Darden in New Orleans

Darden is notorious in the business school world for being one of the more structured academic programs, especially in the first year. We are primarily case study based in the first year, but I have found my second year classes to be much less structured and much more diverse in the types and styles of classes and professors. For Spring Break this year, I took a unique and fascinating experiential learning class called "Entrepreneurs as a Change Agent." I spent the week with 24 of my classmates, our professor, and numerous guest speakers in New Orleans - having case discussions, making site visits, and enjoying the nightlife and history of New Orleans. We talked about poverty, housing, education, public finance and urban redevelopment. The angle, of course, being how MBAs can make a difference in all of these areas to create sustainable change.

Below are some of my final reflections from the course (written a few weeks ago as my final paper for the class…) as well as some pictures to share. FYs - this was one of the coolest classes I have taken this year - make sure you sign up for next year!

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Last week was the first time I had ever been to New Orleans, and quite honestly – despite my peripheral following of the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina – the first time I have paid attention to this region of our country or the issues that have plagued New Orleans pre- and post-Katrina. I am grateful for the week and this class, because despite considering myself as someone who “cares about the world,” I have let myself put on blinders for the last two years at Darden and become a bit transactional, even when discussing social issues. However, being on the ground in New Orleans was an amazing opportunity not only to experience and observe some of the basic problems around housing, education, and the dynamics of low-income communities in the U.S., but also to see the energy and resilience of folks who want to find solutions to these problems. In addition, the trip was personally energizing and has helped me refocus (or at least remind me of) a few of my longer-term personal and professional goals of making a broader community impact.

For the purposes of this reflection, I outlined a few of my biggest surprises and learnings coming out of the trip, as well as highlighting a few of favorite parts of the trip.

My Basic Summary of New Orleans:
New Orleans – similar to most cities, but also more starkly defined than other cities – is a city of paradoxes. The juxtaposition of rich and poor, new and old, black and white, lively and desolate, engaged and despondent is evident from one block to the next. It was as fascinating to see the energy of the French Quarter, the mansions in the Garden District, and the significance of the city in American history, as it was to see and learn about the deserted and decaying houses in the flood aftermath, the broken education system, and the racially segregated low-income communities. My basic summary of New Orleans is that it is a special place: a city rooted in centuries of history, but also a city leading the charge to create transformational social change.

Reflections on our Project:
[As part of the course, we were split up into teams and worked with a corporate sponsor on a certain project. My group worked on a project called, "Teaching to Fish" -based on the quote, “give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.” The project was to work with a local, recently rebuilt public housing project, and think about ways to engage residents and provide programming through the local community center.]

Prior to Darden, I worked at an international development non-profit focused on business solutions to poverty. A huge part of our project portfolio was focused entrepreneurship training and helping develop and sustain businesses in the developing world. Through my work, I traveled through many impoverished rural communities and city slums in Africa and India, working on basic skill-building programs, visiting community cooperatives, and providing business advice for entrepreneurs hoping to expand their businesses. My biggest surprise on this trip was the difference between domestic poverty and international poverty - and the complexity of the types of solutions that are needed to move the needle on domestic poverty.

When we first read our project description and started brainstorming different ideas on how to approach our project, my team came up with a long list of ideas, ranging from starting an incubator for entrepreneurs to building membership organizations like grocery store cooperatives where residents must work in the store to use its projects to the Café Reconcile [see below] model of experiential learning on practical skill-building. However, the basic premise of many of these programs was that residents wanted to engage and build up their community. After speaking with the community development manager, we found out quite the opposite – not only was resident participation in current programming abysmal, but the residents didn’t see a reason to engage with the community center or become self-sufficient. The survey data we analyzed was even more perplexing – while 80% of residents wanted professional development help, most of them were not willing to attend the events or put in the work. Instead, residents wanted more holiday parties and access to video games for their children. For a community living so far below the poverty line, these residents expected a number of luxuries, but based on the data and attendance levels, were unwilling to give a lot to attain the lifestyle they wanted. Seeing this phenomena, one of my biggest learnings about public housing from our project and engaging with this specific community, was that housing alone cannot fix the problem of income inequality. Breaking the cycle of poverty requires a cultural shift; it requires education, access to role-models, and a reason to have hope and believe – none of which are easy to find or instill in a culture where experience tells residents otherwise.

Pictures of Lafitte, the rebuilt public housing complex we worked with.

A Few of my Favorite Things:

Favorite Experience: My favorite experience of the trip was our meal at Café Reconcile - a full-service, working restaurant that hires and trains low-income (often homeless) young folks to get them off the streets and into a professional setting.  'Students' at Cafe Reconcile are taught how to prepare and cook food, serve food, and take care of restaurant operations - all in preparation to work in the hospitality industry in New Orleans. Café Reconcile was one of the most practical approaches to job training we saw on the trip and perhaps the embodiment of the type of things our group were trying to propose for our project. In addition to being rigorous and demanding, and instilling a work ethic in employees that will serve them for the long-term, Café Reconcile was a great example of “meeting halfway” – instead of creating an idealistic solution to the poverty problem, Café Reconcile found a small, niche way to make an impactful difference. The food was great – and I am excited for you all to see the expanded café next year. I also think this would be a great example of a practical project for next year’s class.

Cafe Reconcile - located in the Central City district of New Orleans. 

