Edward P. Kinsey Commencement Address At Lourdes College May 2009

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS - MAY 16, 2009

BY; EDWARD P. KINSEY

Edward P. Kinsey, II Lourdes College Commencement Address May 16, 2009, SeaGate Center, Toledo, Ohio

President Hellmer, Members of the Board of Trustees, Members of the Faculty, proud parents, grandparents, spouses, friends and, above all, graduates. I thank you for the honor of being invited to be a part of the 51st commencement of Lourdes College. Graduates, as I’ve been briefed by President Hellmer and Sister La Point about the collective accomplishments of the Class of 2009, and particularly the hurdles that some of you have overcome, I’m humbled to be here with you on a day that marks your great accomplishments. You have all demonstrated great leadership in your paths to graduation. Over the years, as I’ve come to know various people in the Lourdes community, I’ve been particularly impressed with the programs that Lourdes offers for people affected by learning disabilities. This is an area that is very near and dear to my heart for a number of reasons, as you’ll understand from my comments. I’ve had the opportunity to see many learning disability programs in various high schools and a few universities in California. In comparison, Lourdes is one of the best programs that I’ve observed. Those of you who have used this resource know how much it’s helped you. Today, I want to talk about simple elements that are at the base of success in life; 1.

Determination

2.

Choice

3.

Faith

These are things that I’ve found from my life experiences and observations to be important. Just three simple things; that’s it.



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COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS - MAY 16, 2009

BY; EDWARD P. KINSEY

Determination Henry Van Dyke may have described determination best when he said; “Some succeed because they are destined but most succeed because they are determined”. More than anything, determination has defined the way that I’ve lived life. In my business career I discovered that I seemed to be more focused on achieving the end result of what I was engaged in than most people around me and I developed a personal mantra; if I can’t outthink ‘em, I can always out work ‘em... In a more general sense what that meant to me is I should believe in my dreams and in myself and that no matter how many challenges that I face, I should never, never give up. My first lesson in determination came from an experience in high school. It was a crisp clear fall day in October 1973. I was a senior at Clay High School on the east side of Toledo. I made an appointment to see my high school counselor, who I’ll call “Mr. Smith”. As a senior, one of Mr. Smith’s jobs was to counsel me about college admission. I’ll never forget the meeting. I sat in Mr. Smith’s office and discussed my desire to attend college and my unfamiliarity with the process. I mentioned my interest in specific schools and that I wanted to study business. I talked for a long time about my dreams and my goals. When I was finished talking Mr. Smith sat back in his chair and remained silent for a long time. He stared at me with no expression. And then he leaned forward and told me that “I was not college material and would not get accepted, let alone graduate from any college” Then he said nothing. I was shocked. College was always in my plans. In an instant, my world had been changed and my confidence had been shattered. What I didn’t know at the time, but learned as I watched my oldest daughter Katie advance through elementary school and into high school and college, was that I was visual learner. My mind learned things best using images, graphics and visualizations to organize information and communicate with others. I was one of the 25% of males who have what we call today “learning disabilities”. At the time that I was in elementary school and high school the school systems didn’t have the understanding and knowledge that they have today. Learning disability accommodations didn’t exist. You were either “smart” or...well, “not smart”. Those with less than perfect grades were directed to vocational programs. As a visual learner I wasn’t structured to learn using the teaching methods that were being used and, as a “C” average student I didn’t qualify as one of the “smart” ones. I certainly didn’t garner the confidence or support of Mr. Smith. When you look back over time, my situation enjoyed good company; Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Thomas Jefferson, Winston Churchill, Walt Disney and George Washington all had learning disabilities. Even today, in my industry;

