Former Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Intuit
Brad D. Smith Explains the 10 Things He Can’t Live Without
What keeps Marshall University President Brad D. Smith grounded? It might not be what you expect. In this special feature from Marshall University, Brad shared the items, places, and experiences that have shaped his life and leadership philosophy. From a childhood guitar and pairs of Nike Cortezes to his family, class ring, and hand-forged Excalibur sword, each item tells a story of resilience, humility, and purpose.
During the interview, Brad reflected on lessons learned — from practicing persistence as a teenager in Kenova, West Virginia, to embracing servant leadership through family tradit...
About Brad Smith
Brad Smith, former Chairman and CEO of Intuit, has spoken at multiple QuickBooks Connect events between 2014 and 2018, where he discussed the company's strategy, product innovations, and the role of small businesses in the economy. At the 2014 event, Smith described Intuit's goal to be "the operating system behind small business success" and highlighted features such as QuickBooks financing, which he said had increased loan acceptance rates from 60% to 70% by using business data rather than FICO scores. He also stated that small businesses had created 60% of new jobs since the beginning of the recession and that if one in three small businesses hired one more employee, it would eliminate unemployment in the U.S. In 2015, Smith announced a $100 million fund for QuickBooks financing and said the company had facilitated over a quarter of a billion dollars in loans. He also noted that the company had testified before Congress as an advocate for self-employed workers. In a 2018 interview, Smith said he heard from customers that they valued connecting with one another, new product launches such as practice management, and innovations in payments, payroll, and capital access. He stated that "people don't care what you know until they know that you care" and expressed optimism about the company's future. In other appearances, Smith discussed Intuit's operating values, including a "70-20-10" resource allocation model and a "delight pyramid" for product design. He described an experiment where engineers developed a mobile feature allowing users to photograph tax documents for automatic data entry, which he said became a significant growth driver for TurboTax. Smith also spoke about his upbringing in West Virginia and his education at Marshall University, stating that leadership involves being true to oneself and playing to one's strengths.
Transcript (20 segments)
✨ AI-enhanced transcript with speaker attribution
B
Brad Smith0:00
I was sitting in my air conditioner in Atlanta, and they called the police on me outside my own house because they thought I was a stalker. Hey, everybody. I'm Brad Smith, and I'm proud to serve as the president of Marshall University. Today, I'm going to share 10 things that I can't live without. These are the things that keep me grounded, they keep me moving, and they mean the most to me. So, let's get this show on the road.
The first, the epic poem, "Paradise Lost" by John Milton. I know, I'm a geek. But I'll tell you what, this is a manual. And it's the epic story of good versus evil. But more importantly, it's become a guide for my leadership philosophy. The mind is its own place, can create a heaven of hell and a hell of heaven. My superintendent in high school used to say, "Today can be a good day or a great day. It's up to you." It's a must-read for everybody. You're gonna love it.
The vintage Nike Cortez. I've been styling these things since the 1970s. I love them. I wear them. Even though technology has advanced since then, there is nothing better than a pair of Nike Cortez. I tell my daughters that I'm "OG," and they tell me, no, I'm "FG" – Forrest Gump. But that's okay. I love them. I have green ones at home, as well. I've got red, I've got green, I've got blue. But they're all Nike Cortez.
This next item, near and dear to my heart, it is my childhood guitar. I bought this guitar in my early teens with my own money that I've been saving up from chores since elementary school. This guitar is how I taught myself to play. I have learned the power of practice, passion, persistence, and this is my go-to every evening. Now, you imagine, over the years, I've now purchased at least a half a dozen other guitars. But I always go back to this one in the evening as a way to unwind. This is the way I rock and roll in Huntington, West Virginia.
Can you play us a little something? I can play a little something, but I'll charge you for it.
Hey, I get it. The rules are I'm supposed to show you 10 items I can place on a table. But that's just not who I am. Some things I love are physical items, and some things I love are experiences and people. So, I'm gonna break from the rules and tell you the next item that matters most to me.
All right, this next one. A place in my hometown of Kenova: Dreamland pool. This is where my formative years happened. I worked at this pool for nine years as a lifeguard. This is a picture of me and my baby brother when we lifeguarded together. I can still see the kids splashing in the water. I can hear the hit songs on the radio. I can smell the chlorine. And every night when I'm trying to go to sleep, I imagine these days, and I go back to when I peaked, from ages 18 to 22.
