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Marking fifteen years since the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, BYU ROTC cadets kept vigil alongside the campus us flag. cadets, students, and onlookers placed small American flags nearby In a show of remembrance and rededication to freedom. Photo by Jaren Wilkey. I don’t want your socks from your giant monster feet. • It’s still doable on a calculator. But don’t. Oh, hi. I tried to call you, • but now I will not. • | fall 2016 We should start a business. I literally have, like, lots of ideas. • You should go to 4 Contents room 110 right now. It’s full of accountants stressed out of their minds. • At the same time, I was kind of like: “Oh yeah, I’m falling in love with you.” • There are more options right now than ever before just by the nature 12 of the beast. • I already know how to do all of that right now. • Let’s write a research paper on dating in Provo. That’d be sick. • I don’t want to go to heaven; none of my friends will be there. • Want to hear a sad story? This morning I shaved my left leg two times instead of both legs once. • That’s why I keep a Diet Coke by my bed: to keep from being translated. • Italy is the least worst. • When are you getting engaged? I don’t know. Hopefully in five days. • What human being doesn’t love all-natural peanut butter? • I get my eyebrows done when I need to motivate myself. • 26 Does it surprise you how many people are here on Friday? Poor unfortunate souls. • After this week I think I’m going to get an ulcer. • Now we have to pretend to be candid. How do we be candid? • Do you have an annoying voice? No, I just talk, and people make fun of me later. • I’m trying to find the appropriate time to sic my family on him. • I’m such a fool. Why? I ordered a 18 salad at Wendy’s. • I don’t need to be needed nor do I want to be needed. • overheard You aren’t even listening to me, are you? I was listening until I started reading this in the tanner Features thing about cheese. • I just got lost inside a JCPenney. • I get really super tan in the summer. I look good. • Can I spend all your money? • One time this black dog Marriott Alumni Magazine’s Advanced Parenting: was chasing me, and I was really scared, 4 18 Plus . . . but he turned out to be completely blind. • 2016 Presidential Election Guide case studies for parents of I have to write two four-page papers, and we had two auditions. I had all of these things. I didn’t finish half A lot is being said about American politics this young adults 17 inside the classroom year. As the country approaches an increasingly When their children finish up college, parents Building Stories, of it. • I do my laundry at her mom’s house. Her mom even offered to divisive election, Marriott School grads and take on a new role: consultants. In the final Branding Leaders researchers are joining the conversation. Prep installment of our Advanced Parenting series, let my roommates do their laundry at her house. • Dating is about quality, 26 Around the Cooler before the polls open with our alumni-tailored you’ll use a throwback from b-school—the case Negotiate Like a Pro not quantity. • We should have a bonfire. • I can’t tell if she’s a nice person guide to the American political process. study—to help your grown-up kids face the or not. • Just tell her: “It’s not you, it’s me.” • How do you get out of this dilemmas of young adulthood. 35 school news the humble narcissist 42 alumni news building? • I always hold my breath in that elevator because it stinks. • 12 Humility isn’t traditionally associated with 28 success on silicon slopes That’s why they took away my phone. • She’s hatching an egg! • She’s power, but it’s a trait that can benefit any Move over, Silicon Valley: Utah’s Wasatch leader. Marriott School faculty research is shed- Front is joining the gold-rushed corridors of excited to change her name to something shorter. I was, like: “Hey, if you have the ding new light on how this overlooked virtue California as an ecosystem of technology entre- opportunity, why don’t you make it something cool, like Spider.” can tame leadership’s infamous vice: narcissism. preneurship. Meet the Marriott School alumni— and their companies, from DevMountain to

Qualtrics—who are shaping the high-tech mecca of Silicon Slopes. Cover photos by Bradley Slade

fall 2016 3 MARRIOTT ALUMNI MAGAZINE’S 2016

fter a divisive campaign that brought us the #AnyoneButTrump movement and Hillary A Clinton’s literal Woman Card, you might know where you stand when it comes to the presidential candidates—or maybe you’re not so sure, even as the polls ready to open this November. But that’s not what this guide’s about. Here we present an alumni-tailored look at the American political process: what’s working and how we, as Marriott School grads, can fix the things that aren’t. Read words from elected alumni leaders, find out what issues matter most to voters like you, and learn how BYU research is shedding new light on America’s polarized rhetoric.

4 MARRIOTT If Not Us, Who? Meeting in the Middle by Tagg Romney FOUNDING FATHER George Washington was the epublicans are red. Demo- says. “And these were values that research had previously dem- n this time of political upheaval, I am sorely only American president to be crats are blue. onstrated were important for making public sector decisions.” tempted to throw my hands in the air in dis- elected unanimously. BYU public management Witesman’s study, coauthored with retired Marriott School gust and walk away from the political process. professor Eva Witesman professor Larry Walters, was published in the International We are encouraged to vote our conscience, but advocates a more prismatic Journal of Public Administration last year. The findings reveal my conscience is ill at ease with the current Rapproach. that Americans tend to agree more than this election’s polar- Irhetoric of both major political parties. And yet, During the 2012 presidential race, ized rhetoric might suggest. These neutral values—think our nation’s founders paid such a dear price for Witesman set out to identify which accountability, efficiency, and transparency—were universally our liberty and system of self-governance that my values predicted voters’ politi- important to voters regardless of political preference. conscience also won’t allow me to sit idly by. cal preferences. Surveying people So what’s a values-driven voter to do when parties paint I’ve spoken with many who feel so let down by from around the country, she asked with broad strokes? today’s political landscape that they are choosing respondents to identify which issues First, become an empowered citizen. “We have to be active to ignore politics altogether. There is so much water LEANING LEFT were most important when choosing beyond just voting,” Witesman says. “If we want to see all of running over the riverbanks at this point, they argue, Six of the last twelve presidents a commander-in-chief. Unsurpris- our values come to fruition, we need to work to enact them, that adding one small bag of sand to the breached strand have been left-handed despite ingly, liberals identified things such whether that is through the nonprofit sector, community orga- won’t make enough of a difference to be worth the effort. Plus, lefties making up only 10 percent as social justice and the protection nizations, or local government. It’s unfair to place that burden their lives are so busy with so many other good activities—work, church, family, recreation— of the world’s population. of minorities. Conservatives favored solely on our elected officials.” that it is easier to leave the bother of governance to those few still willing to enter the arena. I national security and altruism. But Second, keep all of your values in mind when you step into Want to read more? admit that I’ve felt the same way at times. that’s about where the blue-vs-red the ballot box. “Political candidates can’t and don’t fully repre- Witesman’s study was inspired by It is tempting to feel secure in the belief that our government is stable, matchup ended. sent the range of things that individuals find important—that’s Culture War? The Myth of a Polar- that the checks and balances put in place long ago by George Washington, “What was interesting was there not how you win an election,” Witesman explains. “While we ized America, authored by Morris James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton are strong enough to protect were a ton of values that neither might align with one candidate on a specific value, we should Fiorina, a Stanford political scientist, against the decline and collapse that have befallen other experiments in party was capturing,” Witesman think about and vote our full range of values.” with BYU professor Jeremy Pope. democracy. However, these checks and balances are only as stable as the leaders we elect to uphold them. Upon leaving the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Benjamin Franklin BLUE VALUES NEUTRAL VALUES RED VALUES was asked what system of government had been established, and he famously BELLWETHER quipped: “A republic, if you can keep it.” He was not alone in worrying about Vigo County, Indiana, has the permanency of our constitutional republic; Hamilton, Madison, and others fretted that past voted for the winning Accountability democracies had all eventually crumbled from within. John Adams predicted in a manner that now candidate in every presidential Protection of minorities Efficiency Service election since 1956. seems clairvoyant: “Democracy will soon degenerate into an anarchy, such an anarchy that every Government effectiveness Learning Rule of law man will do what is right in his own eyes and no man’s life or property or reputation or liberty will be secure, and . . . will soon mould itself into a system of subordination . . . to the wanton Advocacy Following rules Customs pleasures, the capricious will, and the execrable cruelty of one or a very few.” Regime loyalty Transparency National security I fear we may now stand upon such a precipice as Adams and his compatriots foresaw. As tempt- Responsiveness ing as it may be, now is not the time for us to shirk our civic duties. Now is the time to make our voices heard in whatever capacity we can. We must educate ourselves on the issues of the day; select good men and women of high moral character to represent us at every level of local, state, Equal treatment Confidentiality Influence Compliance and federal government; and vote for the candidates we believe will best uphold our values. I Social justice Administrative structure Leadership encourage all of us to find a way to become further involved: volunteer for a campaign, run for TRICKY TREAT Self-Motivation Citizen involvement office, or write to your representatives. Ever since Ronald Reagan’s In 1963 my grandfather and former presidential candidate George Romney popularized an rubber likeness outsold Fairness Listening to public opinion Impartiality Altruism ancient mantra that is as true today as it was then: “If not us, who? If not now, when?” Jimmy Carter’s, the sale of Public interest Having an impact Openness Regime dignity I echo his statement. For truly, if not us, who? Halloween masks has been tied Sustainability Continuous improvement Innovation Citizen autonomy to electoral outcomes.

TAGG ROMNEY, the son and grandson of two presidential candidates, graduated from BYU with a degree in economics in 1994 and earned an MBA from Harvard Let each person do his or her part. If one citizen is unwilling to participate, Business School in 1998. A management consultant and all of us are going to suffer. For the American idea, though it is shared by all venture capitalist, Romney is a member of the Marriott School’s National Advisory Committee. of us, is realized in each one of us. —BARBARA JORDAN, TEXAS CONGRESSWOMAN, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, 1976

fall 2016 7 The Case Against Violent Rhetoric What Makes a Pushing Hot Buttons or BYU professors David Wood Talk us through how you tested your hypothesis. Great Political t is a truth universally acknowledged that and Josh Gubler, the evidence politics and the workplace don’t mix. Unfor- is clear: violence is infecting our Leader? tunately, your coworker, boss, or client may We conducted We changed just one or two words and public discourse. have missed the memo. We consulted the experiments pre- everything else in the study was identical. It was Utah’s “Holy War”— JG: DW: experts to clear up rules of engagement senting individuals with Since we randomly assigned people to both groups, Fone of college football’s most notori- Iwhen someone forces a charged conversation. policies. Some people saw we can say that if there are any differences, it is “Being true to the promises ous rivalries—that sparked the pair’s “If you don’t usually engage in political a policy statement that had because of those little changes in the words. We that you make and following first research question: does framing discourse with colleagues, then now—in a violent word in it such as, found that the people who were more aggressive through on your commit- issues in violent terms lead to uneth- the run-up to what could be the most divi- “We need to fight for this.” were more likely to go to the extreme end of their ments is more important ical decisions? sive presidential election in years—is a terri- Others saw, “We need to political party’s preference while those who exhib- than just about anything. After tackling CEOs’ use of hostile ble time to start,” says Ben Hawkes, a business work for this.” ited less aggression moved to the middle. Your word is your bond.” rhetoric last year, Wood and Gubler psychologist and founder of UK-based consulting are now zeroing in on politicians in a —MATT SALMON, EMPA, 1986 and research firm Mindsight. “Sure, you could end US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES paper that’s currently under review How did you measure aggression? What did the results look like? up in a fascinating and respectful discussion, but there’s at a leading political science journal. ARIZONA’S 5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT a real risk of negatively impacting long-term professional relationships.” Through a series of experiments, the Hawkes recommends developing an exit strategy that you can deploy whenever the elec- duo found that violent metaphors— We used a measure called trait aggression. Survey participants responded to a tion comes up—something that’s bound to happen before 8 November. “It might be as easy laced with words such as fight, battle, battery of questions, rating themselves on a five-point scale. This told us how as saying, ‘I like to keep my politics to myself,’ or excusing yourself to send an email,” he says. JG: “Great leaders see the best in and attack—are contributing to naturally aggressive respondents were in their everyday interactions. Like most social If you can’t escape a discussion, focus on nonpartisan issues: how negative campaigns get or others and inspire them to political polarization on an individ- characteristics, there was a bell curve. We found that it was distributed across political the length of the electoral process. By finding common ground, you can avoid potential political reach their potential while ual level. Here, the professors discuss parties fairly equally, although there tends to be slightly higher trait aggression on the land mines. And if someone says something you find offensive, remember to keep it civil. fulfilling the vision of the their findings and the implications right than on the left. “In January we’ll have a new president,” Hawkes cautions, “but after the inauguration has organization.” for voters. come and gone, you’ll still have the same colleagues.” —KELLEEN POTTER, EMPA, 2017 BYU’s Eva Witesman argues that most Americans are in the HEBER CITY COUNCIL middle of the political spectrum (see page 7). Do your findings fit into that framework? DO I HAVE A RIGHT TO SHARE MY POLITICAL VIEWS AT THE OFFICE? “Generally, yes,” says Fred Manning, a partner at national labor and employment law “A good leader is one who is firm Fisher and Phillips. “Many states have laws that prohibit employers from taking There is a middle ground, in And once this group withdraws willing to adopt the motto an adverse employment action because of an employee’s support or opposition to a terms of policy and values, from the conversation, candi- JG: DW: ‘service above self.’ Working political cause, party, or viewpoint.” However, employers can regulate the workplace if “I love deliberative where a lot of people agree. What dates don’t see them, so they think, for the good of the commu- the political discourse violates discrimination or harassment policies, and are allowed democracy and the chance violent rhetoric does is fire up people “I need to use more violent rhetoric nity and improving people’s to set reasonable restrictions. For example, discussions can’t interfere with getting for sharing ideas.” who are naturally aggressive and on to get people involved.” It’s critical lives are paramount.” work done or distract another employee. What an employer can’t do: “Be selective —JOSH GUBLER the poles. But it turns off that middle for candidates to see that, yes, violent based upon the content of an employee’s speech,” Manning says. group who are repulsed by the lan- rhetoric makes some people excited, —DEBBY LAURET, EMPA, 1996 OREM CITY COUNCIL guage; it actually drives them away but it is also turning off a significant from the candidate. group of people.

Folk wisdom says taller candidates score more votes, but in three of the last four presidential elections the What can voters who are concerned about negative political rhetoric do? Tall Order: shorter guy took the White House.

“When you have an GEORGE W. BUSH 5'11.5" GEORGE W. BUSH 5'11.5" BARACK OBAMA 6'1" BARACK OBAMA 6'1" election, you have a new Stop using violent rhetoric and encourage a mutual discussion, realizing that 2000: AL GORE 6'1" 2004: JOHN KERRY 6'4" 2008: JOHN MCCAIN 5'9" 2012: MITT ROMNEY 6'1.5" beginning and the chance DW: we have to compromise. It’s not the Republicans’ way or the Democrats’ way; to ask, ‘How could it’s the American way. It’s our challenge to figure out how to accommodate the vast we improve society?’” diversity of opinions in the best way possible. —DAVID WOOD

Want to learn more? Wood and Gubler’s first study, published in the Journal of Business Ethics, showed that business execs derail success when they use fighting words at the office. Visitnews.byu.edu for details.

