Affirm’s Post

Some members of our knowledge capital index think this is the wave of the future, where continuous higher education and business success meld together. For those who protest that he is not a productive citizen, he has a successful business and has been contributing as a professor and instructor throughout. What do other people think? Sound off. #continuoushighered #continuouslearning

Exploring the Link Between Academic Education and Entrepreneurial Success: Insights, Strategies, and Key Factors Timothy Compere is currently a young professional at Morgan Stanley. Join us in an enlightening conversation with Tim, also a Medgar Evers College, CUNY alumnus (class of 2016), as he shares his journey to entrepreneurial success in an interview with Dean David Major, Ph.D., (Associate Dean of Business School Carnegie Mellon University) Dean Micah Crump (Dean of Student Success at Medgar Evers College, CUNY ) and myself. Deans Major and Crump are not just academic leaders but also proud success stories of The PhD Project, a program that helps to increase the number of terminal degree minority faculty in business disciplines. In the interview, Tim shares how his accounting, entrepreneurship and finance classes laid the foundational groundwork for his business venture. But it's the real-world application during his internship that he credits as a game-changer. Tim highlights the practical insights he gained, focusing on critical business stages: Speed to revenue Speed to profitability Speed to "going concern" - ensuring the business thrives independently of the entrepreneur. What makes academic education pivotal in navigating these business stages? Discover Tim's unique perspective in our brief 2-minute video. His story not only inspires but also bridges the gap between academic theories and practical entrepreneurial success. Stay tuned! Later this week, we'll unveil more gems from this insightful interview. How has your academic journey influenced your professional life? Share your stories in the comments below! #entrepreneurship #highereducation #leadershipdevelopment #academicexcellence #businesssuccess

Graduating college at 18? That's the goal. Next year, I will be graduating high school with an AA degree and am about to finish a semester of business courses this summer. If I keep up the work, I might be able to graduate with my bachelor's degree at 18. Crazy. As a teen entrepreneur, educating myself about business and finance at a college level is crucial. Balancing four intensive courses has been a challenge, but it's taught me resilience and the importance of long-term vision. It helps to understand context when it comes to the business decisions I make + helps with negotiating on sales calls. I started high school with a poor mindset and little self-belief, resulting in a GPA of just 2.6. YIKES. But I learned to adapt, work on myself, and overcome my limiting beliefs. I ended my junior year with straight A’s in both high school and college courses. It wasn't my intelligence that held me back, but the mental blocks I hadn't yet addressed. My journey has been demanding, but each moment brings me closer to my goals. There is truly nothing more important than educating yourself about both the internal and the external world. As I take charge of my passions and finally embrace my ambitious nature, I am keen to see what the future will bring. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way. Your encouragement means the world! I'll be sure to post more regular updates on LinkedIn! #Education #Business #Finance #Resilience #YoungEntrepreneur #FutureGoals #Milestone

It was amazing to hear from John Waldron last semester. Following the discussion, I got the chance to ask Mr. Waldron how we can energize those around us. I found an additional selection from his response to be very insightful: “Also, be willing to change your mind. Don’t be dogmatic, where you believe so strongly in everything that you think is right that you’re not willing to listen to others’ competing points of view. One of the most powerful things you can do as a leader is to change your mind after considering others’ input and perspectives. It doesn’t mean you always change your mind. But if you can articulate a position and then be moved off your position because somebody has an argument that actually changed your opinion, that’s the mark of a strong leader.” I think we would do well to remember this advice in a polarizing world. For those who weren’t able to attend, go check out the article! It’s been awesome trying to practice these skills to become a better leader.