You ever think about bringing the hair back? Every day I think about bringing this hairstyle back. I love this hairstyle. I also love the purple muscle shirt and the gold chain. What you oughta be askin' me about is the earrings. You know what? I might just toss that in!
The next one. Christmas season. This is not just a season. This is a portal back into childhood wonder. I love the lights. I love the nostalgia of the carols. But most importantly, I love that it reminds adults how to believe in hope once again. This is my happy time. And it reminds me it's not just about what you receive but what you give. That is the true essence of servant leadership. Christmas time.
You rock. Did you ever do Elf on the Shelf with your girls? Yeah, that dude's spooky, man. They oughta do a Halloween show about Elf on the Shelf.
My next – should actually be first. This is my family. They are the house that built me. My late dad, my mom, my two amazing brothers, my wife, my daughters, and more recently, my son-in-law. My dad remains the moral compass in my life. My mom is the example of unconditional love and sacrifice. My wife, Elise, I'm still crushing on her. She's the color in my paintings. My daughters are my reason for being. And my son-in-law is the one that I always dreamt for when I was hoping for someone to meet one of my daughters. They are the soil that every single day I plant myself in and try to become a better version of myself for them. They are the house that built me, and I love them.
This next one is a place. A lot of people love to have a fan blowing on their face when they go to bed at night. But I take it one step further. I love an air conditioner-return that's blowing warm air outside. And, since I was a kid, I always found a safe place to sit in front of that air conditioner. I would sit and imagine my life. I would develop my mental muscles. I used to imagine how I would handle a confrontation. What "My Walk On Music" was gonna be one day if I was ever famous. And I tried to think about what I could do to be better each and every day. That's my go-to place. That's where I actually try to bring vision to reality.
Was your mom ever concerned? Like, what's Brad doing outside? Oh, my mom was very concerned. She's still concerned to this day – and so are the neighbors. I was sitting under my air conditioner in Atlanta, and they called the police on me outside my own house 'cause they thought I was a stalker.
I have always loved the story of King Arthur. "No head, no crown." The round table. Every voice matters. I've talked about this in leadership forums. I've written about it on LinkedIn articles. When I retired as CEO in 2019, my wife surprised me, and she had hand forged in Scotland a replica of Excalibur, "The Sword of Kings." And the essence of Excalibur is "that which you seek cannot be found. It must be made." "We are the ones we've been waiting for." That's what we're doing here at Marshall University. We are creating the future that we want to see. It is a real sword, hand-forged, and it's been sharpened, so it's actually ready to be used. So, I have to remind everybody, do not put your finger up next to the blade, or you will walk away needin' a Band-Aid.
My next item is an experience. Every morning at 5:30: P90X. Tony Horton and me, sweatin' it out – matched with my vegan diet – and that is my attempt to not let the "Old Man" in. I'm gonna fight it every day until the game is over. I do the full 90 minutes seven days a week, and I have not missed a day, including when I had shoulder replacement surgery.
For real? For real, baby.
Last, but definitely not least, the ring. This is more than jewelry. This is a promise kept. And this is a reminder to pay it forward. My mom and dad did not get the chance to go to college, but they promised every kid they brought into this world would have that opportunity. My two brothers and I all graduated from Marshall. And in 1996, under the Christmas tree, each of us had a Marshall ring with our year and our degree. I've worn this every day since to remind me of a promise kept and to remind me of my responsibility to pay it forward. And that's why I'm home at Marshall University.
All right, I know we're supposed to stop at 10, but I got a bonus. The rock group, KISS. When I was 12 years old, teaching myself to play guitar, my first concert at the Huntington Civic Center in West Virginia was none other than KISS. They taught me the power of showmanship, fireworks, pyrotechnics, and being authentic to who you are. They were so important in my life that when I retired as a CEO in a prior life, they surprised me at my former company and introduced Gene Simmons to come in and say farewell to me. And, he signed a guitar, which I still have to this day. And it still carries on. This is a picture from me last year, at a local fundraiser, where I'm dressed up as none other than the "Spaceman," Ace Faraley, rockin' out to a smokin' guitar. And that is the same guitar that I showed earlier. This is my childhood guitar, and it smokes.
Do you ever just sit around the house and wear that? No, I don't wear this makeup at home. It takes too long to put on. But I might put on the costume every once in a while.
Thanks for lettin' me share some of my favorite things with you. I hope it's inspired you, given you a little better understanding of who I am, but, more importantly, I hope it encourages you to sit back and reflect on the things that matter most to you in your life. This is what it's all about. Have a great day. Go Herd.