Attaway: Hard work equals success

By Charleston Southern on April 14, 2010 - 9:54 am in CSU News / no comments

The fact that Billie Attaway was physically standing on the stage provided a measure of hope for the fall 2009 graduating class.

In 2004, Attaway was diagnosed with stage four malignant squamous cell cancer in his throat. Doctors at the renowned Mayo Clinic offered a grim prognosis; there was a 30 percent chance of survival. Five years and dozens of radiation and chemotherapy treatments later, Attaway delivered the first of two commencement speeches.

Attaway, a Charleston entrepreneur and member of the CSU Board of Visitors, knows the meaning of survival – he’s living it. He also understands the meaning of success because he’s achieved that too. Attaway was named Entrepreneur of the Year by Merrill Lynch Inc and has won consecutive annual honors as owner of one of the fastest growing privately held companies in America by Inc. 500.

With the backdrop of a fragile national economy and local unemployment reaching 12 percent, Attaway offered an honest piece of advice for success to students in his commencement address. “There is no easy way,” he says. “Nothing replaces your faith, family, friends and hard work. If you focus on these fundamentals then you too can be successful.”

The University awarded Attaway an honorary doctor of commerce.

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