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BY; EDWARD P. KINSEY

technology, leaders like Cisco CEO John Chambers and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison had learning disabilities. Apple Computer founder and CEO Steve Jobs was a visual learner. It’s one of the reasons why he is such as great product visionary and a master at user interface design. Albert Einstein was no “Einstein” as a youth. He had language impairments and his teachers recommended that he attend trade school. His parents didn’t listen and he was moved to a school that de-emphasized rote memorization and focused more on creative thinking and hands-on learning. The school that Einstein attended was one of the first to understand that everyone is intelligent but that there are different learning styles. Each learning style captures information in different ways but all result in an intelligent mind filled with knowledge. Every time I think of that meeting with Mr. Smith I wonder how many times in a day, then and now, that students are made to feel less than what they are because schools and teachers don’t understand the situation. It takes their confidence away. Imagine if Einstein had listened to his teachers! I didn’t listen to Mr. Smith. How dare any Mr. Smith in the world tell anyone what they are capable of achieving. It would just be their opinion and nothing else. I can’t predict how much success that each of you will have in your careers and your lives but I can absolutely guarantee you that you’re going to experience people telling you what you can’t do. You’ll each have your own “Mr. Smith’s”. You can’t control what people think about you or how they evaluate or judge you; but you can control what YOU do about it or how YOU react to it. When you do encounter Mr. Smiths you have a simple choice really; do you believe them or do you ignore them? I say ignore them! Each of us knows our drive and determination better than anyone else. We know how much we’re willing to dedicate to what we want to achieve. If your determination overpowers you, you’ll develop a fondness for taking on a project, task or mission that’s “impossible”. Before anything has been invented, developed or organized it was previously not possible. For me, a great example of this fact is the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk. When he first flew, Wilbur Wright didn’t have a pilots license. If Wilbur had listened to his “Mr. Smith”, I would have traveled to Toledo on horseback. Ignore them who tell you that you can’t. Understand that as someone who can visualize something that hasn’t been achieved before; you are gifted. Focus your mind and your efforts on the determined accomplishment of all that you know you can achieve and don’t waste one minute thinking about those who tell you that you can’t. Trivialize them. Muhammad Ali once said; “The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life”. I’m 51 and I can tell you that you will view things

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BY; EDWARD P. KINSEY

differently as you grow into more life experiences. What shouldn’t change, however, is how you view success. It’s important for each of you to understand what you view and value as success. Define your success now. Really reflect on what you think is important and what will satisfy you as you advance in your life and your career. If you don’t have a plan and definition of what you want to achieve and where you want to go you’ll likely get nowhere. As David Brent, the fictional office manager character from the BBC version of the television show “The Office” once said; “some days you’re the pigeon and some days you’re the statue”. Be prepared because the one thing that is absolutely certain and the second thing that I can guarantee you in your life is you’re going to experience some failure and setbacks. It’s one of the symptoms of having a plan for success. When they happen take a moment and reflect on what you learned from the situation. Whether it was your mistake or something outside of your control doesn’t matter, there is always something that can be learned. Those moments can be epiphany moments because when you objectively reflect on what happened you have the greatest learning experiences of your life and will have some of the best moments of your career. The next step is the most important; just stand up from the set-back, brush the dust off your pants and move forward. Your future success trivializes your past failures and setbacks. I mentioned the determination of Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs so it’s fitting that I leave the topic of determination with one of my favorite quotes from Steve; “Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” - Steve Jobs



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COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS - MAY 16, 2009