8 MARRIOTT Disagreement is critical to the well-being of our nation. But we must carry That’s a Good Question

on our arguments with the realization that those with whom we disagree are owhere is sacred when it comes to politics—including the play- not our enemies; rather, they are our colleagues in a great enterprise. ground. This year even tots are curious about the election, says Rachel Ruiz, a former Obama for America video producer. Her —THOMAS GRIFFITH, US COURT OF APPEALS JUDGE FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, BYU FORUM, 2012 three-year-old daughter’s questions—“What does the president eat for lunch?” and “Does he like the color red?”—inspired Ruiz to Npen When Penny Met POTUS, a children’s book that introduces kids to the NEWSFEED Oval Office. Utilize her know-how when facing little inquiries. Voters Like You: Alumni’s reported election-season social media habits: WHAT IS VOTING? Explain that citizens have a responsibility to share their Marriott Alumni 17.8% I avoid social media at all costs. opinions. “Voting is a way for a group of people to make a decision,” Ruiz says. To illustrate the point, she recommends giving kids three options for I’m Switzerland; based on my feed, people wouldn’t even Magazine Reader Poll 33.7% a weekend activity and then casting votes as a family to choose what to do. know an election was happening. n the previous issue of Marriott Alumni Magazine, we asked readers I’ll post a selfie to show off my “I Voted” sticker but won’t to weigh in on politics and this year’s White House race. Take a look 7.9% The key is to be honest. “If your child asks publicly endorse a candidate. WHO ARE YOU VOTING FOR? at the (nonscientific) results. who you think should be president and why you support that candidate, 27.7% I share information about my favorite candidate, but tell them,” Ruiz advises, with the caveat that you should stay positive TOTAL RESPONDENTS: 106 I’m not looking for a discussion. when talking about the opposing party. This will demonstrate that “a I healthy respect for other viewpoints can be constructive.” 7.9% I recruit friends to vote for my candidate by starting political conversations. The more people weighing in, the better. Future voters can encourage adults to register I take every opportunity to share my political views. Get- WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP? WHAT MATTERS MOST 5% to vote, pass out fliers and yard signs, and accompany parents to the polls. Candidates’ positions on the following issues are very or extremely impor- ting into an online debate with a stranger is a badge of honor. Most importantly, invite your kids to discuss with you what they think tant to earning a vote from responding alumni: would make the country better. “It’s a good exercise in teaching them why it is important to vote when they come of age,” Ruiz adds. ECONOMY 93.9% UP TO THE MINUTE Time of day readers plan TERRORISM AND NATIONAL SECURITY 84.7% to head to the polls:

Innovation in the Public Sector SIZE AND EFFICIENCY OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT 78.6% Morning 60% By Jeff Thompson,MPA director Midday 12.6% FEDERAL BUDGET DEFICIT 76.5% couple of months ago, a friend asked me what makes a person a good public servant. Though this is something I think about regularly Afternoon 8.4% as director of the MPA program at BYU, I still found it difficult to answer him. Some of the classic traits of good leadership—integrity, FOREIGN AFFAIRS 71.4% hard work, respect for others, vision, passion, and a desire to serve—first came to mind. I think all of those are essential traits for public Evening 19% leaders. But the answer I blurted out surprised me: an entrepreneurial spirit. EMPLOYMENT AND JOBS 67.4% Public servants aren’t entrepreneurs in the traditional sense—they don’t develop and market new products. But our most successful AMPA students and alumni share this common entrepreneurial trait: they proactively seek to build and innovate to improve their communities IMMIGRATION 60.2% and organizations. They aren’t stereotypical bureaucrat bots—the people who mindlessly follow policies and churn out red tape. Instead, they STEPPING UP GOLD STANDARD are problem-solvers who like to create initiatives in collaboration with others. TAXES Alumni voted Ronald Reagan I have come to believe there is far more room for entrepreneurial spirit in the public sector than people usually suppose. Yes, we operate 60.2% as their all-time favorite president, within legal and governmental frameworks that create certain boundaries. But the great improvements we see in our communities don’t come HEALTHCARE REFORM 25% followed by George Washington from constraints; they come from people who take the initiative to develop something new. 53.1% have volunteered and Abraham Lincoln I have been thrilled as I have watched our MPA students engage with local communities and nonprofit for a campaign organizations to help them solve problems and improve services. For example, one team of students EDUCATION 46.9% recently helped the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands develop a system for evaluating its fire mitigation program. Other student teams have developed new initiatives for American GUN POLICY 39.8% Red Cross International, Hope for Tomorrow (a suicide prevention nonprofit), and TheHEAL 40% 95% Foundation (which promotes development in rural India). DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH 31.6% would consider plan to vote I love being part of a program where we couple students’ desire to serve with their creativity running for public on Election and initiative. Add to that the traditional traits of integrity, diligence, and respect, and you have REGULATION OF WALL STREET 31.6% office one day Day a truly remarkable public leader.

10 MARRIOTT How a neglected virtue can redeem leadership’s The Humble most notorious vice

By Todd Hollingshead Illustrations by Dawid Ryski

atching your awkward teenage self in home videos at a family reunion usually W doesn’t inspire much more than an eye roll. But for Brad Owens, a Marriott School professor of business ethics in the Romney Institute of Public Management, it proved a career-defining moment. “In front of my extended family, I watched my thirteen-year-old self brag about my grades,” Owens recalls. “It was narcissistic, and even though I was just a teen in the video, I remember thinking, ‘This kid is disgusting.’ It made me want to be different.” The experience years ago sparked an interest that took solid root in Owens’s dis- sertation and has since become the focus of his increasingly well-known research: the positive effects of humility in leadership.

fall 2016 13 Now, a series of high-profile studies from humility. In the early years of JetBlue, Nee- The effect of collective humility is a team simulation, students rated their team on a Owens and his collaborators have fueled a leman always sat in the last row while flying, culture focused on growth, which ultimately number of variables, from team cohesion to movement to embrace humility—a trait they in a seat that did not recline, apparently to enhances team performance. In the Academy team effectiveness. say comprises a willingness to learn, an unex- Humility doesn’t have to replace demonstrate that pleasing the customer was of Management Journal study, Owens and his While every team started at the same aggerated self-view, and a tendency to shine the traditional leadership characteristics. more important than pleasing the chief exec- team uncovered data to prove this by putting stock price ($50), teams who measured the spotlight on others. utive. During the holidays he could be found their interview findings to work. They set up high on collective humility achieved a “Humility has been called the most It’s meant to supplement all of them, alongside his employees, carrying luggage a ten-week exercise that put 192 undergradu- higher ending stock price, with the top team neglected of all virtues,” Owens says. “It’s to ground them, to keep them in on carts for passengers or walking through ates into teams and required them to make achieving $172.25 per share (whereas the only recently that psychologists and philos- airplane cabins between flights to replenish strategic decisions in a car industry simula- poorest-performing team had a measly end- ophers have sought to clarify and reinstate in-flight magazines and pick up trash. tion created to reflect real auto manufacturing stock price of $1.79). Researchers found this classical source of strength as a positive “Most people wish their top boss under- ing market trends. what they expected: collective humility characteristic.” stood them and their job and their chal- The teams competed for market share positively predicted a team culture focused As Owens made humility the focus of lenges much more than they do,” Owens and stock value, and each week the stock on growth, which positively influenced team —Brad Owens his research, he discovered that this often- says. “When leaders show the humility to values were posted based on the effec- performance. undervalued virtue is essential to leader- work alongside employees, to learn from tiveness of decisions made by the student “When teams have a high level of collective ship—and can redeem even the toxicity of narcissist that led Apple to be the most valu- extraordinary person,” vs. “I am much like them, and shine the spotlight on them, it teams the previous week. Six weeks into the humility, they self-correct and self-monitor narcissism. able company in the world.” everybody else”). helps develop a culture of ‘collective humil- Recently, greater interest has been paid to The study results showed that leaders who ity’ that is a very strong predictor of high TEMPERING NARCISSISM the place of humility in leadership—and how had both high humility and high narcissism performance.” If humility is the most neglected of vir- the trait interacts with narcissism. Accord- were perceived as more effective leaders with This is where Owens’s most recent tues, then perhaps narcissism is the most ing to Owens, the legitimizing moment for more engaged followers. research comes in. In the groundwork to a embraced of vices—especially when it comes humility research came in Jim Collins’s work “Narcissism is something people tend to study published this summer in the Academy to leadership. It’s often assumed that power- in the 2001 best-seller Good to Great. Collins condemn; the first thing that comes to mind of Management Journal, he and his team car- ful leaders are narcissists—excessively self- started with 1,435 “good” companies and is that it is a bad thing,” says David Waldman, ried out interviews with sixty-five leaders and centered, self-absorbed, and great admirers examined their performance over forty years. a professor of management at ASU and one team members from forty-eight organiza- of themselves, like Narcissus, the hunter of In the end, he found that eleven of these of Owens’s coauthors. “What we argued is tions to examine how specific leader behav- Greek mythology who fell in love with his companies became “great.” His research that it’s not that simple. You shouldn’t treat iors influence team performance. reflection in a pool. documented how the eleven companies that narcissism as a four-letter word.” They found when leaders behave humbly, “Narcissists are easily promoted; they’re greatly outperformed their competitors had Narcissism can serve a leader well, they followers emulate their humble behaviors, charming, they put themselves in the spot- seven key characteristics. The most essential found—as long as it is tempered with humility. creating a shared interpersonal team process light, and they seem confident,” Owens says. of those, Collins says, is being led by a CEO “Just by practicing and displaying ele- the authors call “collective humility.” “But research shows that narcissists, over who has a paradoxical blend of intense pro- ments of humility, one can disarm, counter- “Leader humility is socially contagious,” time, are found out, and they lose their fol- fessional will and extreme personal humility. balance, or buffer the more toxic aspects of Owens says. “Humble leaders inspire following. People realize the charming nature is Owens’s research zeroes in on this idea narcissism,” Owens says. “The outcome is lowers to behave that way toward each other, actually just self-aggrandizement.” that humility actually can coexist with a that narcissism can possibly be a net posi- even when the leader is not around.” That seemed to be the case with tech healthy dose of narcissism. “Humility doesn’t tive, when tempered.” Excerpts from some of the study inter- legend and Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Jobs, as have to replace the traditional leadership That “net positive” is that employees can views illustrate the point: clinical psychologist Gregg Henriques writes, characteristics,” Owens says. “It’s meant to be more engaged, perform better, and per- “was preoccupied with his brilliance.” Walter supplement all of them, to ground them, to ceive their boss to be more effective. • “When you get praised by your boss for Isaacson’s biography of Jobs lists endless sto- keep them in balance.” “Leaders need to be able to laugh at them- doing something well, it feels really good. ries of his narcissism (for example, insulting In a study published in the Journal of selves, recognize that other people deserve Kind of makes you look favorably on what or firing someone in front of a large group to Applied Psychology last year, Owens and col- credit as well, and recognize other people your coworkers are doing.” make a point) as he ruled the most successful leagues from Arizona State University and the deserve the limelight as well and can do —Michael, 29, manufacturing tech company on earth. State University of New York at Buffalo sur- things that you can’t do,” Waldman says. • “Humble leaders don’t patronize you for But what many don’t see, Owens says, is veyed 876 employees at a Fortune 100 health “Narcissists shouldn’t be inauthentic, but lacking a certain skill set. And so you tend that Jobs was the perfect example of a hum- insurance company. The employees rated 138 they should try to incorporate into them- to pay that forward and not treat cowork- ble narcissist. His public failure the first time leaders in the organization on their humility selves a little more care into how they come ers harshly when they can’t do something.” around at Apple (he was ousted in 1986 and and effectiveness and then answered ques- across.” Ideally, Owens adds, “narcissism is —Sachin, 38, education came back in 1997) gave him a measure of tions about their own engagement. something we hopefully outgrow with more humility to pair with his narcissism. “His The researchers then measured the nar- perspective, wisdom, and experience.” • “When the leader admits they don’t know increased willingness to share credit, lis- cissism of the company’s leaders by asking how to do something, it kind of frees you ten to ideas, and acknowledge past failings the leaders questions, including asking them A CULTURE OF HUMILITY up as a follower to admit you don’t know helped temper the toxic effects of his narcis- to choose between statements that best Former JetBlue CEO David Neeleman is how to do something.” sism,” Owens says. “And it was this humbled described themselves (for example, “I am an one who took great care in demonstrating —Deb, 44, finance

14 MARRIOTT fall 2016 15 excited: armed with a grant from the John use throughout their job searches Templeton Foundation to continue research and career. on developing humility in leaders, he and “When students are able to artic- colleagues are now working on a paper using ulate their past—including their MRI data to see how brain waves and neural convictions and where they came patterns influence a leader’s behavior. from—in relation to the present, and then relate both of those to where UNSINKABLE they want to go,” LeBaron says, As Owens builds his name in the field of “they can effectively show recruit- humility research, he is careful to remember ers how they plan to move forward the importance of humility for himself—with and build on what they’ve previously something more substantive than awkward accomplished.” family videos. In his tidy office on the sev- The training is paying off: last enth floor of the Tanner Building, Owens year’s post-graduation placement keeps a picture of the ill-fated Titanic on his rate was 91 percent, and many stu- desk. The ship’s tragic history interests him dents will tell you it was the story- deeply from an academic standpoint and, in telling and interview skills learned many ways, symbolizes the real-world impor- in the leadership course that helped tance of his research. them land that first job. Owens notes that building the Titanic “One of the most powerful tools required strong leadership at its best. The you can have is your own story,” says modern marvel took not only top-notch Building Stories, Parley Vernon, a second-year MBA engineering and skill but also planning, deci- student from Alpine, Utah. “Creating siveness, vision, and project management at and telling a story that resonates is the highest level. It’s said that at the ship’s Branding Leaders essential for making a successful tran- launch, crew aboard the Titanic boasted, sition. In interviews I was able to tell “Not even God himself could sink this ship.” gandhi has a story. Winston In the second half of the semester, my own story instead of just listing off Tempting fate, the proclamation rang with Churchill has a story. Martin Luther students learn how their individual MBA professor résumé points, which helped me land unchecked narcissism. King Jr. has a story. leadership styles fit into an organi- Curtis LeBaron my internship with Visa.” and maximize their own human capital— is currently collaborating with colleagues in But, as the story goes, the crew of the Great leadership is interwoven with zation. They study how leaders can takes a story- Along with boosting professional acknowledging others’ strengths, admitting China, Portugal, Singapore, India, Mexico, Titanic received multiple warnings about great stories, and often this leader- change organizations and influence based approach development, the course also fur- to leadership limitations,” Owens says. “They focus on and Taiwan. icebergs from several ships the fateful night ship comes when leaders perceive the behavior. They also discuss mana- thers the Marriott School’s mission education. growth and development more than just In his young academic career (he started it sank. Those warnings went unheeded. power of their own stories. gerial challenges and how people to develop “men and women of faith, avoiding errors.” teaching in 2011 at SUNY Buffalo before jump- “And that’s the story of leadership in The Marriott School’s MBA pro- respond to motivators such as com- character, and professional ability ing to BYU in 2013), Owens has now worked many instances,” Owens says. “People are gram recognizes this link between pensation and company culture. who will become outstanding leaders.” GAINING TRACTION with at least fifty coauthors on papers and promoted and get into leadership positions leadership and story, drawing on it “There are a number of ways in which leaders can “Our deliberate approach to lead- Now Owens is anxious to see how this col- presentations that have been cited north of because they are impressive, accomplished, to mold great leaders. As a means of influence others to perform well and do better,” LeBaron ership development, and a particular lective humility influences teams beyond five hundred times. Forbes, the Washington Post, and show many of the traditional leader- helping MBA students develop their says. “We talk about all of them, but we discuss specifi- focus on building on one’s strengths, the business world, such as, say, a Navy SEAL Inc. magazine, Harvard Business Review, Men’s ship characteristics, but it’s often a lack of stories and messages, all cohorts kick cally the ways in which leaders influence others through benefits not only our students,” says squad, a basketball team, a heart surgery unit, Health, the Atlantic, and the Huffington Post are humility that causes these same leaders to off the program with a first-semester storytelling.” outgoing MBA director John Bing- or a Marine infantry platoon. just a few of the major media outlets that have be derailed, to lose their following, and to course on leadership. In the final assignment, students perfect their storytell- ham, “but also benefits the companies In fact, the role of humility in the mili- covered their research. perpetuate disaster. It took all of the tradi- “The most important thing stu- ing skills by creating a leadership profile. The profile has where they work, the communities tary is already the focus of new research for And there is even more to come: Owens has tional leadership characteristics to create the dents learn in the class is how to three components: where the students have been, where where they live, the families they rear, Owens and fellow Romney Institute profes- nine manuscripts on humility recently com- Titanic, but humility would have saved it.” articulate their stories,” says Curtis they are now, and where they are going—in essence, the and the church callings they serve in.” sor Chris Silvia. Initial findings show that for pleted with another four research studies in LeBaron, a Marriott School professor past, present, and future. It’s a narrative the students will —M’Leah Ricker Manuele noncombat leaders, previous research holds progress. Just reading some of the forthcom- ABOUT THE AUTHOR who teaches the course. true: the higher the humility, the better the ing titles shows where he and his collabora- Todd Hollingshead is a media relations manager New MBA students spend the first outcomes. However, humility appears to be tors are headed: “When Proactive Employees in BYU’s University Communications office. A half of the semester identifying their “In interviews I was able to tell my own story less effective for combat leaders. Meet Humble Leaders”; “Passion and Humil- former journalist, Hollingshead holds a bache- story and building their own leader- There’s a still lot more research to be ity in Entrepreneurial Leadership”; “Modeling lor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree ship brand—drawing on their inter- instead of just listing off résumé points, which done in this area. “We have only begun to Moral Growth: The Impact of Leader Moral in mass communications from BYU. He lives in ests, passions, skills, and abilities. compare the effects of leader humility across Humility on Follower Ethicality”; and “Humil- Orem with his wife, Natalie, their three children, This helps match students with their helped me land my internship.” cultures,” Owens says. To expand research in ity, Goal Orientation, and Overconfidence.” and (quite recently) a dog and a cat. The jury’s leadership styles. —parley vernon leadership humility across the world, Owens One line of research has him particularly still out on how long the cat stays.

