Practice, Pursuit, and Purpose

As President Barak Obama addressed the small business owner in his 2011 State of the Union speech, my mind started to analyze today’s successful entrepreneurs and executives. One successful entrepreneur who came to mind was, Bill Gates. What made Bill Gates one of the richest men in the world? Was it merely innovation or better yet was it timing? Some individuals would say that it was both while others may say he was just plain “lucky.” Gates had a foresight that allowed him to see individual and business consumers’ needs in the next decade.  However, there is one attribute that also led to his success which at times goes unrecognized: Practice

Gates’ success can be attributed to his relentless passion and practice in his field of interest. Gates spent countless hours working on his craft in numerous departments and organizations.  His passion allowed him to learn through failures, successes, and advance to be the king of the computer world.

As a first year student and a career changer, I have developed the insatiable desire to learn as much as I can retain about the growing trends and strategies of digital marketing. Once a month, I challenge myself to learn new techniques and strategies in the marketing world to maintain my competitive edge and enhance my brand in the marketplace.  I must admit that in prior years I would stay rather stagnant and just wait for the information to come to me. However looking back, I realized that I “plateaued” and my positioning among peers declined. (So I guess one can say I am driven to regain my position).

Now I will say that my pursuit does not just include learning about the various business “hot” topics.  On my monthly library trips, yes I will admit I swear by the library, I do search for non business related biographies and nonfiction books as well. Recently, I read the Critical Care by Theresa Brown.  It is an account of a former Tufts University English professor’s first year as nurse in the oncology ward.  The book leaves its reader with a feeling of appreciation for life.  Brown’s account is a poignant reminder to individuals to appreciate life in sickness or health.

I mentioned Critical Care because I feel businesses and their respective executives need to be appreciated in sickness and in health. On that note, it is important that when I am reading periodicals, reviews, books, and other business documents that I pay close to attention to not only their achievements but also struggles.  I like to read about companies who are on "life support" hoping to recover just as much as those who are thriving in today's fast paced society. Even though, I may not face the same situations as what I may read I can learn and apply to similar scenarios

I find that through my readings, I am narrowing in on my purpose and my ultimate career goal in marketing. My readings continue to enhance my knowledge and push me to 'think outside of the box.' I must say it has also enhanced my analytical and strategic skills. I know find myself associated particular concepts and definitions with what I've learned from various books. Overall, I would encourage you all to challenge yourself to just one a book a month!

Have a great weekend.


On a side note, I would like suggest you read and add to your collection: Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers. 

Field of Daisies

If there was a magic wand that could erase personal and or business "dark" sides would you use it? Would you ignore your weaknesses and focus on your strengths to define your brand?  Some individuals would agree.

I began the week by participating in two events for HandsOn Charlotte's week of service. The first event was a MLK Community Cinema held at the Actor's Theater. The event consisted of two films, A Village Called Versailles by S. Leo Chang and Deep Down  by Sally Rubin and Jen Gilomen.   My second event included working with HandsOn affiliate's Dress for Success. (Dress for Success in an international organization that provides career related services to women who are not employed.) Not that almost every second of my weekend wasn't already accounted for, as per usual, I decided to squeeze in a short museum visit in the day.

The museum visit consisted of a tour of the area after the Civil War. The museum was a host to a plethora of information however I left disappointed and frustrated. I was frustrated for those individuals who are not well versed on history and disappointed because there was something "missing." I felt that without prior knowledge from elementary and secondary school's history class I would have left feeling that everything was a pink fluffy cloud. There were several facts of history that I expected to see however they were nowhere to be found. At times, I thought I was playing "hide and seek." Ever corner I turned I thought to myself "of it will be around the corner;" however it wasn't there. I left thinking the museum did not want to face reality because  it would otherwise "taint" a perfect image of American history. Certain events occurred in the last 50 years which led to Martin Luther King and other individuals to create a movement. Why? Because "life was not a field of daises."