Favorite Guest Speaker/Topic: My favorite guest speaker of the week was the COO of New Schools for New Orleans, Neerav Kinsgland and my favorite site visit was to a KIPP School. The New Orleans public school system was a disaster prior to Hurricane Katrina, and has been one of the more interesting sectors to follow in the aftermath. Similar to a "Chicago Fire" situation, New Orleans is on a path to changing the face of public education. 80% of New Orleans students are now in Charter Schools, and the new 'business' approach to education is prominent throughout the system. Folks in the New Orleans school system are in experimenting with novel concepts such as rigorous accountability for school performance (a market approach - where parents and students can choose schools, schools can and will be held to high standards or shut down, etc.); reformed human capital models (performance-based compensation and professional mobility for teachers); and low-cost operational scalability (online classes, etc.).

Pictures of signs posted in the KIPP School we visited.



Favorite NOLA Find: I have a fascination with cities and history – and the way people live or lived. I really enjoyed exploring a few of the different neighborhoods in NOLA, from runs in the French Quarter to the street car rides on St. Charles Ave. One of the coolest things I found in my exploration of the city was a coffee shop in the Carrollton District that was inside an old bank building built in the 1800s. For me, it was a good symbol of New Orleans and a great example of the paradoxes that define the city. Of course, our last evening on Frenchman Street, my runs through the French Quarter, pralines and beignets, and watching the craziness of Bourbon Street were also awesome experiences!

 Inside of a street car

Architecture and streets of the French Quarter 

Biggest Takeaway / Personal Reflection:

My heart has always been in the social sector – and long term, remains in the social sector. Prior to Darden I thought I found a way to marry my private sector experience and business training, and my need to make an impact, but being back at Darden made me become tunnel-versioned again. My biggest take-away from this trip was the reminder that as MBAs our skills are extremely valuable in the social sector and that there is a lot of work that still needs to be done. This summer, before starting my job, I am planning on working with a friend of mine who is starting an entrepreneurship incubator in Harlem and helping with some of the training and organization development pieces of the incubator. This trip made me realize that while working at the incubator over the summer is a start, in order to really make an impact, I need and want to stay involved and engaged in these topics even while I am working, and not fall into the trap of putting off my involvement.

I love exams (yep, it sounds crazy, I know)

(posted a week later than I meant to - sorry!)

Last week, while I was giving a tour of Darden, a prospective student asked about exams and the exam process at Darden.  There was an aspiring FY tourguide shadowing my tour, and both of us turned to each other and immediately blurted the same response: "Exams are our favorite time at Darden!"  It is a funny thing to say, given most of the time the word "exam" is linked to stress and frantic chaos (think: GMAT!?)  However, at Darden, while there are definitely some subjects that elicit the stress and frantic chaos, exam period is often one of the calmest parts of the quarter. 

Why is that?  Well, exam period is the most flexible times of the Darden academic schedule.  Classes are over, the email load reduces, and most club and co-curricular activites screech to a sudden halt for a few days.  And, because of the strong honor code and trust within the Darden community, all of our exams and papers are take-home.  You can "check-out" your exams online - they are timestamped - and then you upload the completed exam within a alloted amount of time.  You can take exams at 3am in the morning, sitting in pajamas, or remotely from another country...or all three!   

My List of Why I love exam period:

• You can eat cheetos for breakfast chalk it off to "exam stress"
• You can actually go to the gym and get a decent workout - or as a SY, you can do "two-a-days" at the gym since somehow the looming existance of beach week feels a lot more real in March
• Sweatpants, oversized t-shirts, and flip-flops are appropriate attire walking down the Darden halls or sitting in the library.  ...I might wear those clothes on a more regular basis than I would like to admit, but during exams it just feels "right!"
• Your apartment is allowed to be messy, just because.
• Catching up with classmates and friends is actually possible.  I have been sitting in a coffee shop all morning, and at least a dozen of my classmates have walked in the door and stopped for a quick chat.  And I am looking forward to a frozen yogurt study break with some folks later this afternoon
• You can finally catch up on all those TV shows on your DVR/Hulu/Netflix
• And - since we are in graduate school, and most of us are pretty nerdy - I guess this is fitting: my favorite part of exams is actually reflecting on all of the things I learned over the last quarter.  For example, one of the papers I am writing today is about common traits of great leaders and how our study of world leaders may influence our own leadership styles.  Another project I am working on right now is compiling a portfolio of journal entries from a class I took on design thinking over the last six months.  When classes is in full force - it often feels like reflecting on the material is the last thing I have time for - so if nothing else, exams actually provide this time and space!

Be Phenomenal

"Be Phenomenal."  That was the simple the message was from the afternoon keynote at  the Dynamic Women in Business Conference held at Harvard Business School this past weekend.  I was invited to the conference by the leaders of HBS's women's network and spent a day attending the conference, and a second day in an planning session for a cross-MBA women's coalition with the leaders from our our peer schools.  Having the opportunity to spend the weekend listening, brainstorming, and sharing with such an amazingly powerful, thoughtful, and proactive group of women will definitely be a highlight in my MBA career. 

