Your Future Is Not A “One And Done” Deal

This year, Pine-Richland FBLA kicked off our speaker series at our October meeting with Mr. David Jeter on October 14th, 2019. Mr. Jeter is a Partner with the Allegheny Financial Group is a Certified Financial Planner. The Allegheny Financial Group works with business owners and families focusing on their financial planning and portfolio management. He is passionate about his work because he has the opportunity to work with the intersection of the two most important things in people’s lives- family and finance.

Mr. Jeter started off his presentation by explaining that there is business in every aspect of what we do. As young adults, he explained that we are in the first phase of the “arch of happiness.” Because us students have our whole future ahead of us, Mr. Jeter wanted to ease the uncertainty of our futures by sharing three stories that relate to what we might experience within the next ten years. He asked our members to reflect on the theme of each story, because the themes display that our futures are not a “one and done deal.”

The first story that Mr. Jeter shared was about a man named Kevin, who struggled his junior year of college. After flunking out, he moved back in with his parents to evaluate his situation and reflect on what had happened. Mr. Jeter found his story inspiring because Kevin and his family never referred to his situation as a “failure” and instead, asked the question of “what is next?” Later on, Kevin joined the military, and absolutely loved it. Mr. Jeter used Kevin’s resiliency to show that what happens is not what matters, but your reaction to how you bounce back is what matters. Mr. Jeter shared this story to prove that “If you find yourself in a place you can’t sustain, it’s not your truth.” He used this quote to explain that in order to succeed and thrive in your environment, you must be in an environment that works for you.

Next, the second story that Mr. Jeter shared focused on the motto “follow what your are skilled at.” As we plan for our futures, Mr. Jeter said that we must ask ourselves, “where does my passion intersect with where I can get paid?” An example of this was explained when Mr. Jeter shared a story about a college baseball player named Jordan, who had a career ending injury. After he finished college, Jordan thrived as a salesman in the beverage industry, yet he wasn't passionate about his work. Inspired by his passion for dogs and his strong business skills, Jordan started a coffee company that raises money for sheltered dogs. Jordan didn't let his injury hold him back, so now he is a successful businessman because he created an intersection between his skillset and passion.

As an employer, Mr. Jeter informed us that while conducting an interview, he mainly focuses on the person's portfolio. Portfolios are made up of everything you do in your life, which displays your interests and experiences. Expanding on the importance of experiences, Mr. Jeter states that life is about “a portfolio not a GPA, a trellis not a ladder.” He stated that our life experiences are not linear like a ladder, but are more like a trellis that has room for variety and complex paths.  Mr. Jeter told us about how his son, Jack, who has a passion for math and music, and he is very skilled at using technology. His creative outlet is creating beats, and through networking he discovered that it can be more than a hobby because there is so much business involved in it. Jack worked hard in the studio, so he recently got to work with a well known artist. This opportunity gives him a unique experience to put in his portfolio and grab the attention of the interviewer. Mr. Jeter explained that having experiences that will make people ask “how did you get there?” are important to have in order to set you apart as a candidate.

Finally, Mr. Jeter wrapped up his presentation with sharing that in his Practice they value both Intelligence Quotient and Emotional Quotient. He stated that every person should have the traits of being smart, reliable, consistent, and easy to work with as they enter the workforce.

Mr. Jeter chose to speak about the realities of our future because he believes that every student's eyes should be wide open to the realities of changes and setbacks. He finds that high school students are pressured into thinking that their future is concrete and unable to change. He wanted us to be aware that you never knew exactly know where life can take you. His goal of his presentation was to make our members aware of the false reality they life is straightforward.

Thank you Mr. Jeter for taking the time to share your insights to the members of Pine-Richland FBLA.