Education is the foundation of all success.

I went to college. That doesn’t make me smarter than my friends or those of you who didn’t, but it exposed me to a lot of new things and taught me a lot about how to learn. I can remember one of my friends at the time, a guy I’d been friends with in high school, talking about how stupid college was because I was spending all that money to listen to professors talk, while he was making money and getting a jump-start that would probably keep him ahead of me forever.

I can articulate my thoughts about that a lot better now. At the time, I just thought he was an idiot. What he didn’t understand was that I was gaining foundational skills to build my future. He was learning how to do a job. Both are good, but the more you learn, the greater the opportunities you’ll have. The fact that he couldn’t see the value in education was frustrating.

I was spending money and he was making it, that’s for sure. But I was paying to learn from some incredibly bright and talented people. Those opportunities are invaluable.
What I see more clearly today is those opportunities don’t just come at universities. They’re all around us. Opportunities to learn and grow are limitless, if you can recognize them and take advantage of them. That’s part of what I learned in school.

It doesn’t take a master’s degree to clean a sewer lateral, but being a master of anything requires a wealth of knowledge. Education is the foundation of a better business and a better life. I can push a cable down a line, but I certainly couldn’t tackle the job with any degree of skill or proficiency. If you’re good at your job, you’ve spent a lot of time gaining the knowledge and skill to get where you are.

This month’s Better Business column focuses on five ways to keep learning. Taking responsibility for your education is No. 1 on the list. That doesn’t mean you need to go back to school, but you can still make learning a priority. There are always new skills, techniques and business strategies to master. All can improve your business. And there are so many easily accessible resources available. The internet holds a wealth of information. Your peers can be a tremendous resource. Who better to learn from than the people who’ve found success in your industry? Even this magazine is a great way to stay on top of industry developments, new technology and successful business practices.

My buddy ended up doing pretty well for himself. He parlayed his well-drilling experience into an opportunity in the oilfields. But he did so because he was good at his job and found ways to continue improving. Whether you’re taking classes to improve your business acumen or combing through online trade forums for insight on technical issues you face in the field, education is the foundation of a better business and a better life.

I hope you see the value in education, and that we can play a role with these stories.

Enjoy this month’s issue.