16 MARRIOTT fall 2016 17

THE RESPONSE Stay on your side. Sometimes The consultant role gets parents feel that guilt trips are CASE STUDY 2: especially hard when you feel that their only tool for persuasion. But your child is taking a wrong turn for a healthy relationship, Hanks CASE STUDY 1: or destined for disappointment. says, you need to “stay on your ENFORCING How do you balance your desire side of the court.” You’re not MAKING ROOM for MISTAKES to prevent harm with the need to allowed to jump to the other side HOUSE RULES grant your child space to pursue and hit for the other person; you his dreams—and learn from must volley the ball from your mistakes? own side, with phrases like “This THE DILEMMA is how I feel” or “This is how THE DILEMMA Your twenty-three-year-old son, Curtis, attended community college for a few years and received his Ask first. In this situation, your it looks from my perspective.” You have a new—er, old—resident in your associate’s degree but couldn’t decide on a major or career that interested him. Your family values first instinct is to call it like you Rather than resorting to passive- house: your twenty-five-year-old son, education, and you hoped he would transfer to a state college, but he decided to take a break from see it. But with young adults, it’s aggressive comments, Hanks says, Seth. He moved back home when he school. He spent a few months traveling, then got a job at a local grocery store where a friend of his important to first ask if they’re own any concerns and express was no longer able to live off the part- worked. He’s worked there contentedly for the past year or so. open to advice. “Unsolicited them as your concerns. The time job he held in his college town. This summer, his friend invited him to help make a web video series. Curtis gushed to you about advice can come off as critical unhealthy response to Curtis He isn’t sure what kind of career he how much he enjoyed working on it—plus he’s thrilled that the series gained a significant amount rather than supportive,” says might be “Oh, is that really what wants to pursue and is taking time to of views and subscribers. Curtis and his friend just started a crowdfunding campaign to create a Julie de Azevedo Hanks, PhD, a you want to do with your life?” or explore his interests. second series. Now he’d like to quit his job to devote more time to producing videos and seeking out licensed clinical social worker “You really shouldn’t do something Seth isn’t a troublemaker, but his sponsors, and he hopes to translate his online success into a sweet Hollywood screenwriting deal. and psychotherapist, owner like this until you finish school.” nocturnal schedule is driving you You don’t want to crush Curtis’s dreams, but you’re concerned that his expectations are unrealistic. of Wasatch Family Therapy A better response is to use “I” crazy. Sometimes he stays out late with in Salt Lake City, and author statements: “I’m really glad friends and doesn’t come home until one of The Burnout Cure and you’ve found something you love in the morning, or he has a friend over to The Assertiveness Guide for doing, but there’s a part of me play video games even further into the wee Women. “When it’s unwelcome, that’s a little nervous because I hours. Then he sleeps in late and eats leftovers, your advice-sharing is going want you to be financially secure. conveniently missing any meal prep or cleanup. He to negatively impact the I think that getting a degree first mows the lawn and takes out the trash when asked, and you enjoy his company. But you’re relationship, and the relationship or staying on with your current beginning to resent plucking dirty laundry off the bathroom floor—and fear this arrangement is more important than being job for a while would be a wiser has no end in sight. right.” Hanks suggests this script: choice. I just wanted to let you “I’ve been thinking about you and know how I felt, and you can take your career plans. I wonder if it or leave it.” THE RESPONSE you’re open to feedback or ideas.” When adult children return home, the parenting relationship is murkier than when they were younger. Where does their independence end and your authority begin? You want to help out, Reality check. Hanks suggests Sometimes but you don’t want to be taken advantage of. saying, “I believe you’re capable, but you still need to eat and have parents feel Set the record straight. It is increasingly common for young adults in the United States to a place to live while you’re making remain or return home. According to the Pew Research Center, between 2010 and 2015 the your dreams come true. What number of young adults living with parents rose from 24 to 26 percent—despite an improving are your plans for that?” You may that guilt job market. In your case, Seth seems to view his living arrangement as an upgraded version of discover that Curtis is expecting his teen years, with all the comforts of home, minus the rules and responsibilities. But here’s you to serve as a backup checking trips are the real deal: living at home is a privilege, not an entitlement; it’s a stepping stone on the path account or lodging. If he hasn’t to independence. thought through practical matters, their only offer to help brainstorm strategies, Communicate expectations. Discuss specific expectations for Seth’s responsibilities (and ideally, such as keeping his current job get it on paper). Possible discussion points: part-time or waiting until he’s tool for • How long does he expect to stay? Set a move-out date or, at the very least, a date to saved up money to cover a few reevaluate. months’ expenses. You don’t need persuasion. • Do you expect him to pay rent? If so, how much? to tell him to shrink his dreams, • How much should he contribute to utilities, groceries, and other household expenses? but emphasize he is more likely to • What housework will he be responsible for (e.g., laundry, dinner prep, dishwashing)? succeed if he breaks it down into • Can he use the family car? If so, how often? Does he need to pay for gas? smaller, specific steps. • Do you expect him to spend a certain number of hours each day applying for jobs?

20 MARRIOTT fall 2016 21 • In cases where there are grandchildren, how will the Apologize. Reach out to household divide responsibilities for their care? Laura to apologize and • What house rules, especially in regard to curfew, guests, or avoid being defensive. You CASE STUDY 4: activities you don’t want in the home (like drinking), do could re-extend an invite you expect your adult child to follow? What or how many to Thanksgiving—sans kids’ SURVIVING OFFICE CONFLICTS infractions are grounds for eviction? table—but don’t expect or pressure her to come. Of Maintain boundaries. This is about more than knocking course, it may take time to before you enter a bedroom. You need emotional boundaries mend the fences. “Don’t give THE DILEMMA too—and time away from your kid could help pave the way up too soon,” Coleman urges. Your twenty-four-year-old son, Mitchell, has worked as a designer at an ad agency for a few years, to his independence. “It’s really important for parents to “You may need to reach and you love showing off his work to friends and strangers alike. Last month, he was promoted to have peer friends,” Hanks says. “It’s okay to do things with out for a long time before the position of art director. your adult child, but your child should not be your only or you see an improvement His new role is a dream come true for Mitchell—except for one thing. One of his team members, best friend. I’ve heard so many young-adult clients say, ‘I in the relationship.” In a slightly older staffer named Bill, was supposed to send Mitchell some project documents but can’t find my own apartment or get married or move for this the meantime, along with “forgot,” so Mitchell showed up to a major client meeting unprepared. After the meeting, Bill job opportunity because my mom or dad would be so lonely.’ nixing the marriage guilt apologized, and they chatted about some of their ideas. Later, at a team meeting, Bill championed That’s too much pressure on your child.” trips, look at other ways you one of the ideas Mitchell had mentioned—but presented it as his own. Mitchell was too stunned to can be more considerate say anything. Stand your ground. What if your young-adult resident is a or supportive. For example, You talk on the phone fairly frequently, and Mitchell explained that he likes his new job but troublemaker—or lawbreaker? “A common pitfall for parents don’t assume that her doesn’t think he can handle much more of this undermining coworker and has no idea how to is not allowing a young adult to face consequences for their schedule is more flexible or confront him. choices, in the name of love,” Hanks says. “But I define love less important than that of as doing what’s in their best your children with spouses interest, not what seems ‘nice’ weary of constant reminders from you and other family members and kids. Occasionally visit THE RESPONSE or reduces conflict. I’ve told about her marital status. her rather than always Make sure you listen When Mitchell was in parents, ‘Don’t bail your kid out Everything you’ve said about her singleness has felt well- expecting her to come to elementary school, you of jail or pay their overdue cell intentioned: You’ve told her that she’s a great catch. You’ve reassured your home or a married to his full story could report bullying to phone bill. They need to learn.’ her of the LDS belief that, at the very least, she’ll be able to find sibling’s home. his teacher—but now The most loving response is Mr. Right in the next life. You’ve offered dating advice, asked her before jumping in that he’s an adult, you sometimes the hardest.” about men she’s interested in, and encouraged her to continue Affirm her value. “All a single can’t call his boss to attending LDS singles events (though she would prefer to take a adult really wants is for her complain. It can make break, complaining that women always outnumber men two-to-one). parents and those around with advice. you feel helpless when You have told Laura that you’re proud of her career accomplishments her to accept her as a whole you’re reminded you and are grateful for her financial stability and success, but you also person—married or not,” says can’t protect your kids emphasize the importance of raising a family. You just want her Naomi Watkins, founder of from everything. CASE STUDY 3: to be happy. You’re hurt that Laura didn’t express her concerns to Aspiring Mormon Women, a you directly, but you don’t want this rift to further damage your nonprofit that supports the Listen and ask. It’s relationship with her. professional and educational great that Mitchell feels goals of LDS women. Express comfortable sharing his interest in your daughter’s struggles with you. You THE RESPONSE pursuits in all areas of life, may quickly assume you How do you mend the relationship when you realize your well- and be an uplifting emotional know how he’s feeling intentioned efforts to support your adult child have fallen short? support when she needs it. because you have been THE DILEMMA Kristen M. Oaks, author of A in similar situations, Your thirty-two-year-old daughter, Laura, earned an MBA Understand what went wrong. “Just because you made decisions Single Voice, was single until but make sure you (at the Marriott School, naturally) and works in finance with your child’s best interests in mind, doesn’t mean that they her fifties, when she married listen to his full story in the heart of a big city. She is a doting aunt to your three were experienced the way you intended,” writes Joshua Coleman, Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum before jumping in with grandkids. She ran in her second marathon this fall. She is PhD, psychologist and author of When Parents Hurt. In this of the Twelve Apostles. She advice. Then, Hanks also single. case, however well intended, what Laura needed was not more admonishes young adults, “Be suggests, ask, “Are you You were disappointed when she told you she wouldn’t reminders of her singleness. Frequently focusing on her marriage the best you can be. I also open to ideas? I’ve had be able to make it home for Thanksgiving this year prospects, her dating appeal, or the importance of marriage in LDS advise you, from experience, my share of difficult because of work, and it hurt when your other daughter doctrine sends the message that her worth is dependent on her to worry less about marriage coworkers, so maybe we passed along what Laura told her: she is tired of being marital status. At worst, emphasizing the potential for marriage in than about becoming a could talk about how to assigned to the “kids’ table” with younger cousins and the afterlife can imply that her current life lacks real value. disciple of Christ.” defuse the situation.”

22 MARRIOTT fall 2016 23 Teach about workplace dynamics. Since Mitchell is early in his career, this may be his first time dealing Caroline says she with a workplace conflict. needs to take a break CASE STUDY 5: You could point out that from attending church to office politics and team sort out her feelings and COPING WITH a tension are natural; it’s beliefs. You feel afraid for MILLENNIAL simply what happens when her spiritual welfare, and STEREOTYPES stakes are high and people FAITH CRISIS you would be heartbroken Allow her space. It may be tempting to try have different opinions if she chose to leave your to “fix” the situation by offering point- and personalities. But family’s faith. by-point rebuttals to Caroline’s concerns The phrase “kids these days” is almost never followed with something positive. when it gets personal, it’s or pointing out ways she could live more The older generation often sees more vices than virtues in the younger damaging. Mitchell could THE DILEMMA THE RESPONSE righteously. If she is clear that she doesn’t generation. But of course, reality is not quite that simple. Here are some approach Bill directly (a Your daughter, Caroline, recently graduated from college. She When your faith is such want to be a part of the Church, don’t send stereotypes and facts about the millennial generation. good resource is Crucial has always been actively involved in the LDS Church; however, an important part of conference talks and scriptures, cautions Stereotype: Millennials are doomed. Conversations by Kerry at your most recent family get-together, she revealed that she your life, it’s hard not to Hanks. “It’s like telling your family you’re Patterson, et al.). Mitchell hasn’t attended church for a few months. take a child’s faith crisis cutting out sugar from your diet, and then Reality: According to the Pew Research Center, millennials are the first in the could also bring the issue The feelings your daughter describes sound similar to a personally. You know your they hand you your favorite candy,” she modern era to have higher levels of student debt, poverty, and unemployment, to HR, but remind him that story relayed by Rosemary M. Wixom, former Primary general child has agency but wish says. “That damages the relationship.” and lower levels of wealth than their parents and grandparents had at the same age. Yet more than 80 percent of millennials say they are optimistic he should come prepared president, in a 2015 LDS general conference talk: “With the spirit she would choose the about their financial futures. with proposed solutions— of inquiry, this [woman] continued to ask questions. But as the path you believe is best. See the good. First, consider how this

