Name: Paul Carling
Family: Wife; Lori, daughters Ronnie (University of Missouri), Ella (University of Denver), Livia (University of Georgia).
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Current Town: Johns Creek, Georgia
What years at UGA: 1987-89
School/Degree: Bachelor of Business Administration from GSU.
Accolades: Magill, Hedges, Alpha Epsilon Pi, put on 500 plus tailgates each home game, Support Fur Kids, Boy Scouts of America, Founder and CEO of SteelMart inc. for over 35 years.
What life lessons did you learn while at UGA? Do not be too proud of yourself. Have an altruistic look at people and matters.
What professor did you admire most? Philosophy Professor Dr. Carlylian.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? Balance of family, friends, and business. You must know when to pull back from one or the other and show up where you are needed.
What historical figure do you most identify with? General Gebhard Von Blucher for his aggressive and bold style of leading. It is important to make a decision and not question whether it is right or wrong. Deal with shortcomings if they occur and do not try and skate around them.
Who are your heroes in real life? My staff at SteelMart are true heroes for me. They push through walls to improve, grow , and protect SteelMart. Each one of them is willing to show up and put the work in to make SteelMart more successful.
Quote to live by: “Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes in the middle of nowhere you find yourself.”
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Having older kids makes it harder to all be together. When all five of us plus the three dogs can take the boat out on the water for some fun and relaxation, a perfect day evolves.
What is your most marked characteristic? When I was in kindergarten, my teacher told my mother “When Paul is in his worst trouble, he still has a smile on his face”. As an adult, my glass tends to be half full. I like to pull out the happier parts of challenging circumstances and smile about it.
What do you value most in your friends? When I can make my friends happy and they take away a fun memory or memorable experience, value is added to a lasting friendship. I like to work for others’ happiness and not necessarily myself.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? In terms of retailoring myself, taking a little more time to take in the sights and sounds is an area I have been working on and could use some improvement.
Who are your favorite writers? Thomas Caryle. He is a genius and writes with such transitioning phrases to inspire readers how to make themselves better.
Favorite social media and who to follow? I am the only person in the world not on any social media platforms. If I need information, I just ask my daughter. Go DAWGS!