In 14 - 17 years my kids will be of college age. Will college be relevant by then? Yesterday, April 1, 2024, the Wall Street Journal wrote about how it seems the Gen Z generation is becoming a "tool belt generation" - choosing the trades over the expected college route. The article says after the pandemic, “it seemed a lot of people realized the trades are a life-sustaining career path,” he says. As other businesses shut down then, more people realized that the skilled trades were reliable, well-paying paths that weren’t going away." Last year, in an interview between Tim Kennedy and Joe Rogan, Tim provided his opinion to younger generations on the fastest way to become a millionaire. He suggested why not go into a trade? Spend two years in a school learning your trade. Spend another year and a half as an apprentice. Work for another couple years for someone who owns their own business. While you're there, learn the business. Then start your own business. Spend a few years building. In a total span of 8-10 years it may be possible to build a multi-million dollar business. Recently I had a young Air Conditioning service technician come to my house for some preventative maintenance. This very topic came up, and he shared that this was the exact path he was following. Went to trade school. Spent time with a company learning the business. Plans to start his own in a couple years. Do you think college will be the expected route for our kids to take in the future? #ExitPlanning #Leadership #Business #BusinessInsights #BusinessStrategy #Entrepreneurship #BusinessOwner #CEPA #VeteranOwnedBusiness #Vetrepreneur

I joined Small Steps, a prep course for the IITs, in the 10th standard, and suddenly, my world turned upside down. As a school topper, I was used to being the smartest kid in the room. But here? I felt like I knew nothing. In school, answering questions was second nature. Why wouldn't I speak up if I knew the answer? But here, there was this kid, PP. He'd have the answer before the question was fully written on the board. It was humbling, to say the least. My school performance took a hit as I grappled with this new reality. Fast forward to M7 business schools, and many students face a similar reckoning. You walk in as a big fish from your pond - maybe a top performer at a prestigious firm or a startup founder with a successful exit. Then reality hits. Suddenly, you're surrounded by former Olympic athletes, published authors, and tech prodigies who sold their companies for millions before they could legally drink. The person sitting next to you in finance class? They were a Wall Street wunderkind. That quiet guy in the back? He's already revolutionized healthcare in three countries. It's a humbling experience, much like my Small Steps days. You go from being the star to feeling average - or even below average. It's not just about academics; it's about life experiences, achievements, and potential. This shock can be paralyzing. Some students question their worth, their capabilities, even their decision to attend (this is what is called impostor syndrome).  But here's the thing: this is precisely the point of attending an M7 school. You're not there because you're the best. You're there to learn from the best, to be challenged by the best, and ultimately, to become even better. It's about growth, not validation. Remember, these schools didn't admit you by mistake. You earned your spot. The key is to use this humbling experience as fuel. Learn from your peers, collaborate with them, be inspired by them. Let their excellence push you to new heights.

Should you enroll in higher education if you want to start a business.   Most of the advice I hear nowadays is that you shouldn’t.   “It’s a waste of time and adds no value.”   Peter Thiel (co-founder of Paypal) strongly advocates against going to college/university.   He even went as far as starting Thiel Fellowship.   Where he offers students $100,000 over 2 years to drop out of college and start a business.   Many of the most notable founders went to college.   Incl. Marc Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Peter Thiel.   Some dropped out and some finished.   And like Peter Thiel many of them advocate against it.   The interesting thing here is that they are telling you to take a path that they themselves didn’t take.   Is this survivorship bias?   Would they have been just as successful if they didn’t go to college, probably…   But I think most people that reach that level of success wouldn’t change much about their journeys. Especially when you consider how much luck is involved.   What I think some of the advantages are:   Freedom of time – Time to work on side projects that you enjoy. Networking – Many founders have met their co-founders at College / University. Critical thinking – Opportunity to work on complex problems.   Do I think its necessary, of course not. Do I think it can be helpful, absolutely.  