treating it as a venting questions grew harder, so did the answers. And sometimes there experience could benefit Caroline. In Stereotype: Millennials just want to move back home. session signals immaturity. were no answers—or no answers that brought peace. Eventually, Don’t make it about you. his book Navigating Mormon Faith Crisis, Reality: Indeed, young adults remaining or returning home is increasingly If the situation becomes as she sought to find answers, more and more questions arose, It’s common for parents Thomas Wirthlin McConkie proposes, common in the United States. According to the Pew Research Center, between extreme, you could suggest and she began to question some of the very foundations of her to react, “How can you do “What if we understood faith crisis as part 2010 and 2015 the number of young adults living with parents rose from 24 that Mitchell visit faith.” The woman told Wixom, “I did not separate myself from this to me?” But it’s not of a natural cycle of spiritual growth, a to 26 percent—despite an improving job market. www.workplacebullying.org the Church because of bad behavior, spiritual apathy, looking for about you, says Hanks: breaking open to make room for new life for guidelines. an excuse not to live the commandments, or searching for an “It’s about your adult and new faith?” Second, consider how this Stereotype: Millennials expect constant praise. easy out. I felt I needed the answer to the question ‘What do I child figuring out what experience could deepen your relationship Reality: A comprehensive survey of 13,150 PwC employees from across Brainstorm strategies. To really believe?’” she wants for her life.” with Caroline. “Your relationship doesn’t the world showed that millennials do value praise—41 percent prefer to deal with brazen idea- need to depend on shared spiritual beliefs,” be rewarded or recognized for their work at least monthly, but so did 30 poaching, Mitchell could Know her heart. In Hanks says. “There are so many other ways percent of non-millennials. Millennials in the survey said they wanted a say in a meeting, “Bill, President Wixom’s story, to relate with people.” work environment that emphasizes teamwork, transparency, and a sense of thanks for recognizing my the woman struggling community. idea.” He could also send with her faith said, “My Love her. Whether Caroline returns to his manager an email saying, parents knew my heart church or not, it’s essential to show love and Stereotype: Millennials aren’t willing to pay their dues. “I’m so glad Bill picked up and allowed me space. preserve the relationship—which means Reality: Millennials place the highest value on flexibility—64 percent in on this idea I discussed They chose to love me you shouldn’t shun her or make her feel the PwC survey said they would like to occasionally work from home, and with him earlier. Let me while I was trying to less included. “There are no eternal families 66 percent wanted to shift their work hours. The PwC report explained, know how I can help.” figure it out for myself.” without relationships first,” Hanks says. “Millennials do not believe that productivity should be measured by the It’s likely that Bill feels Hanks notes that the As President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second number of hours worked at the office, but by the output of work performed. threatened by Mitchell, a biggest complaint from Counselor in the First Presidency of the LDS They view work as a ‘thing’ and not a ‘place.’” They’re not alone, though—18 percent of employees across generations would be willing to quickly advancing, younger young adults who leave Church, points out, “In this Church that give up pay or delay promotions in exchange for fewer work hours. colleague. A 2009 study in their family’s faith is that honors personal agency so strongly, that

the Journal of Experimental their family no longer was restored by a young man who asked Stereotype: Millennials are not as hardworking as older generations. Social Psychology offers considers their opinions questions and sought answers, we respect Reality: Research by Angela Duckworth, a psychology professor at one short-term strategy valid. Even if you disagree those who honestly search for truth.” the University of Pennsylvania, shows that a person’s level of grit—a for subordinates: express with her conclusions, combination of passion and perseverance—rises with age. Does that mean ABOUT THE AUTHOR gratitude. Sending the express confidence in cultural forces have made millennials inherently less gritty and virtuous? antagonizer a thank- your daughter’s integrity Holly Munson is a freelance writer, editor, and No, says Duckworth—it’s simply a reflection of the maturity principle. you note or offering a and continue to listen content strategist. She graduated from BYU with Longitudinal studies offer hopeful evidence that we do, after all, learn, grow, compliment decreases to her and treat her with a degree in journalism and lives in Philadelphia and become better people as we age. So the only thing “wrong” with aggressive behavior. respect. with her family. millennials, says Duckworth, is that “they just haven’t grown up—yet.”

24 MARRIOTT around the COOLER

by bremen leak

1. weighty words Watch your words. Avoid the conjunc- 1 3 4 7 tion but, a word that negates progress, and opt instead for and. Weave in collective pronouns like we and us. Also, be careful with the term negotiation—it can arouse defenses. Instead, say conversation or problem-solving. “Those are small things that set the stage but really make a profound difference in how people interact,” says Liljenquist, adjunct professor of organizational 2 5 6 leadership and strategy.

2. Due 3. long 4. hear, 5. menu, 6. trust 7. roll Negotiate Like a Pro diligence view hear please or bust with it “The best negotiators are Don’t just focus on what “The best negotiators As you seek a solution, “If people don’t trust you, Don’t be afraid to let the Negotiation skills might not bring you everything you want in not the most creden- you want from a nego- use their ears more extend options—ideally it doesn’t matter what negotiation be organic tialed. The best negotia- tiation—move forward than their mouths,” two that meet your you say or do during or to take time for small life, but you can increase your odds of success. To up your game, tors are those who do instead with the goal to Liljenquist says. “You needs. “Think about the the negotiation. They talk. “If the other party their homework,” says advance relationships. want to learn all you child who won’t eat her probably won’t open wants to jump right in, try a relationship-driven approach for an outcome that helps Ingerson, professor of “Always assume that can about the other dinner,” Liljenquist says. up and be honest with fine. If you’re the one management and the you’re going to negoti- side because that will “If you say, ‘You’ve got you,” says DeTienne, a taking the lead, get to everyone, says a 2015 study in Harvard’s Negotiation Journal. study’s lead author. ate with someone again provide the information to finish all of it,’ that’s professor of organiza- know the other person At work or beyond, navigate your next negotiation—and forge Understanding before- in the future and that you need to meet their an ultimatum. Instead, tional leadership and a bit,” Ingerson says. By hand what each party this is an opportunity needs and generate an say, ‘I know you’re strategy. Build trust by focusing on the other a reputation for fairness—with tips from the study’s authors: stands to gain or lose to build a long-term agreement that’s going feeling full, so you can understanding motives; party and their needs not only prepares you to relationship, not just to be sustainable in choose to finish either if someone argues for a as the conversation Katie A. Liljenquist and Kristen Bell DeTienne from the Marriott bring your A game but claim resources,” says the long run.” Start by the peas or the carrots.’ higher salary, for exam- unfolds, you inspire cre- shows respect for every- Liljenquist. developing your ques- Options signal flexibil- ple, try to discover why. ativity and collaboration School, and M-C Ingerson from San Jose State University. one else at the table. tioning skills. ity on your part.” on both sides.

26 MARRIOTT fall 2016 27 CESS O SUC N

MEET SEVEN MARRIOTT 2014—that’s more venture capital raised per SCHOOL ALUMNI INSIDE capita than in New York, behind only reign- accolades are piling up fast: This year the ing tech kings Massachusetts and California. UTAH’S TECH BOOM US Chamber of Commerce named Utah the There must be something in the Jell-O—or No. 1 state in innovation and No. 2 in high- maybe it’s Utah’s business-friendly govern- he Beehive State is abuzz. tech performance, and Entrepreneur included ment, cheap real estate, ready pool of STEM T The stretch along the Wasatch Front both Provo and Salt Lake City on its list of and business grads, and flurry of student from Ogden to Provo is growing into a hub the fifteen best entrepreneurial cities. Six startups. Successful entrepreneurs mentor of technology entrepreneurship, dotted with Utah-grown businesses appeared on the 2016 fledgling companies and invest back, and everything from scrappy startups to billion- Forbes list of the world’s best cloud compa- many founders credit local values such as dollar ventures. nies. Forbes and CNBC also placed Utah atop industry, work-life balance, and self-reliance. Silicon Slopes—the Utah foothills’ new their rankings of best states for business, In this tech boom, BYU has been a key moniker—has landed headlines in national and Livability.com named Provo the No. 3 player. Read on for a look at seven Marri- publications including the New York Times, city for entrepreneurs. Investment in Utah- ott School alumni among the builders and the Wall Street Journal, and Forbes. The grown companies reached $800 million in shapers of Silicon Slopes.

BY SARA SMITH ATWOOD PHOTOS BY BRADLEY SLADE

fall 2016 29 john pestana

ObservePoint hen Carine Clark graduated a worldwide tech company with nineteen offices carine clark Cofounder and ceo W with her MBA in 1993, her and about $200 million in revenue. father came to her with an apology: “MaritzCX helps companies do a better job at MaritzCX “I’m sorry the world’s not better for taking care of their customers,” says Clark, an ceo you and your sister,” he said. “You are ovarian-cancer survivor. She started her career going to have to be better to be equal.” with Novell and Symantec before becoming CEO Fortunately, being better isn’t much of Utah tech startup Allegiance, which merged of a problem for Clark. The CEO of with Maritz, a forty-year-old research firm, early market-research company MaritzCX, last year. “We’re known for innovation. I will Clark was named EY’s 2016 Entrepre- have 100 percent year-over-year software growth, neur of the Year and was inducted into and that’s mostly unheard of outside Silicon Val- the Utah Technology Council’s Hall of ley—but maybe not outside Silicon Slopes.” Fame this summer. The only woman When Clark was asked to helm MaritzCX, it in her company’s C-suite, Clark has wasn’t a hard sell to set up headquarters in Utah, never felt uncomfortable—thanks, where she’d been running Allegiance and living in part, to another lesson from her since graduation. “I wanted to double my engi- father: “Decide today not to be bugged, neering team quickly, and I knew I could double and nothing will stop you.” it here faster,” she says. She loves hiring interns Even as a rarity in the field, Clark from nearby universities and collaborating with feels right at home. She’s always been local industry leaders. “We compete, but we also a “gadget girl,” fascinated by electronics from build each other; the work everyone does helps smartwatches to robots. “I’m an early adopter,” all of us.” ohn Pestana has seen a lot of change in the past twenty-five years. For one thing, Clark says. “I buy the latest and newest just to Clark—who plays keyboard in an after-work J he’s no longer the only person he knows plugged into a cell phone. For another, see how everything works. I’m always looking for band—doesn’t necessarily see herself as a role the sponsor ads at BYU football games—dominated in his mid-nineties college days how things can be better, faster, more efficient.” model. “There’s really nothing special about me,” by telephone companies and banks—now flash the names of Qualtrics, Adobe, and She channels this curiosity into tasks ranging she says. “It’s just that I truly am not afraid. But I Vivint, all evidence of one of the biggest changes he’s seen: the tech industry gaining from streamlining the family laundry—Clark and do feel a huge responsibility to try to be an exam- dominance in Utah. her husband, Bryan, have two sons—to growing ple of confidence to all people, especially women.” Silicon Slopes, if not yet a household name, carries some clout. And that’s thanks in part to Pestana himself. He and Josh James, his cofounder at Omniture and the CEO of Domo, not only coined the term “Silicon Slopes” and branded an organization to attract venture capitalist dollars to the area, but also built a company that hile many high school students short on cash might apply for class in September 2013, grow- Tyler Richards formed a foundation for today’s tech ecosystem. W a job at a fast-food joint, Tyler Richards instead designed and ing primarily through word-of- “I’m proud of what we built over thirteen years at Omniture,” Pestana says. He DevMountain sold T-shirts at skate shops. mouth success stories. and James sold the marketing and web analytics company—which was conceived Cofounder and VP “I made a little money and thought it was awesome,” remembers The appeal, Richards notes, soon after they met at BYU—to Adobe in 2009 for $1.8 billion. Richards, a 2013 grad in entrepreneurship. “That was the first time I stems from the constant “We made many employees millionaires,” says Pestana, who loves watching Omni- realized this whole entrepreneurship thing actually works.” demand for coders in Utah ture alumni land on management teams around the state. “We laid that foundation; Entrepreneurship runs in his blood: Tyler’s father, John Richards, a and beyond. “It’s hard for tech we trained people and helped facilitate an environment where they excelled, and I former BYU entrepreneurship professor, struck gold during the dot- startups to land a developer take a lot of pride in that. It’s almost like seeing the things your children accomplish.” com boom and has been growing startups ever since—along with teach- because traditional universi- Pestana’s current venture, ObservePoint, tackles a problem he faced at Omniture: ing family home evening lessons on debt and managing wealth. “I have ties aren’t pumping them out quality control on data collection. The web analytics auditing company now serves always been taught that the best bet in life is on yourself,” Tyler says. fast enough,” he says. “DevMountain is creating a direct path.” clients such as HP, Time Warner Cable, and, fittingly, Adobe. Tyler’s biggest venture now keeps Silicon Slopes supplied with Which, he adds, is a win-win-win: startups find hirable employees, “We audit online marketing technologies to ensure people can trust the informa- a steady stream of coders. DevMountain, headquartered in down- boot camp grads land tech jobs, and DevMountain’s reputation grows, tion they’re looking at,” Pestana says. “We’re town Provo with campuses in Salt Lake City and Dallas, teaches attracting even more students. “I don’t know if DevMountain would doing some great things. I feel pressure to crash courses on coding and app development. Acquired this year by be here if it weren’t for the Utah tech environment,” he says. take this company somewhere.” Capella University for $20 million, the boot camp churns out about Richards is also collaborating with his father and brother on This year Pestana, who with his wife, Heidi, 150 job-ready grads every twelve weeks. another boot camp—Startup Ignition, which offers courses on entre- is a proud parent of three children, solidi- “Our goal has been to provide students with the skill set to be preneurship. fied his status as a bona fide Marriott School hirable within the industry,” says Richards, who cofounded DevMoun- “You evolve with the life of your startup,” says Richards, who has alum: after leaving college early to focus on tain with Cahlan Sharp and Colt Henrie. one young daughter with his wife, Nicole. “From ideation to first rev- Omniture full time, Pestana finished up the DevMountain started as a side project when Sharp, who was regularly enues to scale, it takes a different kind of entrepreneur. I’ve learned last six credits of his bachelor’s degree in asked for coding tips, partnered with Richards to create a tech boot to become a chameleon as DevMountain grew from nothing to one information systems. camp. They bought a domain name for nine dollars and started holding of the top coding schools.”

