I'll be honest - I never saw myself in business school. I never once thought about being a business executive, climbing a corporate ladder, or having a conversation that involved words like profit margins, stockholders' equity, or market segmentation.
Maybe it was because I never had a good connotation of business. I heard too many stories that characterized businesses and their executives as "power-hungry," "greedy," or "spendthrifts." Liars, cheaters, thieves who boasted big checks with little conscience.
Obviously a few bad apples always ruin the perception of the entire orchard, but my view of business stood in direct contrast to my values. I wanted to do something with my life that was worthwhile, meaningful, dignified...filled with integrity.
It wasn't until junior year of college that my advisor mentioned the MSBA program and how it looked like a viable post-grad option for me. I laughed. Out loud. Right in front of her. "I have no interest being involved in business," I told her. "I'd rather be a good person."
"I don't believe the two are mutually exclusive, Jess," she asserted.
On her challenge, I spoke with Stew McHie, who promoted the program nicely to me, but my life changed a little when I looked at the program brochure he handed me.
"...A program founded on a firm belief in commerce as service to society, and an unwavering respect for others."
"Start an honorable career in business, government, not-for-profits, or as an entrepreneur."
"...Seeking honest, hard-working team players—men and women of uncompromising integrity."
What? What was language like this doing on a business school brochure? I saw classes with names like, "Marketing with Integrity," lectures dedicated to business and ethics, even books about virtuous leadership. Titles like these both surprised and comforted me. Seeing traditional business vocabulary paired with words that spoke to my values made me believe that I wasn't so removed.
...Maybe business was for me? Maybe I could be the change agent I always wanted to be through business?
I could go on for pages about how much my perspective on business has changed, and how much I love being in this program, but I'll just share the part that has resonated with me most. Yes, I'm learning practical skills like how to write a balance sheet, run a regression analysis, and how to ace an interview. But, these are all weaved through the overarching themes of integrity, respect, and honesty in business. Professors teach this lifestyle and live it. I have a quote from Professor Freska written in my notes that reads, "You can be an evangelist everyday in business. Just do your job. Do it with pride, with integrity. Imagine how powerful that can be."
Even our guest speakers and corporate contacts echo this. "I can't stress enough the importance of conducting yourself and your business with integrity," says Kelly Campbell of Campbell Wealth Management. "Take the high road. Everytime." Bradley Peacock of Peacock Nine, LLC placed a great importance on service - a topic that particularly spoke to my passion for serving others. "Be ready to give to others - be kind and listen, because great things are born of authentic relationships."
I'll be taking plenty from this program when I graduate, but there is one lesson I will continually be grateful for: An intersection that crosses being an effective business
leader with being a principled person not only exists, but can be
accessed, celebrated, and considered a method for success.
I'm grateful to be in a program that champions this, around professors & leaders that live it, and
with a cohort of students who will join me in applying it to our upcoming business ventures.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013
CEO Leadership: Do you have what it takes?
Do you have what it takes to be CEO?
That's the question this infographic & article seek to answer for you by putting together some of the elements of CEO leadership.
I loved that the #1 "X-Factor" for a successful CEO is being "passionately curious" - sounds very familiar! We've heard it from multiple guest lecturers, business leaders, and professors already this year. What I thought was most interesting was the fact that, on average, 4 years is the length of time a CEO stays if hired from the outside, but it's only 5 years if that CEO was promoted from within. I expected the latter to be a little bit higher than that, comparatively.
Bottom line, though - yes, I believe our entire class has what it takes to be CEOs, especially after we receive all this program has to give.
That's the question this infographic & article seek to answer for you by putting together some of the elements of CEO leadership.
I loved that the #1 "X-Factor" for a successful CEO is being "passionately curious" - sounds very familiar! We've heard it from multiple guest lecturers, business leaders, and professors already this year. What I thought was most interesting was the fact that, on average, 4 years is the length of time a CEO stays if hired from the outside, but it's only 5 years if that CEO was promoted from within. I expected the latter to be a little bit higher than that, comparatively.
Bottom line, though - yes, I believe our entire class has what it takes to be CEOs, especially after we receive all this program has to give.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Balancing Act
If there's anything that the MSBA program does well, it's that it gears its students up to work - to work harder, smarter, and with tools to make that work more effective. So it might be a little silly to already start thinking of taking vacation days, but I recently found two interesting articles about the importance of taking vacations and pacing yourself in the workplace.