Back to "being phenomenal" - Ann Mukherjee, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Frito-Lay, continued her keynote by outlining the lessons she learned along her journey and what it meant for her to "be phenomenal."  I found the lessons and vignettes relevant, and thought I would share the advice with all of you:

1. Know thyself, LOVE thyself - understand who you are; do a personal SWOT analysis; know how to strategically compensate for your gaps; and most importantly: do not fear, but rather embrace, your weaknesses without judgment.  Ask yourself: do you know and strive for your best self, or are you always focused on what you are not?
2. Earn credibility - know your stuff; consistently deliver; and most importantly: keep your head down and be in the moment.  If you focus too much on getting ahead and moving forward, you will never be able perform to the best of your ability
3. Celebrate people - be inspiring and motivating to the people around you; find out what other people's gifts are - and help them "be phenomenal"
4. Be passionate - have a point of view and love what you are doing - life is too short to go through the mechanics and not have passion and fury
5. Challenge the status quo - don't become complacent and don't settle for mediocrity because it is the easy thing to do; be a change agent and make an impact
6. Keep perspective - be secure in yourself; success should be defined by the standards YOU set because life is too short to try and live up to other people's expectations
7. Live by the K.I.S.S. principle - be precise; talk in headlines; and know the desired outcome of your efforts
8. Embrace failures - journal, reflect, and learn from every failure so you can course-correct the next time around
9. Define your legacy - set a vision; have conviction; be motivated; you have to know what you are working towards
10. Enjoy the journey - don't confuse expectations with what is really important to you; life is too short to settle, so enjoy the journey and don't be so focused on the destination that you lose all sight of the ultimate journey

A few months ago, I logged an entry about how my second year of business school was going to be the best (and hardest) year of my life. The premise was straightforward: as someone who is always moving, shaking, and hopping from one thing to the next, I was going to consciously take my second year at Darden to do some thinking and digging around who I am, what I value, how I want to live my life, and the type of impact I want to make to the world. While I didn't realize it when I set out on my path, in a way, I was trying to figure out how to "be phenomenal" in my personal and professional life. 

I still have a long path and a lot of work to do in my personal quest to be phenomenal, but I hope the lessons above help some of my classmates and other members of the Darden community frame and move forward in their personal journeys as well!

It's Auction Time!

I have written many posts over the last year about how my favorite part of being a student at Darden is the close knit community.  My interactions and connections with Darden students, faculty, staff, and the broader Charlottesville community are the experiences I will always remember - and as a second year, going off into the real world once again in a couple of months - these are relationships and moments I hope to continue and cherish over the next five months!

To that end, this week marks one of the most exciting community events that happens at Darden each year!  NAWMBA (the National Association of Women MBAs) at Darden will be hosting the 22nd Annual SHE Gala this Friday, February 3, 2012 at UVA’s Alumni Hall.  This year's Gala promises to be another exciting evening, as it marks the debut of “Darden’s Got Talent"! The event will highlight the talents of both First Year and Second Year Darden Students!  

Also this year, Professor Ed Freeman, one of Darden's notable Ethics professors, has agreed to shave his beard (which he has had since 1985!) if we raise $10,000 before the auction. All money raised will go directly to SHE.  For those of you not familiar with Ed's beard - I found a few pictures/articles and pictures that might help:
http://www.darden.virginia.edu/web/Faculty-Research/Directory/Full-time/R-Edward-Freeman/
http://poetsandquants.com/2012/01/20/darden-wharton-top-ethics-ranking/

So - members of the Darden community: buy your tickets now!  The event is sold out every year and we will not be selling tickets at the door!  In addition, we are only $2,000 away from our fundraising goal for Professor Freeman's beard fund, so please make a donation!

If you’d like to purchase tickets online, please use the following link to pay with Paypal: LINK
  
(And to prospective students and other members of the broader community - if you have sat in on a Darden class with Professor Freeman or if you feel inclined just because - we are accepting donations for the beard fund online as well!  http://forms.darden.virginia.edu/student/dsa/shave_eds_beard.html)

Check out more details on the history of S.H.E. and the Gala at http://www.darden.virginia.edu/web/MBA/Student-Life/Organizations/National-Association-Women-MBAs/NAWMBA/

 

Innovate. Effectuate. Overcoming the Challenges of Launching a Business

Hi All!  Please see below for a GUEST BLOGGER from the Entrepreneurial Ventures Club (EVC).  Written by Darden FY Scott Caras on the recent Darden Entrepreneurship Conference that took place last week.

Darden’s annual Entrepreneurship Conference wrapped up Friday evening after two days dedicated to exploring the topics of innovation and effectuation in entrepreneurship.

The conference kicked off Thursday afternoon with the Darden Concept Competition.  Students presented a variety of business ideas ranging from original technology platforms to innovative consumer products.  The competition provided an opportunity for MBA students to share ideas and seek feedback from experienced entrepreneurs.  The discussions continued into the evening at the event’s kick-off reception and dinner.  Among other highlights from the evening, participants had the opportunity to hear Greg Fairchild, the Executive Director of the Tayloe Murphy Center, share the inspiring story of Solid Stone Fabrics, recipient of the Tayloe Murphy Resilience Award which recognizes businesses that succeed in communities facing tough economic conditions.

Friday’s schedule was packed full of opportunities to listen to successful entrepreneurs share their stories and attend workshops led by world-renown academics on the concepts of innovation and effectuation.  The event’s speakers included experienced entrepreneurs, investors and academics, each of whom provided a unique perspective on entrepreneurship.  Although a wide variety of topics were presented, three primary themes emerged.

First, it doesn’t require a blockbuster idea to start a business—think about everyday challenges and consider solutions to address them.  Seek opportunities to improve products and services that already exist.  Professor Saras Sarasvathy compared developing a concept to playing scrabble—if you add a letter to the end of a word that has already been played, you still get credit for the whole word.

Sean Eidson, CEO and founder of TRUE linkswear, shared the story of launching his golf footwear business.  During a round of golf, Eidson saw a golfer wearing the “five finger” shoes that have recently become popular among runners.  He realized that most golf shoes aren’t particularly comfortable and began sharing his hypothesis with other golfers.  Before he knew it, he had developed a concept for a new golf shoe that was built on a “barefoot” premise.  Less than a year after launching the product, the company has already sold tens of thousands of pairs worldwide.