30 MARRIOTT fall 2016 31 iming high has been a Morgan Stanley in New York City for three years before switching ou won’t catch too many CEOs walk- marc chenn A lifelong quest for Marc back to tech with startup Compliance11. There he again contributed Y ing around the office in a panda suit. Chenn, CEO and cofounder to a successful exit. In researching his next step, Chenn realized he SaltStack But when it comes to boosting work- of cloud data-management was ready to build. Cofounder and ceo place happiness and culture, BambooHR startup SaltStack. A former “If you work for someone else, you have to follow an agenda that’s CEO Ben Peterson and cofounder and high jumper on BYU’s track not your own,” Chenn says. “I wanted creative freedom in my career, COO Ryan Sanders have never been team, Chenn broke school to imprint on an organization and participate in the upside of our above playing the mascot. records and trained for the success.” “We feel a deep loyalty to our team,” 2000 Olympics—but he knew That’s when he connected with Thomas Hatch, a Utah software says Peterson, a 1998 BYU graduate in he’d eventually have to hang engineer who had invented a platform to automate large-scale data entrepreneurship. “We all perform better up the spikes and get a “real job” outside athletics. center management. The product was ready to roll; it just needed when we’re happier, when we have time for families and personal lives. Focusing “So I asked myself, ‘What do I want to do?’” remembers Chenn, business oversight. on company culture and employee happiness trumps focusing on dollars.” He who later founded a track club with his former teammates and now Chenn stepped in to build that business. He moved with his wife, applies the same principle to himself; it enables him to spend more time with coaches his three kids toward winning their own championships. After Theresa, and their children to Utah, and SaltStack was launched there his wife, Natalie, and their six children. exploring his interests and network, he secured a summer internship in 2011. In 2013 Forbes named SaltStack one of ten cloud startups The company’s philosophy has attracted recognition: named a Best Company at Cisco—and got his first taste of the tech industry. “The software changing the data landscape. Last year the company earned the Utah to Work For by Utah Business every year since 2013, BambooHR made Entrepre- industry is typically pretty upbeat, pretty optimistic, and that’s invigo- Innovation Award, and this year it was named one of the ten most neur’s Best Large-Company Cultures list in 2015. This year it was certified by rating,” he says. buzzworthy startups by the Utah Venture Entrepreneur Forum. Great Place to Work, won multiple PC Editor’s Choice awards, and appeared on After finishing hisBYU bachelor’s degree in international relations “This is the most challenging professional thing I have ever done, the Today Show for offering vacation bonuses. in 2001, Chenn worked at Utah startup Altiris, where he helped the but it’s also the most joyous,” Chenn says. “In tech, a simple idea has As a student, Peterson was one of the first employees at MyComputer.com, company grow before it was sold to Symantec. Chenn earned his MBA the opportunity to change industries—and the world. I feel like we which later became Omniture. After building and selling a string of personals in 2007 and then explored an interest in Wall Street, working for are at the crossroads of something great.” websites, Peterson dabbled in investing but felt his true calling was entrepreneurship. So Peterson teamed up with Sanders and looked to the software-as-a- service mode. Keeping in mind challenges faced by Sanders’s consulting clients, they decided to automate HR services. erial tech entrepreneur Cydni Tetro’s alter egos science at BYU in 1996—one of three women in her They realized they were wandering into territory long patrolled by the world’s cydni tetro S include Black Widow, a Super Bowl player, and graduating class, she landed no fewer than one hun- biggest payroll and HR companies. But like most entrepreneurs, Peterson quips, 3DplusMe a Disney Mouseketeer. dred job interviews—and an MBA at byu in 1998. they lacked a piece of human DNA: the risk-aversion gene. The cofounders Founder “I think I have printed myself as a Disney princess Since then, Tetro’s career has been in and out of tech funded themselves from the beginning and have done very little fundraising too,” says Tetro, whose latest hit brings “alter egos” and new media startups with stints at more estab- since, creating the Goldilocks of HR software: bigger than spreadsheets but to life by mixing 3-D printing with fandom fervor. lished companies such as Disney and Novell. “I feel smaller than enterprise software. “We built something just right, focusing on “They are totally different but really fun.” like my opportunity to exist between both worlds what small and medium businesses need,” Peterson says. 3DplusMe, which she sold earlier this year to has really added to my ability to create, deliver, and BambooHR now serves more than six thousand customers worldwide. Whiteclouds (another Utah company), lets fans execute,” she says. “You learn things from each that “Hitting our goals is rewarding,” Peterson says. “But more importantly, if you “print” out figurines—of superheroes, athletes, Jedi, make you better in the other.” provide a great place to work, then more great work will take place.” and more—customized with their own likeness. The Tetro and her husband, Erin, have company placed kiosks at retailers and conventions three children. In the tech industry, Tetro ben peterson nationwide, allowing fans to make scans of their has found the flexibility to balance career BambooHR faces and select a favorite character to become. and motherhood. Recognizing what the Cofounder and ceo “I’ve always followed the latest technology trends industry has to offer women—and stands closely,” Tetro says. “I was really early in social to gain from them—Tetro founded the media”—she helped build a Facebook app that grew Women in Tech Council in 2007. The to eighty million users—“so for me, the interesting council hosts events, such as this year’s thing about technology is how these arcs come and Talent Innovation Summit, as well as the how to get in the market early and innovate a new SheTech program that matches young product. I found that in 3-D printing.” women in high school with female men- The venture was inspired in part by Tetro’s work tors and internships. with Walt Disney Imagineering. “I gained a deep “To maintain growth, we in tech have appreciation for storytelling there,” she explains. to drive the talent pool,” Tetro says. “We “When I launched 3DplusMe, it was all about creat- have to get students educated in the areas ing a story-driven experience. We understood where of greatest economic impact—science and the brands were coming from and put their fans in technology—and accelerate the momen- context with their brands.” tum behind getting more women into Tetro finished her bachelor’s degree in computer technology and into senior positions.” own in his family’s basement fourteen years ago, Ryan Smith D was sweating. ryan smith As he struggled to scale a young startup without funding, “our competitors were raising a bunch of money and rolling out the Qualtrics Cofounder and ceo marketing,” Smith remembers. Frustrated with slow growth and software he knew could be improved, Smith urged his father and business partner to make changes. “Who’s stopping you here?” former Marriott School marketing professor Scott Smith asked his son. Ryan looked around the basement, where the two founders stood alone. “It was an ‘aha moment,’” Ryan says. “If this was going to go anywhere, I couldn’t blame any- one else if something wasn’t right. It was on me. From that point on, we got really good at working together; no one was stopping us.” In a basement no more, the duo later brought in Ryan’s brother, Jared, and college buddy, Stuart Orgill, to build Qualtrics, today an international leader in online survey research and market-data collection. Qualtrics, which is valued at $1 billion, employs 1,200 globally, claims thousands of top-brand clients—Microsoft, Pfizer, and KMPG, to name a few—and dominates the academic market. This year, Smith became the first Utahn to land on Fortune’s 40 Under 40 ranking of influential young business leaders. The term “startup” hardly applies anymore, as Smith aims to build a company with staying power. “I don’t want Utah to be known for just a bunch of startups; Utah needs to be known for companies that have done great things. We have the makeup here to go the distance.” Billion-dollar company notwithstanding, until this summer Smith had yet to accomplish a lifelong goal: appearing on his grandma’s “smart shelf.” “The only way I could get on there, it didn’t matter anything else that I did, was to have a college degree,” says Smith, who recently completed his BYU management degree. He was also happy to claim his place among his network of twelve college buddies—all Marriott School alums who live around the world and have kept in touch for ten years through fantasy football and a yearly round of golf. At this year’s game “it was nice to tell them that I graduated college.” Along with nursing a healthy obses- sion with BYU sports, outside the office Smith keeps busy with golfing competi- tively; biking; pickup basketball; and spending time with his wife, Ashley, and their five children—all of whom are under age eight. “It is chaos at the Smith house,” he says. Looking to Qualtrics’s future, Smith is teed up for more growth—“I love our ELSEWHERE ON THE SLOPES optionality, and we have great partners These seven entrepreneurs represent only a small slice of and investors who believe in Qualtrics and believe in Utah,” he says—and Silicon Slopes. Want to see for yourself how far tech has ready to take on the English lexicon: “I spread in Utah? Check out siliconslopes.com/companies for want Qualtrics to be a verb. If someone an interactive map of locally grown ventures, big and small, has a research question, they can ‘Qual- along the Wasatch Front. trics it’ and get the data.”

34 MARRIOTT School News Tech Startups Buzz at a company,” Mortensen says. “Right away “The award shows the amount of Business Model Competition it means that we can now actually start work that we’ve put into the program,” doing business with some of our beta says cadet Gregory Fitzpatrick, an customers.” economics senior from Mission Viejo, California. “It means that we’re being byu Army rotc Receives recognized as the best.” Geronimo Award Marriott School Honors Bateman Awardees This spring, more than five hundred people gathered in their business mba students and first-place winners Josh Mortensen professional attire at an event students and Andrew Watanabe receive a check from Steven have dubbed the “Oscars of Provo.” But Fox, acting managing director of the Rollins Center. instead of movie elite earning accolades, Innovative technology is defining the it was business students who were twenty-first century, and the Rollins Cen- honored at the Marriott School closing Lt. Col. Chanda Mofu (center) receives the Geronimo ter for Entrepreneurship and Technology’s social. Attendees mingled and dined Award on behalf of the BYU Army ROTC. 2016 Business Model Competition (BMC) during the award ceremony, where showcased some of the latest innovations. After a year of strategic program changes, winners of the Bateman Awards and the Leading the tech charge was Whistic, BYU’s Army ROTC program celebrated a Marriott School Interdisciplinary Case a software company that provides major success after being named the best Competition were announced. businesses with an effective assess- large-level program in the region. This year’s Bateman Award winners ment of the security risk level involved “We are here to develop leaders not are Matthew Merrill, an account- in sharing company data with a third only of America but also of our families, ing senior from Mapleton, Utah, who party. Cofounders Andrew Watanabe, a churches, and communities,” says Lt. was presented with the Outstanding second-year MBA student from Salt Lake Col. Chanda Mofu, former professor of Undergraduate Student Award, and Maya City, and Josh Mortensen, a second-year military science. “It’s great that the work Inoue, a second-year MBA student from MBA student from Phoenix, took home the cadets do is being recognized.” Honolulu, who won the Outstanding first place and received $5,000. The Geronimo Award is given annu- Graduate Student Award. Accounting “Experience has taught us you just ally to one of thirty-six ROTC programs professor Dave Stewart took home the never know what’s going to happen, so in the West. The BYU Army ROTC was Outstanding Faculty Award, and the we were really pleased to come in first,” selected for its excellence in quantity Outstanding Student Organization Award Mortensen says. and quality of cadets commissioned, the went to the Women in Management Club. BMC judges evaluated students’ ability average GPA of those cadets, and their The Bateman Awards were created to design a business model, test it with average physical training scores. in 2002 in honor of Merrill J. Bateman, consumers, and make changes based on On behalf of the program, Mofu president of BYU from 1996 to 2003 and feedback. This year sixty teams competed accepted the award in San Antonio from dean of the BYU School of Management in three rounds, with the top ten teams the US Army Cadet Command Fifth from 1975 to 1979. Bateman presented the receiving $20,000 in cash prizes. Battalion. He says the focus of the ROTC awards to this year’s honorees. “The purpose of the BMC is to ensure program has shifted to help train cadets that students learn and practice startup to become leaders who can adapt and techniques that lead to greater success,” think more dynamically. says Steven Fox, acting managing direc- Jumping into new methods and tor of the Rollins Center. “These tech- tactics has paid off. Younger cadets are niques—agility, validation, pivoting, and developing faster thanks to being given other principles—are helping students more responsibility under the guidance reach their goals.” of experienced officers. In addition, With the prize money as momentum, sophomore cadets are being trusted the winning Whistic team can now move as team leaders—a position formerly the product forward. held only by junior cadets—giving them “The winnings will help us run tests on more chances to develop leadership and our website and speed up our progress as decision-making skills.

fall 2016 35 “Do your very best,” Bateman said. byu Leads the Way at ais can compete with the best information Romney Institute Honors of the successful ventures presented by the classroom and launch products and “When opportunities come, take them. Competitions systems students in the world. They are Robert J. O’Neill Jr. BYU students at the Student Entrepreneur services within their discipline,” says School News Pray about them, but generally take simply amazing.” of the Year competition. But it was Sam James Endicott, CET founder and eClub School News them.” Kyle Longhurst, a senior from Orem, Ballard’s excellence in building up advisor. “This is exactly what we teach in This year more than twenty teams and Alexandra Whitesides, a junior Hopetown Dental Lab that led to the the entrepreneurship program.” of students participated in the new from Warrenton, Virginia, won first premanagement student being named Marriott School Interdisciplinary Case place in the video competition. In BYU’s this year’s top student entrepreneur and Scoop Squad Wins Competition, which was implemented other top finish, seniorsJosh Haws winning a $10,000 prize. Strategy Competition to build unity across majors and pro- from Alpine, Utah, and Cathy Kennelly “I couldn’t be more grateful and Information systems students finished in first and duce solutions to improve the school. from Franklin, Tennessee, joined juniors excited,” Ballard says. “It’s humbling to second place at the ais conference competitions. The winning team developed a way to Drake Loud from Liberty, Utah, and know that all I do and who I become from improve club awareness through a new BYU information systems students Jason Smith from Forest Grove, Oregon, here will reflect onBYU and the Marriott portal called Club Hub. excelled at the Association for to win the security case competition. School. I feel privileged to take on such a Attendees also heard from Carine Information Systems (AIS) Student The team provided the best proposal for tremendous responsibility and honor.” Clark, president and CEO of MaritzCX. Chapter Leadership Conference, taking helping a fictional insurance company Sponsored by the Rollins Center for Clark earned both her undergraduate first place in both the video and security keep its client data secure, continuing a BYU’s Romney Institute of Public Entrepreneurship and Technology (CET), degree and MBA from BYU and was competitions and second place in the three-year winning streak for BYU in the Management named Robert J. O’Neill the competition was hosted by Provo named 2015 CEO of the Year by Utah IBM Bluemix competition. security competition. Jr. as its 2016 Administrator of the Year. mayor John Curtis and judged by a panel Business magazine. “These AIS events allow us to “I think what sets our program apart O’Neill, the executive director of the of successful entrepreneurs from across “Decide today that you will be a person showcase the skills and knowledge of is that we learn a lot of technologies and International City/County Management the state of Utah. of tremendous faith and that you’re going our students on an international stage,” the business side at the same time,” Ken- Association, has dedicated his career Ballard, a native of Hopetown, to put that faith to work in every aspect says Tom Meservy, associate teach- nelly says. “To be able to understand both to strengthening local governments by Bahamas, impressed the panel with his of your life,” Clark said in her speech. ing professor and team advisor. “Once worlds and figure out how to bridge them improving management. efforts to build up Hopetown Dental “Impossible is an opinion, not a fact.” again they have demonstrated that they and solve problems is unique.” “Bob has shown thoughtfulness, vision, Lab. Ballard began the lab in 2011 by and commitment to public service at casting tooth restorations by himself in A team of BYU students want you to Dallin Cheung, Justin Molinaro, a Unilever executive, and Ether Tam both the local and international level,” order to fund his Church mission. Five scream for ice cream, especially on pose with the first-place check. says Rex Facer, associate professor of years later, using CAD/CAM systems and game day. David Royce Named Entrepreneur of the Year public finance and management. “He has state-of-the-art materials, Ballard and A three-minute video and presentation made innumerable differences while call- his brother, Josh, have pushed Hope- about a potential Ben & Jerry’s campaign David Royce has made pests less pesky by creating four of the most ing for better public service.” town to a projected revenue of won three BYU students, aka the Scoop successful, environmentally responsible pest control companies in North The Administrator of the Year Award $1.3 million this year. Squad, first place and $7,000 in the 2016 America. To recognize the serial entrepreneur’s achievement, the Rollins honors outstanding public management “Professors and mentors at BYU, such Unilever UniGAME competition. Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology awarded the Entrepreneur of professionals for their ethical and moral as Nick Greer, Ralph Little, Daniel The top three teams in the marketing the Year Award to Royce at its semiannual Founders Conference banquet. service in the public sector and for the Judd, and Stephen Liddle, have been so strategy case competition—BYU, Univer- “We have been very fortunate to win different awards, but this one from example they set for BYU MPA students. supportive and encouraging to me while sity of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the Rollins Center is especially important to me,” Royce says. “This organiza- “It will be challenging yet exciting to I pursue both education and business,” Ohio State—were chosen to visit Unilever tion means so much. It is a group of peers that I deeply respect and an fill the gap between what is politically Ballard says. headquarters in Englewood, New Jersey, organization that helped me to have the vision to become an entrepreneur acceptable and what is administratively Kylee Middleton, a family life senior to meet the US company president and right out of school.” effective in running local governments,” from Draper, Utah, placed second with present in-depth analyses of their propos- Royce graduated in entrepreneurship from BYU in 2004. He most O’Neill said in a speech to MPA students her clothing company, Piper & Scoot. als. The campaign invited college students recently founded Aptive Environmental, a Provo-based residential and at a banquet held in his honor. “We need Third place went to Kip Hacking, an elec- to go head-to-head not only in sports but commercial pest control company that provides service to more than 1,500 innovation and creativity in leadership in trical engineering senior from Langley, also in university-based competitions to cities. Royce also started his previous company, Alterra, in Utah before sell- order to succeed.” Washington, for his photography and vid- decide new Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavors. ing it to Terminix in November 2015. O’Neill received a bachelor’s degree eography equipment company, Capture Senior strategy majors Justin “There is something really special going on in Utah right now,” Royce says. in political science from Old Dominion Beyond Limits. Molinaro from Atlanta and Ether Tam “There is a sense of entrepreneurship that is getting noticed nationally and A portion of company profits go toward providing people in sub-Saharan University in 1973 and a master’s degree “These student entrepreneurs take from Laie, Hawaii, teamed up with throughout the world.” Africa with insecticide-treated bed nets that help save millions of lives. in public administration from Syracuse the education and skills they gain in senior animation major Dallin Cheung Royce has received much recognition for his success as an entrepre- “When thinking about this award we look for men and women of high University in 1974. He began his career in from Mesa, Arizona, to take home the neur. His companies have been featured in several national publications integrity and entrepreneurial savvy,” says Steven Fox, acting managing the private sector and later jumped into big win after impressing the panel with including the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and Entrepreneur. In 2015 Royce director of the Rollins Center. “David exemplifies these traits.” local government. the execution, soundness, implementa- was named the Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur of the Year, and that Royce joins other inspiring past recipients of the Entrepreneur of the tion, and practicality of their proposal. same year his company received the first-place award for Fastest Growing Year Award, which include Amy Rees Anderson, founder of REES Capital, STUDENT NEWS “We were confident going in that Service Company in America from the American Business Awards. and Joshua James, CEO of Domo. Potential recipients for the Entrepreneur we would be a contender,” Tam says. Royce has also transformed his success into supporting a good cause as a of the Year Award are chosen by the board of the Rollins Center’s Founders. Ballard Sinks Teeth into Prize “Because the frameworks we’ve learned proud partner of the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign. Nominees are then vetted and approved by BYU leadership. A volleyball club for teenagers, a recycling at BYU through the strategy program and

system for apartments, and a children’s Sam Ballard claimed the 2016 Student Entrepreneur other classes are top-notch, we were able book subscription service were just some of the Year title. to compete even with the top schools.”