On Friday, December 8th, I find myself at my desk, anxiously searching my inbox for an email from 10KSB—a crucial message that will determine if I secured a spot in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK program at Oxford Saiid Business School. To my dismay, there's no sign of the email. When I attended the interview, they mentioned informing candidates by the week commencing December 4th. So, why haven't I heard anything? Does no news mean good news? As I reflect on the situation, my feelings are mixed—50:50. Getting in would open doors to professional business coaching, mentoring, and connections with fellow entrepreneurs. On the flip side, if I don't get in, I'll avoid the commitments of studying, assignments, and frequent travels to Oxford for residential workshops—more time for relaxation and fun. Despite trying to convince myself of the benefits of not getting in, deep down, I know I truly want this. Since my meeting with Stephanie Hall in September, where she recommended I apply, the desire has been brewing. I even had Michelle block proposed course dates on my calendar two months ago. So, who am I kidding? If I don't get in, I'll be genuinely disappointed. My Monday morning kicks off early with a meeting at 4:30 am, mindful of pacing myself as my last meeting is scheduled at 7 pm in Oz. Buried in client plans, I hadn't checked my emails until I spotted one from 10KSB. With bated breath, I opened it, revealing a timetable and, right above it, a short paragraph announcing my acceptance. Yay! I couldn't contain my joy—I did a mini dance while seated in my office chair. I'm thrilled about this opportunity, yet a bit apprehensive, as I prepare to dive back into studying, anticipating challenges that will push me out of my comfort zone. #Author #FemaleLeader #Pharmaceuticals

First of all: Thank you all, for joining First Degree in these last few months. 🫶🏽 It's been a bit quite from our end, since starting First Degree feels like starting a start-up. 🥹 ① There's not enough time. ⏰ ② There's not enough resources.. 🤹🏻 ③ And there's choices, choices, choices... ⬅️ or ➡️ ? Anyway. Thanks for your patience and for your support. March gonna be a blast. Keep following, keep sharing ♻️ (credits to Manuel Cosentino & Unsplash for the picture). #alwaysbelearning #sharingknowledge #founders #investors #firstdegree

So I am going to start out trying something new today as part of delving into the aspect of application into leadership that I have done in the past. I enjoy breaking down leadership situations into it's technical and engineering components. Using the I+M+P+A+C=T basic 8th grade math equation, AEC professionals should use to generate inner and outer leadership which is more than 10% effective per the HBR. Let's just call these type post: Kirby's Math Lessons My first math lesson goes back to the last day I was in Indy and the ASHRAE conference was over. I made the decision to head down to the hotel restaurant and try out the dinner menu which I had not been to before. There was a lady waiting for someone to take her to a table and we sat there for a while and all I could think was it was time to do something that years ago I would have never done 10 years ago. I struck up a random conversation with her while we were waiting. After a few minutes of talking we simply decided to walk up to the bar instead to eat together. During that conversation I found out she was in a parallel industry to AEC and was curious about all the ASHRAE stuff while she had arrived. Her role supported the fleet management of many contracting companies and given I used to have a car like that had a solid understanding of her focus. We had a blast connecting and talking so I started to share the book journey for The Lion Attitude. Specifically I remember her telling me stories about the "Attacker" and "Con-Artist" type outer leadership she had seen during her career which led to even more interest in our conversation. Then I dropped the whole process behind beating Dave's Baby Step 2 and doing the Debt Scream in Franklin on his TV show. Her energy level became a lot different and she had been following him for years. I enjoyed being able to pick her brain about leadership in her industry and what it looked like. We also talked a lot about getting through the 7 classic Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps to earning Freedom. What was really interesting was hearing about her family journey to closing out Step 7 in the future. So going back to the Math Lesson this was a really effective example of I+M+P+A+C=T 1. Was Intentional and Motivated with Purpose to come to the ASHRAE Conference betting on myself. 2. It put me in the room to meet someone aligned with my future self. 3. I made a plan of Action to get meet people and build relationships with others that I had not seen before. 4. While taking Action, I was focused on building Connection and community learning about new people and seeing how we could win together. Looks like the leadership math added up....what do you think? --- Roaring out to all the Lions & Lionesses! Rise up Lions and Fight for your Life! AEC - Architecture/Engineering/Construction Intention + Motivation + Purpose + Action + Connection = Triumph (I+M+P+A+C=T) #ActAndConnect #LionPride #LionAttitude Ring This to Follow My Post --> 🔔