The MBA Student Voice

Diversity - in many ways

When we think of "diversity", we typically think of what I would call demographic diversity: race, age, gender, nationality, religion, etc.  However, during my summer internship at Harrah's, I had the chance to be a part of a diversity training program, where I learned that there are over 50 ways to measure diversity.

(Yes, I know I said this last year.  But last year I just wanted an excuse to make fun of my fellow blogeteers John Park and Matt Kerbel being fans of the Toronto Major Laughs Maple Leafs.  This time I actually have more to say.)

Applying that logic, here are a few different ways that you could measure the diversity here at UCLA Anderson:

* Career Aspirations: One of the reasons I decided to come to UCLA was that while there are healthy contingents of people looking for careers in finance or consulting, these two fields represent a much smaller portion of the total UCLA Anderson population than they do in other schools.  Nothing during my time here has dissuaded me of this opinion.  There are many other career aspirations on campus, including sports, entertainment, healthcare, non-profit, and education. 

* Entrepreneurship. I had heard a lot about UCLA Anderson's commitment to entrepreneurship, but I never appreciated that until i came here.  Many of my classmates are actively looking to start new businesses after graduation, and the school encourages and actively supports these endeavors -- as evidenced by the projects that came to fruition during the summer and in our second year. 

For example, one of my classmates has been working on edilex, a company offering professional grade business contract templates to legal professionals and business people over the web -- check it out at www.edilex.com.

* Previous work history: in my section last year, there were many different career backgrounds.  The usual pre-MBA careers of finance and consulting were present, but so were military (not just US), entertainment (including a feature film producer!), non-profit, healthcare, and energy, plus two Mormon missionaries and a published author.  And that was just within my 72-person section.

* Sport Activities: My regular readers will be forgiven for thinking that all we do here is drink, watch sports, play poker, and get into political debates.  I can't imagine a sport that isn't represented from both the fan and the spectator perspective.  And from those in the 1st year class I've met so far, that now includes cricket!

* * * * * * * * *

* Yeah, I'm a little annoyed at my Steelers, who managed to terrify Tampa Bay, 38-13 last week. See, I'm annoyed because we have so many holes to fill - offensive line being the most glaring - that we need a year off, get a high spot in the draft, and rebuild.  This year seemed like a good year to do that -- no Ben, no Santonio, difficult off-season.  Instead, after beating three teams we should have beaten, we're talking about making the playoffs and I can just see that 7-9 train wreck coming.  Of course if we make the playoffs, then I'll be happy to admit I was wrong.

* Great move by the NHL to get HBO involved in the Winter Classic with its behind-the-scenes documentary of the Capitals and Penguins up to the Winter Classic.  The best part is that the NHL series is being covered by broader entertainment media, such as the Hollywood Reporter - this shows that the NHL can build on the momentum of last season, arguably the best NHL season since 1994 (the Capitals' own demise against Montreal notwithstanding).

* I've seen Chicharito's goal in Valencia several times now.  What a brilliant strike!  But I still don't understand why Macheda didn't just have a shot himself!  Macheda has a lethal strike himself, surely he would have put that in.  I complain only because of United's woeful finishing this season and last.  Macheda has either lost his shooting instinct, or has gained an unworldly sense of vision. 

-- Sreesha

 

 

 

New Year, Endless Possibilities

Hope springs eternal -- first day of school and first week of NHL training camp! 

* Great to be back on campus, and now in classes that I really am excited about since they are all electives.  But the pressure is on to have a job -- and at least a shell of a career path -- lined up by end of the school year.

* Maket participants will always push the market rules to the limits for their own gain.  Thus, it is unreasonable to expect the NHL -- or any governing body in any industry -- to create rules that account for every possible circumvention attempt.  Rules must constantly evolve. 

* We've created a cohesive message and mission for the International Business Association, and are already seeing the fruits of that through increased buzz on campus and exciting new possibilities. Exciting!

* For the Sports Business Association, it was clear that we took a tremendous step forward last year, so this year we will be building on the same momentum with more events, more opportunities, and more brand recognition. Equally exciting!

* Do you know who was most excited about Dimitar Berbatov''s incredible third goal against Liverpool this past weekend?  Howard Webb.  Takes the spotlight off the fact that his two controversial refereeing decisions led to Liverpool goals. 

* Two darkhorse White House candidates for 2012 that are getting more attention lately: Bobby Jindal and Nikki Haley.  Imagine having to decide between two Indian-American candidates in the GOP primary -- and then have one of them square off against African-American Barack Obama?  Never thought I would see that in my lifetime.  Sadly, despite its centuries-old heritage ties with India, I can't forsee anything remotely close in the UK.

* Controversial thought of the day: in our strive for a gender-equal world, we can all agree that women should be allowed to compete and thrive for equally successful and lucrative careers in any industry; why do we then assume that men are not as competent as women when raising children?  Why can't that job be 50/50 as well? I get the sense that most women assume that they will be "in charge" when raising kids -- in today's era, could it be that this is just an unfair sense of entitlement, or a gross underestimation of the father's parenting capabilities?