36 MARRIOTT fall 2016 37 The ACG Cup is a graduate student The 2016 Hawes Scholars are second- case competition designed to help year MBA students Sean Baenziger from School News students acquire corporate transaction Wellington, Florida; Brock Burrows School News Companies Nab Big Bucks at perspectives. This year’s preliminary from Apple Valley, Minnesota; Daniel round at BYU required students to act as Christ from Lynbrook, New York; Scott New Venture Challenge if they were consulting for an initial pub- Christofferson from Lehi, Utah; Maya lic offering. In the final round, teams had Inoue from Honolulu; Steve Mineer In BYU’s own version of Shark Tank, eight to consult on a hypothetical leveraged from Scottsdale, Arizona; Christie Ras- student-run companies presented business A team of byu undergraduates placed second at the buyout transaction and present their pro- mussen from San Antonio; Kirk Steele Milgard Invitational Case Competition on Social plans to judges. The goal: to score cash and posals to local executives and deal-makers. from Farmington, Utah; Dale Tolley Responsibility in Tacoma, Washington. mentoring opportunities in the Miller New “In both rounds other teams came up Venture Challenge—the final part of the Miller “We tried to make our proposal really with stellar, creative ideas that showed Competition Series hosted by BYU’s Rollins Cen- simple,” says Margaret Melville, a senior a lot of potential for profitability,” says ter for Entrepreneurship and Technology (CET). strategy major from Centerville, Ohio. Jordan Cline, an MBA student from Latitude, an audio-tour app company, won “When a company has a CSR strategy Taylorsville, Utah. “I feel like what set App Makes the Founders’ Choice Award and received that’s really complicated, it’s hard to our team apart was that our recommen- second place in the speed pitch round, walking connect with it because you can’t even dations were creative but also realistic.” Journaling Easier away with $21,000 in prize money. remember it. So we said ours was as Hiep Nguyen from Hanoi, Vietnam; “Going over the presentation and working simple as one, two, three.” Lydia Shen from Shanghai; and Chad nearly full time on the business really helped The numbers corresponded to three Walker from Centerville, Utah, were also us prepare for the competition,” says Brody initiatives that the students proposed: on the team. They competed against teams Horton, a second-year MBA student from Lay- (1) allowing employees to use 1 percent from the University of Utah, Westminster ton, Utah, and Latitude cofounder. “The money of their annual paid time for volun- College, and Utah Valley University. will be vital to helping us build our company. It teer service, (2) donating 2 percent of “We knew each other well and could Wavio CMO and cofounder Jeremy Rios delivers a presentation about the company’s hands-free is always nice to have successful entrepreneurs company profits to environmental issues, work cooperatively and efficiently together,” Bluetooth device designed for outdoor enthusiasts. like what you are doing.” and (3) using 3 percent of their services Shen says. “I think the finance knowledge Eight finalists—Gather,HOA Cloud, Information Dental, Isotruss, Latitude, Plato, Wavio, and Whistic—won $15,000 each to insure the underprivileged at a dis- and techniques that we accumulated from and received the opportunity to join BYU Launchpad, a startup immersion program designed to help entrepreneurs refine counted rate. our past work experience and MBA classes their businesses and prepare for future investment. “The team did an excellent job,” says helped us get prepared and made a big “We had many excellent teams compete, so it was a challenge for judges to select the very best,” says Steven Fox, CET Darin Gates, adjunct faculty member difference in the competition.” Micah Wilson wanted to make it easier to chronicle the most acting managing director. “Innovation spans our entire campus, and interacting with bright young people in this competi- and team advisor. “They worked very important parts of life, so he created an iOS app called Journey, tion is simply a whole lot of fun.” hard to come up with a well-thought-out, Ten Hawes Scholars Announced which allows people to write in their journals without ever pick- compelling, and creative corporate social ing up a pen. responsibility plan in the limited time Journey makes keeping a journal so effortless that it recently they were given.” landed Wilson the $1,650 top prize from the Marriott School’s Ten Students Named “This award clearly distinguishes each basis of their academic performance and Additional team members included Mobile App Competition, hosted by the Rollins Center for Entre- Eccles Scholars student as a future leader in the global trajectory toward a global business career. Thomas Stone from Greenwood Village, preneurship and Technology. business community,” says Bruce Money, The Eccles Scholars awards are funded Colorado; Jared Tate from Rancho Santa “Journey focuses on the idea that journaling doesn’t have to Whitmore Center director. “To be chosen by the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Margarita, California; and Miguel Vira- take a long time,” Wilson says. With voice-to-text technology, as an Eccles Scholar signifies that you Foundation. The foundation was created montes from Fresno, California. “you can write an entry in a few seconds.” will represent BYU, the Marriott School, in 1960 to ensure that the Eccles’s phil- Back row, from left: Scott Christofferson, Daniel Christ, The app has a slick interface that makes recording significant and the Eccles name with distinction.” anthropic work would continue beyond mba Students Win acg Utah Cup Meghan Whalen, Dale Tolley, and Christie Rasmussen. events smooth—just a few taps and you’re done. Users can post The 2016 Eccles Scholars are Leandro their lifetimes. BYU MBA students were right on the Front row, from left: Sean Baenziger, Steve Mineer, a quick note, file a photo or audio recording, and even clip a song Maya Inoue, Brock Burrows, and Kirk Steele. Baer Barbosa from São Paulo; Christo- money, recently placing first in the Asso- they love to their journal.

Back, from left: Brad Call, Brandon Remington, pher Barnes from Eugene, Oregon; Brad Undergrads Excel at Milgard Event ciation for Corporate Growth (ACG) Utah The Marriott School named ten MBA can- For those who struggle to come up with something to write, the Christopher Barnes, Leandro Baer Barbosa, and Call from Bountiful, Utah; Margaret More than forty-five years ago, the Cup. The team’s presentation of real- didates 2016 Hawes Scholars, an honor app includes prompts, such as “Who made you feel good this week?” Rodrigo Ortigoza. Front, from left: Margaret Ebeling, Ebeling from Philadelphia; Angela Hui Jackson 5 taught the world that love is world case studies earned them $1,000 that carries the highest distinction given or “If you could live anywhere you wanted, where would you live?” Joshua Porter, and Angela Hui. Not pictured: Daniel from Richmond Hill, Ontario; Rodrigo “as easy as one, two, three.” In March a in the on-campus preliminary round and to MBA students at the school and a cash An export function saves all your content as a PDF so it can be Wilde and Kris Willenbrecht. Ortigoza from Brampton, Ontario; team of BYU students shared a similar $5,000 in the statewide round. award of $15,000. printed. “If there’s no way to export your app, your journal dies with The Marriott School recently recognized Joshua Porter from Spokane, Wash- idea—to a regional insurance company— “BYU’s team was characterized by its “Hawes recipients exemplify what it your phone,” Wilson says. “What if a user continues to use the app ten first-yearMBA candidates as Eccles ington; Brandon Remington from winning second place and $500 each at strong valuation fundamentals, creative means to be a BYU MBA student,” says for years and then iOS or even iCloud doesn’t exist any longer? That Scholars, an award presented by the Sammamish, Washington; Daniel Wilde the Milgard Invitational Case Competi- deal structure, and solid presentation John Bingham, MBA program director. would be really frustrating to lose all those memories you’ve saved.” school’s Whitmore Global Management from Ventura, California; and Kris Wil- tion on Social Responsibility in Tacoma, skills,” says Grant McQueen, a finance “Each of the winners has made meaning- Other top finishers included Hexbreaker, Curo, and Flip. Friend- Center. Each recipient was awarded up lenbrecht from Yorba Linda, California. Washington. The team presented a corpo- professor and the team’s advisor. “In the ful contributions to the MBA program ability, an app that helps you find compatible friends across to $9,000 of financial aid for schooling A committee of faculty members rate social responsibility (CSR) plan that end judges decided that the BYU students’ and the lives of their classmates. We are social networks, won the audience choice award. expenses, international projects, and interviewed fifty-five applicants and simply explained how a company can proposed valuation and deal structure confident they will be exemplary ambas- global career exploration. selected the top ten candidates on the love and care for society. was the most practical and reasonable.” sadors of the BYU MBA program.”

38 MARRIOTT fall 2016 39 from Kalispell, Montana; and Meghan Taylorsville, Utah; Gary Vahey from based on the number of marketing phone understand. That’s what we did for our Whalen from Malone, New York. London; Weiwei Zhang from Fu’an City, calls that person received. presentation: we looked at it from a high School News Named for successful corporate execu- China; and Iris Zhou from Zhuhai, China. “It was all things we have learned in level and explained why it was important tive Rodney A. Hawes Jr., a Baker Scholar Each year a faculty committee selects classes,” Casperson says. “The BYU infor- to management.” Marriott School Professor from the Harvard Business School, and students for the award based on excellent mation systems program has a really high his wife, Beverly, the award was created academic performance and commitment standard of quality. It’s a lot of work, but FACULTY NEWS Studies “Crunch Effect” in 1998 to recognize the accomplish- to the finance program. coming out of it you know how to do real ments of graduating MBA students. The Stoddard Prize was established in on-the-job tasks.” Marriott School Personnel New doctor’s orders: no earbuds, The Hawes Scholar award is one of 1985 by George E. Stoddard, a 1937 BYU Honored music, or TV while eating. many initiatives made possible by the alumnus. He was a pioneer in the use of MAcc Students Take Second Researchers at BYU and Colorado Hawes Endowment, a gift of more than real estate transactions known as sale- at Deloitte National Audit State University (CSU) recently $2 million used to facilitate the growth leasebacks, which provide financing to Case Competition published an article about how the and enhancement of the Marriott companies struggling to gain access to tra- noise you make while eating can School’s nationally ranked MBA program. ditional sources of capital. Stoddard was have a significant effect on how In addition to being widely recognized for also head of the multibillion-dollar Direct much you eat. his expertise in financial matters, Hawes Placement Department of the Equitable The “Crunch Effect,” as they call has a reputation for integrity, hard work, Life Assurance Society of the United States. it, suggests you’re likely to eat less if and community service. The Marriott School honored Douglas you’re more conscious of the sound Six Students Claim Seven Prizes Prawitt, Glenn Ardis Professor in the your food makes while you eat. Loud mba Finance Students Score at AITP Competitions School of Accountancy, with the Out- TV or music can mask eating sounds Stoddard Prize A small team of Marriott School standing Faculty Award at the school’s that keep you in check. information systems students came up A BYU School of Accountancy team annual awards presentation this May. “For the most part, consumers with big rewards at recent competitions recently took what they learned in class “It was an honor for the Marriott and researchers have overlooked hosted by the Association of Information to cash in at the Deloitte National Audit School community to honor our friend food sound as an important sensory Technology Professionals. Case Competition, winning $1,000 each and colleague Doug Prawitt,” says Lee cue in the eating experience,” says study coauthor Gina Mohr, assistant professor of marketing at CSU. Brandon Buchanan from Centerville, and an additional $5,000 for the school Perry, Marriott School dean. “Doug is “Sound is typically labeled as the forgotten food sense,” adds Ryan Elder, assistant professor of marketing at Utah; Trevor Harmon from Orem; in a second-place finish. an extraordinary teacher, researcher, and BYU. “But if people are more focused on the sound the food makes, it could reduce consumption.” Andy Mockler from Fort Wayne, Indi- “This team of students worked very the consummate gentleman. The love he They’re not talking about the sizzle of bacon, the crack of crème brûlée, or the pop of popcorn; the effect ana; Braden Casperson from Twin Falls, well together to identify, research, and expresses for BYU, the Marriott School, comes from the sounds of mastication: chewing, chomping, and crunching. Idaho; Kyle Longhurst from Orem; and solve the issues given to them,” says Cassy and our students inspires all of us.” Elder and Mohr carried out three separate experiments on the effect of that “food sound salience” and found Dan Morain from San Jose, California, Budd, accounting teaching professor and A Marriott school professor since even thinking about eating sounds (through an advertisement) can decrease consumption. placed seven times in five competi- team advisor. “They pulled it all together 1993, Prawitt currently leads the School The most fascinating experiment discovered people eat less when the sound of the food is more intense. In tions—the most of any school. With beautifully and exhibited poised confidence of Accountancy’s PhD prep program, that study, participants wore headphones playing either loud or quiet noise while they ate snacks. Subjects entries ranging from mobile develop- in their final presentation to the judges.” which he helped initiate in 2000. He has listening to louder noise ate more—four pretzels compared to 2.75 pretzels for the “quiet” group. ment to systems analysis, the group Students from Budd’s accounting won multiple awards from the American “The effects many not seem huge,” Elder says, “but over the course of a week, month, or year, it could Back row, from left: Ralph Thirteen BYU students were honored with showcased a strong and comprehensive research seminar were placed in teams at Accounting Association as well as several really add up.” Johnson, Gary Vahey, Jordan Cline, and Matthew Dalton. the George E. Stoddard Prize, a $4,000 skill set in the informations field. the school level. Andrew Bellomy from teaching awards. Middle row, from left: Ryan Rios, award given to exceptional second-year “The students performed very well Centerville, Utah; Angel Bird from Pan- Thirteen other faculty, staff, and Jonathan Sánchez, and Yongxiong MBA finance students. and represented BYU marvelously both jim, India; Janelle Knight from Roosevelt, administrators were also recognized. Cheng. Front row: Iris Zhou, Crista Hill, Prerna Gupta, Nicola “These students will be great ambassa- in their academic prowess and in their Utah; Logan Laxton from Charlotte, LuAnn Hart, secretary to the associate of accountancy; Shad Morris, assistant management, professionalism, character, Harris, and Weiwei Zhang. Not dors for BYU, the Marriott School, and the demeanor,” says Greg Anderson, associ- North Carolina; and Chelsea Mickelsen deans, received the N. Eldon Tanner professor of organizational leadership and and initiative. pictured: Trevor McDougal. BYU MBA program,” says finance professor ate teaching professor and team advisor. from Idaho Falls, Idaho, were ultimately Award. First presented in 2010, this strategy; and Taylor Nadauld, assistant The event also recognized retiring Grant McQueen, who oversees the “We are very proud of them all.” chosen to represent BYU. award recognizes an administrator or professor of finance. personnel for their years of service, award. “We appreciate the George E. Stod- Casperson and Longhurst led the way Three members of the team were par- staff member who demonstrates integrity, Brad Agle, George W. Romney including Robert Gardner, Robert dard family and George’s employer, the with a first-place finish in the business ticipating in internships leading up to the leadership, and humility. Endowed Professor in the Romney J. Smith Professor in the School of W. P. Carey Company, for their generosity analytics event. The duo used data-min- competition, forcing the group to work “We all love and appreciate the incred- Institute of Public Management, and Accountancy, who has served at the and support of our MBA finance students.” ing skills to predict whether a potential together mainly via videoconference in ible LuAnn Hart,” says Michael Thomp- Bruce Money, Fred Meyer Professor of university since 1978, and on numer- This year’s recipients are Yongxiong client might open a new bank account the evenings and on weekends. But they son, associate dean. “We would never Marketing and International Business ous boards, including as president of Cheng from Beijing; Jordan Cline from made it work, putting together a solid have been able to do our jobs without her and executive director of the Whitmore the American Taxation Association. Bill Taylorsville, Utah; Matthew Dalton from answer to a case that involved examin- extraordinary work and support.” Global Management Center, received Brady, accounting director in the Steven San Juan Capistrano, California; Prerna ing a repurchase of treasury shares from Greg Burton, Ford Motor Company Citizenship Awards for their commit- and Georgia White Business Career Gupta from Jammu, India; Nicola Harris employees and how the repurchased International Professor in the School of ment to furthering the school’s mission Center, and Richard Smith, MBA direc- from Dallas; Crista Hill from Hol- shares would figure in the statement of Accountancy, and Ramon Zabriskie, pro- through service. tor in the Business Career Center, were lister, California; Ralph Johnson from cash flows. fessor of recreation management, were Eric Doman, supply chain career also honored for their contributions Los Angeles; Trevor McDougal from “The research class helped a ton,” awarded Teaching Excellence Awards. manager, and Vicki Okerlund, Romney to the school and in helping numerous St. Joseph, Michigan; Ryan Rios from Laxton says. “It taught us how to Scholarly Excellence Awards were given Institute external relations coordinator, students find fulfilling careers with top Highland, Utah; Jonathan Sánchez from research and present in a way others can to Michael Drake, assistant professor each received an award for outstanding companies across the country.

