At this semester’s final Against All Odds speaker series event, Kyles inspired students by sharing personal experiences that helped him embrace difficult moments and the importance of developing a plan, demonstrating discipline and possessing a clear vision.
April 23, 2025
By Alexandria Salinas
For Anthony Kyles, a senior executive with The Campbell’s Company, watching people succeed is a way of life. The joy of seeing people win fuels him and it’s the same joy he sought to pass on to students at the most recent Neeley School of Business premier speaker series, Against All Odds: Stories of Grit and Determination, powered by Bank of America.
In the Shaddock Auditorium filled with students, faculty, staff and business leaders, Kyles described the game shows that fed his passion for seeing people succeed.
"Watching “The Price Is Right” [game show] just does something for me," said Kyles, the senior vice president and chief customer officer of The Campbell’s Company. "Seeing regular people win something, anything. A new car? Even better. I just love joy."
Kyles emphasized that winning doesn’t happen by chance. It requires having a plan and working that plan with discipline and dedication, even when it’s hard work. One of his college jobs included waving at cars in a polyester costume outside a fast-food restaurant, but it served as a spark for his journey. Kyles also recalled how the idea of working at IBM once seemed far-fetched, something people laughed at. But to Kyles, that laughter was fuel.
“If your dreams don’t offend people, they’re not big enough,” he said.
That comment deeply resonated with students like Sara Harris, a freshman honors marketing major, who called it her biggest takeaway. For students like Harris, that polyester suit moment was more than funny. It was a turning point—an unceremonious job that either shrinks you or makes you stand taller.
"I now understand that having a mindset of things not being possible is not the way to think," Harris said, reflecting on how Kyles’ personal experiences demonstrate turning obstacles into opportunities.
Kyles described a moment early in his career when he made cold calls to a contact and finally got him on the phone to invite him to lunch. He spent his last dollar on a Subway sandwich, only to realize he was paying for the contact’s meal. “The sandwich I thought I would eat – he ate. Because I asked him to meet."
It’s this blend of humility and hustle that gripped students, especially when Kyles repeatedly described what it takes to win – prep work, discipline and clarity of vision. "Calmness creates clarity," he said. "And clarity creates movement."
Students in the audience didn’t just listen, they absorbed the insights scribbling down quotes like “relationship currency” and nodding at Kyles’ description of the difference between a mentor and a navigator: "Mentors help you understand things. Navigators help you get there. We want navigators."
Alexandra Saied, a senior studying marketing and business information systems said, "I’m leaving today with the awareness that people are at the center of every success story and managing relationships is key.” And as Saied moves through her final months of college, Kyles' words remind her that the value of those connections will stay with her forever.
Kyles also reminded students to always write thank-you notes, be interested over interesting and define their non-negotiables – like integrity – before stepping into a culture that doesn’t align with their principles.
Newy Scruggs ’23 EMBA, served as the event moderator and guided the discussion by building upon Kyles messages. When it comes to control, Scruggs said, "You want to respond, not react. Everything we do has to be about control." His words echoed Kyles' reminder that self-discipline is the real prize.
Because if success were a game show, students left knowing that preparation is how you spin the wheel—and joy is the result of winning, however you define it.
