Forget keeping up, focus on leveling up

For Brandon Diebolt, Director of Finance at Child and Family Charities in the Greater Lansing area, there was never just one path. Instead, he built a wide foundation—accounting, finance, logistics—and used each step as a chance to grow.

“I enjoy learning,” he said. “I have a drive to be smarter, to be more well-rounded.”

After earning his undergraduate degree in finance from Michigan State University, Diebolt spent time as a financial analyst for the State of Michigan. But he knew he wanted more.

“There’s a reflection process,” he said. “You look at where you are, where you want to be, and whether you’re on that track. The online MBA program at CMU opened up a lot of opportunities and skills I needed to get there.”

He chose logistics management as his concentration—a decision shaped by the disruptions of the pandemic and a growing interest in how supply chains impact everything from business strategy to public service.

“Finance and logistics go hand in hand,” he said. “The pandemic showed how important logistics really is. Every decision within the supply chain affects the bottom line and everything in between.”

Today, his nonprofit role requires him to wear many hats: managing audits, overseeing budgets, and navigating ethical gray areas while remaining transparent and community-centered.

“We get audited by a lot of organizations,” he said. “We have to do our due diligence with who we work with and how finances are used. You have to be morally and ethically correct—even when the answer isn’t black and white.”

Diebolt credits his CMU coursework, particularly the MBA capstone, with preparing him to lead teams and navigate disagreement.

“We all had to come together to run a business,” he said. “You had to listen, communicate, and make decisions as a team. That’s still very prevalent in the real world—especially in a nonprofit where everyone’s voice matters.”

For students considering a graduate degree, his advice is clear: Don’t rush, but don’t wait forever.

“Everyone goes down their own path,” he said. “Some people feel burnt out after undergrad, others feel ready. You just have to reflect. Will you be satisfied if you stay on your current trajectory, or do you need to change some things?”

While he admits he learns best in person, Diebolt appreciated the flexibility of CMU’s online program.

“I probably wouldn’t have pursued an MBA if it hadn’t been online,” he said. “You have to be disciplined—no one’s checking up on you—but it’s worth just as much. It let me keep working while building the skills I needed.”

While the MBA added new layers of understanding, some of his most valuable perspective came from reflecting on the path that brought him here.

“It’s so easy to compare yourself to others, especially in school,” he said. “But everyone has their own path. You just have to trust the process.”