BY; EDWARD P. KINSEY

Choice Mention the word “choice” and for most people, it brings to mind the pro-choice/pro-life debate. Well, I’ll leave that commencement controversy and debate to Notre Dame for today. The choice that I refer to is a more general one; choices in your personal and professional lives. Choice is perhaps the biggest challenge that your generation will face. Choices will confront you regarding career decisions, personal life decisions and community decisions such as voting. In the last 20 years, the amount of information available for personal, professional and community decisions has advanced to a point where very little information can be hidden and where the amount of information available can be overwhelming. The technology industry has lead this. The internet alone has been the tool that has affected more choices than anything in the history of the world. It’s been the single factor in the advancement of communications from the masses of people. Now, rather than sampling populations to find out what people are thinking and what they want through polling, we have reached a time when activities and interests are organized around “communities” where broadcast and feedback communications happen constantly and immediately through “Wisdom of Crowd” structures. Examples include Yelp, Scribd, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. This is a phenomenal development for our lifestyles...and it’s only at the infancy. What you will be able to do before the end of your lives will be incredible. All of it will increase the number of choices that you will have and the number of decisions that you will be making in your lifetimes. It all comes down to the volume of information available. When we study ancient cultures we examine their writings. In the future, when our culture is studied, the best way to understand what was truly on our minds will be to see what the top Google search terms or the top-10 Twitter topics were at any one point in time. And it could truly be studied by an exact point in time....down to the second. Can you imagine if Twitter or Google existed at the time when Jesus was walking around the Middle East? The Bible could have been written by the collection of live “Tweets” alone. The technology of my earlier years was different. Which, for the record, was not at the time of Jesus. There were limited choices. First, personal computers didn’t exist. Calculators were very large four function devices only seen in accounting departments. Engineers used “slide rules”...have you ever heard of one of those? Simple four function calculators that are now given away for free were just being introduced. My oldest sister bought one for $70.00 at Sears. When I had to do research at home it was based on a mid 1950‘s set of the Encyclopedia Britanica. For more advanced research I had to go to the library and look up information from a card catalogue that was based on something called the “Dewey Decimal System”. When you were lucky enough to find a book on the subject that you were researching you had to count on the fact that it hadn’t been checked-out by someone else. The availability of books and information was based on the size of the budget of the school system and the city where you lived.

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BY; EDWARD P. KINSEY

Could you imagine doing research today using an internet that hasn’t been updated in 10 years? Or, even worse, doing mathematical calculations with pencil and paper! The limited choice of this time was very obvious in the news and in what we now know as political media. Obtaining news was from two primary sources in those times; the newspaper and the television. Believe it or not, radio was mostly for music with brief locally-focused news. Talk programs were not in existence for the most part. All had limited choices; in a town like Toledo there were only two newspapers; a morning newspaper and The Blade. For broadcast news through television you only had three choices; NBC, CBS and ABC. It was advanced for it’s time but it was limited by today’s standards. Something about it, however, was different than today; the media reported news based on the facts. There was no need to add anything else to it because with limited choices each outlet could expect a significant portion of the market and the advertising revenues that they charged at that time showed their dominance. At that time, the idea that information could flow freely around the world in a cabled and wireless network were, well, out there... The concept of “tweeting” thoughts through a “Wisdom of Crowds” community like Twitter was even further out there. The thought of putting everything about your social life on-line like Facebook was unheard of. Today, what you probably take for granted is different to say the least. Information outlet choices are endless ranging from media web pages, blogger sites to Tweets. It’s wonderful to have so many choices but it creates some interesting dynamics. Each outlet has to compete for the attention of their audiences; you. There are so many vying for your time that they have to sensationalize the content. This results in all kinds of entertaining innovations in news reporting, such as stories that don’t deserve our attention, the exclusion of stories that should be reported and a focus on creating stories around news that may not be factual or accurate. This is bias. In December 2005, a ten-year study at UCLA under the direction of UCLA political scientist Tim Groseclose and University of Missouri economist Jeffrey Milyo showed that broadcast and print media were biased in their reporting. Some were right biased and many were left biased. None were in the middle even though all stated that they were. What’s the significance of this fact? The media is trying to tell you what to do. They are “selling” you on what they believe. During elections their reports are structured around their opinions and not on the facts. The same type of bias exists in the choices that we make about what foods to eat. I’m afflicted with hypertension and have to watch my sodium intake. I actually look at the labels on the shelf in the stores. It’s amazing marketing of information. “Lower sodium” and “reduced sodium” can mean that it’s reduced from fatal levels to just lethal levels. In both cases; information from media outlets and internet sources, and nutritional information that is marketed on food packages, we are all being marketed through attempts to direct our actions and our decisions. In one case it’s sound bites and talking points and in the other it’s pleasant ways of describing minimal efforts. Both have one