The possibilities are endless!

-- Sreesha

Lack of Depth Permeates...

Like most of the entertainment industry, my blog has been on hiatus for the second half of the summer.  I wish I could tell you that this was intentional, but sadly, it was down to pure laziness. 

A lot has happened and since my audience this summer has been limited thus far to go-go dancers in sultry lingerie  Mrs. V, it’s time to catch you all up. 

In honor of my lifelong mentor and former boss Stan Fischler, here are my “impertinent thoughts on pertinent subjects”:

• DirecTV is offering a promotion where new customers get five months off of service if they sign up for the NFL package -- essentially a 100% discount; customers like me who signed up for DirecTV over the past few months get a 0% discount.  Any wonder why DirecTV has to give away rich promotions to get more subscribers?

• Last year, prior to the start of training camp, I predicted that the run to the Stanley Cup goes through Philadelphia.  Sure enough, the Flyers were the last team to be eliminated.  These aren’t my official predictions (yet), but my early thoughts are that the LA Kings will represent the West. 


  
  When healthy, Willie Mitchell is a better, younger version of Sean O’Donnell.  Though Alexei Ponikarovsky has more baggage than Heathrow, he’s still an upgrade over Alex Frolov and Fredrik Modin.  I’d be surprised if the Kings didn’t re-sign Potomac native Jeff Halpern.  


  
  Meanwhile, the rest of the West has gotten worse.  Chicago has lost a lot of critical depth.  Detroit has lost a lot of scarce youth.  Evgeni Nabokov’s departure is meant to be an addition by subtraction in San Jose.  And with Phoenix’s off-ice troubles...

• My football teams are at a crossroads.  Given Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension and the dire need of reinforcements in a variety of places, I’d be happy with a 2-14 season, a high first-round draft pick, and writing this season off.  

Slightly different story at O.T. 
  
  The Premiership is wide open this year, to the point where United could win it or finish as low as seventh.  Neither extreme seems likely, but we’re relying on a lot of young players stepping up to retain our automatic birth for the Champions League. 
  
  We’re especially struggling with depth - it wasn’t that long ago that the second-best team in English football was our reserve squad; now, our next-best options at forward after Rooney are either Macheda or Chicharito depending on Berbatov’s mood.  I’m still predicting we finish second but the race will be a lot closer. 


• Speaking of lack of depth, I’m unimpressed with the course offerings in this quarter.  There are some great professors teaching this quarter, but the overall docket is very thin.  I realize that us second-years are tied up with the field study project (AMR), and about a third of us are abroad.  But that should have provided us here in LA with a better chance to get some depth in our coursework, rather than giving the university an excuse to reduce the offerings. 

Stay tuned to this space to hear about updates on the International Business Association’s career trek to London!  This year, as last year, the trip will be held over Thanksgiving weekend and will give us the opportunity to meet with a variety of companies in investment banking, consulting, sports, energy, and entertainment.  Stay tuned!

-- Sreesha

In the desert is a Mirage -- and a Paris, a New York, a Mandalay Bay...

Many people have asked me this summer, what’s it like to live in Las Vegas?  I’ve struggled to find a way to describe it.  I think I would explain it like this. 

 

Living in Las Vegas and being employed in the industry in Las Vegas is a completely different experience to being a customer here. 

 

Things that happen in other industries happen here, too, but in an entirely different environment.  I met a colleague for a coffee at Starbucks at 10 AM – just as you would if you worked at, say, Dunder-Mifflin – but in the line are families with young kids just getting their day started, drunk partiers taking a breather from the perpetual nightlife, and lingerie-clad go-go dancers whose shift just ended.

 

(Yes, they are kind of everywhere. Like I said, surreal.)

 

(No, we didn’t pick our table based on where they were sitting; it was just coincidence that those were the only available seats.)

 

(No, I really wouldn’t call it an “added bonus” or “perk”.  Certainly not if you are Mrs. V. and you are reading this post!)  

 

Another surreal sight: if I drive a couple of blocks west of the Strip, such as on my drive home from the Harrah’s gym across the street from the Palms, the streets become homogenous; I can’t tell one from the other and invariably drive past the one that I need to go on because the sign is shielded by the sun.

 

But you know what?  I’m really enjoying living in Las Vegas.  It has all of the amenities of a big city bar public transportation, but it still feels very small – especially as a resident.  

 

Like New York, almost all of the Vegas nightlife is within walking distance or a short taxi ride; unlike New York, when you want a relaxed meal and time to decompress, you only have to drive a couple of blocks away.

 

Sure, all of the restaurants are imported from other places; but that does mean that the best restaurants of Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York are here, too, not to mention every major celebrity chef bar Gordon Ramsey. 

 

Even the heat is bearable.  I walked from my office to a meeting in another casino 15 minutes away, in a full suit, when the temperature outside was 120 deg F / 43 deg C – and felt far more comfortable than the 15-minute walk I did in a full suit to work in the summer in New York. 

