I am honored to be invited to provide some advice to early career members. Many years have passed since I was an early career member. I am now completing 35 years as a soil science faculty member. During this time, I served as major professor for several Ph.D. students and post-docs who now have established careers in soil science. In fact, the favorite part of my job has been mentoring graduate students and post-docs. My goal is to help each student grow as a person and as a scientist in preparation to successfully move to the next stage of life. I count it a blessing to have had the opportunity to mentor many outstanding persons. Before I offer specific advice to early career members, I will provide some background information on myself to share how I discovered soil science and how I came to view an emphasis on loving relationships as my highest priority.