Levi Pettit Discusses How Athletics Shaped His Finance Career

For finance professional Levi Pettit, the discipline and time management skills developed during his collegiate golf career have proven invaluable throughout his professional journey. As a former team captain at the University of Texas at Dallas, Pettit learned lessons that continue to influence his approach to work.

“Being a student athlete in college, we were waking up at 6:00 AM to go work out. Then we’d have practice, and I’d be in class until 10:30 at night,” Pettit recalls. This demanding schedule taught him to prioritize effectively—a skill that transferred directly to balancing professional responsibilities with ongoing education.

Translating Athletic Discipline to Professional Success

After earning his finance and economics degrees magna cum laude, Pettit built a career spanning commercial banking and investment management. Throughout this progression, he maintained the same dedication to improvement that characterized his athletic career.

“The most fun part wasn’t going and playing in tournaments and winning,” Pettit explains about his golf experience. “The most fun part was the work and the preparation to get to game day.” He applies this same process-oriented mindset to his professional work, finding satisfaction in the journey toward client goals rather than just the end results.

Balancing Work and Continued Education

Pettit recently completed his MBA at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, adding to his credentials as a CFA charterholder. His commitment to lifelong learning stems from advice received early in his career.

“My first boss said to me, ‘You need to realize that you will need to continue learning for the rest of your career,'” Pettit shares. “That’s just something that stuck with me.”

For young finance professionals, Pettit recommends embracing both technical education and practical experience. He particularly values in-person work environments where new professionals can observe leaders making decisions—something he believes remote work environments cannot fully replicate.

Through his own career journey, Pettit demonstrates how the competitive spirit and work ethic developed through athletics can create a foundation for ongoing professional success when paired with a commitment to continuous learning and growth.