Mr. Leroy Hermes graduated from the University of Houston in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in architecture. He then went on to build his own architect firm that he owned and operated up until he retired and turned it over to his coworkers to continue his legacy. Thinking back Mr. Hermes had one common theme that he lived through out his life and that he expressed to us in his speech; he was driven and passionate about what he did. Everyday when he went to work he loved what he was doing and he never got tired of it. This is something that I hope to achieve one day when I get to use my love of photography to create a business like Mr. Hermes did after graduating back in 1986. He told us that his greatest satisfaction was creating something on paper and then seeing it converted into an actual building. I get the same rush of excitement when I see something that I captured through my lens come to life in a photograph. See a picture to me isn’t just “worth a thousand words” as some people say, it is the ability to stop time, to preserve a moment or memory forever. After listening to Mr. Hermes speak to us I found myself thinking about how truly passionate I am about my future as a photographer. He told us to, “Stay focused, go for your goals, and don’t stop until you reach them.” I don’t know about everyone else in the room, but after this speech I felt inspired.

            Our careers are what we make out of them; they are what we put into them. If we don’t challenge ourselves or push our boundaries we will never get the chance to be outstanding at our jobs. The question is, who wants to be ordinary? Mr. Hermes told us “the people who survive in business, are the ones who will do ANYTHING to reach success.” We have to commit to working hard to achieve our goals and do it in the right way, no short cuts. If we are doing things right then there will always be goals in front of us to try and reach, the question is will we ever reach them? In Mr. Hermes case he achieve every goal and dream that he could have ever imagined. His largest and proudest accomplishment was designing Reliance Stadium and Reliance Center. When I heard him say this I was shocked, this was a career goal for him to create something so well known and he did it. But the real world isn’t just about dreams and goals, there is much more involved with running a successful business and Mr. Hermes discussed some of his tips with us.

            First of all he instructed us to never stop learning, no matter what career path we choose it will change and evolve over time. So we can’t ever stop learning of we will get left behind. Next he told us to always look for opportunities to become a better leader and person. In saying this I feel like he was telling us that there is always room in our lives for personal improvement, we can always work towards becoming the best version of ourselves. Mr. Hermes also put a lot of emphasis on the importance of surrounding yourself with good people, and then treat and manage them fairly. Through doing this in our businesses we will be able to form a reliable network of people who work hard, and do there best for you as there boss and for your company as a whole as well. Lastly Mr. Hermes told us that if we wrap all of the core-values up into one word you get entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is thinking outside the box and being different from the person sitting next to you. The people who rise-up and are courageous leaders are the true entrepreneurs. Mr. Hermes told us that “instead of being afraid of failing, take risks.” The risk takers are the ones, who make a difference, so who are you going to be? The one who plays it safe or the one who takes the risk?