The second theme that emerged from the conference addressed a common barrier faced by many would-be entrepreneurs—one of the primary reasons individuals don’t pursue an idea is that they lack the capital required to launch a business.  Many of the conference’s speakers reiterated that limited capital is rarely a challenge that cannot be overcome.   Adam Healey and Charles Seilheimer spoke about raising the money to start their business, hotelicopter.  The two partners pooled their savings and scrapped together enough cash to develop a prototype of their innovative hotel search platform.  The functioning prototype enabled them to share the idea with individuals in the travel industry and raise the capital required to fully develop and launch the product.  Healey and Seilheimer didn’t allow limited financial resources to be a barrier to developing their idea, and today hotelicopter has become one of the premier hotel search platforms on the internet.

Professor Frank Genovese discussed the opportunity to buy an existing business and how to overcome the challenges of financing the transaction.  While acquiring a business certainly requires a personal investment, he advised that when the right type of business is identified (in particular, one with a lot of assets) and a good deal is negotiated, financing is often readily available.  Although very different from starting a business from scratch, buying an existing business offers another opportunity to pursue an entrepreneurial career.

The final theme emerging from the conference’s many stories was the importance of sharing early stage business concepts with others.  In her workshop on effectuation, Saras Sarasvathy illustrated this concept using examples from her research.  She explained that most successful entrepreneurs use feedback from others to strengthen their ideas.  She encouraged aspiring entrepreneurs to build a network of stakeholders who are willing to provide feedback that will make their idea stronger, and ask them to make a true commitment to the business by investing in it financially—very quickly you will be able to tell if others actually believe the concept will be successful.

The founders of hotelicopter reiterated the idea that even after a concept has been transformed into a successful business, one shouldn’t be afraid to mend or even recreate it.  Healey discussed hiring the first CTO of hotelicopter, Colin Steele, who was hired to manage the development of the company’s product.   However, instead of improving company’s established hotel search platform, Steele’s first initiative was to rebuild the product from scratch.  Although the founders were doubtful at the time, they acknowledge that hotelicopter would not have the successful product it does today if they hadn’t allowed Steele to recreate the initial platform.

Darden’s Entrepreneurship Conference provided opportunities to develop one’s knowledge of entrepreneurship and learn the tactical steps required to launch a business.  More importantly, however, the event was both educational and inspirational, bringing together experienced and aspiring entrepreneurs, academics and investors to collaborate and share ideas about innovation and effectuation.

A Slice of Heaven

My friend Caroline calls me a "slice of heaven-er."  At first, I didn't understand the title, but quickly realized that she classifies me as part of the group of our classmates that consider Charlottesville to be a "Slice of Heaven."

Last Saturday I had the fortunate misfortune of flying into Charlottesville airport on a on a small propeller plane from Philadelphia.  After being stuck in Philadelphia on an unexpected layover for 7.5 hours, I was tired and the only thing I wanted was to get home, go to bed, and put an end to my crummy day.  I spent most of the plane ride angrily flipping pages of my magazine (I had long since given up trying to read cases) and sighing deeply in frustration.  As we get closer to Charlottesville, though, I happened to look out of airplane window - and saw one of the most breathtaking views I have seen in my life.  Our plane was flying just low enough that for the last 20 minutes of the flight, all I could see were lush treestops and Fall colors in every direction.  The Blue Ridge Mountains were in the background, and the landscape below me was red, orange, pink, yellow, and every shade in between.  The sun was just beginning to set, casting shadows over the trees and mountains, and the sun rays made the whole scene even more picturesque. 

A week later, I still can't verbalize how beautiful the view was - but the mental image still pops into my mind daily and has forced me stop each day to take a deep breath and look around.  Knowing from my other friends in business school, no matter where you are in school or what year you are in, Fall in b-school is busy, stressful, frantic, and chaotic from the minute you wake up to the minute you go to bed.  Fall at Darden has been no exception, but the one thing unique to our experience here is Charlottesville.  With everything you could possibly need at your fingertips (...this is where my non-"Slice of Heaven-er" friends may disagree) - and the middle of such amazing natural beauty - Charlottesville makes the whole business school experience a little more manageable.  No matter what is happening with academics, recruiting, and life - five minutes outside, taking in the beautiful views, is enough to inspire and energize just about anyone :)

For the last week, I decided to take a few pictures of my daily view to share.  Nothing compared to the view from the plane, but some snapshots of Fall! 

Afternoon in Flagler Couryard - check out how blue the sky is!

View of the fountain on the backside of Flagler Courtyard

View from my Ivy apartment

The walk to school...

At least the learning team rooms have good views as well...

Welcome to the Best Year of My Life

After a weekend of rain in Charlottesville, the sun is shining, the wind is gently blowing, and I am sitting on my balcony watching the little spurts of activity in Ivy Gardens as people start their Sunday errands.  It feels good to enjoy a peaceful morning, and as I sit here, I can’t help but realize that this is going to be the best year of my life.

I imagine before I write much more I should apologize for being a black hole these last few months.  Spring and summer somehow flew by, and between wrapping up first year, traveling, and completing my summer internship, everything feels like a blur.  I had an great summer (I was working for a consulting firm in New York City), and despite finishing my internship only a few weeks ago, the summer already seems like a distant memory.  Perhaps it was some time away from Darden, or another glimpse into the “real world” but I cannot describe how good it feels to be back in the groove of business school life. 

