For people in certain careers, it can be difficult to see the lasting effect or significance of their work. Terry Esper dives into his journey on how he made the connections between his ancestry, family, and his work in logistics, and how those connections changed the way he thought about his work. Terry describes his "lightbulb moment" and how he has gained a deeper satisfaction from his work due to the connections that he has made. Dr. Terry L. Esper is Associate Professor of Logistics at the Fisher College of Business of The Ohio State University. In addition to his full-time academic activities, Esper also serves as Co-Chair of the Academic Strategies Committee for the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, and is an Educational Advisor to the Health and Personal Care Logistics Conference. He has published several articles on issues associated with retail logistics and supply chain management strategy in leading academic and managerial outlets, including Journal of Business Logistics, Journal of Operations Management and Journal of Retailing. In addition, he is a regular speaker at global conferences, where he builds on his research insights and accumulated experiences to engage in dialogue regarding trends and issues in logistics and supply chain management practice, and is a regular featured guest on a Sirius XM Radio show. Prior to his Doctoral studies in Marketing and Logistics at the University of Arkansas, Esper worked for Hallmark Cards as a Transportation Manager and was involved in transportation infrastructure research for the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx