What is a Cohort? It Must be a MBA Term...

Fran, I and the girls traveled to Tucson this weekend to witness the commencement ceremony for the Executive MBA 2008 graduates at The Univeristy of Arizona's Eller College of Management. Our friends Holly Capps and Kristi Staab were both graduating. It was a great honor for us to be there with their family's to celebrate this great accomplishment and watch them walk across the stage in their caps and gowns to receive their hard earned diplomas.

As you know, I like to include speeches on my blog that I think are particularly meaningful, insightful and enlightening.

Holly was chosen by her Tucson cohorts to deliver the student address. Holly hit it out of the park.... A Grand Slam! Her address gave us insight in to what it is like to be a successful and busy executive and study diligently for fourteen consecutive months to reach the milestone of obtaining an Executive MBA. Her comment's were entertaining, informative, addressed camaraderie and most importantly came from the heart.

This is what Holly had to say....

When people hear we are graduating, there is one typical response: “Already? Man, that went by so fast!”

Perhaps for those around us, the past 14 months did go by quickly. However, a lot can (and did) happen in those 14 months.


Here’s a sample of what happened to the Tucson cohort:

3 of us got engaged
2 of us got married
3 babies were born
2 of us lost loved ones
7 of us took new jobs
4 of us moved
1 of us had major surgery
1 of us became an American citizen
2 of us got glasses
6 of us got stronger glasses
14 of us leave with more gray hair than we started with
9 of us leave with less hair
6 of us developed a nervous twitch or stutter
1 of us developed stress-induced Irritable Bowel Syndrome

And it’s not just our brains that got bigger in the program: collectively, we gained 169.38725 pounds.

When our class thinks about the best memories from our time together, many of us think about our International Trip – there can’t be a better way to see Bangkok and Shanghai then hanging out on buses and planes with 60 of our closest friends. As you’ve probably guessed, we shared many laughs together – some at entertaining professors, some caused by late nights and stress, and most of it at our own expense. We laughed when we figured out the professors and staff were all included on our class email list. We laughed when group presentations went…well…less than perfect – we labeled those times “learning opportunities for the rest of the class.” We laughed about professors, our mistakes and our gaffes. We laughed in McClelland Hall, at the Marriot, at Gentle Bens and at the Dubliner. Bottom line: we laughed. And we laughed together.


Top 14 things we learned during the Eller Executive MBA program, at no additional charge:
14. It is totally possible to pull a fast one using Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

13. We can become intolerant and crabby when we’re deprived of sleep over a period of say…oh, I don’t know…14 months.

12. Time in the restroom can be vital to reading your homework. Don’t be ashamed to take it with you.

11. Your colleagues are the best resources you can get. Some of them have great ideas and others serve as shining beacons of what NOT to do.

10. No matter how much you try, you may not get everything done to your complete satisfaction. You have to learn to accept the best you can do in the time you have to spend, and move on.

9. Multi-tasking: We can eat, study, eat, participate in class, eat lunch, go for a walk to the 7-11, eat while listening to lectures, break for a snack, listen to more lectures and head out for dinner. What an expansive skill set!

8. It is totally possible to be stressed out and enlightened at the same time.

7. Chickens prefer contacts over spectacles.

6. Averages are useless: With one hand in boiling water and the other hand in ice water, on average, I am comfortable.

5. Pirate jokes…lots and lots of pirate jokes.

4. It is far more painful to have a hangover during MBA classes than it was in undergrad classes.

3. You don’t have to pay taxes on things you launch into space.

2. We can do more and push ourselves farther than we ever thought possible.

1. Most everything in business is a guess.

As you’ve probably noticed, we’ve picked up a few new vocabulary words along the way. You’ll be hearing them often…we’ve paid a lot to get them and they make us feel smarter. Here is a small sample of our favorite new words and phrases:

• Arbitrage
• Pedagogical
• Value proposition
• Iteration
• Launch the biscuit
• Photovoltaic
• Pro forma
• Greenfield & brownfield
• WACC
• Ideating, which is followed by winnowing
• Open the kimono
• Fungible
• Sunk cost
• BATNA
• Pivot Table
• Extracting consumer surplus

And my favorite new vocabulary word:

• Cohort – they started calling us that on the first day of the program

• Definition: a group of subjects with a common defining characteristic

• But over the last 14 months, we learned what it really means: “those who will stick by you through good times and bad” or in short “family”

Job well done!

What You Learn In College Can Go A Long Way

I remember many years ago sitting in a college economics class. The professor explained that one of the most important things about going to college was the experience. You learn how to think and become more worldly and your able to be thrust into any situation and hold your own.

At twenty years old I didn't quite grasp the concept entirely. It was not until I was out in the work force and into my sales career that his thoughts crystallized with me and started to make sense.

The RAB posted a sales tip from business author/consultant Jonathan Farrington in their "Radio Sales Today" email. It's titled "You Have to Sell Yourself". I think this is what my college professor was talking about.

Today, I get it!!!

"Just as you are selling to people, you must also remember that you are not only selling and representing a product or service, but you are in effect selling yourself.

When beginning a sales relationship, it is important to remember a few key aspects to representing yourself well. First, be interesting. If potential customers are bored by you, they have less of a chance of being enthralled by any product or service you are representing.

Develop intellect. Of course, you are an intelligent person, but can you converse in an intelligent manner? Can you discuss related subjects with thoughtfulness and hold your clients' interest?

Never be arrogant -- never talk up or down to your potential clients. It's rude and will serve only to alienate them. Respect the buyer, and they will respect you.

Along the same lines, develop your empathy levels. If you can relate to your customers' situations authentically, it helps to build rapport.

Finally, control your ego levels. A good salesperson is patient and respectful, not an egomaniac."

In sales, you have to be confident yet humble, knowledgable, inquisitive and carry yourself well. I can't help but think that my economics professor was right!

What You Can Learn From Your Kids Part 2

On August 13th I wrote a post about some interesting things I learned about cell phones, texting and social networking from my kids. Read that post here:

Yesterday I had another one of those seminal moments with my oldest daughter who is 14 (going on 22). It was just the two of us and we were running errands and then out to lunch at one of our favorite dives. Over hummus and Gyro sandwiches we started talking about politics, the candidates and current affairs. I was actually having and intelligent adult conversation with her, hearing about her political views and those of her friends. She had some interesting thoughts and ideas and asked some very bright questions. I was very proud of her. I have waited 14 years for this moment!

As a parent first, then a broadcaster and marketer I was very curious to know how and why she formed some of her opinions. To my surprise, she told me that she discusses this with her friends. I was impressed! We might have an activist or a politician in the making.

Then I realized, that with the advancement of digital media it has become increasingly easier for youth to find out what is going on in the world. I'm not suggesting that a 14 year old reads the drudgeReport, CNN.com or Foxnews.com. Although, when they log onto their myspace and FaceBook accounts there are links to RocktheVote.com and ads for all of the candidates both nationally and locally. On the home page of MTV.com there are news stories about the debates, the economy and they are also registering people to vote too. YouTube has section on the race as well called YouChoose where there is a wealth of information on all the candidates and videos of speaches, debates and more.

I can tell you that at 14 I was not as politically aware as kids are today. The information simply was not as easily available or even more importantly, targeted to me, either directly or indirectly as it is today.

Then, there are even more strategic websites like thegreatschlep.com. This is a website developed by the Jewish Council on Education and Research. The Great Schlep features a video by comedian Sarah Silverman that is targeted to Jewish youth and college students who have grandparents that reside in Florida. It encourages these kids to convince their grandparents to vote for Obama.

Watch the video here:



What ever your political leanings are, you have to agree that this is targeted marketing at its best.

Finally, another source of information to youth is television and on-line video clips. Last night, Saturday Night Live did a hysterical parody of the Vice Presidential Debate, featuring Tina Fey and Queen Latifah.

Watch it here:



Talk to your kids. If you don't have kids talk to your friends kids. It's fascinating and you just might learn something. My friend Darice Putterman said it best.

"The world thru eyes of your own child, your teenager, your young adult daughter or son....ALWAYS enlightening to me, refreshingly so..."

We Live In A Global Society

At the radio station we are a family. Sometimes a dysfunctional family, but a family nonetheless.

This morning, my friend Alex Santa Maria who happens to be our Morning DJ and Music Director on MEGA stopped by my office to say hi. He was so excited to tell me about his daughter Sheila and her new adventure. Sheila is 17 and a high school student in Phoenix. She just left home to study, immerse herself in the language, customs and culture of Japan for six months as a foreign exchange student. The more Alex told me, the more excited I got hearing about it! I was wondering how at 48, I could take a sabbatical and be a foreign exchange student.

Alex also shared with me that he is going through a little separation anxiety as well. Although, before she left, taking advantage of technology, Sheila set Alex and Veronica up on Skype so they can video conference each other. It's just as simple as logging on to the internet and a couple of mouse clicks later.... wal la...they are communicating a world apart! This should help ease Alex's anxiety once he figures out the time zone issues.

Alex is definitely the proud father! He was glowing as he was telling me about Sheila. I love seeing Alex like this and hearing the stories!

As Alex and I were speaking, I was reminded of a story that Fran shared with me when she was studying for her International MBA at the Thuderbird School of Global Management. She had a professor who said that since we live in a Global Society, "the greatest gift you can give your children, is to expose them to a different country every year". Fran and I subscribe to that philosophy and have taken it to heart and have tried to do this with the girls. Although, being a foreign exchange student is the ultimate gift. I hope that our girls will have the opportunity to study abroad some day too.

Back to Sheila...... Sheila is an exceptional artist and a talented writer as well. Through the years, Alex has shown me Sheila's artwork and it is incredible. I have always been amazed by here drawings and sketches. To give you an idea of how talented Sheila is, the picture below is a sketch she did on the flight to Japan. It is a drawing of all of her new friends that she met on the way over.


Someday, I hope to have a Sheila Santa Maria original on our wall!

Sheila's has started a Blog where she is keeping a diary of her experience. Click Here:

I'll be anxious to check in on it over the next six months to hear about her adventure and see more of her artwork.

Here are a few more links to Sheila's art work.

http://www.ba77ousai.deviantart.com

http://www.freewebs.com/ba77ousai/index.htm

http://www.fanfiction.net/~ba77ousai

http://www.myspace.com/ba77ousai

Go Teach!

Yesterday we attended our oldest daughters "moving up ceremony". She completed middle school and is moving up to high school in the fall. Needless to say, we were very proud of her for this accomplishment.

We heard from the principal, the principal of the high school they will be attending next year, the student body president and a few others. We also heard from their social studies teacher Mr. Mueller who gave the key note speech.

I don't know to much about him. I know that he teaches social studies to thirteen year olds. He's in his early 50's I suspect and he is very lawyerly looking. No surprise, because in a past life he was an attorney.

Most importantly, I know that my daughter adores him. This is huge coming from her. She also likes social studies and has studied hard this semester to get good grades, all because of Mr. Mueller. Mr. Mueller is larger than life to these kids. He kept them engaged and communicated to them on a level that they understood. In return, his students were like sponges and soaked it all in. I realized that there was something special about Mr. Mueller when he was introduced and he stepped up to the podium. The students went crazy, "rock star" crazy with applause.

Through the years, I have had the good fortune of seeing some great speakers and motivators. I have seen Zig Ziggler, Tony Robbins, Bill Clinton, Rudy Guiliani, Colan Powell, Dick Vitale, Mike Ditka. In sales and radio I've seen Brian Tracy, Les Brown, Tom Hopkins, Jim Tazarak, Paul Weyland and many others. I drop these names, not to impress you, but only as a point of reference.

With that said, Mr. James "Jim" Mueller gave one of the most inspirational and powerful speeches I have ever heard. This speech, "Go Teach" was directed to his students but the message resonated throughout the auditorium with the parents as well.

As I was listening to Mr. Mueller speak, I had two thoughts. First, I hope the kids get it and realize what a gift it was to hear such a heartfelt and extraordinary message from someone who is passionate about them and truly cares. Second, I wish all of our associates at the radio station could be there to hear this message!

When we got home last night, I felt compelled to send Mr. Mueller a note complimenting him on his speech and also asking him If I could share his speech with our team and post it here. He was most gracious and has allowed me to share it.

Year End Graduation Speech 2008

Go Teach

May 27th, 2008

By:

Mr. James Mueller
Social Studies Teacher
Cocopah Middle School
Scottsdale, Arizona

Good evening.

Thanks to all of you, but most particularly the class of 2008.

My theme for tonight - GO TEACH! Or is it GO Teach? Or GOOO Teach!

Well, I have some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that you haven’t escaped my lectures just yet – the good news is I am not going to try to RAP it for you! Well maybe I could try -

It’s time to be rappin’ so take off your cap an’
Relax in your seat and get off of yo’ feet!
Time to throw down some rhymes ‘bout all our good times.

You know, that’s just not working for me! Some things just don’t rap well.