     

As a Second Year, I am a pro at navigating Darden - I know the systems, I know people, and I know how to manage my day.  I am not stressed about my capacity to handle the work and extracurricular load.  I am engrossed in my classes and energized by my leadership roles.  My day-to-day life is significantly different from last year:  I went to the gym every day this week.  I cooked at lunches and dinners at home multiple times (and no, that doesn’t include defrosting frozen meals!).  I read my cases outside in the fresh air and took time to soak in the beauty of Charlottesville.  I have caught up with friends and classmates, but instead of discussions about recruiting or gossiping about a dramatic situation in our most recent class, I have had deeper conversations about life, values, and goals.  I have even had time to play some golf.

Oddly enough – the reasons above are not the reasons why I think this is going to be the best year of my life.  While it is nice to have control over my schedule (really nice, actually), the more incredible thing about this year is that for the first time in a very long time, I have to ask myself some very hard questions and start laying a foundation for the rest of my life.  I don’t get the luxury of walking down a prescribed path or knowing my next step.  Instead, I have to explore unchartered territory and figure out my own path.  I have to get to the core of who I am and what I fundamentally want out of my life, and make decisions that will require me to be true to that authentic self.  I have to realize that what got me this far in my life and career, may not be what gets me to the next level of my personal and professional leadership; and so I have to look deep inside of myself and start breaking down the habits and patterns of behavior that have been instilled in me for years.  I imagine a lot of this seems nebulous, but the point is – for me, my second year in business school is going to be about being purposeful and getting to the bottom of some rather difficult questions, designing and developing my own criteria for success, and really, truly learning.  So while this is going to be the best year of my life, I seems it will also be one of the hardest years at times.  Either way - I am excited :)

Spring at Darden!

I have to apologize for being delinquent in my blog updating for the last few weeks. It has been a busy, but exceedingly fun month! I have to do another list of my favorite things since I last updated (in chronological order) to catch you all up on life at Darden:

8) Dinner at Dean Bruner’s House! - As part of my special topics seminar, Dean Bruner invited our class of 15 people over to his home for class…and wow does the Dean makes a mean vegetarian chili!

7) Dinner at Luann Lynch’s House – Luann is absolutely one of my favorite Darden professors and had a few of my sectionmates and I over for dinner in early April. We had a fabulous meal, played board games with Luann’s 14-year old twin sons, and laughed so hard at dinner that we were falling off of our chairs! Only at Darden can you have such a close personal relationship with your professors!

6) BGiA – Building Goodness in April finally arrived this last weekend! After months of preparation from my classmates, hundreds of my classmates participated in Build Day. My neck still hurts from painting the ceilings of our house, but I could not have asked for a more meaningful way to make a tangible difference, or spend quality time with incredible classmates.

5) Holi! – Holi is the Indian festival of colors that celebrates the Harvest season. Last weekend, the Darden South Asian Society hosted Holi in the courtyard of the Ivy Gardens apartment complex – and it was out of control. If you have never been to/heard of Holi – it is a sight to be seen – people running around with powdered paint smearing it all over your hair, face, and clothes…enjoying the good weather and good company!

4) NAWMBA Strategy Session – I am so excited about the NAWMBA (Darden Chapter of the National Association Women MBAs) board for next year – these ladies rock my socks off and the energy and programming we are going to have next year will be awesome J Get ready, prospectives!
3) Darden Days – this weekend was Darden Days, the annual admitted student weekend at Darden. I was asked to speak on a panel and as I gave advice and recounted my last year, I realized how far my classmates and I have come in one year – it feels surreal to be a few weeks from ending my first year at Darden…

2) King Family Vineyards – every year as part of Darden Days, the entire Darden community is invited out to a close by vineyard for barbeque, wine, and socializing. I remember going last year as a part of Darden Days and having a good time– but once you are here as a student the experience is completely different – you know everyone, have inside jokes, and are completely engrossed in the community! The night just reinforced how grateful I am for my friends here J

1) Rainy Saturdays – yesterday it rained non-stop in Charlottesville and it was one of those days where you have to force yourself to stop and take a day off. I spent most of my day relaxing, listening to the rain, and reflecting…

And now, on this Sunny Sunday, I am energized and ready to start the new week. With three more weeks until we split ways for the summer, and with the weather getting warmer and warmer, I imagine the next couple of weeks will be a treat!

A few of my favorite things...

As we wrap up our last required set of classes today, I was thinking back over the last few months and the journey my classmates and I have taken.  But instead of reflecting on the last few months, I thought I would share my favorite things of the past week!

4) Nintendo!

Yes, ladies and gentleman, I am talking about playing "regular" Nintendo.  One of Darden's biggest community outreach activities of the year is called Building Goodness in April (BGiA).  As part of BGiA, there is a big auction in the Fall - and one of the things I bid on was an hour of Nintendo with a classmate.  We got to level 8-3 in the first Super Mario Brothers, but couldnt quite beat the game.  Man do I miss the time I was actually good at video games! 

3) Finance Merger Simulation

Darden loves simulations.  We have done simulations in almost every one of our classes, from Ethics to Decision Analysis to Leadership & Organizations.  Last week we did my favorite simulation of the year in our Finance class.  The simulation was a merger negotiation between Mars & Wrigley - modeling the actual 2008 Mars aquisition of Wrigley.  We were split up into teams of three and had to negotiate against teams in other sections playing the opposing stakeholders.  Coming in, each side had built financial models (DCF, multiple analysis, etc.), analyzed our optimal price/ranges for the aquisition, and decided on what qualitative factors we would hold our ground.  With more than 50 three-hour negotions happening all around Darden, you can only imagine the incredible scene and buzz around here:  "Who got the best deal?"  "Did you hear with happened with x,y,z team?"  Perhaps you had to be here - but from both a qualitative and quantitive perspective, there was definitely a lot learned!    

