This is part of a series of advice for young entrepreneurs. Selected Loan Mantra employees share commencement advice to new college graduates interested in starting their own businesses.
Dear Class of 2025,
I graduated in a time of economic uncertainty, similar to the one we find ourselves now. At the top of Times Square, a Time billboard captured the moment for my generation of newly minted graduates. Beside an image of two students in mortarboards leaping high into the air, it read, “Millennials: Overeducated, underemployed, wildly optimistic.” Needless to say, I identified with the individuals on the billboard. I vividly remember being full of ambition, caffeine, and just the right amount of fear...and optimism.
The Well Read Journey
As an undergraduate, I was one of those undecided students who ascribed to the “more is more” approach. (Judd Apatow’s early tv shows were based on intellectual wanderers like me who collected majors like they were from a sample sale in Soho). My initial plan? To pursue law. My bags were packed and I was on my way to law school. Life intervened, and I ended up in graduate school studying English and U.S. History instead.
A few days before my thesis defense, I spoke with a friend who is a well-respected banker. He casually asked what I had been reading. That being the question du jour, I shared a few titles from the long list of books culled for my thesis research. He remarked, "I wish I could read more for pleasure, but my busy schedule means I only have time to read 'business books.'"
I've encountered this response multiple times from various others. The subtext? My studies weren’t relevant to business or finance. Doubters questioned whether my liberal arts degrees would translate in today’s professional world.
Let me answer that question for you now, loud and clear: It does. They do. Now more than ever.
The Myth: Business is Only for MBAs and Engineers
The reality? Business needs storytellers. It needs critical thinkers. And it needs empathy.
According to a recent study from the National Bureau of Economic Research, startups with founders from non-STEM backgrounds are as likely to succeed as those with technical degrees. These founders excel in setting vision. They possess special skills in engaging customers, building brand trust, and fostering community connections.
And consider this: A recent survey from the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) says 85% of employers want candidates with strong communication skills, the ability to work across teams, and a global perspective—all hallmarks of a liberal arts education.
Accordingly, I notice how important these qualities are when I make hiring decisions. I assess the candidate's technical and academic credentials to ensure they are qualified. However, some of the most important skills aren't always revealed by resume scanning tools. My favored candidates are those who write and speak well. They are strategic thinkers; they listen and respond thoughtfully to clients and team members; and they navigate the inevitable daily hiccups that come from working in a dynamic industry with a healthy dose of humor and vision.
So, to the English majors, history aficionados, artists, and yes, to the comms students; this workforce is calling your name. Even if you didn’t take statistics, finance, or entrepreneurship courses in college, you know how to bring fresh perspectives to the table.
From Manhattan to Main Street
The bulk of my higher education and my adult life has been spent in New York City—a place where the corner bodega, the indie bookstore, and the immigrant-owned bakery are institutions. Small businesses and entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of our community. I learned early on that entrepreneurship is everywhere. It’s in the subway musicians building their brand with a Venmo handle; the Columbia grad launching a social impact startup from a Harlem co-working space; and the NYU alum turning their social media following into a global consulting firm.
Despite being the financial capital of the world, life in New York isn’t solely about the numbers. It’s about relationships and resilience. These are qualities that, like the city itself, never sleep.
This same entrepreneurial spirit lives in places like Charleston, South Carolina (where Loan Mantra is headquartered), and in towns and cities all across the U.S. where small business overwhelmingly remains the backbone of the economy. Small business reaches every corner of our lives, whether through our employment (which is true for nearly half of the U.S. workforce) or our patronage.
At Loan Mantra, we work with thousands of successful entrepreneurs—from restaurateurs to tech founders—and those who are innovating their industries? They know how to tell a story, connect with their customers, and build longstanding trust.
(Ahem...in case you missed the reading, these are liberal arts superpowers).
Your Toolkit for the New Business Era
So whether you’re starting your first job, launching your own business venture or joining a fast-growing startup company, here’s my advice for new college graduates:
Brand is More Than a Logo
It's your promise. It's how you show up. It’s the emotional footprint you leave behind. Design thinking creates a space where messaging and audience are essential—but I’m fairly certain you already get that.
Data is a Language, Tech is Your Teammate
Sometimes being a generalist is a strength. You don’t need to be the data scientist, but you do need to ask the right questions and translate data-backed insights into action. I spend a good amount of my day working with developers and delving into agentic AI applications. Although I don’t share the same expertise as our development team, I know enough about what they know to make it meaningful for what I do. Translating many languages well is where communication meets impact. (Remember Latin class? Communicare.)
Authenticity is the New Currency
In a world powered by AI and automation, simply being human is your edge. Empathy. Inclusion. Storytelling. These modalities can’t be outsourced. Your generation knows how to leverage technology to do tasks better and faster than ever. We are rapidly moving from the era of digital products into an “era of intelligence”. In fact, research suggests that liberal arts majors are ideally suited for careers in AI. But, and please remember this, you should never outsource your strategic thinking to AI. Tech should be a teammate in your work labor. Work with technology, train it, delegate to it, and make your contributions more valuable for other humans.
Don’t Apologize for Being “Creative”
Some of the most successful founders today are former writers, artists, and journalists. They read all the books, stayed curious, and created compelling stories that people care about. Creativity is the seed of innovation, so start planting.
The Network is the Net Worth
Lean on your professors, peers, mentors—and yes, now your alumni groups. LinkedIn makes it incredibly easy to connect with the person you admire with the career you’d like to emulate. Reach out.
New Entrepreneurship Graduates: Will You Succeed?
Remember the billboard at the top of Times Square? This is the moment you definitely need to harness some wild optimism. In a tough economy, success might not come instantly. In fact, it may come rather slowly...but the skillset you’ve built is timeless. You know how to adapt, communicate, and create meaning in a noisy world. These are the qualities investors look for in founders, leaders look for in team members, and customers look for in brands they trust. I want to know well-intentioned and thoughtful individuals simply because they aim to live lives of curiosity, sustainability, and impact. They are the kind of people who consider a problem to be solved and find worthwhile ways to solve it.
If you're thinking about starting a business, please don’t wait for the perfect conditions. They rarely come. Figure out how to make the current conditions workable instead. Surround yourself with good people, good products, tools and intelligence (yes, we can help), and a proper mindset. (For my friends who did take a business course or two in college, you’ll recognize this term as the “entrepreneurial mindset”).
You Belong in the Boardroom
This world needs your voice. The boardrooms and pitch decks and strategy meetings of tomorrow can’t be built on spreadsheets alone. Excel without design thinking is meaningless. We need storytellers, strategists, and thinkers who can connect the dots and connect with people.
So, to the Class of 2025—especially those who may be feeling underestimated because you currently know more about Plato than complex derivatives—you are exactly what the future of entrepreneurship needs now. Congratulations on your graduation. Stay wildly optimistic. Stay curious. Read all the books. And make the industry yours.
