The choices I’ve made in the past have shaped where I am today. While my journey hasn’t always been easy, each challenge has provided a meaningful learning opportunity. Today, I am focused on enhancing my impact as I have become more intentional about making more time to support and advocate for others. As you continue reading, I hope you can appreciate your own journey and be open-minded for the opportunities ahead.
On My Next Guest with David Letterman, Barack Obama shared these insightful words during his interview.
“Don’t you say to yourself, Boy am I lucky? Well, look, I worked hard, and I’ve got some talent but there are a lot of hardworking talented people out there. There was this element of chance, of serendipity to it. And the reason that for me at least this is important, is A, so I don’t feel too much self-important, but B, you want to see if you can maybe figure out how to sprinkle that stardust on other people.”
His comments resonated with me as I reflected on my journey and started thinking about the year ahead.
The first moment of serendipity in my career
In 2012, I resigned from public accounting, and I had no idea what I was going to do next. During dinner with friends, I shared my current circumstances and my bleak outlook. Jokingly, I asked a friend if his mom, a credit union CEO, was hiring. To my surprise, she called me a couple of weeks later to discuss an opportunity she had available for an internal auditor.
When I received the job offer, my instinct was telling me to take it, but logic was telling me to stay the course and find a new public accounting firm and work toward running my own business one day. I went with my gut. I didn’t realize this at the time, but serendipitous moments often lead to meaningful and transformative outcomes. It’s important to remain open-minded to capture unexpected opportunities.
On day one, I didn’t even know the difference between a credit union and a bank, but I was eager to learn and understand all the inner workings of the credit union. It was only a little over a year later when the CFO position became available, and our CEO asked me if I was up to the challenge. Her confidence in her decision to give me a chance provided me with the opportunity I dreamed of to step up.
Embracing unexpected opportunities
Fast forward to 2022, I was invited to be a GA at Western CUNA Management School. I hesitated to say yes. At the time, we had a two-year old at home, I just lost my mom to cancer, and I didn’t think it would be something I could prioritize. After consulting with my wife and my boss, I decided to go for it and invest in a program that was impactful to my development.
While at graduation, I unexpectedly ran into Mike Williams, the CEO of Colorado CU. Knowing he had an open CFO position, we discussed his search, and it sparked my interest in applying. This led to my current role as CFO under his leadership. Although this change was significant for me and my family, we are embracing it wholeheartedly. We are grateful for all the positive things this opportunity brings. This chapter in our lives has offered us a fresh perspective and has provided tremendous personal and professional growth opportunities that are continuing to shape the possibilities ahead.
Paying it forward
Personal and career growth sometimes takes more than talent and hard work. Yes, continue working on your craft to be prepared for what may come, but sometimes being in the right place at the right time is what makes the difference. When you recognize the good things happening, finding ways to pay it forward and helping others along the way is when it really becomes meaningful and rewarding.
Whether it was my time in Wyoming or now in Colorado, the credit union movement is a big part of my life. It has helped shape who I am and helped me to become a better human being. I’ve realized that if I stay out of my own way and embrace a positive outlook, good things continue to happen. The element of serendipity has been significant in my journey, and I think if you look back, you’ll find that it has impacted yours as well. I encourage you to cultivate a positive outlook. While we all face challenging moments, a positive outlook can help you see opportunities where others don’t. Often, our ego, negativity, or complacency get in the way of a good opportunity, so embrace having an open-minded approach, it can change your course.