Pacifica Stories

Good Misfortune: Tales From A Recovering Success Addict

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” — Frederick Buechner

What does it mean to succeed—and what happens when achievement on the outside fails to produce peace within?

The Minchin Center for Innovation welcomes entrepreneur, investor, and creative director Alec McNayr for a special day exploring ambition, identity, faith, and the complicated stories we tell ourselves about success. September 29th, 6:00 PM

Alec has sold a company, co-founded two more, invested in 100 startups, sold a television pilot, and served as chairman of his church’s board. His résumé is impressive—but he has discovered a wide gap between looking successful and living with genuine peace and purpose.

In “Good Misfortune: Tales from a Recovering Success Addict,” Alec will trace his unpredictable journey through business and the creative world. With humor, honesty, and a collection of wonderfully cringe-worthy stories, he will examine how easily we can begin performing a version of ourselves shaped by other people’s expectations—and what it costs when the story we present to the world no longer matches what is happening within us.

During the school day, Alec will lead a seminar designed especially for Pacifica students. That evening, he will share his story with the wider Pacifica community, followed by an audience question-and-answer session. He will speak candidly about ambition and creativity, the role of faith in his journey, and the ongoing work of discerning what comes next.

This conversation reflects the heart of the Minchin Center for Innovation. From truth to innovation, the Minchin Center challenges bright and motivated students to become entrepreneurial and innovative leaders who creatively solve complex problems, embrace appropriate risk, work collaboratively, persevere through difficulty, and use their gifts to serve society and culture.

The goal is not simply achievement, but proper ambition: pursuing excellence without allowing accomplishment to define our identity. When students learn to lead courageously, respond thoughtfully to the world’s needs, and place their gifts in service to God and others, they move closer to Pacifica’s enduring aim—to think and live well.