Now the let's take this same concept, "a field of daisies," and apply it to business. What if we completely eliminated from economic and finance text books Enron and Arthur Anderson. Let's go even further what if we eliminated the Savings & Loans (S&L) crisis and the Great Depression. How could business leaders of today develop strategies to improve their business structure to avoid making similar mistakes?

 

 Eliminating negative history that stirs emotions or starts controversy is not a solution for the future. It hinders the present because we are who we are based on our TRUE past. We learn from our past to become the individuals who we are today. Just something to ponder.

Cabin Fever anyone?

As students prepared last week for the beginning of classes, others prepared for the impending snow storm that was headed to the Charlotte Metro area. Initially, I did not believe that the storm would yield a significant amount of precipitation.  However I was quickly mistaken and the first three days of classes were cancelled.

During our impromptu winter break extension, I decided to be somewhat productive.  I began to align my targeted company list for internships. Yes I have to publicly admit; instead of creating snowmen and snow angels I decided to do some work. The summer will be right around the corner and many internship deadlines are quickly approaching. In the midst of my search, I realized I needed to "dust" off my job searching skills. Looking at old versions of cover letters actually brought a smile to my face. Let's just say..."I've come a long way."

Don't get be wrong, I did take numerous breaks throughout my "hours of productivity." I enjoyed several movies thanks to Netflix. I cooked a couple new dishes that typically I would NEVER have time to make let alone even prepare and started a new novel. However cabin fever slowly began to creep in. Let's just say I am happy to be out of the house and back on campus.

Enjoy what remains of our snow storm. Have a nice weekend.

Hello 2011 New Year's Resolution

It's the first week of the year and what does that mean: New Year's Resolutions! Of course my list includes the popular items such as going to the gym, eating healthier, reducing my intake on caffeine; but it also includes a unique item. This year I would like to broaden my horizons in particular study abroad.

As an undergraduate, I hoped to participate in a study abroad program my junior year in Australia. However due to the my schedule and earned credit hours, I was unable to enroll.

As a Belk College of Business MBA student with a concentration in marketing, I would like to expand my business acumen beyond my field of study.  In order to fulfill this goal, I decided to "step out of the box." This year, I applied and was accepted into UNC Charlotte's 4th Annual International Real Estate program. This year's location: Malaysia. Now I'm sure you are wondering why did I choose this particular program when I am a Marketing concentration?  For starters, real estate, particularly commercial real estate,  always peaked my interest. In addition, I figured this was a once in lifetime opportunity to meet with notable companies across the globe.  You can go to most any country any time and be limited to being a tourist but going with a class you get to be an insider in local companies.  The second reason why I chose this program was the location. Two years ago, I traveled to Asia and thoroughly enjoyed every second of my 2-week trip.   I am always quick to tell anyone once you have exposed and immersed yourself in eastern culture (I'm not referring to the areas with a strong Western influence); your outlook on the world completely changes. My trip two years ago has increased my interest to learn and visit more countries in the East.

I will be honest when in saw the "sticker price" of the trip, my jaw dropped. Then I had to stop and think. The bulk of the cost is UNC Charlotte's tuition. So basically if I enrolled in summer session I, I would pay the same amount. Ok so then I looked at airfare...well by the time I plan a week long vacation in the states the cost will be near the roundtrip airfare. Third I evaluated  the  additional costs for meals, souvenirs, etc. When I added those costs, I came to the conclusion that the amount is the equivalent to the cost of a textbook. In particular, a textbook that I would then try to resell at the end of the semester and only obtain 10% of the original cost. With this said, I would rather have a priceless experience and pictures.....well the rest was history. This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity that I am counting down the days until departure.   

How many individuals will I meet who can say they studied real estate in Malaysia.....probably not enough to count on one hand.

Studying abroad for a graduate student is truly an educational and personal experience that I wish every student could participate in.  It is a nice way to brand and differentiate yourself  from the competition!

How do you plan on broadening your horizons this year?

Until next week. Happy New Year!