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Ricardo Daley ’96

Ricardo Daley ’96 was the featured speaker at the February 11 Ruth A. Miller Senior Business Seminar. Ricardo is a senior manager at C2P Enterprises, LLC in Westlake, Ohio and serves on the Thiel College Board of Trustees.

“I was especially touched that before his presentation; Daley led us in a prayer. Since I wasn’t at dinner that evening, it felt comforting to begin my night in that way.” Giovanna Franz ’27

“Born in Jamaica, Daley moved to Miami, Florida, at age 11, where he began to build the foundation for his future. While visiting Thiel College on a campus tour, he shared that the moment he pulled into the parking lot, he knew Thiel was where he wanted to be. He then went on to graduate in 1996 with degrees in business administration and accounting, played basketball, and was actively involved in Sigma Phi Epsilon.” Raegan Nelson ’26

“Something that surprised me about Mr. Daley’s story was being born in Jamaica and raised in Florida. When I meet people on campus from places like that, it can be hard to believe they really chose to come to small, wintery, Greenville. When he said that the moment he stepped on Thiel’s campus it felt like home, it made much more sense. While I have had experiences at other institutions, Thiel does truly feel like home.” Kendall McLaughlin ’26

“This week’s speaker was Ricardo Daley, a girl dad first and foremost, with a mellow personality that induces a calming and comfortable environment. He prefaced the beginning of his presentation by saying that people always like to talk about the rainbows and all the good things that happen, but he wanted to focus a bit more on the reality that your career will not be linear.” Lorene Byler ’26

“Before diving into his main points, he began the session by asking each of us to introduce ourselves, including our names, majors, hometowns, and what truly drives us in life. Sharing my own motivations allowed me to reflect on my personal values before listening to his journey.” Eunseo Lee ’26

“At the start of Ricardo’s presentation, he showed us a picture of his beautiful family and mentioned that the people in the photos were his ‘why.’ He then asked us all to stand up individually and tell him and the class our names, year, where we’re from, our majors, and our ‘why.’” Priscilla Ehrensberger ’26

“Daley also discussed how his academic interests changed over time. He originally considered a pre-law track but eventually pursued business administration with a minor in accounting. He mentioned how much he enjoyed finance, which stood out to me because many students feel pressured to have everything figured out immediately. Daley’s story showed that it is normal for goals and interests to evolve.” Sara Owens ’26

“After Thiel, Daley built a wide-ranging career in finance, retirement planning, and investment management across multiple states. He held roles with major firms such as Merrill Lynch, National City Bank, USAA, The Vanguard Group, Paychex, and Victory Capital. Throughout his career, he managed high-net-worth client portfolios, led 401(k) relationship management, exceeded asset growth targets, and consistently ranked high in client satisfaction. A point he made was that success is rarely linear, which has been shown throughout his career.” Raegan Nelson ’26

“He experienced challenges during the 2008 financial crises and was out of work for two years and seven months at one point. He used this heartache as a chance to be a stay-at-home dad, getting closer to his daughters and gaining a new appreciation for his wife’s hard work and dedication to their children.” Lindsey Pearce ’27

“He had seven principles he has learned the hard way to make him the man he is today: it is integrity, find a mentor, stay engaged, work, work ethic, set goals (short, middle, and long goals), and attachment vs commitment. The last one really sat with me because I have always thought like that but didn’t know there was a saying, but I’m a big believer in having multiple options and not cornering yourself to one thing and if it doesn’t work out then it feels like the end.” Brett Channell ’27

“I found his words of wisdom to be both motivating and realistic, which made his message feel more genuine. One piece of advice that especially stood out to me was his reminder that a career is rarely linear, a lesson that can also be applied to many other areas of life. He explained that life is like a rollercoaster, but it is important to stay the course and not give up when things become difficult.” Giovanna Franz ’27

