Finding Success Beyond Wealth: Lessons My Father Taught Me

From a young age, my father instilled in me a critical perspective on success and wealth.

He’d often say, "If you marry for money, you’ll work for it. If you chase money, you’ll be chasing it your whole life."

That simple idea stayed with me, money should never be the reason you do anything, and it should certainly never become your purpose.

Instead, he encouraged me to find work that excited me and to build my life around passion, purpose, and the drive to advance in ways that made a real difference.

That’s how I built my career, focusing on what I love and allowing success to follow naturally.

My work as an architect and, now, as a director of Manor Architects and co-founder of MM Enviro, an environmental solutions company, has grown from these principles.

Manor Architects, the first carbon-neutral architecture firm in Northern Ireland, has always strived to lead with purpose.

In recent years, with MM Enviro, we’ve expanded our efforts to bring innovative environmental solutions, particularly around wastewater management, to sectors facing urgent challenges in sustainability and emissions reduction.

Every project and every solution we offer embodies our commitment to purpose, proving that business doesn’t need to be driven by money alone but rather by a dedication to solving real-world problems.

My approach to success is grounded in what I call "the win."

This concept doesn’t just refer to the awards, although those are rewarding. It’s about every positive outcome, each step forward, no matter how small.

I believe in taking every win, celebrating each new client, positive meeting, innovative resolution, and project milestone.

These wins accumulate and create progress, building a resilience that carries us through the inevitable setbacks and challenges that come with any ambitious work.

In fact, this mindset has been vital as we’ve build MM Enviro from the ground up.

The company specialises in handling wastewater and agricultural slurry in a way that removes phosphates and nitrates and cuts the carbon footprint by 90%, a figure we’re extremely proud of. Our work is centred on tackling environmental issues that affect our communities directly, and every success we achieve in this arena feels like a major win.

In Northern Ireland, environmental and agricultural concerns have reached critical levels. Pollution in bodies of water like Lough Neagh and concerns about phosphate and nitrate levels in agricultural runoff have put a spotlight on the need for sustainable solutions.

At Manor Architects and MM Enviro, we’re taking these challenges head-on, developing systems that work not only for today’s needs but that are adaptable to future challenges.

This commitment has paid off, not only in impact but also in recognition. Our recent innovation and as the Best New Start up awards for MM Enviro highlights our efforts to pioneer practical environmental solutions.

Yet, as fulfilling as these honours are, it’s the day-to-day wins that fuel us, each successful project that makes a difference for our clients and the environment, every collaboration that brings our expertise to new sectors, and each breakthrough that moves us closer to a more sustainable future.

Ultimately, I’ve built my career around a deep-rooted belief that success follows purpose. My father’s wisdom continues to guide me, reminding me that money isn’t the end goal it’s the by product of a life lived with passion and a commitment to meaningful work.

In our journey at Manor Architects and MM Enviro, every step forward, however small, is a testament to that.

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