Some lessons come from textbooks.

Others come from the people who raise us.

When I think about the path that led me to become an educator, entrepreneur, and lifelong advocate for learning, I find myself returning to the same source: my parents.

Their influence shaped not only what I chose to do, but how I chose to do it.

The Power of Being Poured Into

One of the lessons my father shared with me was simple but profound: place yourself where people pour into you.

It’s advice that has stayed with me throughout my life.

For my family, Historically Black Colleges and Universities have long been places where that pouring happens. Across generations, HBCUs have challenged us, supported us, and invested in our growth.

They have provided more than education. They have provided community, mentorship, opportunity, and a sense of belonging.

Those experiences shaped how I view teaching and leadership today.

Growing Up Around Education

Education was never something that existed only inside a classroom.

It was part of everyday life.

I grew up watching my father teach, lead, and serve. Long before I became a professor myself, I had a front-row seat to the impact educators can have on the lives of their students.

What I remember most is not the lectures or the titles.

It’s the belief that education has the power to transform lives.

That belief continues to guide me every time I walk into a classroom.

Following an Unexpected Legacy

Many people know my work in accounting, fraud education, and educational innovation. What some may not realize is that entrepreneurship is also part of my family story.

Decades before educational technology became a common phrase, my father helped build a technology platform designed to support student learning beyond the classroom. His work combined education, innovation, and a willingness to explore new possibilities.

Looking back, it’s impossible not to see the connection between that work and my own journey as a co-founder.

The tools may be different today, but the mission feels remarkably familiar: finding new ways to help people learn.

Carrying the Torch Forward

One of the gifts of growing up around educators is learning that success is not measured solely by personal accomplishments.

It’s measured by how many people you help along the way.

Whether I’m teaching students, developing new learning experiences, writing, speaking, or building educational tools, I see that principle at work every day.

The goal isn’t simply to achieve.

The goal is to contribute.

To create opportunities for others. To share knowledge. To encourage growth. To help people recognize potential they may not yet see in themselves.

A Legacy of Service

As I reflect on the influences that shaped my life, I’m reminded that legacy is about more than what we accomplish.

It’s about what we pass on.

The values my parents instilled in me, education, service, curiosity, generosity, and perseverance, continue to influence how I approach every role I hold today.

And perhaps that’s the greatest lesson of all. The people who pour into us become part of everything we do. The best way to honor that gift is to keep pouring into others.

Some of the best career advice I’ve ever received had nothing to do with résumés, networking, or professional development.

It was a simple question:

What did you love when you were eight years old?

Before titles, expectations, and practical considerations entered the picture, most of us were naturally drawn to certain activities. We pursued them because they fascinated us, challenged us, or simply brought us joy.

The older I get, the more I appreciate the wisdom behind that question.

Following the Clues

When I think about my eight-year-old self, I remember loving movies, writing plays, tutoring, community service, and money.

At the time, those interests felt completely unrelated.

Today, I can see the connections much more clearly.

Storytelling has become an important part of my work through writing, filmmaking, speaking, and education. Teaching remains one of the most rewarding aspects of my career. Service continues to influence how I engage with students, organizations, and communities. And accounting became the profession that allowed many of those interests to intersect.

The details may have changed, but the themes remained remarkably consistent.

Careers Are Built From Interests

Many people assume successful careers are the result of careful planning.

Sometimes they are.

But often, careers are built by following interests, asking questions, and remaining curious about where those questions might lead.

Looking back, the most meaningful opportunities in my career came from pursuing ideas that genuinely interested me rather than trying to fit into a predefined path.

That curiosity led me into forensic accounting, fraud research, filmmaking, writing, entrepreneurship, and education.

None of those opportunities were obvious when I started.

Paying Attention to What Energizes You

Childhood interests don’t always translate directly into careers.

But they often reveal something important.

They point to the activities that energize us, the problems we’re naturally drawn to solve, and the experiences that feel meaningful. They can offer clues about our strengths, values, and motivations long before we have the language to describe them.

Sometimes we spend years searching for purpose when the clues have been with us all along.

A Question Worth Asking

Whenever students ask me about career paths, I often encourage them to think beyond job titles and immediate opportunities.

Instead, I encourage them to pay attention to what genuinely excites them.

What activities make them lose track of time?

What topics do they keep returning to?

What problems are they naturally curious about solving?

Those questions often reveal more than any career assessment ever could.

For me, looking back at what I loved as a child doesn’t feel like nostalgia.

It feels like a reminder.

The things that inspired us early in life often continue to shape who we become, even when they take forms we never expected.