Building a Personal Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals – A Life Compass

I’ve been with Collective 54 for a little over three years now.

In that time, I’ve supported hundreds of founders and executives as they look to make more money, make scaling easier, and ultimately make an exit achievable.

Working alongside these leaders, and learning from my peers, mentors, and coaches, has felt like earning a real-world MBA. That kind of education is only possible because of the opportunities I have here.

Not to mention, one of my major goals in life is to become a founder and build something of my own one day.

And I couldn’t imagine a better place to learn, grow, and prepare for that future.

But, this wasn’t always the plan… and that’s where my personal Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals comes in.

My Engineering Dream

Since I was a kid, I wanted to be an engineer. Space, science, robotics, and mechanics all fascinated me.

I studied mechanical engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, the #1 undergraduate engineering school in the country. I earned two internships at Lockheed Martin, and upon graduation in 2020, landed a full-time role with them. It was everything I had worked for.

But after a couple of years, I began having second thoughts. Not because of Lockheed… there’s a reason over 100,000 people work there and it’s a phenomenal company.

I just started asking myself whether this was the right place for me, and if this was the life I wanted to live for the next few decades climbing the corporate ladder.

Right around that time, I received a phone call from Greg Alexander that would change everything for me.

SBI Kids Camp

Back in 2015, I met Greg at a program called SBI Kids Camp.

Greg was the founder of SBI, a high-performing sales consultancy. My dad was a consultant at the firm, and the camp brought the employees families together each year.

I now consider this a huge “lucky break” in my life.

Over the next three summers, I attended the camp where we were taught presentation skills, money management, and how to pursue an ideal life… not just your typical summer vacation (there was a little bit of that as well!)

During these camps is where I got to build a relationship with Greg.

Fast forward to 2022. I was wrestling with my career direction when Greg called me out of the blue. He had a newer company called Collective 54 and asked if I wanted to join him to help build the firm.

Being a “logical” 24-year-old engineer… I sent Greg a text asking about benefits, 401k, salary, and all the “practical” questions.

His response was comical. Something to the effect of, “You’re 24, thinking about life like you’re a 60-year-old man with a nice house and five kids. Maybe C54 isn’t for you.”

I will admit, I was a little embarrassed and confused. But, he wasn’t wrong. That response challenged a long-held belief about what I thought success looked like for a 24-year-old.

Essentially, Greg was questioning the very framework (or lack thereof) I used to make decisions.

And after a deeper phone conversation, Greg gave me homework that I’ve taken to heart: building a personal Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals.

The Two-Month Process

To start this “assignment,” I was tasked with reading Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and The CEO Next Door by Tahl Raz. I had to decide which path I wanted.

Rich Dad Poor Dad resonated immediately. The difference between the two books was night and day. And my choice was clear.

Then came the real work. For two months, I worked through a series of structured, challenging exercises:

Mission Work

• EQ, IQ, and Personality Tests to understand how I operate
  
  
• Origin Story: 15–20 detailed inflection points from my life. The vulnerable, defining ones that led me to where I was at
  
  
• External Feedback: Connect with 10-15 friends / family for specific feedback

Vision Work

• Personal Eulogy: What I’d want said at my funeral
  
  
• 5, 10, and 15-year SMART goals (where the Goals come from)
  
  
• External Perspective: Asked friends and family to write eulogies for what they believed I could become

Values Work

• Reviewed my Origin Story for patterns and core motivations
  
  
• Distilled each moment into defining characteristics
  
  
• Shared key life events with others to hear how they described me

What I Discovered

There are inherent qualities that make me who I am. And through multiple iterations and refinement, I was able to create something that provides clarity for what I want in my life:

Mission – My Purpose

• To provide opportunities for myself and others by seeking excellence, pursuing new challenges, and being a man of my word.

Vision – My Aspirations

• Executing Potential – Taking consistent, disciplined action to realize my capabilities and achieve meaningful results.

Values – My Behaviors

• Integrity – I do what I say I will do. I own up to my mistakes.
  
  
• Commitment – I am dedicated and persistent in my endeavors.
  
  
• Connection – I prioritize deep relationships with those I love and care about.
  
  
• Community – I build shared purpose and collective impact with the groups I belong to.
  
  
• Knowledge – I am continuously seeking to learn, understand, and grow.
  
  
• Health – I strive to maintain balance in mind, body, and spirit.
  
  
• Kaizen – I am committed to continuous improvement in my life.

This became my personal compass, a framework I review annually and use for every major decision. I’ve also created a physical copy I keep in my wallet:

Lockheed Martin vs. Collective 54

Now came the important choice. Lockheed Martin vs. Collective 54.

Before this, the decision felt very lopsided. Lockheed offered stability, a higher salary, benefits, and a clear path. Collective 54 was a startup. Uncertain, risky, and less structure.

Most people I spoke with advised me to stay at Lockheed.

But when I ran the decision through the lens of my MVVG, Collective 54 was the obvious choice.

And I haven’t regretted it since.

Why Should a Founder Care About a Personal MVVG?

Most founders are (pretty) clear on what they’re building. But way fewer are clear on why they’re building it, and how it supports what they want out of life.

I’ve worked with founders who’ve hit tons of milestones: revenue, profits, teams, cultures, clients, etc and still feel lost.

That’s what a personal Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals gives you. Clarity on what you want from your life and a filter to make decisions:

• Does this business support the life I’m trying to build?
  
  
• Will this decision move me closer to my long-term vision or further from it?
  
  
• Is this opportunity aligned with my personal values, or am I compromising something important?
  
  
• Does this next step challenge me in the right ways and support my growth?

Without this clarity, it’s easy to build a business or make poor decisions that don’t actually serve the life you want.

With that, if you don’t have a personal Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals built out, it might be worth considering.

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