40 MARRIOTT fall 2016 41 states. One of his most memorable expe- 1979 children and six grandchildren, and he riences was helping to develop the orga- Bennie Lilly, a 1979 enjoys genealogy and fly-fishing. nization and operating model for the city BYU MPA grad, didn’t Alumni News of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. From his first let retirement in 2014 1983 Alumni News communications and behavioral science slow him down. He Brian Voigt is not one Management Society of the award. “As former CEO of the brings chapter members and friends classes at BYU forty years ago, consulting and his wife, Denise, to stay put. Through- Marriott Corporation, he completely together in celebration of our desire to organizations has been his passion. Last sold their house and out his career, he has Management Society Chapters changed the future of the hospitality develop leaders around the globe. At year, Howes shared what he has learned received a call to the New York South lived and worked in Honor Leaders industry. As for Mrs. Marriott, her quiet this year’s gala, we honored Dr. Clayton in his book, Organizational Performance: Mission, where they are currently the United Kingdom, leadership in local charity work, her Christensen for his work in business The Key to Success in the 21st Century. After serving. Before earning his MPA, Lilly Saudi Arabia, Japan, family, and church callings warranted education, service in the community, and graduating from BYU with a master’s in graduated with a BA in Spanish from and Hong Kong, changing financial Mr. and Mrs. Marriott being our first passion for the society’s mission.” organizational communications in 1978, BYU in 1976. He later used his language firms almost as often as he’s changed corecipients.” Christensen, an accomplished busi- Howes went on to earn a PhD in organiza- skills to help develop the Spanish countries. He started his career with nessman, was chosen for his significant tion management from Rutgers. He spent textbook for the Missionary Training Deloitte after receiving his MAcc from Salt Lake City and lasting contributions in the fields of eighteen years at ExxonMobil and eight Center (MTC). He worked at the MTC BYU in 1983. He now lives in Grape- In June, Frank Layden was honored on business strategy and innovation. Last years at Accenture, and he has been the for a few years before taking a job with vine, Texas, where he cofounded Prism behalf of the Management Society’s Salt year Christensen received the Edison president and owner of Organization Per- LDS Employment Resource Services, Partners International, a boutique Lake Chapter as the year’s Distinguished Achievement Award, and in 2011 the formance Strategies for the past eleven where he worked in management until management consulting firm. Voigt has Utahn at the Annual Distinguished Economist named his 1997 book The years. He has been a member of BYU’s 2004. For the last ten years of his career, served as a board member to several Utahn event. Layden, former coach and Innovator’s Dilemma one of the six most MBA advisory board since 1999. He and Lilly was an area welfare manager for organizations, including the Marriott cornerstone of the Utah Jazz, joined important books about business. his wife, DeLana, live in Holladay, Utah. the LDS Church. He coordinated the School of Management Investment the ranks of previous honorees includ- He has four children and four grandchil- church’s emergency response to Hur- Banking Advisory Council and the ing Larry H. Miller, LaVell and Pattie New York dren. In his spare time, he enjoys tennis, ricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ike and to the HR Forum Advisory Council. Voigt Edwards, Spencer Eccles, Jon and Karen The New York LDS Professional Associa- golf, jeeping, skiing, and travel. 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Lilly has five has enjoyed exploring various natural Huntsman, Olene Walker, and Michael tion (NYLDSPA) presented Paula Gavin, O. Leavitt. NYC chief service officer, with the Vision- In congruence with the BYU Management “Awarding Frank Layden this year ary Leadership Award at its annual fall Society’s mission to “grow moral and was an obvious choice after consider- banquet last November. The award is Speaking Their Language ethical leadership around the world,” ing all that he and his wife, Barbara, given to a business, education, or non- chapters across the nation host charity- have accomplished professionally and profit leader who has made significant Each spring, world-language But when she tried to find work near her new home in Mississippi several centered banquets, collecting scholarship contributed personally to the state of contributions to the community. teacher Lori LeVar Pierce’s years later, there were no corporate headquarters nearby—so she decided funds to distribute to students in need Utah,” says Matt Hansen, Salt Lake The banquet featured former Utah work takes her out of the to use her BYU undergraduate degree in French with a minor in German to while honoring professionals, service Chapter president. “To all who know him, governor Michael O. Leavitt, who served classroom and into the gladia- land a teaching job. leaders, and influential philanthropists. Frank Layden is not only one of the most in President George W. Bush’s cabinet, as tor ring. There, after months of Learning a new language in her forties was a challenge. She spent eigh- Take a look inside four management genuine, charismatic, and approachable the honorary keynote speaker. studying Latin, her students teen months teaching herself Latin while teaching French and German in society chapter galas from the past year. individuals that you will ever meet, but “The event was especially significant take on a different side of the classroom. Pierce started by reviewing vocabulary in college textbooks; his lifetime of enthusiastic leadership, to our organization because it helped ancient culture while compet- she then took an independent study class, followed by a directed indepen- Utah County sense of humor, and selfless service to accomplish several objectives in our ing at the Junior Classical dent study course with a Latin professor at a local university, spending a For the first time, two recipients were residents of Utah made him one of the core mission,” says Jared Remington, League Convention, par- couple hours a week with him until she felt ready to teach. presented with the Pioneer in Leader- most qualified recipients in the twenty- NYLDSPA president. “We were able to ticipating in gladiator fights, “I’ll be the first to say it isn’t easy to learn a foreign language,” Pierce says. ship Award. J. W. “Bill” Marriott, execu- three-year history of the award.” raise college scholarship funds for need- footraces, javelin throws, and “I struggled through them when I was in school, but I must have crossed tive chairman of Marriott International, based students from the NYC metro area, even a student-built chariot over some threshold that has made it all start to click in my brain.” and his wife, Donna, were honored for Washington, DC provide networking opportunities to race. “It’s a lot of fun to act like For the past year, Pierce has served on the committee that revised world their leadership, generosity, and philan- Clayton Christensen, Harvard Business professionals, and create opportunities to the ancient Romans and the language teaching standards for the state of Mississippi. This February, thropic involvement at the Utah County School professor and New York Times provide community service.” ancient Greeks,” Pierce says. Pierce was one of only twenty teachers selected for a three-week summer Chapter’s eighth annual gala, held last best-selling author, took the stage at the Pierce’s students are Latin program in Leipzig, Germany, to develop science, technology, engineering, November. Washington, DC, Chapter’s annual gala class notes champions on the National and math (STEM) curriculum. The gala featured a dinner, award at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in April. Latin Exam. This past year, She still uses her business training while sponsoring her school’s Future presentation, and onstage interview con- Nearly four hundred guests—including 1978 they took more gold and silver medals than any group of Latin students at Business Leaders of America chapter. She also serves as the president of ducted by the Marriott’s daughter, Debo- foreign diplomats and business leaders— Work has taken Curt the school in its history. But when Pierce was first offered her position at the Mississippi chapter of the American Association of Teachers of German rah Harrison, in which Bill graciously came to hear his speech and witness as J. Howes far from the the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science back in 2010, Latin was and as a board member for the Columbus Choral Society. She and her hus- expressed his love of family and devotion he received the Distinguished Business small Utah town where all Greek to her. band, Daniel, have three children. to service, humility, and teamwork. Leader Award. he grew up. He has After Pierce graduated with her MBA from BYU in 1992, she worked When asked whether she enjoys teaching or market research more, “Mr. Marriott is known and respected “Each year, the Washington, DC, Chap- worked and consulted for several years in market research, including as a director of marketing Pierce says, “It’s the same kind of question as when people ask me which of across the world for his personal ethics ter honors either a distinguished public on every continent research for UPS, before taking time off to be at home with her children. my languages I prefer—I love them all the same.” and business acumen,” says Larry Ste- servant or business leader,” says Hugh except Antarctica and has traveled to venson, chapter president and presenter Redd, chapter president. “The event more than forty-five countries and all fifty

42 MARRIOTT fall 2016 43 environments throughout the world and 1995 He graduated in 1996. Philippines. In this position he helps is especially enchanted with the jungles After twelve years as Since then, Ordaz coordinate programs in the region and Starting Up and Starting Over of Cambodia. Voigt also enjoys tandem a leader in marketing has embarked on a train faculty members. In 2006, he was Alumni News skydiving, scuba diving, and working in for Pizza Hut—includ- rewarding career in called as mission president of the Philip- his yard. He and his wife, Linda, have ing a stint as vice public finance, which pines Butuan Mission. Revillo currently four children. president of brand has included service lives in Metro Manila, Philippines. He communications— in two counties and five municipalities and his wife, Pierne, have five children, 1985 Kristan L. Miller decided it was time in Florida, Texas, and Virginia across and he loves watching NBA games and After graduating from to switch gears. A mother of four, she every government function. Under his traveling. BYU with his MAcc in wanted to keep the upward momentum leadership, Capital Metropolitan Trans- 1985, Wayne R. Herr of her career while balancing it with more portation Authority’s fund balance sky- 2000 was hired at Arthur flexibility. After two years of indepen- rocketed by 469 percent, and the transit Serving as a special Andersen in the audit dent consulting, she joined forces with agency was the first in Texas to receive Deloitte brand ambas- and personal consult- Flight3 Marketing, a firm specializing the Leadership Circle Gold Award for sador at the 2012 Olym- ing areas. In 1994, he was recruited in marketing strategy and consumer financial transparency from the Texas pic Games in London, to move to Cheyenne, Wyoming, as a research, as an owner and partner. The Comptroller’s Office. These accomplish- where the company manager for McGladrey and Pullen. Later company boasts household names among ments and more led to his selection was a sponsor of he became a founding partner of McGee, its clients, including Southwest Airlines, as a budget advisor by the US Depart- Team USA, is a career highlight for Brian Hearne & Paiz when his office demerged Walmart, Frito-Lay, and others. Miller ment of the Treasury to advise foreign Fleming, who graduated from the Mar- from the firm in 2000. For the past earned her bachelor’s degree in business governments in public finance matters. riott School in 2000 with a MAcc. After eighteen years, Herr has trained staff and management in 1993 from BYU, where Ordaz currently lives in San Salvador, El gaining sixteen years of public accounting senior auditors for several weeks each she performed with the Cougarettes. She Salvador. He enjoys playing the piano experience with Deloitte’s Denver and summer for McGladrey and Pullen and then earned her MBA at the Marriott and organ, singing, reading, and attend- Washington, DC, tax offices, Fleming Morgan Edwards has always been a builder. the McGladrey Alliance throughout the School in 1995, and in her third year she ing the recitals and concerts of his four recently became the head of tax for the “I have a history of starting things from scratch,” says Edwards, who earned his MBA from BYU in 1985. country. Herr was the 2014–2015 presi- was recruited by Pizza Hut. She and her children with his wife, Francisca. Anschutz Corporation, a private company He started his career in investment banking at Morgan Stanley, joining a brand-new loan-trading desk there dent of the Wyoming Society of CPAs, husband, Darren, live in Frisco, Texas, with sports, entertainment, and mass- and building it into a top trader of bank loans. Years later Edwards became one of Australian firm Macquarie and he has also volunteered with the Boy where Miller says her main hobby is Before attending BYU, media operations including the Staples Capital’s first American hires, helping the corporation build a North American investment bank from the Scouts, the Wyoming Historic Governors’ cheering her kids on in their hobbies— Paul Weldele earned Center, the O2 Arena in London, the Los ground up. Mansion Foundation, and the Cheyenne with a bit of Zumba mixed in. his bachelor of general Angeles Kings, Walden Media, and various In 2015, after thirty years in investment banking, Edwards put his building skills to the test by jumping Health and Wellness Center. He and his studies from the Uni- national parks. Fleming and his wife, Jena, into the world of startups. He accepted the position of CFO at five-year-old CommonBond, a socially minded wife, Shelley, have three children. One degree was not versity of Missouri–St. have six children and live in Centennial, student-loan firm that offers loans, sells them to investors, and funds a year of school for a student in Ghana enough for Graden P. Louis. He graduated Colorado. Fleming enjoys serving as a for every loan originated. 1992 Jackson. He obtained from BYU with his MBA in 1996. Today Scoutmaster, traveling and camping with “I am a believer that there will be incredible growth in marketplace lending over the next ten to twenty Keith Bevan always his undergraduate Weldele works at FedEx, where he leads his family, and playing the violin. years,” says Edwards, who adds age, experience, and maturity to the growing startup staffed primarily by mil- planned to go to law management degree a team of ten professionals who coach lennials. school after he earned in 1995 from BYU, and educate customers on transportation 2002 The timing felt right to Edwards, as investment banking was losing some of its charm. Opportunities for his BS in management followed by an MBA and a JD from the management best practices. He and his Academia has become building aside, he often felt more like one cog in a “deal machine” than a leader. But at CommonBond, every- from the Marriott University of Denver, both in 1998. After wife, Marjorie, have three children, one of Todd A. Thornock’s thing he does can affect the trajectory of the firm—which grew by 400 percent and added sixty-plus employ- School in 1992. But practicing law in Colorado, Jackson whom is a BYU alum. He lives in Collier- home turf, but he first ees last year. when he moved to Austin, Texas, instead returned to Utah with his family and ville, Tennessee, where he keeps himself went a different direc- “The work at CommonBond is exhilarating and exhausting,” he says. “I haven’t worked this hard in at least of enrolling in law school there, he took joined the law firm Strong & Hanni in busy by remodeling his house and taking tion: after graduating fifteen years. I make multiple decisions per day, and every decision is critical.” a job with Anderson Consulting. At first Salt Lake City. At the beginning of this his wife out on dates. He also enjoys from BYU with a MAcc Edwards says he’s managed his career with an eye for balancing work and family, starting off first in posi- he was tasked with office admin odds year, Jackson was elected managing hosting exchange students, playing golf, in 2002, Thornock worked as an audit tions that allowed more commitment to family and building into opportunities requiring more office time as and ends, but after a few months, the partner. Jackson enjoys running and and participating in sprint triathlons. associate at PwC. There he realized he his children got older. “I’ve made the choice to work harder and harder in the back half in my career, instead of managing partner offered him a job at gardening, and when he’s not in the office, wanted a career in which he could teach, less and less,” he says. an IT consulting business. Bevan worked you can find him working in the family 1997 mentor, and continue a lifelong journey Edwards met his wife, Jennifer, on his first day atBYU , finally convincing her he was worth dating after there for almost fifteen years until he orchard with his wife, Sommer, and their Charlie G. Revillo of learning—all while maintaining bal- months of perseverance. “Talk about training for the startup life,” he laughs. They have five children—including started a new gig at SaaSfocus in March. four children. has focused his career ance with time to dedicate to his family. two sons who followed in his footsteps at the Marriott School—and four grandchildren. As a member of the He is responsible for leading teams from on religious educa- This inspired him to start on a path to Marriott School’s National Advisory Council, Edwards enjoys mentoring BYU students interested in banking project planning to execution, managing 1996 tion. After graduating become a university professor. Thornock and looks forward to spending more time with students and advising startups when he’s ready to retire. the day-to-day design, and implement- Francisco Ordaz refused to let a bump from BYU–Hawaii earned his PhD in accounting from the But for now, he’s still busy building. ing solutions. Bevan has four children in the road hinder his dream of attend- with a BA in psychol- University of Texas at Austin in 2011. “Just because we have capital and ninety employees doesn’t mean our success is assured,” he says. “What and lives in Meridian, Idaho, with his ing graduate school. The day he didn’t ogy in 1994, he earned an MPA from the He now works as an assistant professor gets me up every day is that my role—and everyone else’s—is vital. We are working to build a successful com- wife, Diane. He has volunteered as a high make it into the MBA program after Marriott School in 1997. Two years later of accounting at Iowa State University, pany that lasts.” school football coach for seven years and graduating from BYU with a BA in politi- he started working as a seminary and where he had the opportunity to lead a enjoys family time, sports, travel, and cal science in 1994, he headed straight institute director for The Church of group of MBA students to the country technology. to the MPA office—and was admitted. Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the where he served his mission—Chile—on

