Reflections

Seeded for Success

In his graduation ceremony address to the MBA Class of 2024, Julian Duncan ’99 (BA), ’06 (MBA) described the seemingly small and insignificant moments of his life that grew to become his passion, career and purpose.

As a kid I attended an all-Black, inner-city private school that celebrated the traits and skills we demonstrated daily. One student’s certificate said “Artist,” while another’s said “Engineer.” Mine said “Leader.” It wasn’t as fun or easy to internalize as “Artist,” but I felt a sense of pride in this moniker. A seed was planted.

During summer months, I would spend weekdays at my grandparents’ house, which I loved doing because they always had great snacks and a big TV. I loved watching TV. My love for watching TV was only matched by my dread of playing outside. As I watched TV during the day, I began to notice patterns, specifically in advertising. I noticed that when cartoons ended and soap operas began, the commercials changed from GI Joe action figures and sugary cereals to household cleaning supplies and Calgon soap. I began to piece it together — certain people watch certain things at certain times, and companies use marketing to connect with them and sell them stuff. It was fascinating to me, even at a young age. Another seed.

Later, when I got to middle school, my PE coach told me to play football in seventh grade because I was kind of tall and kind of big. I blithely agreed — remember, playing sports outside was not my thing. After multiple botched attempts at putting on equipment, I went to my first football practice. Outside. In the heat. With 20 pounds of gear on. During that practice, I got absolutely crushed by an eighth grader. Not to mention, I couldn’t stop dry heaving after post-practice conditioning. Even so, I was hooked and rode the wave through high school varsity, the Rice Owl football team, NFL Europe and the Canadian Football League. Sports took me around the world and brought me joy. Yet another seed.

Much later in life, I found myself at Rice Business having a conversation with an advisor who asked the question, “Why are you here?” My response: “To increase my earning potential.”

The advisor said, “If that’s your sole reason, you may want to reconsider your place here.”

I was shocked.

But the advisor quickly kicked into mentor mode: “Once you earn the Rice Business MBA, you’ll be able to make money. But what you should consider is how to make money by doing something you love to do. Something you’re passionate about.”

Leadership. Marketing. Sports. All of a sudden, the seeds that were planted came together. From that point on, the challenge became finding the opportunity that made the best fit.

Thanks to my rigorous training at Rice Business, I was able to secure a spot in Nike’s coveted marketing rotational program, beating out hundreds of other MBAs. This opportunity led to a 10-year career with Nike, followed by becoming the first Black chief marketing officer of an NFL football team. And eventually, I returned home to Houston to serve as the chief marketing and strategy officer of my beloved Houston Rockets.

Throughout my life, I was challenged to discover what moved me and to connect it to a career pursuit. In each of those moments, a small spark of passion ignited something larger.

However, my career path needed more than passion to solidify. I also needed a sense of purpose. Something that extends beyond my day-to-day work.

For a decade, I worked at Nike with my best friend, Jabari. During that time, thanks to mentors, advocates and our hard work, we were fortunate to be in leadership rooms that mid-level employees typically had no access to. We weren’t always in those rooms at the same time, but we often had the shared experience of being the only Black people there. We talked often about this and expressed our desire to transform those spaces.

During the height of the pandemic, Jabari and I observed compounding events that disproportionately impacted Black people in corporate roles. Not only were Black individuals still not in the right rooms, but they also faced higher unemployment rates. And those who had jobs had to contend with heightened racial tension, which held our nation in both a figurative and literal chokehold.

From this crucible, a shared purpose emerged for me and my friend — to provide mentorship for people of color seeking to advance into leadership roles in corporate spaces. Sixteen years after Jabari and I first met, our “why” manifested in the form of Monday Night Mentorship, a collective of 5,000 people that we serve by providing curriculum, content and community. Together, Jabari and I are transforming the complexion of leadership, one mentee at a time.

As I reflect on my journey, I now recognize the seeds of leadership, marketing and sports that took root early on. Over time, they grew into a career that allowed me to break barriers.

Today, as I work to mentor and uplift others, I see the fruits of these seeds blossoming in the lives of those I serve. When you plant seeds with care, nurture them with passion and guide them with purpose, they can grow into something extraordinary.

Julian Duncan’s advice to early-career graduates

CONSIDER YOUR “WHY.” There’s a line in Shakespeare that says, “This above all: to thine own self be true,” which is vital to understanding one’s sense of purpose. When you know yourself and are true to yourself, the kaleidoscope of your life can sharpen into a clear and beautiful mosaic. The extraneous falls away, leaving you with a line of sight into your journey. That’s when you can begin asking yourself questions like “Where’s the need?” and “How can I deliver it?”

KNOW YOUR PEOPLE. Be conscious of other people’s humanity — your co-workers, employees, bosses, family and friends. Behind every widget and financial statement is a person who deserves your respect, yearns for your leadership and attention, or sometimes simply needs a listening ear. Meeting people where they are may be the most important responsibility of enterprise leadership. My father, John Duncan, aka “Pops,” is a multi-hyphenate creative who has imparted many things to me. One of the most poignant is an appreciation for people and the importance of connecting with them. He reminded me to keep it about the people because as leaders, we’re nothing without them.

TURN UP! CELEBRATE THE WINS! PARTY! Don’t be so tied up in things that you forget to acknowledge your accomplishments, however large or small. You’ll work hard and sacrifice for your wins. Be a source of energy that celebrates the wins as well as the lessons you learn from failure. They say misery loves company. You know what else loves company? Good energy! Vibes! People celebrate everything when they’re younger, it seems, but for some reason we fall away from celebrating as we get older. Don’t ignore or miss opportunities to be a party starter. Remember, a cheering stadium starts with one clap.

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