In this article, the COO of Facebook, and the CEOs of Yahoo!, eBay, the Virgin Group, The Energy Project, and Deloitte Consulting (among others) all advocate for taking meaningful vacations in order to foster revitilization, creativity, increased productivity, and even increased loyalty to the company. Jim Moffatt takes this notion seriously, as he recently wrote an article on the importance of "unplugging" - A CEOs Advice to All CEOs.
Living a balanced life has also been advocated to our class by some of our guest speakers, like Bradley Peacock and Rich Cooper - "You've got to know where your priorities are, and then everything falls into place," he said.
I mention this because I consider myself fortunate enough to work for someone who preaches this extensively, and lives it. My supervisor, Emmjolee Mendoza Waters, is not only the Campus Minister for Community Service, but she is also the Associate Director of Campus Ministry (second in command behind Fr. Jude DeAngelo). She has her hands in several different projects that need careful consideration and are time-consuming. She serves on the Board of Directors for a Catholic volunteer non-profit, is on the CUA Alumni Board of Governors, and has a list of commitments a mile long.
...She is also a wife and mother to three adorable young boys. (You can add being the PTA President of her son's school to her resume!) There's a thousand things on her plate, so I asked her the age-old question, "How do you do it?"
She laughed, claimed she was far from Wonder Woman, but made it clear that the key to everything is balance. That means taking vacation days when you have them; being flexible with your time, but not overcommitted; and knowing when to stop reading your emails.
"Trust me, Jess, there is always one more email to read, one more meeting you can have, but you can't become consumed by them." When you're here, work the hardest you've ever worked. But - Take your vacation days, she urged. Take your Fridays off. Call your family often. Make time for friends. Do something fun every week.
Not something you hear everyday from your boss.
I learn something new everyday at my internship, but the most important I've learned from Emmjolee is how to live a balanced life. I know I have plenty of dues to pay before I can consider taking a week-long vacation to Hawaii, but learning how to balance all my commitments meaningfully is a skill I know I can work on now.
In this article, the COO of Facebook, and the CEOs of Yahoo!, eBay, the Virgin Group, The Energy Project, and Deloitte Consulting (among others) all advocate for taking meaningful vacations in order to foster revitilization, creativity, increased productivity, and even increased loyalty to the company. Jim Moffatt takes this notion seriously, as he recently wrote an article on the importance of "unplugging" - A CEOs Advice to All CEOs.
Living a balanced life has also been advocated to our class by some of our guest speakers, like Bradley Peacock and Rich Cooper - "You've got to know where your priorities are, and then everything falls into place," he said.
I mention this because I consider myself fortunate enough to work for someone who preaches this extensively, and lives it. My supervisor, Emmjolee Mendoza Waters, is not only the Campus Minister for Community Service, but she is also the Associate Director of Campus Ministry (second in command behind Fr. Jude DeAngelo). She has her hands in several different projects that need careful consideration and are time-consuming. She serves on the Board of Directors for a Catholic volunteer non-profit, is on the CUA Alumni Board of Governors, and has a list of commitments a mile long.
...She is also a wife and mother to three adorable young boys. (You can add being the PTA President of her son's school to her resume!) There's a thousand things on her plate, so I asked her the age-old question, "How do you do it?"
She laughed, claimed she was far from Wonder Woman, but made it clear that the key to everything is balance. That means taking vacation days when you have them; being flexible with your time, but not overcommitted; and knowing when to stop reading your emails.
"Trust me, Jess, there is always one more email to read, one more meeting you can have, but you can't become consumed by them." When you're here, work the hardest you've ever worked. But - Take your vacation days, she urged. Take your Fridays off. Call your family often. Make time for friends. Do something fun every week.
Not something you hear everyday from your boss.
I learn something new everyday at my internship, but the most important I've learned from Emmjolee is how to live a balanced life. I know I have plenty of dues to pay before I can consider taking a week-long vacation to Hawaii, but learning how to balance all my commitments meaningfully is a skill I know I can work on now.
Body Language
Just read an interesting article on body language during interviews (especially useful for women) - short, but I think it gives a decent insight. Check it out here!