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BY; EDWARD P. KINSEY

thing in common; they want to sell you something. They want you to make your decision based on what they tell you. Both are trying to tell you what to do. Don’t let them! You are the buyers, whether its your vote or your dollars. You are the ones who should be making decisions based on what YOU believe and not on what someone else believes. Mark Twain once said that “truth is more of a stranger than fiction”. That timeless statement may be the most succinct statement that will define what you will be exposed to as you lead your personal and professional lives and work to make community decisions. Biased or misleading information anywhere is a threat to unbiased and factual information everywhere. Class of 2009; demand facts! Don’t accept biased presentation of any form of information. Most importantly, learn how to distinguish between someone or something telling you what YOU should do and someone giving you facts for YOUR decision. They are entirely different things. Follow your common sense instincts. Talk to you parents and grandparents. The best information that you should seek is from those who have walked around this planet for a few more years than you. We’re living in challenging times. Your decisions are critical. In 1984 when Apple Computer launched a new computer called the Macintosh they aired what became one of the most watched commercials of all time. Before YouTube it was the most requested commercial to view at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City. Now, it’s one of the highly viewed video clips on YouTube. In this ad, they presented a great visual of mindless people marching in unitarian clothing into a room where they sit to watch biased media tell them how great things are. Don’t let this be you. In my time we had to seek information but in your time you have to choose. Make the choices your own and demand factual information. With factual information your personal decision in the pro-life/pro-choice debate will be easy.



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COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS - MAY 16, 2009

BY; EDWARD P. KINSEY

Faith One of the phrases of my generation was “keep the faith”. I don’t exactly know what the “faith” was at that time but that phrase died a long time ago. It was too bad because faith is an important element of living a full life. I’m not specifically referring to just spiritual faith. I’m referring to the beliefs that you each hold deer in your hearts and integrate into your lives. The things that define you. Believing in something propels you to achieve greatness in whatever you choose. What defined my faith came from a very early life observation and from the example that my mother lived. My mother was one of the greatest influences in my life. With a little information I think you’ll understand why. Irene Laverne Toth, my mother, lived a life as an energetic spirit who developed a strong work ethic from being raised on a farm on the east side of Toledo. She was very popular in high school and served on student council. She was also what was the equivalent of the homecoming queen, or as they called it at that time, the Apple Blossom Queen. She was a beautiful woman who experienced the years of the Great Depression and, perhaps most significantly, the beginning of World War II, in the single years of her adulthood. For Irene, reading the paper in the morning was a way to learn if anyone she knew had been killed in the war. She married my father at the age of 22 and started a family as my father served in the 69th Armored Division of the Army. When the war ended they settled into productive lives as most did following their various war experiences. They had two daughters; Connie and Kathy. in the early 1950’s, Connie developed a brain tumor and died soon after surgery when she was 11 years old. Until the day that my mother died last September, she always told me that the hardest thing to experience as a parent is the loss of a child. Even when she was 88 years old, and more than 50 years later, the thought of Connie would bring tears to her eyes. In the years before the loss of her daughter my mother lost her mother, with whom she was close, and her beloved brother Alex, with whom she described as a strong father figure. Four years after Connie’s death, after my parents brought my sister Michele and me into this world, and when I was just 11 months old, my father took his own life. He committed suicide. My mother was 37 years old at that time and was left with three children to raise on her own. Think about that for a moment; can you imagine being 37 years young and experiencing that that much loss?



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BY; EDWARD P. KINSEY

The year was 1957 and it was a different time for widow heads-of-households to say the least. I don’t know how my mother handled all of this tragedy but how she lived her faith is one of my earliest memories and one of best leadership examples that I’ve been exposed to. When I was about 3 years old I remember that my mother would gather my two sisters and me together every night to pray the Rosary in front of large statue of Our Lady of Fatima. The Blessed Mother. That may not seem significant but looking back on that time in my mother’s life, she could have found at least a dozen excuses to reject her spiritual beliefs, she had every reason to be mad at God and perhaps the world. She could have relieved her sorrow and her struggles in alcohol or drugs. She could have resented the fact that she had to raise three children. She could have blamed the world. She did none of those. She reached out to her faith and showed that she believed in God more than ever and in doing that, she modeled what faith is all about. Those images are images that I will never forget. Until the day that she died, the one thing that she reminded me often was “don’t loose your faith in God”. What I’m about to say could be considered by some in today’s world to be politically incorrect, but; • I believe, trust and have faith in God • I pray the Rosary every day • My patron saints are Saint Jude and Saint Martin de Porres.