2) NAWMBA Board Meeting

Next year, I will be leading Darden's chapter of the National Association of Women MBAs.  Last Thursday, we had our first meeting with next year's Executive Board.  I am blown away by the passion and excitement of the team and am so excited for upcoming year.  After a year of "taking" all that Darden has to give - I am excited to start giving back to the school and the incoming class!  

1) My Last Learning Team Meeting

Last night, my learning team met for the last time in our official capacity.  As I have mentioned a few times in the past, my learning team has been one of my most favorite parts of the Darden experience - and yesterday was no let down.  We met last night and had our usual back and forth banter and prepared our homework, with moments of nostalgia here and there. 

I have been struggling with a summer internship decision.  I have been lucky to have had a lot of options from the beginning of this process, and have narrowed my decision down to two firms.  Both are fantastic and both are in a number of ways, "exactly what I want to do."  I have gone back and forth, and almost decided every day for the last two weeks.  Last night, after our homework, my learning team decided it was time for them to step in and help me make my decision.  We mapped out a decision tree (yes, that really did happen) and made some pro/con lists on the white board.  They asked me questions, grilled me on my assumptions, and helped me clarify my thinking.  I finally made a decision last night, and couldnt have done without the gentleman of Studio 54.  It was a perfect, bittersweet end to something so special.

Welcome aboard the emotional roller coaster. Please fasten your seatbelts, and enjoy the ride.

I loved roller coasters when I was younger.  I would stand in line for hours in anticipation with a grin from ear to ear.  And then a funny thing happened when I got to the front of the line - I would get a pit in my stomach and start to shake.  The reality of the impending "doom" would set in and I couldn't help but  look for a way to jump out of line.  I wasn't ready, but it was too late - I was on the ride, buckled up, and there was no turning back. 

That pit-in-the-stomach feeling describes the last few weeks of my Darden experience.  After months of preparation, we finally embarked upon interview season - and it has been painful.  No one did, or perhaps could have, prepared me for the roller coaster of emotions that my classmates and I would face.  The smiles, tears, excitement, disappointment, joy, frustration,  anxiety, relief...this sheer emotional exhaustion has now just become a part of our daily routine. 

A month into the process, some of us are celebrating our signed offer letters, but most of us are continuing to explore, weigh our options, and strategize next steps.  Despite which category we fall in, at one point or another all of us have re-calibrated and re-adjusted our initial thoughts on who we are and what we want.  We have asked tough questions about the industries we want to work in and the people we want to work with.  We have thought about our lifestyles, the tradeoffs of our decisions, and the implications our choices will have on family and friends.  We have thought not only about our own personal happiness, but also about how our professional careers can best make a lasting impact.  We have defined and re-defined our view of "success".   We have been forced to take a moment to think critically about our lives, and in most cases, we have learned something surprising along the way.

As I think back to those amusement park afternoons, I realized that all that time I stood in line for the roller coaster, I just imagined the ride would be "perfect."  I never thought about the ups and downs, the loops that brought me back to where I started, or the sharp turns that made me feel like I might not make it in one piece.  Miraculously, after I got off the ride and took a deep breath on solid ground, I would forget everything that terrified me during the ride, and only remember how much fun I had. 

So here's to hoping that when I get off of the roller coaster, I will think back, remember all the imperfections and emotions, and then realize how perfect the whole experience was because ultimately the process forced me to find and define me.

...and we are back in the game!

The last time we had to go to class was 46 days ago.  That seems like a lifetime in business school years. 

So much has changed in the last month and a half in the life of a Darden First Year.  We finished exams and got final grades for many of our first semester classes.  We went on job treks across the country and made our final connections with companies.  We enjoyed some sleep, time with family, and time away from school.  We reflected on our first 1/4 of business school, likely made resolutions, and finally cherished the little things about school we overlooked in the midst of daily chaos.  We started aggressive interview prep.  We started interviewing.  Some of "us" finished interviewing (oh, those lucky few...). 

And now, with the first day of our second semester starting tomorrow, we have new Sections, new subjects, and likely, new perspectives, to share.  Tomorrow will be a whirlwind of a day, and with the 45+ different jobs people are interviewing for this week, I imagine the week will be quite a spectacle in the Darden hallways.

Good luck, everyone!

Nostalgic

(written last Monday morning - sorry I forgot to post!)
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As I stare around my apartment, I have a pretty good view of my exam existance: frozen meal boxes overflowing out of the recycling bin; the reminants of my marketing notes scattered all over my dining table; mail piled up high on the coffee table, and my clothes - well, they are everywhere.  I finished my last exam of the term last night at midnight, and after a few final recruiting events, my seminar class, and some meetings, I head back "home" for the holidays to spend time with family, visit my old coworkers, catch up with friends from the real world who I have neglected for the past three months, and of course, clean out my disasterous email inbox.

For some reason, as I sit in my window sill with a cup of tea (my favorite place in my apartment - although the last time I sat here could very well have been in September), I am a bit sad.  I can see some of my classmates walking to school for the last of their exams, while others are running around doing post exam laundry, paying rent, and finishing other chores.  It is beginning to set in, I am 1/4 of the way done with my MBA. 

In the midst of the busy days and long nights, I forgot how head over heels I have fallen for this place and the people here.  Perhaps it is because misery loves company or because we are in such close quarters all the time, but some of the friends I have made here know me as well as people who have known me my entire life.  Some of the discussions, in classes and in the hallways, have elevated and changed my thinking on my life and my values, while others have opened my eyes up to new opportunities and new passions.  The inside jokes, awkward moments, and ridiculous pictures of us in 80s costumes will likely be funny for years to come.  Anyway, 1/4 of the way done means that 3/4 is still left (do you like how my math is so sophisticated, now that I am in business school?) - so I guess it is time for me to get up, start running those errands, and get ready for a nice little break before coming back to what looks like a nutty January!  