Shout out to Prof. McHie, who has mentioned almost all of these in his class - especially the ankle crossing for women. I found number 3 to be most intriguing. As a psych major, I agree that a tilt of the head can signify listening or understanding, and I think I'm guilty of it, but I was interested to see that from the other end of the interview, it may signify confusion. Any opinions either way?
Shout out to Prof. McHie, who has mentioned almost all of these in his class - especially the ankle crossing for women. I found number 3 to be most intriguing. As a psych major, I agree that a tilt of the head can signify listening or understanding, and I think I'm guilty of it, but I was interested to see that from the other end of the interview, it may signify confusion. Any opinions either way?
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Team Service!
Last week, I had the phenomenal opportunity to travel to the US Chamber of
Commerce to hear Rich Cooper speak. Two of the most important pieces of advice
he offered to our group of young professionals was to build relationships with
an expansive network, and to "be life-long learners, be constantly
curious, and travel outside your comfort zone."
At first, the task seems daunting, but I am fortunate enough to have an internship that allows me to live out this advice every single day. As an assistant for community service in the office of campus ministry at Catholic University, I am able to develop, market, and implement our university's community service programs, build relationships with our DC community partners, supervise undergraduate student leaders, and even play a key role in determining what the future of our office will look like. We've come to know ourselves as "Team Service!" No two days are the same in the office and the work moves at a fairly rapid pace, which simultaneously surprises and comforts me. In just a month and a half, I have been able to play an integral role in our office’s programming.
I planned and executed the university’s annual 9/11 Day of Service & Remembrance, where 200 students gathered together to honor the victims and heroes of 9/11 by performing service in our community. I have been able to personally meet and build relationships with community partners who work with us in making community service a consistent option for our students, like Colleen from the City of Hyattsville, Sr. Kate from St. Ann’s Youth Center, Michelle from Ronald McDonald House, Clif from Rock Creek Conservancy – the list goes on. I’ve supervised student leaders as they lead service projects or need assistance with logistics, and I’m constantly inspired by their passion and dedication.
I’ve also been able to play a role in the strategic planning of our office and determining what our future will be. In developing our service learning component, I’ve given presentations to professors, students, and other university liaisons. Just two weeks ago, I was able to attend a conference by Campus Compact – an organization that serves as a consortium of universities’ community-engagement offices. I met our counterparts at Howard University, Univ. of Maryland, PGCC, and more. I'll also get an intro to grant-writing as CUA pursues the opportunity to partner with Americorps!
Through this internship, I am able to build a meaningful network with a variety of people, make connections between our resources and people’s needs, constantly learn new things about myself, and new ways to reach & educate others, and make a difference. Every day, this takes me outside my comfort zone, stretches my imagination, and gives me a “bigger aperture,” a tool Mr. Cooper insisted we would need in the business world. I’m excited to see what tomorrow brings!
From left to right: (1) 200 participants in our 9/11 Day of Service, (2) Our team for CUA Community Service, (3) Emily & Holly, two great service leaders, (4-6) Evan, Genna, & Mike - three wonderful service leaders and the reasons they serve.
At first, the task seems daunting, but I am fortunate enough to have an internship that allows me to live out this advice every single day. As an assistant for community service in the office of campus ministry at Catholic University, I am able to develop, market, and implement our university's community service programs, build relationships with our DC community partners, supervise undergraduate student leaders, and even play a key role in determining what the future of our office will look like. We've come to know ourselves as "Team Service!" No two days are the same in the office and the work moves at a fairly rapid pace, which simultaneously surprises and comforts me. In just a month and a half, I have been able to play an integral role in our office’s programming.
I planned and executed the university’s annual 9/11 Day of Service & Remembrance, where 200 students gathered together to honor the victims and heroes of 9/11 by performing service in our community. I have been able to personally meet and build relationships with community partners who work with us in making community service a consistent option for our students, like Colleen from the City of Hyattsville, Sr. Kate from St. Ann’s Youth Center, Michelle from Ronald McDonald House, Clif from Rock Creek Conservancy – the list goes on. I’ve supervised student leaders as they lead service projects or need assistance with logistics, and I’m constantly inspired by their passion and dedication.
