“Don’t chase money, chase experiences.” From the moment Stanton Dodge took some business law classes he knew he’d found his niche, and career passion. Once this epiphany hit our Deans Leadership Speaker Stanton Dodge (’91), he acknowledged he had found his path. And once discovered, he would “walk through walls,” including working for free for a time, to achieve his goals.

As part of the Grossman School of Businesses’ Deans Leadership Speaker Series, Dodge spoke to a packed Waterman Memorial Lounge about his somewhat unconventional personal journey and career path, and offered his unique insights into the singularly focused mindset needed to succeed in business.

Dodge is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of DISH; the satellite media company. He is responsible for all legal and government affairs for DISH and its subsidiaries and oversees Corporate Communications. 

He emphasized there are no short cuts to success and the need “to hone your craft,” demonstrating this principle with Malcolm Gladwell’s Outlier theory that it takes 10,000 hours to be world-class at anything. That it’s okay to make mistakes, and why it is so important to discover your career passion - “because once you do, you will never work another day in your life. You will have found your holy grail.”  He also encouraged students to make the most of their college education and seek out internships as "you will graduate with a resume."

Sophomore Olivia Machanic said “Stanton’s thoughtful commentary and powerful insights highlighted the need for passion within the workplace. He suggested involvement in internships, reading the Wall Street Journal, and discovering a career that excites you. I honestly felt that he was speaking directly to me! I look forward to implementing his ideas to better my UVM career.”

“His insights into what it takes to reach and succeed at the highest levels, serve as a great example to our students as they prepare to become responsible business leaders and entrepreneurs in today’s complex and dynamic global economy” said Grossman School of Business Dean Sanjay Sharma. “We are very grateful to Stanton that he took time from his busy schedule to speak to our students.”

In addition to his talk, Dodge took time out for a working breakfast with top Grossman students as well as meeting with UVM president, Tom Sullivan.

The Dean’s Speaker Series provides UVM students with an unparalleled view of the current issues and trends facing business leaders today.