For the “Business as a Calling” event, I got the opportunity to hear from a very successful and established business professional. Peter McGrath, a fellow University of Dayton graduate, shared his past encounters and experiences in relation to his business career. Mr. McGrath has been in business for over forty years, thirty seven of which were with JC Penney. At JC Penney, he worked his way up into becoming the Executive Vice President of product development and sourcing. In 2010, McGrath started his own business entitled “McGrath International LLC” where he served as a consultant. In addition, he talked about how, as an employee for JC Penney, he strived to influence his employees and customers in the same way as the founder, James Cash Penney did. During the speech, McGrath repeatedly referenced James Cash Penney as a strong influence in his life and part of the reason he has gotten so far in his career. Additionally, he talked about how they were always trying to improve their company and were never satisfied.

Besides giving a very inspiring speech, McGrath also presented several pillars that left an impression on me. These pillars demonstrated the importance of obtaining a deeper sense of purpose and social awareness. The first was to “love what you do”. Although this may seem very simple, several people are unhappy in their careers. In addition, in general, people only look at the short term value of their jobs instead of focusing on the bigger picture. As Mr. McGrath said, 1/3 of your life is spent on your job and if you are doing something you do not like, you are wasting that part of your life. Sometimes, in my life, I only want to obtain the career that will give me the most money, instead of actually just doing what I love. He really convinced me of the importance of finding a balance between both, and finding a career that I can enjoy and be successful in. The next saying that struck me as thought provoking and deep was to “remain true to your values”. There are many people in my life telling me to be different things when I grow up, so it was nice hearing someone say to remain true to how I feel. In other words, if I really want to do something, I should not let anyone else convince me otherwise. The next pillar he used which I found helpful was to “make people your passion”. I have always been a people oriented person, so hearing this resonated well with me. The people you work with and serve in your career are extremely vital to your own success and reputation. Therefore, making people your passion can also lead to an impact in your own life. The next saying that left an impression on me was to “work hard, really hard”. I agree with this because when I work hard and dedicate myself to something that is challenging, the sense of accomplishment is even greater than the actual accomplishment itself. The last motto that resounded with me was the “Penney Idea”. At JC Penney, they had a motto that they lived by and that guided them to become the successful company that they are. It made me want a guideline for myself and my future company that we can follow to ascertain a reputation similar to that of JC Penney.

The reason I chose these quotes and mottos to abide by is because I plan on using these guidelines for my future career. I have always wanted to start my own business and create something that will be successful and that will make me happy. His speech changed what was a very vague impression of my future into an enriched depiction of who I can become. I can integrate the values that Mr. McGrath presented to make my career as happy and successful as I want it to be. By, “Loving what I do”, “remaining true to my values”, “making people my passion”, “working hard, really hard” and establishing a “Penny Motto” of my own, I believe I can have a clear path to success and happiness. Mr. McGrath presented a great deal of very valuable information that I hope to use in my future. He obtained his success in the right type of way, through hard work and dedication; exactly what I also intend to do.