'Everything you get you have to earn'
Concordia grad Trenton Miller (MBA 17) knows a thing or two about hard work and success.
In 2016, the quarterback led the Stingers football team to the playoffs. In 2015, he won the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) MVP Award.
Last year, Miller graduated with an MBA from the John Molson School of Business (JMSB). He’s now working in pharmaceutical sales in Tampa, Florida, and is about to open his second football academy.
‘Sports taught me to go beyond what’s expected’
A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Miller turned down a number of offers from other universities in the United States and Canada to come to Concordia.
“I came up for a visit and instantly fell in love with the building and the program — everyone here was so welcoming,” he says. “Studying in such a multicultural environment and meeting people from all over the world was a really great experience.”
In addition to being a varsity athlete, Miller was involved in extra-curricular activities and numerous experiential learning opportunities while at JMSB.
“I participated in the MBA Community Service Initiative,” he says. “It was an incredible experience where I got to work with Toe2Toe, a local organization whose goal is to provide adequate footwear to the homeless of Montreal.”
An aspiring entrepreneur, Miller participated in JMSB’s Dobson Practicum, which provides students with hands-on learning opportunities. He also helped launch a crowdfunding campaign for a local startup through District 3, Concordia’s innovation hub.
Last year, Miller started the Next Gen Quarterback Academy, which provides personalized training to young quarterbacks.
“Sport has taught me the importance of discipline, being on time, working hard and going beyond what’s expected of you,” he says.
“I think all of these things apply equally to being successful in business.”
Likewise, Miller says the skills he developed in JMSB’s classrooms are transferrable to the gridiron, and to becoming a game-winning quarterback.
“Everything I learned in my organizational behaviour classes translates directly to the football field,” he says.
“You have to understand people’s motivations and figure out how to talk to people in order to get them to do things they might not necessarily want to do.
“There are so many parallels between sports and entrepreneurship. In both cases, your work ethic determines your success. Everything you get, you have to earn.”
Learn more about the John Molson School of Business.