My statements do not attack any other faith or disrespect them in any way whatsoever. They are expressions of love and respect and a reflection of my personal beliefs. Those are at the core of my beliefs and are the source of my personal principles and my integrity. Between these spiritual beliefs, and the example of my mother’s life, the development of a philosophy of reaching out to others in need was a natural core component of my integrity. Knowing what you believe will shape your own destiny. Take the time early in your careers to explore and define those beliefs. My core beliefs come from my spiritual beliefs and experiences but that’s what my experience has been. You each have different experiences and I urge you to take inventory of what you value and build a life and a belief structure around those values. More than 20 years ago, and about 10 years into my career, I listened to a prominent management consultant speak at a seminar. One of the points that he made registered very strongly with me. He was discussing the importance of defining your principles and how knowing them would make just about any business or personal decision that you made easier.

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BY; EDWARD P. KINSEY

As a simple example, if one of your principles stated that you would not steal, you would have a simple decision whenever you were confronted with the opportunity. I have a business principle that I’ve adapted from this that states that I would never enrich my personal finances at the expense of my company or in ways that are egregious in relation to my company or the employees of my company. Seems straightforward doesn’t it? Maybe pure common sense...but it’s challenging. When I was involved in co-founding Ariba it was during the dot com boom. Ariba was to the web 1.0 era what Google is to the web 2.0 era. We were highly sought after by investors before we were a public company. Many of them offered ME opportunities to invest in private stocks or to receive cash payouts from investments that seemed too good to be true. This “opportunity” was for me only and not for my company or anyone else in it. I was the CFO of the company and, of course, the payback was letting those investors invest in Ariba. It was tempting. Because of my personal principal I turned them down. As it turns out from the information that flowed-out of litigation after the dot com meltdown in 2001, others were offered the same opportunities but I was one of the few that said no. When these arrangements were front-page news in the Wall Street Journal there were many Silicon Valley names listed...but not mine. In looking at what might have happened if I had participated in some of them, I would have made approximately $250,000. That’s a lot of money! But my integrity as a finance and business professional would have been compromised forever. It would have been a skeleton in my not-so-secret closet. I’ve never regretted those decisions. Contrast that to today’s news; Bernie Madoff. He lived a lavish lifestyle with the money that his investors entrusted to him. Personally, I can’t imagine living like that. Clearly, Mr. Madoff had no business principles and no unifying beliefs, spiritual or otherwise. If you believe or have faith in nothing as core values, you disbelieve everything else that you encounter. You also have no principles to rally around. I call that being a “belief agnostic”. That’s a tragic existence. Belief agnostics don’t have faith. They really don’t have much to strive for or much to guide their actions. They have hollow integrity and execute their life decisions with confusion and no conviction. They also live with no passion. As one final reflection about faith, I’d like to note a recent controversy. Most of you have probably followed the story of Miss USA California, Carrie Prejean. Carrie answered a question concerning her believes about gay marriage honestly. She said she didn’t believe in it personally and ignited a storm of controversy for simply stating her personal beliefs. Most of the controversy was directed against her for answering with her personal beliefs.

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BY; EDWARD P. KINSEY

The debate about gay marriage isn’t why I note this. Carrie wasn’t afraid to answer a question by stating her beliefs. She didn’t impose her beliefs on anyone else but just stated what they were...and then she had to defend herself. You’ll likely have to similarly defend your beliefs, and perhaps your faith, during your personal and professional lives. Stand proudly and defend them; don’t hide from them. Ever! If you do, you allow changes to occur and things to happen which you know in your heart are not necessary or not good. In those times, remember the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.; “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”. Just as my mother showed me that putting faith in your beliefs in your most challenging time is a true way to give strength to your life and the lives of those around you I urge you to develop your faith and your core beliefs and to defend your beliefs at whatever the cost. Knowing what you believe will shape your integrity and your destiny. Believing in a strong set of core values will propel you to achieve greatness and prevent you from compromising your principles. As we used to say in the 1970‘s “Keep the faith”.