44 MARRIOTT fall 2016 45 an entrepreneurship-themed study 2004 2006 now resides in Bountiful, Utah, and initiatives in developing sub-Saharan Africa, where the bulk of her abroad. He is married to Samara Fuller, It may be a rare sort Sam Lentz consulted enjoys the local outdoors, sports, sewing, countries around the international experience had been. From Alumni News a 2002 BYU grad, and they have seven of person who finds for five years with traveling, and gardening. world. Her work there there, she moved to Primary Children’s Alumni News children. He enjoys basketball, backpack- accounting research fas- KPMG after graduat- led her to studying Hospital Foundation, where she helped ing, and playing with his kids. He and his cinating—but, thanks ing from the Marriott 2010 nonprofit management to redesign the main donor database that family currently reside in Ames, Iowa. to his BYU accounting School with his MISM Eric Channer received at BYU and receiv- is a key to daily work in the office. Now professors’ influence, in 2006. His time as a his MAcc from BYU in ing her MPA in 2012. Cawley enjoyed she works for Children’s Miracle Network 2003 Kris Allee discovered he was just that consultant gave him the opportunity to 2010 and then went on learning through travel and internships Hospitals, where she oversees a portfolio Jared M. Peterson is type. After receiving his MAcc from learn a wide variety of skills while travel- to work as an auditor abroad during her time at BYU, but of corporate partners through in-store blazing trails in the BYU in 2004, Allee left his job with the ing the world. In 2011 he completed for KPMG. He is now when graduation drew near, she decided campaigns and fundraising events. Cawley outdoor industry with Federal Reserve System to pursue a PhD at a six-month rotation in London that the head financial to take an internship with Make-A-Wish lives in Salt Lake City and enjoys traveling, his startup, Cairn, Indiana University, where he taught as an broadened his perspective on operating executive at AmeriBen, where he has America in Phoenix rather than move to playing Yahtzee, and gardening. which offers monthly associate instructor. In 2008, he graduated a global company. Lentz currently works been working since March. Channer subscription boxes and was hired on as an assistant instructor for EMC, a global technology company counts being the father of four children filled with gear and gadgets for recre- at Michigan State University, where he specializing in cloud computing, data as one of his proudest accomplishments, ation enthusiasts. With a platform that taught financial statement analysis. In storage, IT security, and big data. He along with graduating magna cum laude Building Homes, Bettering Lives collects product-review data for suppliers, 2013, Allee started as an assistant profes- is a passionate blood donor and helps and being selected as a national instruc- Cairn caught the attention of investors, sor of accounting at the University of organize Red Cross blood drives in his tor for KPMG. He and his wife, NaTasha, MPA alum Kena Jo Mathews has built her life around volun- recently raising $1.7 million. After receiv- Wisconsin–Madison. This past May, he neighborhood. Becoming one of the live in Boise, Idaho. He volunteers as a teer and nonprofit work, though she started out on a different ing his MISM from BYU in 2003, Peterson moved to the University of Arkansas as an youngest city council members ever soccer coach in the spring and fall and path. “Sometimes you end up where you’re supposed to be worked at EY in San Francisco before associate professor with tenure and as the elected, Lentz was recently elected serves as a member of the neighborhood even if you don’t realize that’s where you want to be,” she says. starting a ten-year career with Apple, Garrison/Wilson Chair in Accounting. He to serve for four years in Orem, Utah, homeowner association. He enjoys the While studying political science at the University of Utah, where he helped launch the Apple Watch. and his wife, Jessica, have five children. In where he lives with his wife, Brittany, outdoors and playing indoor soccer. Mathews worked for a senatorial candidate. But when he lost Peterson earned an MBA from the Univer- his spare time, he likes to run, golf, boat, and their two children. He is working the election, she changed course, volunteering at Habitat for sity of Pennsylvania in 2013 and founded and coach his children’s sports teams. to engage younger generations in the 2011 Humanity, where she laid the foundation for her career. Cairn in 2015. Today Peterson isn’t just civic process, and he looks forward Not enough inventory? After her first six years of serving with Habitat for Human- an outdoor enthusiast in the office: he 2005 to teaming up with the community to No problem! Mary ity, while employed with local nonprofit Neighborhood walks the walk by camping, skiing, and The recipient of develop long-term solutions for Orem’s Wilson got her start Housing Services of Provo, Mathews decided to go back to hiking with his wife, Rebecca, and their the 2016 Regents’ infrastructure challenges. working in retail as a school to get her MPA from the Marriott School. Six months two daughters. They live in Bend, Oregon. Outstanding Teach- merchandise planning after graduating in 2004, Mathews was asked to apply for the ing Award from the 2009 business analyst intern executive director position at Habitat—and landed it. While working on his University of Texas They say it’s the for Target while she was still a student at Even as the head of a nonprofit focused on building homes MPA at BYU, Spencer System, Matthew W. squeaky wheel that BYU. After graduating with a bachelor’s for displaced families in need, Mathews is the first to admit Kyle completed an McCarter isn’t content to excel in just gets the grease. But degree in business strategy in 2011, Wil- she’s not naturally one to pick up a caulking gun. “A lot of internship with the city one part of his life. He has raised more as Kelly Onstott son returned to Target, where she went people think they have to know how to build or enjoy building of Lehi, Utah. Upon than sixty thousand dollars for charities, discovered, advanc- to work managing Disney princess toys to volunteer for Habitat, but I actually am not good at building; it’s not something that I like to do,” Mathews graduation in 2003, including the Orange County Children’s ing a career can take inventory. Wilson was on hand in 2013 says. “When I went to Habitat, I had some skill in public relations, so I was able to use those skills to help the he spotted a job opening with a newly Therapeutic Arts Center, the San Antonio more than a lot of talking—it also takes when Target was hit with an avalanche of organization and not have to use a hammer that often.” Instead, she spends her days hammering out the formed city nearby. Kyle now works Battered Women and Children’s Shel- patience. Soon after finishing herEMPA demand for toys inspired by the Disney details of mortgages, donations, real estate development, and public relations. as assistant city manager of Saratoga ter, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. from BYU in 2009, Onstott felt overqual- filmFrozen . She helped weather the storm, The best part of her job? Watching the change that she makes in the lives of children. She has helped pro- Springs, Utah, where he plans, organizes, In 1996, he won the gold medal in the ified for her daily work as an accounting collaborating with vendor partners and vide safe and affordable housing for forty-three families in need so far. One family that stands out clearly in her and directs activities for the people of regional Olympic tae kwon do competi- clerk for The Church of Jesus Christ of stores to keep inventory coming and avail- memory is a single father with five children, two of whom have autism. After moving into his new home, the his city. During his time there, the city’s tion. McCarter earned his bachelor’s Latter-day Saints, where she managed able to consumers, beating all sales goals grateful father sent Mathews a Christmas email with a picture of a hammock he had put in his backyard and a population has exploded from 4,500 degree in management from BYU in 2005 in-kind donations. Frustrated, she spent in the process. Now with Levi Strauss message: when you’re a homeowner, you want to better your home. Mathews treasures those moments that residents to more than 26,000. Kyle then earned a PhD in business adminis- more than a year convincing managers & Co. as the men’s inventory planner remind her why she does what she does—to help those in need improve their quality of life. contributed to the long-range planning, tration from the University of Illinois at and HR she could offer more. On the for Levi.com, she continues to use her Her most recent project is a house with Women Build, an international program designed to get women infrastructure improvements, and strong Urbana-Champaign in 2009. He worked very day she decided she would quit strategy background to identify trends and involved in Habitat for Humanity. The homes are funded by female donors and built primarily by women. The fiscal discipline that made the growth as an assistant professor at Chapman and start a job search from scratch, plan inventory. Wilson lives in Palo Alto, house Mathews is working on now will provide a home for a local widow and her two children. possible. Kyle lives in Saratoga Springs University until 2013, when he began she was promoted to a position in the California, where she enjoys the fantastic Mathews lives in Orem and has two nieces and six nephews. When she’s not working at one nonprofit, she’s with his wife, Micki, and their young son. teaching at the University of Texas at San Church’s membership records office, a weather while pursuing hobbies such as volunteering at another. She currently serves as a board member for Intermountain Healthcare’s Women’s and He serves as a board member for the Antonio. In 2015, McCarter was awarded job she still finds rewarding, intellectu- volleyball, reading, and traveling abroad. Children’s Advisory Council, Utah Valley Interfaith Association, Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce, Extended Timpanogos Special Service District and early tenure and promoted to associate ally stimulating, and enjoyable. Onstott Romney Institute Board, and the Democratic Women of Utah County, among others. the North Utah Valley Animal Shelter. professor of management. He and his earned her BS in recreation management 2012 “I’ve always felt like I’ve been given so much that it’s really my responsibility to give back,” she says. “I’d like He is also the representative for the MPA wife, Miriam, have four children and live from BYU in 2003. She volunteered from After earning her bachelor’s degree from it to say on my tombstone, ‘She made a difference.’ I really think it’s important that everyone tries to make a class of 2003, and he enjoys golf, music, in San Antonio, Texas. McCarter likes to 2009 to 2011 as a service missionary for the University of Utah in 2007, Emily difference in their world.” spending time with family, and cheering play chess and basketball, practice mar- the Church History Museum. Originally Cawley began her career with LDS Chari- for BYU football and basketball. tial arts, and adventure in the outdoors. from a small town in Oregon, Onstott ties, working on clean water and mobility

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Rachel Alford has the website design, social media, and also managing a writing service to help found a creative way to finances. Alford loves to find marketing aspiring authors prepare manuscripts for Alumni News get her marketing nerd trends and analyze data on who looks submission. Livingston will publish two on while staying home at, favorites, and buys the products. She fiction books this year: a middle-grade with her two young and her husband, Ken, live in South book and a young adult fantasy novel. boys. Wanting an out- Carolina. In her spare time, Alford enjoys In 2003 she earned her BS in recreation let as a stay-at-home mom, she started running, sewing, and spending time with management at BYU. Fluent in Spanish an online baby clothing and accessory her family. and American Sign Language, Livingston store, Cozy Nooks, with her sister, Tracey. is working to master Mandarin and Rus- Alford had her first son a month after 2014 sian. She volunteers with the Utah County earning her bachelor’s degree in manage- Childhood dream Community Development Block Grant ment with an emphasis in international accomplished! Since Council—an organization of local leaders marketing from BYU in 2012. That fall, Janeé Livingston was working to help low-income residents— she and her sister started the online store young, her goal was to and as a marketer for Future House as a hobby. The business took off a year become a writer—and Publishing. She has served on the advisory later, and by the beginning of 2015, when today, she proudly council and as a presenter for the Gover- Alford’s second son was born, business makes her living by the written word. A nor’s Native American Summit. This year, was booming. Alford designs and cro- 2014 BYU MPA alum, she works as a grant Livingston began studying martial arts chets baby accessories and also manages writer for Utah State University while and is working toward a pilot license. Young at Heart Back in 1942, Gale Hammond had no question how he would spend the three months between his high school graduation and his eighteenth birthday—the day he would be drafted into World War II: “My dad said, ‘Go get some education. Get a trade that will help you when you’re in the service.’” In a precollege career-aptitude interview, Hammond mentioned an interest in business—his family trade back to Great-Grandfather Hammond— and was told, “Your hands are too big to be in business. You should take the mechanic course.” Undeterred, Hammond instead enrolled at LDS Business College. There he studied from morning to night, passing off one accounting class after another until he finished an associate’s degree—all before his birthday. “I graduated on a Friday and then was inducted into the army on a Monday,” he remembers. Hammond has carried that determination and work ethic with him throughout his life. After sixty-four years of running his own Salt Lake City- “tuition refund” to single graduates—he made a cold call to a girl from Las Vegas based toy store, Hammond Toy and Hobby, he still works full time at age in the singles branch. “She accepted the blind date, and we’ve been going ninety-one with no retirement in sight. “Maybe in ten years, I don’t know,” together ever since then. They didn’t give me back the tuition,” Hammond he says. “I plan on dying with my boots on.” says. “My wife has been gone about ten years, and she was the joy of my life.” After returning from WWII, where his life was spared seventeen times After graduating from BYU in 1951, he worked at Del Monte in California while in combat, Hammond was called to the Western States Mission—join- for three years before starting his own business—a toy shop run out of his ing the first cohort of postwar missionaries for theLDS Church. With no basement—with only fifteen dollars to invest in toys and games. “I sold help from seasoned proselytizers, Hammond and his companion “didn’t the inventory for twenty-five dollars and went back and bought twenty- really know what we were doing,” he remembers. “We would bang on doors, five dollars’ worth from the warehouse, and kept working up like that,” introduce ourselves, and when we finally got into a house, we didn’t know Hammond says. After two years he opened his first storefront, eventually what to say. And you can imagine, we never baptized anybody.” building to fifteen different locations in Utah. Today, he and two of his five Now known by the nickname “Mr. Missionary,” Hammond has since sons still run three of those locations and have a popular online storefront. upped his game: he’s served five stake and ward missions; volunteers as a “We are doing more business on the internet than we do in the stores,” Ham- guide at the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City; and has completed mond says. They specialize in puzzles and hobbies alongside popular toys. three full-time missions alongside “Mrs. Missionary”—his wife, Georgia. Hammond, who boasts fourteen grandchildren and seven great-grand- He met her at BYU—or, as he called it back in the day, “BY-Woo”—where children, says working in the toy business helps keep him young at heart. he studied business and accounting thanks to the GI Bill. Finding himself a His secret to long life? Work. “Moving around, doing something, working,” he | Quad bachelor near the end of his studies—and hoping to spare BYU the rumored says. “The doctors always say, ‘Keep active,’ so I have been active all my life.” 9/16 | 16-260 50 m

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