman, herself, experiences, yet these conditions negatively affect virtually every person in the woman’s life. The aftermath effects are drastic and systemic. Therefore, there is an enormous demand for volunteers who have a passion for providing these women with not only a framework for making decisions, but a structure on how to live their lives after their decisions. The name of the organization is Sav-a-Life, which technically refers to the baby, but after I have counseled dozens and dozens of vulnerable clients, I understand that the other life that is “saved” is the pregnant woman. On a macro-level, my efforts at Sav-a-Life are not just an investment in the baby and the mother, but in American society as a whole.

Many of my skills have been developed and confirmed in my four years at Sav-a-Life . My passion for helping those in need has been galvanized with each client tear that is shed in my office. With each confrontational, verbal exchange, I have seen that there is no substitute for solid leadership and thinking on one’s feet. Additionally, I have learned to confidently, yet respectfully, articulate my beliefs when the person on the other side of the table holds a different opinion and the stakes are high. As a result, I have seen lives changed for the better. Good leadership requires boldness, confidence, and determination for improvement. Sav-a-Life has been a huge contributing factor in helping me acquire these qualities.

My involvement with the aforementioned organizations helped me realize that I could impact the lives of others while doing what I love. My goal is to operate a retail business that in turn gives back to people in need. New York Times and Wall Street Journal best selling financial author, Dave Ramsey said, “Don’t view your business as a way to make money, but view it as a way to serve.” This clearly defines my motive behind running a business, but how will I make a dream into a reality? Seventy-eight million American babies were born during the Baby Boomer Generation, which represents approximately twenty-eight percent of the American population today. Nine million Baby Boomers are small business owners. The Exit Planning Institute estimates that five million Baby Boomers have no succession plan. Over the next twelve to fifteen years, more than eight million small businesses will be sold. It is imperative that young business professionals, like myself, take full advantage of this opportunity. I must take the next step in preparing to acquire a business. Education is a valuable commodity that can never be taken away once it is obtained. Harold Morris, award winning New York Times best-selling author and close friend of mine, quoted in his book Law of the Harvest, “Preparation should always come before performance.” Furthering my education is a key factor in this preparation process. I am fully aware that most start up businesses fail within the first year. My goal is to prepare as much as possible in order to avoid becoming one of those statistics.

The personal and professional experiences I have achieved provide me with a competitive edge rendering a mutual benefit for the MBA program and for me. My experience in various retail environments has enhanced my capacity to work well with all types of people in a productive manner. Proper people skills are fundamental in such a learning atmosphere. I am comfortable working in diverse groups providing a successful outcome. Having six years of post undergraduate work experience, I possess the ability to share feedback on real world work and life experiences that will contribute to the dynamic learning environment in the classroom.

These experiences have heavily contributed to my desire of earning an MBA from The Brock School of Business. Maximizing my understanding on successfully running a business is essential, and The Brock School of Business provides the financial knowledge and entrepreneurial skills that are vital to most effectively and efficiently achieve this purpose. I find the program’s emphasis on case studies and group work to be congruent with my intention to learn the reality of operating a business. Acquiring authentic perspectives from real business leaders in real situations, and studying their successes and failures is the ideal learning environment for me. Furthermore, an MBA from The Brock School of Business is essential because my future is here in Birmingham and therefore the networking opportunities are attractive. Also, the classes offered abroad will be beneficial to enhancing my understanding of the business world. Submersion in different cultures is a fundamental piece of the puzzle for entrepreneurs in order to have a diverse background. Cultivating my existing entrepreneurial skills at The Brock School of Business will allow me to make a considerable contribution not only to Birmingham, but also to society.