“Another noteworthy aspect of his presentation was when he discussed fear. He told us this really extravagant story about how he walked into a crowded bar with his imaginary fiancée and acted as if she were there the entire night. He ordered her a meal, they had a great conversation, and then, at the end of the night, he proposed. When he told this story, I could not fathom that he actually did that. Never in a million years would I have ever done that. In this experiment, he learned to build confidence, and, in essence, nobody truly cares. Very few people actually acknowledged that he was having a conversation and proposed to his imaginary fiancée. He told us that this was one of the most freeing moments of his life. Through this experience, we discovered that we’re capable of achieving far more in our careers when we stop letting fear linger in the background.” Makenna Oswalt ’26

“The most powerful story for me was about overcoming fear. Sometimes I hesitate because I worry about what others will think or I am afraid of failing. But I think this is the best time in my life to challenge myself. One of my goals in coming to America was to think less and act more. Time passes too quickly to just hesitate.” Miyeon Lee ’26

“Ricardo Daley also shared meaningful personal experiences that significantly shaped who he is today. He talked about being a father to two daughters and how, after losing his job, he spent nearly three years as a stay-at-home dad. During this time, Daley explained that he began actively seeking God, which led to a powerful moment when he felt God reveal Himself to him. This spiritual turning point helped Daley gain clarity, purpose, and a renewed sense of direction, both personally and professionally.” Raegan Nelson ’26

“I found Daley’s story about faith especially inspiring. It served as a meaningful reminder that, in addition to having strong mentors and a supportive family, the Lord also plays a role in helping us find our direction in life. This perspective encouraged me to trust the process more and to remain hopeful, even when the future feels uncertain.” Giovanna Franz ’27

“Despite the curveballs life threw at Ricardo, he eventually became a born-again Christian. He described his personal testimony, and that really made me think about my own testimony.” Lindsey Pearce ’27

“It has already been one month since I came to America, and this lecture gave me many meaningful thoughts. His warm handshake at the end made the lecture even more special. It was truly an inspiring experience.” Miyeon Lee ’26

“I loved listening to Ricardo’s journey and personal experiences.” Makenna Oswalt ’26

Lessons Learned

• “Find a mentor who can tell you what you need to hear.” Lorene Byler ’26
• “Your career will not be linear, and that is okay.” Priscilla Ehrensberger ’26
• “Set clear goals, stay disciplined, and never stop learning.” Miyeon Lee ’26
• “Work on yourself when you want to attract success.” Lorene Byler ’26
• “Stay in a state of learning.” Lindsey Pearce ’27
• “Don’t worry about failing.” Giovanna Franz ’27
• “Failure is okay; take failure as a teaching moment.” Priscilla Ehrensberger ’26
• “Being afraid of failure, especially if you are worried about what other people think of you, will only hold you back more.” Kendall McLaughlin ’26
• “Networking and professionalism create valuable opportunities.” Sara Owens ’26
• “Networking is important and helped further his career.” Brett Channell ’26
• “Never bring your own business cards to a networking event. Get everyone else's; that way, you control communication.” Lindsey Pearce ’27
• “Commitment is a powerful thing, while attachment can be detrimental to our professional growth.” Makenna Oswalt ’26

Dinner Dishing

• “Dinner this week was wonderful! My table was full of great discussions and many laughs. We started with a salad, then moved on to our main course, which was Swedish meatballs on egg noodles, with mashed potatoes and carrots. The dinner was one of my favorite meals we’ve had so far, not only because of the delicious food but also for the conversations and connections made during the meal.” Raegan Nelson ’26
• “I had the pleasure of being seated directly next to Ricardo and I thoroughly enjoyed the conversations our table engaged in. I got to learn more about his family and how he is a very proud girl dad of two. He reminisced about his time at Thiel as a basketball player, and it was nice hearing that he keeps up with Thiel athletics still to this day.” Lorene Byler ’26
• “Daley also shared a funny story about going to Sephora with his daughter and being surprised by the prices. When he said that, it reminded me of my dad in Korea being shocked at cosmetic prices, and it made me laugh. Even though Korea and the United States are far apart, hearing stories about family makes them feel close. There are cultural differences, but in the end, people are living similar lives everywhere.” Miyeon Lee ’26
• “I enjoyed our conversations at the table, talking about Valentine’s Day and starting a band with Professor Witosky.” Priscilla Ehrensberger ’26