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COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS - MAY 16, 2009

BY; EDWARD P. KINSEY

Closing In my discussion today I’ve focused on three points that I hope you remember always; 1.

Believe in your dreams and yourself and no matter how many challenges you face, never give up,

2.

All generations before you had to seek; you have to choose. Don’t let others tell you how to choose. Demand and seek facts and make your own decisions,

3.

Have faith in what you believe and it will propel you to achieve greatness in whatever you choose.

Today is a day of celebration for all of you and your families so I would like to conclude my comments with one of my favorite quotes. I found this quote several years ago and related to it for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that I’ve tended to question established practices and philosophies and I’ve typically chosen the road less traveled and found myself on the cutting edge of change where I’ve bled more often than not. More than anything I think I’ve related to it because it speaks of living a life with passion and I’ve tried to do that every day. Those of you who have heard this may think of Apple Computer as the source. Some of you, as I do, think of Steve Jobs because it’s truly a perfect description of Steve’s life. This quote is actually attributed to Jack Kerouac, who was as an American author, poet and painter and who, with William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg is considered a pioneer of the Beat Generation. “Here's to the Crazy Ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine.

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BY; EDWARD P. KINSEY

They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward... While some see them as the crazy ones, I see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” -Jack Kerouac Class of 2009, be one of the Crazy Ones!



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BY; EDWARD P. KINSEY

About the Author Edward Phillip Kinsey II, B.B.A., C.P.A. Doctor of Public Service, Honoris Causa Throughout his life, Edward Phillip Kinsey II has demonstrated outstanding qualities of leadership, service and achievement that are truly worthy of public recognition. In his roles as leader and entrepreneur, he has offered solutions to people and businesses throughout the country. A highly respected businessman, Mr. Kinsey has served on the boards of numerous corporate, educational and non-profit organizations including Comergent Technologies, Inc., DiCarta, Inc., BUILD, Inc., and the Central City Ministries of Toledo. Mr. Kinsey is the CEO of Determination Ventures, LLC and Co-Founding Partner of The Kinsey Hills Group. He also co-founded and served as Executive Vice President of Ariba, Inc., a leading provider of Spend Management solutions that help companies analyze, understand and manage their corporate spending to achieve increased cost savings and business process efficiency. An active serial entrepreneur and start-up venture capital investor in Silicon Valley, he has served other Silicon Valley companies as either the Vice President or CFO of CenterView Software, Inc., Zenger-Miller, Inc., and in various finance roles at Wells Fargo Bank in San Francisco, California. Prior to his current success, Mr. Kinsey also served in the audit and consulting departments of PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP and KPMG in San Francisco and Toledo, Ohio. His venture capital investments are concentrated in markets that promote the formation of “wisdom of crowds” communities for those who are reached via the internet. Through these initiatives, he provides a coordinated and consolidated voice for citizens, consumers, customers, constituents and communities. Mr. Kinsey ensures that all investments are focused around simple life activities that are improved and enriched by the power, content and capabilities of the internet. Mr. Kinsey is dedicated to service to others. He believes that success is inspirational and he strives to aid all persons in achieving an education. Perhaps his most lasting and greatest achievements are in the areas of service and education to young children and adults. His Kinsey Family Foundation not only provides assistance to those who have been affected by unfortunate circumstances but most importantly, increases awareness of the long-term impact learning disabilities have on our society both locally and nationally. Mr. Kinsey’s drive and determination were shaped by his mother who faced many challenges while raising her family. Inspired by her dedication, he went on to earn a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1979 and holds Certified Public Accounting certificates in California and Ohio. In 2002, he was inducted into his alma mater’s Hall of Fame as well as the Hungarian American Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was honored with the Peacemaker of the Year Award for his outstanding achievement in business and service to the Toledo, Ohio region.

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