Tomorrow is DECEMBER!?

I can't remember the last month.  The leaves have changed, the temperature is more brisk, and days are  shorter - so all the signs of fall ending are in the air - but where did November go!?  The Second Years refer to November as "Black November" - the home stretch for classes and recruiting.  I have to say, while November was clearly busy, the new schedule is indicating that these first few days of December might be our "Black November."

Our last day of classes for the semester is tomorrow and the exam period starts at 5pm.  Thursday is the first major resume and cover letter drop date for some key companies.  From there, the next week will be consumed by taking exams and writing papers, finishing up last minute recruiting pushes, the Holiday Ball (read: Darden Prom), wrapping up other classes (my seminar!), and submitting job applications (there are over 120 job opportunities that require cover letters and resumes to be submitted by December 10th). 

I will likely not be writing between now and then, so, to the prospective students reading this - good luck to those in the middle of R1 interviews and good luck to those starting to apply for the R2 application deadline.  To my FY classmates - we can do it!  These might be the 10 most intense days at Darden, but imagine what life will feel like next Friday!? ...that is, if you aren't going to Week on Wall Street and job treks...

Catch you on the flip side!

The Start of a New Term

The beginning of each term at Darden feels like the start of a new school year – our short-term memory loss has kicked in full force, and the life we led week ago filled to the brim with cases, learning team, and no sleep seems like a distant memory.  It is the calm before the next storm and in a matter of hours, the first day of Term 3 classes will quickly wake us up from our dream world.

But, in the spirit of a new term, I have decided to make a few resolutions.  In addition, I polled a few of my section-mates, and am posting their resolutions as well.  Hopefully we will revisit these throughout the term, and I can give you all an update in December!

My resolutions:

1)      To spend time each day cultivating my inner introvert – business school generally, and Darden specifically, are dream environments for extroverts.  From the walk to school in the morning, to the walk home at night, and everything in the middle, we are surrounded by people and an abundance of external stimuli.  When we aren’t working, we are out socializing.  So, to maintain a balance, my first resolution for this next term is to make time every day to be alone with my own thoughts.

2)      To eat three meals a week not “on the go” – the relationship of any business school student and food is a fragile one.  Some days, we are tempted by the abundance of free food throughout the halls and eat enough for a family of four.  Other days, meals are the last thing on our minds and one snickers bar sustains us for the day.  No matter the day, the one thing between the two sets of eating habits is that meals are always on the go, in front of the computer, or multi-tasked with 17 other things.  So, to mitigate this, I resolve to eat three (non-weekend meals) not “on the go.”

3)      To do more yoga – enough said J

4)      Get to school 20 minutes early in the morning - and prep for the day!

Resolutions from some of the ladies in Section C:

·         My resolution is to maintain a balance of sleep, running/yoga/some form of regular exercise, and healthy eating amidst the craziness of this term

·         My resolution: I will find time to hit the gym at least 3 times a week, and to eat no more than 3 frozen dinners (Lean Cuisines, Smart Ones, etc.) a week!...as you may have guessed…the 3 is for Term 3!!

·         My resolutions: Run twice / week;  Cook dinner for myself twice / week

·         My resolutions: Get at least 1 extra case for the week done before the weekend is over; eat less of the free junk food; swim at least twice a week.

·         My resolution: to run more, and to run a half marathon in the spring!

·         My resolution: to get back on the workout train and shoot for 3 days a week!  Nothing intense but I think it will make me a happier person!

·         My resolutions: attend more dance parties, cook more, and make time for other "stuff"

Thanks to all of my contributors!

"Yes, we know you are busy..."

Before I left my last organization, the CEO of the company told me to make sure I took some time to rest before starting school because, "once you get to business school, and from then onwards, your life speeds up."   After being an active undergrad, spending two years in investment banking, and then running an under-resourced program at a non-profit for a few years, I casually shrugged off his advice.  I knew what busy was.

And now I am at Darden.  Between classes, homework, extracurricular activities, recruiting, and, well...life, my old definition of "busy" is my new description of a light day.

SO - what is all that "busy" filled with?  Well, let me highlight my three favorite things in the last few weeks:

1) Factory Tours for our Operations Class - the first year class was split up last Wednesday to visit local manufacturing plants, call centers, and distribution facilities across Central Virginia.  I could write pages about my experience, having never been to a distribution center before, but I will summarize to say, "holy moly!" - there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes to get a piece of fruit to a supermarket or a chair from an online catalog to your doorstep!

2) In Marketing, we recently did a case on Google and search engine optimization.  The next day, we didn't have a case (a rare, and cherished event), but were cryptically told to go to a larger classroom for a guest speaker.  The speaker ended up being the Managing Director of Sales at Google.  Over the class period we walked through one of the most fascinating presentations I have seen - talking about Google's approach to marketing.  I was at the edge of my chair for the entire class, definitely smiled with my eyes wide for most of the presentation...and I may have shed a tear or two watching a Google "make-your-own" commercial...

3) Class with the Dean!  This year, Darden piloted a new seminar series for first years on "Business & Success."  There are three pilot seminars with 15 students a piece and two professors in each class.  When I got to class, I learned one of the teachers is Bob Bruner, the Dean of the Darden School.  Unbelievable.  Our first class was on "greed" - we watched the documentary on Enron, The Smartest Guys in The Room, and then discussed our reactions and views on business, success, greed, power, and money.  At one point in the discussion, one of my classmates started a sentence with, "I would really have liked to ask these guys..."  After a pause in the classroom, Dean Bruner stepped in and said, "well, I sat down with a number of the Enron executives after the scandal and their reaction to..."  Our jaws of course dropped. 

