Momentum or Bust: The Hard Truth Buried in Trump’s Commencement Challenge
I just listened to Donald Trump’s commencement address to the University of Alabama’s Class of 2025, and his ten-point checklist landed hard, like a driver smacked straight down the middle.
You may cheer him or boo him, but the record is tough to dispute: global real-estate empire, reality-TV icon, businessman who captured the White House not once but twice, and a golfer who can post a number.
As he spoke, I heard my own story in every line. When I followed his advice, doors opened. When I ignored it, the lessons still caught up with me, just more expensively. His words set the stage for what’s next, and I’m all ears.
As I listened, I found myself asking, "Did I do that? Or "Did I miss on that one? "
Here is Trump's advice, along with my self-analysis.
You're Not Too Young to Succeed:
He emphasized that young people are capable of achieving great success.
I knew I had the energy and the competitive nature to win. But I had a couple of problems. One, I didn't know what winning looked like. Two, I couldn't find the right "field" to play on.
Since I didn't know enough about business to define success, I went to the most basic measure: money. I figured if I made more money each year, then I was winning. I found out later this was not the case. Winning had to do with impact and value. Money came as a result of winning. Money was an important measurement for me, but I came to realize early on it was not the only measurement.
Love What You Do:
He stressed the importance of finding a career that one is passionate about.
My first job was as an accounting trainee in a CPA firm. I learned, after the excitement of my first professional job wore off, that I did not like doing accounting. I found myself in a "now what?" situation at the very start of my career. And then along came the first entrepreneur I ever met in my life, Richard Brock. He recruited me and taught me the software business. I loved it, loved it, and still do to this day.
Think Big:
He encouraged graduates to set ambitious goals and avoid thinking small.
There is a strategy for winning in baseball. It is called a small ball. It's all about winning games by getting players on base, whether through walks or singles. Do this consistently, and statistically, your team will win a lot of games. It may not be exciting to watch, but the results speak for themselves.
Looking back on my career, I've practiced small ball my entire life. I figured if I could put enough small business starts and sales on the board, I would do well, and it worked. But this was not thinking big.
Work Hard:
He emphasized the importance of hard work in achieving success.
No one could outwork me. This was true from the moment I started work as a paperboy and kid shoveling snow. I liked work from the first time I experienced it. Work hard and make money. This carried through into my professional life, angel investing, ministry leadership, and community leadership. If I were chosen to do it, I would do it with all I had in me.
Don't Lose Your Momentum:
He advised graduates to maintain their drive and keep moving forward.
To exemplify this point, he told the story of William Levitt. Levitt built an incredibly successful residential real estate company. He recognized, as World War II was ending, that those soldiers were going to come home, get married, have kids, and need their own home. He created the first large-scale suburban development in America. He called it Levitt Town. It was a great success, and he later sold out to the conglomerate, Gulf & Western.
He took his money and enjoyed it for fifteen years. During that time, Gulf & Western ran his residential real estate business into the ground. Bored with living "the good life," Levitt bought the business back from them. He poured all his money into the business, and he ultimately went broke.
Trump saw him at a party in New York City for the rich and famous. He asked him, "What happened?" Levitt answered, "I lost my momentum."
I lost momentum three times in my life. The first time was six months into my initial career as a CPA accountant. The second was in striving to become a CEO of bigger and bigger companies. And lastly, as a practicing professional angel investor.
When I had momentum in each of these roles, I was unstoppable. When I lost momentum, my professional life spiraled downward. I found that I could do nothing to stop this negative momentum except to quit and pursue a new career.
My most recent experience in losing my momentum was as a professional angel investor. When I turned sixty years old, I had already been in this career for twenty years. I experienced a change. I was losing interest in angel investing. My first reaction to this loss of interest was to double down. Increase my effort. Try to regain my interest. Be grateful for what I had. But none of this worked. Once I lost my interest, I lost my momentum as an angel investor. I kept investing, but none of these investments were good investments. My successful track record as a professional angel was over. All I could do was find where God wanted me next. To find the next occupation in which I could realize a new momentum.
