Business News

Meaningful Impact Made By Old Boy Michael Todd

On Wednesday, September 2, the College was privileged to have Old Boy Michael Todd (1987) in attendance to speak with Business classes, present at Assembly and mentor students in the Marist Men in Business programme.

Mr Todd is the founder and leader of 2blimitless, a global coaching and training company with offices in Dubai, Phuket and Brisbane.

At Assembly, Mr Todd spoke to students on several topics, including controlling what you can; viewing everything as an opportunity, and, the critical importance of self-belief. The most resonant and relevant topics Mr Todd spoke on was the importance of not ‘standing by’ and accepting that which you should not, and humility as a proactive behaviour focused on the elevation of others; being courageous and being humble. Mr Todd and the students explored ways in which to be responsible and accountable in all they do.

In the Business classes, Mr Todd discussed: change versus static process change, being prepared for disruption, and resilience to change. Mr Todd also explored ways in which we can turn challenges into opportunities and how this concept is not strictly about business but can also be applied more broadly to life.

Mr Todd also provided a fantastic opportunity for our Marist Men in Business group. He administered the Gallup BP10 survey with the boys to help them identify their entrepreneurial strengths. They discussed how to turn ideas into customers and how to identify opportunities that may present themselves within their businesses.

Mr Todd met with the Marist Men in Business group again on September 18 for one-on-one sessions. Mr Todd and the students further explored the concepts of RELATIONSHIPS, OPPORTUNITES and having a PLAN. The feedback from the group was very positive and constructive; the boys came away with a better understanding of the importance of these key points within their own business model. “One thing I took away from my session with Mr Todd was that I should be taking more risks… I am very grateful for his time.” – Angus Healy, 10 Foley.

On October 9, we were fortunate to welcome Mr Todd back to address the Year 11 boys on leadership. Mr Todd explored topics like what it means to wear the blue shirt and how to foster leadership attributes every day. Mr Todd challenged the boys to look inward to appreciate the unique opportunities presented to them as incoming Year 12 students. He challenged Year 11 to reflect on how they conduct themselves with Gratitude, Humility and Humour and to continue to find ways to be ‘above the line’ and strive to be a better version of themselves. “HUMILITY is not a passive self-deprecating behaviour, but a proactive behaviour focused on the elevation of others.”- Michael Todd, Remember Where You Came From.

Liz Walsh, a Business teacher with the College, stated: “It was great to see the ‘light switch on’ with some students and (Mr Todd has) inspired them to keep the light switched on.”

These interactions with Old Boy Michael Todd reflect the strong Marist culture created by the current students, Old Boys and families alike. The Business Department and Marist College Ashgrove humbly thanks Mr Todd for his continued involvement with the College.