Max De Pree Center for Leadership's Road Ahead cohorts were birthed out of my personal doctoral work--which took up the question: What does vocational formation look like in a changing world of work?
🎊 Over the past four years, we've run over 65 Road Ahead cohorts at the De Pree Center (and 85 cohorts total!)
💔 But the "road" here wasn't easy. I will never forget my mid-point dissertation review--how nervous I was to present my work so far, and how awful the meeting went. My mentors were kind, but they were clear: I needed to start over--which meant throwing 100 pages of writing in the trash.
Though tough, the questions that came out of that meeting set the foundation for something truly great--Road Ahead.
They asked me questions like:
❓ Do you actually agree with what all the scholars say about vocation? (No, not totally).
❓ How does your own background as an entrepreneur shape this work? ❓You've got great intuition, but how can research support the claims you're making?
❓How might you think more theologically about entrepreneurship?
❓How might entrepreneurship benefit those who might not start formal businesses?
Eventually, after I successfully "defended" my dissertation and came to work at the De Pree Center for Mark Roberts, with the invitation to turn my doctoral work into resources for real people, there were dozens of others who spoke into what became the Road Ahead cohorts--participants, De Pree Center colleagues, cohort guides, program evaluators, and philanthropists. But it was my academic mentors who helped me set the foundation.
🙏 So, today, I want to say thank you to Scott Cormode and Kara Powell for believing in me, pushing my work to be better, and for asking great questions along the way.
😊 😊 First, if you've ever heard your own version of "You gotta start over," know you're not alone. It's so tough and you are loved. I believe in you!
🤼 Second, give it up for the ones who care enough about you to help you wrestle with it. To push you and draw the best out of you. Send them a note. Tell them thank you!
🛣 Finally, if you've never checked out Road Ahead, we're starting up a new round of cohorts soon.
Sometimes, we feel stuck and find ourselves asking BIG questions about our future.
Whether you're navigating a career change or uncertainty about what God's calling you to do, applying some entrepreneurial principles can help you move forward with confidence.
Join our Road Ahead cohort this Summer to learn more.
https://lnkd.in/gQQrPb2Z
Forbes 30 Under 30 | Harvard | Wharton | Creative Leader | Innovation Strategist
3moExciting!