Being a student at ISU, I’ve been spoiled to receive the knowledge, share countless memories, and been positively influenced by many wonderful mentors. Among these mentors, Shane Hunt, the Dean of the College of Business and Michael C. Ruettgers Professor of Marketing, has been known to radiate warmth and positivity like a ray of sunshine. From the moment you set foot in the college and  meet Shane, you can feel his dedication to not only you, but for the people he surrounds himself with. 

First, a little backstory to the passion behind this blog post. Throughout my time working at the College of Business, I was always observant of Shane’s little ‘tidbits’ for the week or even the day. Whenever Shane had a piece of advice I’d write it down in my notes, because if Shane was giving out lessons, I wanted to write them down like they are golden nuggets. After I mentioned that I had started a notes section on my phone, it was the new norm to take a moment in the office and have a conversation that was silly, sad or could honestly change the perspective of your life. 

Here are the top five lessons from Shane Hunt that I gathered from my time working as an office assistant in the College of Business. 

1. Always be kind to those who make your life difficult. No matter how hard it may be, kindness is what moves mountains. 
2. When you are preparing for a public speech, find your comfort voice and speak in that tone. Your comfort voice is the tonality in which you would speak in any day to day conversation with your colleagues. Practice finding your comfort voice. 
3. Find those pockets of time in your life where you can reflect, but also save those pockets to plan for your future. It's important to not get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives because that is where time goes fastest. 
4. Do the right things every single day, it is a consistency. A consistency to develop those habits of moving forward every single day. Habits, habits, habits. Habits are what shape your future, and bring you the small wins that change your life. 
5. Write down the best days of your life that year. Not trips, or activities, but specifically days. It's easy to remember the trips, and hard to remember the days. 

Each piece of advice carries its own weight, capable of influencing positive change on its own. However, when practiced collectively and consistently, they form a powerful blueprint for living a truly fulfilling life. While these principles may seem familiar, their true impact is often underestimated until one actively incorporates them into their daily routine. Even with the amazing person he is, Shane admitted that when he began his journey as a Ph.D. student, it was initially overwhelming. The sheer magnitude of what was expected of him to complete this doctorate degree seemed almost impossible. It was until his advisor showed him the importance of breaking down his goals into manageable chunks. Shane learned that trying to tackle the entire picture at once was counterproductive; instead, he focused on taking each step, one at a time.

Starting is the hardest part, but take it day by day to build those positive habits. So many things in life can feel overwhelming when you look at them as a whole. The key is consistency, the commitment to doing the right things every single day. It's about making small progress every day, whether it's saving a dollar, overcoming a challenging class, or striving to be a better parent and spouse. These habits may not seem life-changing on their own, but over time, they accumulate and lead to significant growth. Developing these habits is not easy; it requires determination and a positive attitude, especially when faced with a multiple of tasks or obstacles. It's about celebrating the small victories and embracing the journey, one step at a time. 

I believe Shane treasures every opportunity to encourage and support others, whether they're students, family, or friends. He takes pride in being even a small part of their achievements and believes it's his responsibility to give back the blessings he's received.

He also had one final, sixth piece of advice that I’ll also leave you on:

      6. When you get your first real job, make sure you do an exact match when your company provides a 401k match.