I’ve also been able to play a role in the strategic planning of our office and determining what our future will be. In developing our service learning component, I’ve given presentations to professors, students, and other university liaisons. Just two weeks ago, I was able to attend a conference by Campus Compact – an organization that serves as a consortium of universities’ community-engagement offices. I met our counterparts at Howard University, Univ. of Maryland, PGCC, and more. I'll also get an intro to grant-writing as CUA pursues the opportunity to partner with Americorps!
Through this internship, I am able to build a meaningful network with a variety of people, make connections between our resources and people’s needs, constantly learn new things about myself, and new ways to reach & educate others, and make a difference. Every day, this takes me outside my comfort zone, stretches my imagination, and gives me a “bigger aperture,” a tool Mr. Cooper insisted we would need in the business world. I’m excited to see what tomorrow brings!
From left to right: (1) 200 participants in our 9/11 Day of Service, (2) Our team for CUA Community Service, (3) Emily & Holly, two great service leaders, (4-6) Evan, Genna, & Mike - three wonderful service leaders and the reasons they serve.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Living the Dream
“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” – Henry David Thoreau
As the daughter of a single mother, I grew up knowing what hard work looked like. As a woman who had little formal education, my mom worked tirelessly to provide for her children and she worked twice as hard as anyone else I encountered.
My mom also taught me about the importance of dreams. She always added, however, “Having dreams is one very important thing. But making them come true is another…and it’s even more important.”
My dreams were fickle over the years – become an astronaut, be the first woman president, pass all my geometry tests – but the one consistent dream that never died was my desire to get a college education. I wanted to go to Harvard, Princeton, Kansas State University…it didn’t matter really, as long as it wasn’t located in my hometown of Daytona Beach, Florida. I'm curious, I wanted to explore. I began building my “castle in the air.”
I went to work building the foundation under it. Studying, working, planning. The cornerstone of my foundation came when I attended a Youth Leadership Conference in Washington, DC in 2007. I looked out the window at the endless stream of famous landmarks, and I knew. I found the perfect location for my dream.
Fast forward three years, and I made my dream come true! I enrolled as an undergraduate student at The Catholic University of America in DC, 800 miles away from home. I made it! Over the years, I developed new dreams & castles, built more foundations, and in May 2013, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree – the first person in my family to do so.
…but now what? It’s time for a new dream! I have a passion for education, advocacy, and working with children, and I know I want to pursue the questions that exist at the crossroads of education, curriculum-building, policy, and child welfare. “But dreams are one thing. Making them come true is another.” I’m gaining the foundations I need to make this dream come true as a Master of Business Analysis student at CUA, and as I make this journey, I’m excited to see how I reach this new “castle in the air.”
As the daughter of a single mother, I grew up knowing what hard work looked like. As a woman who had little formal education, my mom worked tirelessly to provide for her children and she worked twice as hard as anyone else I encountered.
My mom also taught me about the importance of dreams. She always added, however, “Having dreams is one very important thing. But making them come true is another…and it’s even more important.”
My dreams were fickle over the years – become an astronaut, be the first woman president, pass all my geometry tests – but the one consistent dream that never died was my desire to get a college education. I wanted to go to Harvard, Princeton, Kansas State University…it didn’t matter really, as long as it wasn’t located in my hometown of Daytona Beach, Florida. I'm curious, I wanted to explore. I began building my “castle in the air.”
I went to work building the foundation under it. Studying, working, planning. The cornerstone of my foundation came when I attended a Youth Leadership Conference in Washington, DC in 2007. I looked out the window at the endless stream of famous landmarks, and I knew. I found the perfect location for my dream.
Fast forward three years, and I made my dream come true! I enrolled as an undergraduate student at The Catholic University of America in DC, 800 miles away from home. I made it! Over the years, I developed new dreams & castles, built more foundations, and in May 2013, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree – the first person in my family to do so.
…but now what? It’s time for a new dream! I have a passion for education, advocacy, and working with children, and I know I want to pursue the questions that exist at the crossroads of education, curriculum-building, policy, and child welfare. “But dreams are one thing. Making them come true is another.” I’m gaining the foundations I need to make this dream come true as a Master of Business Analysis student at CUA, and as I make this journey, I’m excited to see how I reach this new “castle in the air.”
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