The Power of Not Giving Up
Pivot or Persevere
For the past three years, I have been working on a project and have found myself failing and hitting a wall. Today, I want to tell you about my effort to build a research speaker series and how we finally succeeded. At the end of this newsletter, you will have access to our end-of-semester celebration of the Haile Research Lab, where you can hear more about the students' experience.
The Origin Story
During my Ph.D. at the University of Kentucky, we had a speaker series that met every week. Fridays from 3 to 5 p.m. allowed me to connect with an external scholar. I attended their workshop and tried to connect their research to mine or find things I liked about how they presented. I sometimes identified things I would recommend they improve on (as a graduate student, this was rare). I loved the speaker series because it was a mental exercise. The dopamine fix is equivalent to that of a workout.
The Challenge of Building Community
When I came to NKU, I wanted to replicate that community. However, being at a regional comprehensive university meant a different culture and different budget constraints. Yet, I still wanted to find that research community. Over the years, I tried different iterations and formats of a speaker series. They all failed to gain momentum. Attendance was low, engagement even lower, but this year, we finally cracked it.
The Breakthrough: Haile Research Lab
This year, we rolled out the Haile Research Lab, a vibrant community of students, faculty, staff, and community members interested in learning about current trends and research in business. It has been a success! The slight modification that made a huge difference was making it student-centered.
We couldn't have done it without the external scholars who visited us, including Riley Acton (Miami University), Luke Stein (Babson College), Justin Roush (Xavier University), and
. Additionally, we would like to acknowledge our internal presenters: Sami Al Farhan, Joe Cobbs, Cris Biazzin, Teressa Elliott and Janet Harrah. We also had several researchers and presenters from nonprofits like Blake Weimer, Jennifer Inman, Brooklyn Stephens, and Becca Wilson.We met every Friday for lunch, unless we were traveling for a conference or had an internal scheduling conflict. Our community came together, and it has been impactful.
Looking Forward to ‘26
We have admitted 21 students to next year's lab, added five other faculty members, and many more who will attend randomly when they are available. We will meet every Friday from 11-1230 pm in BC 251. We are scheduling some speakers. If you are interested, reach out—we would love to add you to our list of amazing speakers.
The Takeaway
Persistence matters. Creating meaningful academic communities doesn't happen overnight—it takes years of trial and error, adjustments, and a willingness to keep trying despite setbacks. I attended
’s class last week, and the phrase “Pivot or Persevere” has left its mark.What I've learned from this experience is that community building requires three key elements:
A clear purpose: The Haile Research Lab succeeded because we defined its mission as bringing together diverse perspectives to explore current business research.
Consistency: Meeting weekly at the same time (Fridays for lunch) created a rhythm that participants could build into their schedules.
Inclusivity: By welcoming students, faculty, staff, and community members, we created a richer environment for exchange than if we had limited ourselves to one group.
Sometimes, our most impactful achievements come after years of what feels like failure. If you're struggling to build something meaningful—whether a community, a project, or a personal habit—remember that the path rarely runs straight. Setbacks and adjustments are part of the process, not evidence that the goal isn't worth pursuing.
I share this story not to celebrate success, but to normalize persistence through failure. What breakthrough are you working toward that might need a few more attempts to get right? Will you pivot or persevere?
Keep on writing your story.
Dr. A
Watch the video and learn about what our students learned this semester.
"Economics with Dr. A" is a newsletter dedicated to explaining the personal side of economics. Subscribe to our mailing list for in-depth analysis, historical context, and practical guidance for navigating our complex marketplace.
Share the Knowledge: If you found this story of persistence valuable, please forward it to colleagues and friends who might be encountering obstacles in their community-building efforts. Sometimes knowing that others have struggled before succeeding is exactly the encouragement we need.
Currently Reading
I haven’t shared my reading with you lately. Here is the book I am currently reading, and I highly recommend it for anyone responsible for crafting stories for their organization.
Matthew Dicks, Moth GrandSLAM champion storyteller, writer, and business coach, offers a practical guide to leveraging storytelling for business success. He demonstrates that effective storytelling principles are universal and increasingly vital for business communication.
The book covers three core elements of compelling stories (stakes, suspense, surprise), strategic narrative structure, the benefits of vulnerability, humor usage, and differentiation strategies. Applicable to professionals at all levels - from solopreneurs to Fortune 500 executives - "Stories Sell" teaches readers how to craft impactful messages that resonate and drive results.