Running to Stand Still

Fourth Week of Class
(January 30 - February 5)

By Monday morning I can already tell that this week is going to be less than fun. I'm up at 6:00 am and at the library before 8:00 am to cram as much homework as possible before a meeting with my teammate.

My partner meets me in our reserved room in Snell at 10:00 am and we cram some more for a case deliverable for our New Product Development class. The case is about Taino Construction, a construction company in Mexico focusing on green initiatives. The firm is facing a decision on which of three different new products to pursue in the coming years.

We wrap up our session by 1:45 pm in time for Global Management where the class discusses a case on the French/Swedish joint venture of Matra-Ericsson. It's interesting to see how cultural differences can cause such conflict between companies, eventually resulting in a stand-off between directors. Yikes!

After class lets out at 4:15 pm I work on my case write-up for Brand & Ad Management on the Clorox Company and am able to submit it just before heading to an extra credit lecture.

The lecture, presented by Andy Savitz, covers sustainability and getting your corporate culture to follow that focus. When the lecture finishes, I have just about an hour to write up a summary of it to submit for extra credit points and work in some Finance reading before heading into my 7:30 pm Brand & Advertising Management class.

When all is said and done I don't get home today until after 10:00 pm (a lovely 14 hours on campus!). Bed, alas, comes substantially later.

Tuesday I'm up and at the library by 8:00 am again. This time I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out my Finance case write-up. It's a follow-up to the one I had due last week on Marine Supply Company, a local marine supplier faced with generating enough financing to meet the demand placed on them by a Navy contract.

I only get in a couple hours of work until it's time to head to me job at 11:30 am. I spend the day researching competitor schools and their respective marketing materials. In between my secondary research I make sure to take a break at 2:30 pm for a phone interview for a full-time Assistant Marketing Manager position! I'm so excited!

I leave work at 4:30 pm today and head to my classmates office hours (she is a finance tutor this semester). I rack her brain trying to comprehend my Entrepreneurial Finance case write-up. Even after nearly three hours working with her I barely finish it in time to hit print and bolt to class. By the time we're finished analyzing the Marine Supply re-write and class let's out it's 9:30pm (a 13.5 hour day). Phew!

On Wednesday morning it's back to the library early in the morning (note a theme here?) to work with my teammates on our presentation and paper for Innovation & Enterprise Growth.  We have been tasked with finding ways to expand 3M's Greptile technology into new and innovative product extensions. My group has come up with what I think are several great applications for the 3M material, including military, tire and construction equipment uses. The presentation in class goes well also and I feel that our group had some of the best ideas presented.

After class I head back to the library to meet with my Taino Construction teammate and we continue to plug away at filling out our decision matrix for the case.

Thursday I'm up and at campus by 8:30 am for work. Today I continue to work on employer and alumni video edits, transcripts and the coordination of a focus group.

Luckily, in the midst of my work I get some great news in the form of an invite for second round interviews for the job I applied for! I'll be visiting the company's corporate headquarters next Friday for five hours of interviews! I'm super excited and nervous and make it point to do my product research in preparation.

As 4:30 pm rolls around I have just a few minutes to grab my requisite sushi dinner from the Curry Student Center before heading to my 5:20 pm class.

That night in New Product Development our case report on Taino is due. After class I rush to Spanish where I enjoy some foreign language practice.

When I get home that night I'm exhausted but relieved that this hectic week of running to stand still is over. Plus, I have some fun plans for tomorrow!

Taza Factory Tour!

Friday is a much anticipated day off. After getting up at a leisurely hour I board the 'T' to Somerville for my 1:30 pm tour of the Taza Chocolate factory with a classmate. For $5 we get an hour-long tour of the chocolate manufacturer' facilities. They specialize in Mexican stone ground chocolate in a mind-boggling array of exotic flavors (read: Chipotle Chili, Salted Almond and Salt & Pepper). My classmate and I enjoy the endless tasting opportunities and we even get interviewed by a couple of Boston.com writers for a Valentine's Day feature. I end the tour by picking up some Valentine's Day featured chocolate as an early Valentine's Day gift for Nick.

After our indulgent morning we decide to continue the Mexican food theme and grab some authentic and delicious tacos and pupusas at Taco Loco.

I'm glad I had such a relaxing Friday because the rest of the weekend is commandeered by homework.

I spend most of my day on Saturday engrossed in a huge project for Global Management. I, along with my team of three other students, have been assigned a company and industry and are required to pick the best of three international countries in which to proceed with expansion. While the presentation isn't until February 13th the sheer amount of research required to prepare for the deliverable has us working on it already. I'm in charge of putting together a SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) Analysis for one of the three country options: France.

I also manage to plug away on a case write-up due on Monday for Brand & Advertising Management. I have to decide which branding strategy Red Lobster should pursue in light of recent market research results but I'm having hard time concentrating because I just keep thinking about seafood...

Chipotle Enchiladas, Homemade Guacamole and Margaritas!

Fortunately, I do get one break that evening and it satisfies the cravings generated by that Red Lobster case! I join my study-buddy for some Mexican food at the Cactus Club on Boylston Street. I truly enjoy my chipotle enchiladas and mango margarita after hours in the library. Ole!

*The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Northeastern University, its staff or affiliates.