So let’s talk about teaching. So you’re thinking you don’t want to be a teacher. I asked my classes this year if they would consider teaching as a career, and almost no one raised a hand. They looked at me like – “Yo, dude, you have got to be kidding.”

You know, it’s funny, when I was your age it was all I could imagine doing. I thought it would be so cool to be a teacher and basketball coach. -- By the way, it is.

It’s funny, every year students and parents ask me, “What made a lawyer with a perfectly good career walk away from it and decide to ‘go teach.’” Tonight, I thought I would try to give you a partial answer that question. Answer #1: I obviously, I will never make it as a rapper. Answer #2: As you know, the pay is uninspiring, so it must be something else. Well, the answer is right here in front of me. The answer is you. Terrific kids who are willing to learn (and teach) bring me back year after year. Homeroom! 4th Period! 7th period! And even the ever challenging 6th and 3rd periods. Wow. Terrific classes all. Yes, I’ll be back.

Ah – you are still thinking, “No way I’m going to become a teacher Mr. Mueller,” Well, let me have you rethink that. Tonight, my recommendation to you is still, to well, go teach!

Let me clarify that though. I am not asking you to take up teaching as a way to make a living, I’m asking instead that you to take it up as a way of living. Let me explain.

I want you to think of teaching differently. To view it something you do every day, not just for me, but also for you. Not as a profession, but as a way of life.
Most of you say you don’t want to be teachers. I understand that, but heck, I have some news for you; you already are.

We teach each other every day. You don’t have to teach for a living, but you do have to teach to have a life worth living. When you think about it, teaching really isn’t optional. Life simply gets better when we share knowledge.

So, now that you understand what I am talking about, I say, go teach.
Teach each other to believe in yourselves – it is one of the keys to success.
Teach each other the value of being good people. Remember Edmund Burke’s words, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Yes, girls, that applies to you too.

Teach each other by contributing your ideas and fostering a love for learning.
Teach one another that true friends allow you to be yourself. But don’t forget, teaching isn’t always telling friends or others what they want to hear; sometimes it’s telling them what they need to hear.

Oh, and by the way, teach each other that being over 50 is NOT old!

You know, I see exceptional talent among you so I say teach and encourage each other to use those talents wisely and well. I see brilliant students among you capable of leadership – so I say, teach each other to step forward and lead to solve the problems of the future. Teach each other to forgive. Teach each other decency. Teach each other the value of caring.

My dad was a wonderfully optimistic guy. It was his nature. One of the best lessons he taught me was, “put the best construction on everything.” I can still hear him say those words. By that, he meant assume a positive intent in the actions of those around you. He meant, be confident that people who criticize you mean well – especially parents and teachers. Yelling is a good thing! It means we still care. As I said last year, consider it a loud hug.

He meant – being negative drags you down. Being positive pulls you (and those around you), up. He meant – assume the best. So I say again; go teach. Teach each other as he taught me, to assume the best.

Teach each other to lift one another up.
Teach each other to build a positive culture in high school.
Teach each other to treat one another with respect – and tolerance – it makes you all better.

In the Locke vs. Hobbes debates in my classes this year most of you figured out that I most assuredly come down on the side of Locke. I believe in the goodness of people. Our country is founded on that principle. So, teach each other that being good is good for yourselves and one another.

As it happens, Ryker Eley taught me this year that the great basketball coach John Wooden believed that winners make the most mistakes. Mistakes come from doing, but so does success. So teach each other not to be afraid of making mistakes, and that making mistakes makes you better and stronger. And, remember of course that Ryker also taught us all about the value of courage and resiliency this year. Don’t forget his example.

Teaching may well be our door to immortality. When the people we teach carry the lessons forward that we taught them, we live on. My dad passed away seventeen years ago, but his philosophy of life lives in me and is here to be shared with you tonight. And, of course, don’t forget Vern Smith who taught many of us important lessons that live on through us tonight.

So I say, from all of us teachers, to all of you – go teach. And keep teaching, whether as a student, teacher, parent, or in any other setting or career. And keep teaching.

I want you to know that you sure taught me a lot this year. And that is absolutely one of the best things about being a teacher. I’ve learned from you. And maybe when you learn to love it as I do, you’ll consider teaching for life and for a living. And then, when you’re over 50, you can teach others that you are not old!!

You are an amazing and talented group of students.
I marvel at your promise. Congratulations.
Thank you, God bless you – teachers all.

Thank You Mr. Mueller!