By: Stephen Block  |   Source: MGA Business Consulting, Inc.
Posted on:  January 30 2015

I was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan where my family moved multiple times throughout my childhood. My father was very aggressive in his career and followed opportunities for a promotions that gave him the ability to provide for my little brother and I; Something I’ve always respected. I went to high school at Kingsway College in Ontario Canada, graduating in June of 2006, and then attended Southern Adventist University in Chattanooga, Tennessee as a Business Administration major. My main goal was to go to college, and one day be able to own and operate my own scuba diving shop down in the Caribbean.

I actually ended up taking a year off of college to go and be a student missionary in Hong Kong, China. I had the opportunity to traveling throughout most of China, which gave me a huge passion to travel the world in the future. While in Hong Kong I actually met my wife, Ivana, and got married two years later. We now have a beautiful boy, Nathan, that we can’t wait to spoil as he grows older.

After leaving China, I started my journey back in the states, in Chattanooga Tennessee. I was hired at a marketing firm there working with a telecommunications client, in May of 2011. Six months later, I found an opportunity in Atlanta, Georgia, working with another firm, who had just gained a new client, DirecTV, in the new market. I was fortunate to not only see a new campaign start up, but also to work with great mentors like my manager, Andres. After spending eight months in Atlanta, and helping Andres grow his team and MGA Business Consulting, I decided to move with him to Phoenix, Arizona and see first-hand what building a business from the ground-up was like.

Making the decisions to move around the states multiple time has, of course, had it’s difficult times but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. In moving, I not only got to see a new company form and grow, but also experience the growth and changes with our client, which in turn, helped me through my journey to management. I’ve had the privilege of being surrounded by a wonderful team at MGA Business Consulting, who’s been there for me personally, but also helped me get promoted to Junior Partner in April of 2014. After eight, short, months of learning all the back-ends of the business, I am more than excited to open head up the expansion into a new market in northern California in February 2015!

I would definitely say that I have very high goals for my family life and career. As a Senior Partner, I am committing to provide the opportunity that I have been given myself, to anyone else that is willing to put the work and energy in order to achieve it. Not only do I want to live an amazing life but I also aspire to expand the company into Asian markets in the future.

A thought from one of my mentors, that I have taken very personal is “If you’re not where you want to be, then you haven’t helped enough people get where they want to get.” Never give up on your goals because no one will know how long it will take to achieve them… And when you finally do achieve them, no one cares how long it took to get there… Because you didn’t give up.

-Stephen Block