Be an Outsider:
He told the graduates to take risks and be different to make a positive impact on the world.
This was me. Thirty-five years ago, I walked into a meeting with a VC in our community, and he said, "Here comes Charlie Paparelli, the iconoclast." When he said this, I was first surprised. But then, after our meeting, I realized he nailed me. As I look back on my career, I have always carved out a unique role, regardless of the organization or entrepreneurial opportunity. I just had to be different. Conformity was not an option for me. I am not saying this is the best way to live life, but it was the only way I knew.
Trust Your Instincts:
He advocated for trusting one's own judgment and common sense.
This worked for me, most of the time. My instincts were to be trusted unless a sinful desire, like greed, got in the way. When I chose to join Richard Brock and leave accounting, two trusted advisors advised me against it. But my instinct was to do it. Leave accounting, leave Miami, move to Mobile, Alabama, and trust this guy, Richard Brock. He will be good for me, and I'll learn a lot about business. All this was true. Little did I know at the time that this was the foundation for everything I did in my subsequent career.
My instincts served me well in the years that followed. I knew I needed to leave Richard and move on. That was a really tough decision, but my instincts were right again. I followed the corporate route, advanced quickly, made a lot of money, and loved learning to become a professional general manager.
One of the last times I followed my business instincts was when I became a professional angel investor. The opportunity presented itself, and it didn't take me a minute. I was ready to go. It paid off well. Being an angel was very fulfilling, and it freed me up for ministry and community leadership roles. These three roles for the last thirty years of my career were complementary, even synergistic.
My greatest instinct of all was proposing to Kathy after knowing her for thirty days. This year, we will have been married for forty-eight years, with four children, two sons-in-law, one daughter-in-law, and six grandchildren. I just knew in that moment that proposing was the exact right thing to do. And it all turned out great. (Thanks be to God!)
My advice is to weigh your instincts against your motivation. The mistakes I made were when I thought I was following my instincts and was really following bad or sinful motivations. When I chose to do something that didn't honor God, I failed. Sometimes I failed big, even in some angel investments. At a minimum, I failed myself, my Lord Jesus, and those who depended on me. Guard your instincts by being truthful about your motivation.
Believe in the American Dream:
He reinforced the idea that the American Dream is attainable.
I never doubted this for a moment. Each year in my life has proved the American dream to be true and achievable. It was there for taking. Education, Family, hard work, a home of our own, freedom to practice my faith in Christ, and freedom to choose.
Think of Yourself as a Winner:
He urged graduates to adopt a winning mindset and avoid victimhood.
I struggled with this one. I always fought the feeling that others were better than me. They were smarter and more gifted. My secret weapon was this: I'll make up any difference with hard work and persistence.
It was one thing to think of myself as inferior to my competition in life. It would have been another thing to think of myself as a victim. I never adopted this attitude. Bad things happen to everyone at one time or another in life. My attitude was simply to keep going. Take the next step. Make the next call. Do the next right thing. When I put this series of actions in place the ship, my life, always got righted. And that's what winners do.
Never Give Up:
He emphasized the importance of perseverance and resilience.
Once I chose to start something, I saw it through to completion. I never gave up.
Recently, I attended a Lifetime Achievement Award event in honor of my friend, Sig Mosely. Sig is the Godfather of Angel Investing in the Southeast. He was a great success and laid the foundation for many generations to come.
They played a dedication video of his life and career to open the award banquet. The video started with Sig quoting his father. His father told him, "If you decide to do something, do it until it is completed. If it takes a short time to finish it, great. But if it takes longer than you thought it would, then put in the time to get it done. If you start it, finish it."
Sig became the Godfather of Angel Investing because he gave his life, time, and money to being there for entrepreneurs. He was dedicated to them and their success each and every day. If they asked him for help, he helped. I don't remember Sig ever saying "No" to a request for help.
Once Sig decided to become an angel investor, he made sure he finished strong.