...so, while most of the "busy" is chaotic, and at times painful (I really thought resume draft #18 was a winner...), there are hidden moments every day that make me realize that this is the coolest experience ever.

For your amusement, a screenshot of my calendar for last week:

Welcome!

Hi All - welcome to my blog!  I am officially a Darden Student Blogger!

Prospective Students - as you begin or continue your business school process, I hope this blog is a helpful and genuine view of Darden and my life at business school.  If you ever have thoughts or questions, please feel free to email! 

Friends / Family - since many of you have noticed my departure from your lives over the last few weeks and months, I hope this blog is a good way for you to get a glimpse of my Darden life!  Thank you all for reading :)

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Darden Blogger Profile:
http://www.darden.virginia.edu/web/MBA/Students-Alumni/Voices/Student-Bloggers/Payal-Maheshwari/

Payal is a member of the Darden MBA Class of 2012 — she is excited to be back in Charlottesville as a Double Hoo! Born in New Jersey and raised in Ohio, Payal has called the D.C. suburbs home since 10th grade. After graduating from UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce, Payal moved to New York City to work as an investment banking analyst at Lehman Brothers. She left Lehman in the summer of 2008 and joined the Strategic Initiatives Group of non-profit standout TechnoServe, Inc. After the two most fun and transformative years of her life — filled with working her tail off, traveling around Africa, and most notably, hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro — Payal is excited to be grounded back in Charlottesville! 

So far, her favorite things about Darden are her incredible learning team, amazing section (yeah, Section C!) and fantastic new friends. When she is not consumed by the “Darden bubble,” Payal enjoys going to Bikram Yoga, exploring the weekly Charlottesville Farmer’s Market, eating at old favorite restaurants and hoping for the day she will have time to play a round of golf at Birdwood. Wahoowa!

Thursday.

Thursday.  In theory, Thursday is a glorious day - it is our last day of cases for the week!  Most of us FYs go to bed on Wednesday night after LT, smiling - as much as we have all, in some way or another, come to love and depend on our LTs, we don't have to see them again until Sunday.  Five hours and ten minutes of class tomorrow, and then we are free! Will I have time to go to the gym? To run errands? To catch up on my school work? Maybe even time to get ahead for next week? Perhaps a dinner that isnt a frozen meal!? Oh, the possibilities! And then comes Thursday morning…

I woke up this morning, walked out to my Ivy Gardens* balcony and basked in the sun for a few minutes still dreaming of the possibilities of my day. Then my iPod buzzed (I am one a proud owner of a "dumb" phone - but a few years ago I did buy an iPod Touch). My email was buzzing to remind me of my schedule for the day:

8:00-9:25am - Accounting
10:00-11:25am - Decision Analysis
11:45-1:10pm - Leadership and Organizations

My homework is done, I can handle this...especially if I crouch low during Decision Analysis.  And then came the punch:

1:30-3:00pm - Career Management Class
3:00-4:30pm - Tutoring/Q&A session (we have exams next weekend)
4:00-5:30pm - Darden Farmers Market (multitasking - grocery shopping and some socializing?)
5:30-6:30pm - Career Panel on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
6:00-8:00pm - Darden Cold Call (almost weekly social gathering of the entire Darden Community by the DSA**)
7:00-9:00pm - Section C Party at a section-mates house (hosted by him, his wife, and their 2 year old)
9:00pm onwards - TNDC***

Thank god it's Thursday?...well, if nothing else, welcome to a typical Darden day!

* Ivy Gardens: think of your freshman dorm complex - except you have your own apartment (with a balcony!).  A large proportion of Darden students choose to live in Ivy Gardens / Huntington Village, as they are the two closest complexes to the school.  Weekdays - well, you are never alone walking to or from school (not a morning person - better watch out!).  Weekends - house party central.
** DSA: Darden Student Association (our student government)
*** TNDC: Thursday Night Drinking Club

To Blog or Not to Blog?

I never thought I would start a blog.  And I actually don't believe I am starting one right now...so instead of a blog, let's call this my attempt to stay sane through the rather crazy life I have recently embarked upon...

What crazy life, you ask?  Isn't it still summer?  What's going on?  Shouldn't I be enjoying the long weekend at the beach?  False. 

In fact, today marks the one-month anniversary of my arrival to the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.  A few short (long...) weeks ago, I arrived in Charlottesville, and three weeks ago, I started my MBA.  As I look over the whirlwind experience of the last month, there are a few things I already know about my Darden experience:

1)  Pizza will become a staple food group in my life, much to the disappointment of my mother.  From club meetings to career panels to Learning Team (LT) take-out, Dominos, Papa Johns, and Mellow Mushroom: you seem to appear at the most crucial moments of my day, and for that, I am grateful.

2)  Between studing, exercising, sleeping, eating (well), relaxing, socializing, and being involved in extra-curricular activities, success is defined by completing two, maybe three (if it's a weekend), of the aforementiond tasks in any given day.  Oh how I miss you, sleep and television...

3)  I cannot imagine a more caring group of people supporting me through the next two years.  The people within these four walls have blown me away with their intelligence, passion, and genuine concern for the students.  Coupled with the academic rigor, fabulous (and throroughly entertaining) professors, myriad of personalities in my First Year (FY) section, "Dardenisms" and never-ending list of things to do and get involved with, the Darden Experience is quickly proving to be one be one life's best.

4)  Caffeine is wonderful.

And with that, goodnight!