Heart and Hard Work

Nothing comes from nothing, and often the brightest outlooks come from some of the darkest places. It's simple to agree that it's good to have a positive mindset, but often much more complicated to embrace amid adversity. Erica Day embodies what it means to persist in choosing an attitude of joy, grace, and gratitude while channeling energy and enthusiasm to make a difference for the people around...

Happy Thanksgiving!! Today and every day, let's be grateful for the special people in our lives that have made us and everyone else around them better. Matt Totlis embodies the characteristics of what it means to leverage your superpower and unique abilities to benefit everyone; making them smarter, more resilient, or just comforted by being heard and feeling valued for their effort and presence....

Not every day is pretty. Not everything is going to go as smoothly as we expect it to. We know this, but somehow get surprised when it catches us in the moment and we are faced with difficult choices for navigating conflict. It's not something we look forward to doing, but the way that we handle conflict is almost always more important than the original issue. Courtney Robertson shares her experie...

"So often people view things through their own lens." They see the output, but they don't see what was there before or what it took to get there. We judge the product in front of us and overlook the process. It's easy to be critical of the results, but it's more challenging to understand and assess the intentions in the heat of the moment, especially when emotions are running hot and we are frustr...

There is always more to the story than what we see on the surface. With all respect for titles and the dedication and grit which earned them, it's the qualities of the person behind the title that we need to focus on and remember because they determine the character and conviction that produced the results we see today. Ned Wellman, Ph. D. reminds us that you can't be outstanding unless you are wi...

Too often our overly critical selves overlook our power to show up and make a difference. We downplay not only our ability to contribute and deliver but our potential for all that we can be.  Getting to the person/position you want to be involved insecurity, uncertainty, frustration, and a number of overwhelming emotions. Amy J. Hillman, Ph. D. shares her experience overcoming "negative forces" to...

It's one thing to do well for yourself and it's ideal when you can get to a place where you are able to do good for others. Rather than waiting for someday, why not make a difference today? Trauma and challenges shape our identity and relationships with the people around us. Pitu Sim is an outstanding example of leader who has overcome hardships and carried the lessons learned to connect resources...

It doesn't happen overnight. There's a long winding path of obstacles and trials that we battle with to get to greater places. Making room for the "success" that we define requires the patience to wait for and the bravery to act on an opportunity. The growth we experience from the situations that make us uncomfortable sets the foundation for the new level that we are about to reach. This episode g...

Imagine devoting 13 years of your life to what you thought you wanted, getting right on the doorstep, and then finally realizing that it's not the right decision for you. Fulfillment doesn't come from any single element. It's the intersection of passions, skills, and what brings value to other people. To truly transform requires introspection and deep reflection about the right metrics to define o...

Math isn't about memorizing formulas and doing crazy arithmetic in your head. It's truly supposed to be about making sense of problems and persevering in solving them, constructing viable arguments and critiquing reasoning, using appropriate tools strategically and precisely while making use of structure, regularity, and repeated reasoning. I see math for this and for what it means to be a "math p...

Persevering through adversity brings us to contemplate our identity and strengthens the parts that we hold to be the most important. This perpetual distillation delivers the essence of who we are and that's not possible without making difficult choices.  Abigael Omijie is a software engineer turned tea business owner who gave up a safe position to pursue her MBA and her passion. She is a risk-take...

When you're willing to look like "the fool", you hold unlimited power to learn and overcome the challenges and pressures that get in the way of asking for the help that you need. Asking doesn't make us weaker or foolish, despite what it can feel like. Rather than holding it in and letting bigger problems fester, acknowledging when you don't know and asking for help understanding leads to learning....

Call to action: Have a perspective you'd like to share? Let's start the conversation. This space is all about giving a voice to those like you who are driven to develop and improve. Sharing your valued point of view is a chance to be witnessed and break down the barriers that get in the way of achieving our own defined success.  We all face challenges and adversity in our unique journies, but that...

It’s not a matter of “After I’m successful, then I’ll belong” … The pursuit of passion and “success” is our bond. It’s where we support each other on the way to our achievement it’s the proof that we belong. This is how we Witness Evolution.

Tamara Kelson-Norris is a W. P. Carey Full-Time MBA Class of 2022 Candidate and someone who brings her whole self to everything she does. She leads with incredible passion and leverages the important parts of her identity to be an outstanding teammate and friend. She's dedicated to putting her best effort into what she does and cares deeply to encourage and inspire others to be their best. Talk to...

Speaking with Chikezie Anachu, W. P. Carey Full-Time MBA Class of 2022 Candidate about his life and professional experiences that have shaped his compassionate and loving personality. Exploring how taking care of your people has both made him who he is and continues to carry him to more and better in his evolution.  No matter what you choose to do in life or your career, inevitably people are goin...

Nidhi Virdi is a W. P. Carey Full-Time MBA Class of 2022 Candidate and she shares her perspective from her experience battling with adversity that comes from outside the lines. An important key to overcoming the challenges is focusing energy on the people around us and realizing that care builds communities that pick us up when we need it the most.  We are all people first so we are going to have...

Speaking with Chris Carpentier - W. P. Carey Full-Time MBA Class of 2021 about his experience with the program and perspectives on his own development over the past few years. This episode is particularly special because it represents bringing an idea to life in reality. You can talk about something and plan forever waiting for things to be perfect. But things are rarely going to be perfect so it'...