Acquiring Wealth, Power, and Success Morally and Ethically

…a.k.a AWPSME. This is probably one of the best classes I have taken at Pepperdine. School is meant to teach you critical thinking, but sometimes you just learn how to navigate the huge workload so you can still have a life. What I love about AWPSME is exactly that: critical thinking. No subject is taboo; all views are welcome and challenged.

It is true that we do a lot of talking in that class, but it is all with a purpose. The goal is to form our own opinions and moral/ethical guidelines. One of the topics we discussed and that stuck with me was consumerism and how that affects our lives. We all use technology to become more efficient so we can have more time for a balanced life, but what we end up doing more often than not is taking on even more work to the point that we do not have a life. It is partially our own fault, but it seems like it is also expected of us to give more and more every day to the point that we become exhausted and cannot get to enjoy the very result that we were striving for. And instead of trying to understand the cause, we try to become even more efficient. What do you think happens next? You guessed it. We take on even more or we are expected to give more and history repeats itself.

What follows usually is the feeling of exhaustion and entitlement. We are working so hard that we are entitled to spend money: go shopping, buy the car that we always wanted (even though it is more expensive than we can afford), the home or whatever else we want. Not need, want! Our overhead expenses rise and we have to work even more to cover these expenses. Then we treat ourselves to a vacation or another shopping spree because… you guessed it, we work very hard and we deserve it. So you are starting to see a pattern here. It sounds horrible and most people, if not everyone, would say “well, but that’s not me! I don’t think like that.” And it might very well be that way, or we might not even realize that we do. I am guilty of having done that. I did it and didn’t even realize it.

Is it worth it, is it not, you are the only person that can answer that. But if you think you might be tempted to do that, take a look at your spending habits, identify your needs and sift through the wants. It is very empowering to be in control and also save money in the process. Some of the books we are discussing in class (see list below) talk about how to live below our means so we can improve our net worth. The additional money is the source of choice and freedom to invest, do what you’ve always wanted to do, etc. Food for thought…

Small is Beautiful – Economics As If People Mattered by Fritz Schumacher
Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin & Joe Dominguez
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William Danko

Why I Chose Pepperdine

A couple of days ago I was in a meeting with the Dean, Associate Dean, and several student leaders talking about the school’s strategy for 2015. In discussing different aspects of marketing, I realized I never wrote in my blog about why I decided to come to Pepperdine. I might have mentioned bits and pieces, but I could not recall writing specifically about that.

As cheesy and as ironic as it seems I knew I wanted to come to Pepperdine. I liked the school and the program before I even had my first thought about getting an MBA. Five years ago, one of our friends was going through the JD/MBA program at Pepperdine so he would always tell us stories about the school. He was not thrilled with the work required by the JD program, but he kept raving about the b-school: small classes, very diverse student body, personal attention from administration and faculty, and industry-experienced faculty. All those things sounded great to me! Our friend is also a very gifted storyteller, so by the end of his 4 years of JD/MBA I felt like I had been through the program and I was on a first-name basis with everyone there. So when the time came to pick a school, I just knew I wanted to go to Pepperdine.

Then I got in contact with the recruitment office and received quick and personal, not cut and paste, responses from the Executive Director himself! The first time I received a message from Paul, I was very pleasantly surprised. I liked the personal attention and the tailored responses. And then there came the time for the interview. Like any other aspiring MBA student I did my research on what a b-school admissions interview entailed, bought a new suit – not before shocking the ladies at Ann Taylor by disregarding the b-school law that says you have to buy a black suit – and when the day came, I was admittedly nervous. I met with Kathy Holland, who welcomed me with a big smile and explained that the interview is more like a chat to see if I am a good fit for the school and if the school is a good fit for me. Is she joking, I remember thinking. Where is the business scenario question? Or other ridiculous questions about how I am going to change the world? It did cross my mind for a second that maybe she was just trying to trick me. But no, she was being serious! The interview was more of a conversation about finding common grounds and making sure that the program was exactly what I was looking for. And it was!

Fast-forward almost two years, my opinion about the program has not changed a bit. I still like the small classes because it allows me to get to know my classmates and the professors and it makes for a very dynamic and rich class experience. I like the applied learning and occasionally frustrating group projects because it constantly challenges me to find new ways to solve problems. I also like the easy access to our industry-experienced faculty. Their door is always open for advice and sometimes projects that students can get involved with. Oh and the campus is just gorgeous! That is the true perk of the program. Although I never thought that I would ever say these words, I love my commute! Taking the Malibu Canyon every day and seeing the low marine layers in the morning sometimes creates the most unbelievable colors. It is the best commute ever! It would make for National Geographic pictures if only I wasn’t driving. And then there is Bambi’s family - our campus deer - and Mr. Fox that decide to occasionally say hi on my way to class.


But let’s not digress. As much as I love this program, it is not for everyone. Whenever a prospective student asks me if they should choose Pepperdine, I always say that it depends what they are looking for. It is not a cop-out, it’s the truth! There are plenty of people that want to be in a big program, they want to get in, get the info and get out without being part of a community. Or maybe they want to be in a cutthroat environment. And that’s perfectly fine! Different people have different needs. And if that is the case, then those people would hate Pepperdine. The MBA program at Pepperdine is definitely an experience and the paper at the end is just the byproduct.

Haiti

It has been five days since Haiti has been struggling with the aftermath of the devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake. I have been watching the reports on TV and followed some of my friend’s reports that either traveled there or have work connections there. It is times like these when no matter how much economics we know and no matter how we can justify the existence of poor countries, there is no way for me to comprehend and accept so much pain and destruction. Moreover, this earthquake has hit Haitians just as they were recovering from the hurricane season of 2008.

Some of my friends and I were talking about going to Haiti to help. Understandably so, authorities do not allow any volunteers unless they are trained in disaster relief. Instead, we decided to make individual donations to Fonkoze, a Haitian foundations that provides micro loans to Haitians to fund their entrepreneurial dreams as well as educates them about healthcare, environmentalism, children’s rights, and literacy. We got involved with Fonkoze through one of my friends and the VP of the Malibu Graduate Business Society (MGBS), Bryan Zirkel. He sits on the board of this foundation and from him we found out that Fonkoze’s Headquarters in Port-au-Prince collapsed, as well as their sister bank, Sevis Finansye Fonkoze (SFF). The only way we can help right now is trough donations or by continuing to talk about Haiti. We cannot let this become just another story, because the second we do, those people that desperately need our help will be forgotten.

For those of you interested to find out more about the institutions I mentioned, or how to help Haiti, see below some useful links.

• Fonkoze
• Red Cross
• Oxfam
• US Agency for International Development
• Partners In Health
• UNICEF
• CARE
• World Vision
• Yele Haiti

Happy New...Internship!

Happy New Year everyone! Tomorrow marks the start of the Spring session and the last of my MBA program. I am already getting a little sad as I know I will miss the school, the faculty, and of course my classmates. I have only 14 weeks to go! It's hard to believe that I am almost done with my MBA.

This entry is mainly for the first-year students or the prospective students who are already thinking about internships. I have talked about my internships in other entries as well, but I haven't covered any of them in detail. It's time to share with you my experience with the Step Up Women's Network. This internship was made possible by the school's Social Enterprise Internship Program, so if you are interested in non-profit or CSR (corporate social responsibility), I suggest you take a look at this program. Here's the article about my internship. Enjoy!

Also, wish me luck as tomorrow is my first day at a new internship with a very well-known marketing research company! After an interview, a test, and a very thorough reference check, I was extended the offer to work with them in the Spring. I am looking forward to it and hope it will be a great experience that will turn into a full-time position soon.