What Does Success Look Like to You? – Matthew B. Murphy

Matthew B. Murphy III is the Co-Founder and President of Emboss Partners, LLC, a financial consulting firm based out of Indianapolis, Indiana. Before entering the business landscape, Matthew graduated from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, where he majored in business management and administration. After graduation, Matthew gained extensive experience in corporate leadership roles for several prominent companies including, Mays Chemical Co., Inc., BWI, LLC, and Huntington National Bank. In 2009, he established his current venture, Emboss Partners, LLC, where he specializes in helping small businesses and non-profit organizations obtain the necessary financial resources to grow. 

Matthew is a recipient of the Coalition of Minority Business Development and Indy Chamber’s William Henry Entrepreneurial Achievement Award and the Center for Leadership Development Minority Achievement Award in Finance. He has also been named to the Indianapolis Business Journal’s list of “Forty Under 40” professionals.

How have you achieved success? 

After graduating from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, I found myself in a number of leadership roles for several prominent organizations. I would like to think that my education prepared me for the business landscape, but quite frankly, that is not the case. While post-secondary education can be vital to long-term professional success, I found that I learnt the most from my real-world experiences. I have served in a lot of different roles, and each position was unique from the last.

The finance industry is always evolving; however, over time you gain a sense of confidence which helps you take risks and allows you to step outside of your comfort zone. 

What obstacles have you overcome in the process?

One of the hardest challenges of my career has been surrendering some control over certain aspects of my business. As entrepreneurs we want to have our hands in everything all the time; however, the truth of the matter is that we too need to ask for help. I often work with a team of highly skilled individuals and I sometimes forget that I need to put trust in them. 

Likewise, sometimes it is best to take a step back to avoid overworking and burnout. I know for myself, I divide my day up into manageable tasks and I do my absolute best to not allow work to be all-encompassing at the expense of my personal life. While it is easy to forget this rule, you have to really practice self-control and set boundaries for yourself. 

What drives you to succeed?

I think the best way to balance present challenges and future objectives is by ensuring everyone is on the same page at all times. I am a believer in open communication. I value the opinion of all my colleagues, and I am always searching for new ideas and suggestions. I think our productivity is the highest when we are all working as a team.

Additionally, anyone in any type of professional role is a lifelong learner and to think differently will hinder you in the long run. The landscape is always evolving, always changing, so you need to constantly be on top of these changes to maintain an edge of the competition. 

Do you have advice for others on how to be successful?

Always thinking ahead and performing extensive industry research. The best advice I can give young entrepreneurs in terms of professional resources would be to locate a mentor. It is often easier said than done but having someone guide you through the challenges of entrepreneurship is highly rewarding. Likewise, having someone experienced by your side can help you avoid various pitfalls you will encounter early on in your career.