On Thursday night, motivational speaker Jullien Gordon gave a presentation titled ‘Disorientation’, which highlighted some of the challenges facing new graduates. Student Life and the Associated Students of California Lutheran University Government hosted the event for juniors and seniors.

Assistant Director of Student Life Jaime Faucher organized the event, which, in addition to the speaker, featured an Italian dinner and Sprinkles cupcakes. After eating, the fifteen students in attendance gathered at the front of the Lundring Event Center to have a closer conversation with Gordon.

Gordon is a business coach, author and the founder of The Freedom School, a series of online courses designed to develop enterprising skills. He describes his work as “helping people identify their purpose.”

Having graduated from Stanford with his MBA, Gordon uses his business acumen and spirituality to encourage new entrepreneurs to start their own businesses and find freedom in their lives.

“Freedom is a state of mind that is available to everyone,” Gordon said in his speech. He said that performing unpleasant work for an employer parallels slavery and his goal is to “fully free more people than Harriet Tubman.”

According to Gordon, part of being free means doing what you love for a living. He believes that entrepreneurship allows for mental freedom, financial freedom and the freedom to use your time however you choose.

“If you’re selling your time to the highest bidder, it’s no different than prostitution,” said Gordon, “But at least a prostitute gets something more from the gig.”

Gordon’s speech, written exclusively for Cal Lutheran students, focused on debt management, measuring success and career development in the changing job market. He stressed the importance of refusing to sacrifice happiness in order to make money.

“We’re programed for the first 18 years of our lives to follow a linear path,” Gordon said. “First comes love, then comes marriage, then kids and a job your mom can brag to her friends about… but there’s no reason this has to be your truth.”

Faucher said Gordon has been invited to speak on campus every spring for the last five years because students respond well to his speech. In previous years, the event had only been open to graduating seniors but this year juniors were also invited.

“We heard students say that they wished they had heard Jullien speak sooner,” Faucher said of the change.

After the speech, students formed a line to ask Gordon questions and seek advice from the six-time author and five-time TED speaker. Questions ranged from how to select a graduate school to marketing inquiries for new businesses.

The event was scheduled to run 7-8:30 p.m., but Gordon spoke until nearly 9 p.m. and stayed long after to answer questions from students.

Seniors Amy Harger and Ali Nibarger discussed the insights Gordon offered as they left. Harger said she was excited to share the information with a friend who couldn’t attend the event.

“He’s feeling a little lost right now,” said Harger of her friend. She said she felt Gordon’s information about investing in real estate and wealth management might be helpful for him.

“A lot of people are lost or stuck at this age,” said Nibarger to Harger. “It was helpful to hear someone reiterate that you don’t need to know what you’re going to do yet.”

Students who attended the event received a business card case engraved with the Cal Lutheran logo and a copy of Gordon’s book, co-written with Patricia Hudak, titled “101 Things To Do Before You Graduate.” Items on the book’s list include participation in a study abroad program, writing a business plan and creating a portfolio.

Katherine Lippert
Reporter