By: Ellie McGowan
Journalism Scholars for the Bellarmine Campus were assigned to another focus area for a day to report on the happenings of other focus areas and student involvement. Being assigned to the Business, Accounting, and Entrepreneurship focus area was an interesting change for me. The course is led by former insurance consultant and business guru, Kent Gregory, who is now a teacher in the Business Scholars Program at Hanover.
When I arrived into Pasteur 275, I sat among nineteen other scholars who make up the class. After conversing for a few minutes, the scholars informed me that today, they were expecting a guest speaker, Mr. John Sweeney.
John Sweeney is the Managing Director for Hilliard Lyons. Mr. Sweeney joined the Hilliard Lyons team in 1997 and again in 2010. Receiving his MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College and his BA from Amherst College, Mr. Sweeney holds vast knowledge about the world of business. The goal for his visit was to share his stories and personal insight to business scholars at GSP.
John spoke about his job position and duties, but also provided advice to scholars to assist them in their future endeavors. He spoke about the risk spectrum and the operation and status of companies from beginning to end. Scholars investigated the concepts of strategic buying, private equity, venture capital, investments, and return on capital. His job is to help someone achieve liquidity, and to discover truly how much one’s company is worth. Sweeney’s goal is to find the best buyer for the company, with the best, most accurate price. Business scholars asked thought-provoking, important questions that will help them succeed in the future; ranging from how to build relationships with clients, and the status of businesses when they initiate a merger. However, Mr. Sweeney discussed an aspect of business that was foreign to me before today’s class. He spoke about something that made me look at the world of business in new eyes; a reoccurring theme for this summer’s program.
Mr. Sweeney spoke to scholars about the ever-changing business world that we live in today through the perspective of a scholar. From the time that we were seven, to the time now where we are seventeen, there have been monumental changes inside our economy and our world. We went through a recession, and the interest scale has changed throughout our society, leaving us to reside in a “no-interest world” today. Realizing the differences between our economy ten years ago and today is a key aspect of understanding the business world and being successful. Sweeney informed students that the call to be an entrepreneur or a business owner is a wonderful call and purpose to have in life. He advised scholars to be interested in their pursuits and to read as much literature on the topics as possible. One of the largest sources to solve our own curiosity is at the tip of our fingers, and we need to use it to our advantage. Also, we need to be prepared, and get a model down on our future plans. The final piece of advice Mr. Sweeney addressed was that we need to be ready to grow. From starting as an entrepreneur, to becoming an institution, we have to possess the capability to grow and trust the process.
Today, I sat among two business professionals and 19 fellow scholars. However, scanning across the room, I saw nineteen future business leaders, economic masters, and world changers.
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