Many of you know that I attended the MasterClass with Dr. Nido Qubein yesterday. I had shared my excitement and the learning I hoped to take away from the meeting—and I can honestly say, he did not disappoint. This was probably one of the most impactful events I have ever attended—second only to John Maxwell, of course. I’m not sure I can fit all of this into just one article—there was so much to take in, and I want to do it justice in how I share it with you.
Let me begin by telling you how amazing the campus is. First, it’s a gated campus—every visitor must sign in. The grounds are immaculate. Every sidewalk and road are paved with stone, the landscaping is impeccable, with flowers matching the school colors, and the buildings all share a consistent, elegant aesthetic. I walked down one hallway, and I kid you not—I thought I was in the Ritz or the Waldorf. You couldn’t find a single piece of trash anywhere. Every building is furnished with high-end, traditional furniture—the kind you’d expect in the home of a duke from the Bridgerton era :)—and everything is meticulously maintained. It didn’t look like a student campus at all—and we were there during the semester, in the middle of the day! From the signage and flooring to the décor, there was such a high level of intentionality and thought behind every detail. And again—everything was immaculate.
This wasn’t summer break—students were on campus, studying—and still, there was no litter. As someone who deeply values strong branding, professional décor, aesthetic appeal, and cleanliness, I was truly impressed.
One of the staff members shared a story about how, one day, a garbage truck accidentally dropped a bag of trash during pickup. Dr. Qubein happened to be driving by, stopped his car, and got out to clean it up—right in front of the girls’ dorm. Some students saw him from their windows and rushed outside to help. He was modeling the behavior he expected—and they followed. WOW.
There are trolleys on campus that look like vintage streetcars—polished wood interiors, bright, shiny, and charming. They even offer a free airport shuttle for students. The only rule? You must wear HPU-branded clothing. HPU Pride = A Free Ride. Genius.
The school also has four fine dining restaurants that students can access once a week as part of their meal plan. You might ask, Why fine dining? Because part of the life skills curriculum includes teaching students how to navigate upscale dining—what utensils to use, how to make and keep reservations, and the importance of punctuality. If a student misses a reservation, they’re blocked from dining at any of the restaurants for one month. They’re also taught how to conduct interviews over a meal—something most colleges never even think to teach. But High Point does.
Then there’s the Life Skills Building, where students are equipped with the tools they need to succeed in today’s world. Many student support services are located here, including Career Services. There’s even a glass-walled room with mannequins dressed in four different sets of professional attire for interviews. A wall proudly displays graduates and the companies they now work for. The school boasts a 99% job placement rate within 180 days of graduation—that’s 14% higher than the national average. A big reason for that is the real-world experience: all students are required to complete internships, and the Internship Office is located right next door.
Across the hall is the Study Abroad Office, which runs an initiative called Maymester. Students are encouraged to study abroad for one month in May—tuition-free. The goal? To help students become global citizens.
And guess what? I’m still only talking about one building!
There’s also a Sales Lab, where students learn to build and present pitches tailored to their major. They compete in sales competitions. There are designated rooms for tech sales, healthcare, and B2B sales—and each student is paired with a mentor to help coach and provide feedback on their presentations.
And the best part? Dr. Qubein personally teaches a freshman seminar focused on life skills—what’s expected of them, why it matters, and how to model those behaviors.
High Point created a niche for itself. They understood what today’s students needed—well, Dr. Qubein did—and built a university that speaks directly to that audience. When I say it felt like a scene from The Truman Show, I’m not kidding. I can only imagine how many student tours they host daily—because once a parent steps onto that campus, they’re sold. During just the one day we were there, we saw at least ten tours taking place.
They’ve created a place every parent would want to send their child. It’s not just beautiful and safe—you can feel the culture. They’re teaching real-world life skills, providing structure and discipline, and helping bridge the gap between adolescents living at home and fully functioning 22-year-old adults. They’re not just sending off kids to figure it out on their own—they’re helping build those adults.
And all of this? I learned before I even met the man.
Twenty years ago, High Point was a small, struggling university. Today, every building is brand new—and all construction has been self-funded. They’ve grown from 90 to over 600 acres, and from three schools to over 13 academic divisions. They now operate at a $77 million surplus. If that’s not someone worth learning from, I don’t know who is.
Here’s what I’ve learned: you can create a utopia for your company. Anything is possible. Dr. Qubein took a failing school and transformed it—by having a clear vision, committing to excellence, creating elite experiences, inspecting what he expected, and modeling the behavior he wanted others to follow. We can all do it—it simply requires commitment, focus, and a leader who is willing to model the behaviors they expect from their team.
Don’t get sick of me yet—next week, I’ll share what Dr. Qubein revealed as his secrets to making all of this happen. There were so many wonderful takeaways—I can’t wait to share.
Let’s all get started on building our own utopia. It is possible.