 

The sad thing, though, is that I’m already halfway through the internship, so the surreal experience will soon be at an end.

 

Or at least on hold.  Touch wood!

 

-- Sreesha

The Dangers of Twitter

Yours truly learned a new lesson yesterday: don't use the twitter when agitated.  

Yesterday was the culmination of an excited Premiership season and it took the entire schedule to determine a winner.  Chelsea needed to win to take the title and that's exactly what they did, thumping 10-man Wigan 8-0.  The big scoreline was exactly how dominant Chelsea were yesterday.  My beloved United won as well, but came up a point short in the tables. 

Disappointment became agitation after Chelsea's sixth, seventh, and eighth goals.  I was not impressed by how the goal-scorers celebrated those goals.  

I will never begrudge a goal-scorer from celebrating when the score is close, or when a goal puts a game out of reach i.e. a goal that gives a three-goal lead in the later stages of the game.  

But (Ashley) Cole and Drogba went too far with their celebrations after goals 7 and 8.  Cole jumped around screaming and running back to the touchline and nearly to his own half of the pitch.  Drogba played air guitar with the corner flag.  Completely unnecessary and disrespectful to the opposition.  

(My regular readers are probably thinking this is contradictory to my support of Alex Ovechkin's celebrating after his goals.  The difference is that Ovechkin celebrates when his goal is the difference-maker or game-changer in the game - not in a blowout.  Remember when the Caps tied the franchise record for consecutive wins in Boston earlier this year?  Ovechkin scored the empty-netter and barely flinched afterwards.  Wigan had a player ejected earlier for a red card, and when Drogba and Cole scored the match was out of hand; no need to bop around like it's injury time or golden goal in the World Cup.)

So in this state of agitation, I sent a tweet saying that Chelsea had won the title unprofessionally.  However, the problem is that I'd let Drogba and Cole's antics after goals 7 and 8 overshadow the 100+ other goals Chelsea have scored this season.  That's grossly unfair on my part. 

I genuinely think Chelsea's accomplishments this season are nothing short of spectacular.  They have been the best team throughout the campaign -- consistency has been the hallmark of their success in my view.  Whereas United and Arsenal wobbled through streaks all year to finish second and third, Chelsea have been consistently performing at a high level despite off-the-pitch distractions like Terry/Bridge, the transfer investigation, and gripes about the manager from his former club.  They deserve to lift the trophy. 

Ultimately, my tweet was innocuous - I'm not a celebrity, nor did I offend anyone I knew because it came off as just another sports fan babbling on.  So it was an easy way to learn the lesson of the day -- be careful about when you are using the twitter as much as what you are saying. 

-- Sreesha

UCLA Anderson Entrepreneur's Conference

This Friday, May 7, UCLA Anderson will be hosting its annual Entrepreneur's Conference.  This is the 25th year of the conference, bringing together budding entrepreneurs, small businesses, financiers, and established businesses under one roof to discuss entrepreneurial ideas in various industries.  

Because so many of my classmates here at UCLA Anderson are eager to start their own business either now or in the future, this conference has become the signature event on campus each year.  There are some incredible speakers coming to the event from all angles.  It's open to the public as well -- you can get your tickets online -- so if you are planning to be in the Los Angeles area this weekend, it's definitely worth checking out. 

I'm organizing a panel focused on new media technologies in the sports business.  The panelists include folks from the NFL, ESPN, a division of CAA, plus a consultant and a digital media venture focused on the sports industry.  The other panels are also very fascinating for their industries as well, from finance to green tech to entertainment to fashion! 

As a first-year student here, there are many opportunities to be involved in organizing the conference.  It also is a great opportunity to meet people in the industry that you want to work or start a business in -- UCLA Anderson has many opportunities for that, but you can never really have too many. 

* * * * * * *

Thank you to everyone for their kind condolence messages on Thursday and Friday.  After the Capitals lost Game 7 to Montreal and were knocked out of the playoffs, I received so many thoughtful messages from family and friends.  At some point, I had to laugh; I don't know anyone on the team, no one died...but when you are emotionally invested in something that is taken away from you, it does leave you feeling very hollow for awhile, as Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post noted on Thursday. 

Most inspiring was Brooks Laich, who stopped to change a flat tire on the way home from the arena that night.  Here is someone with so much on the line in Game 7, with so much on his mind, and he still took the time to help a stranded motorist change a flat tire.  Incredible story. 

What can I say about my beloved Capitals that hasn't already been said?  

* we desperately needed a second scoring threat so that Montreal (or any other team) couldn't focus on Ovechkin and Backstrom.  Thus, it's hard to see where Alex Semin fits into the picture when he's gone goalless in 14 playoff games.  He's the most talented player in the NHL when he's on, but when he's off it's a struggle to see why he's in the lineup.  Not sure how much more patience Boudreau is supposed to have. 

* it didn't help that Semin didn't have a proper second-line center: Morrison has looked off since the Olympics, and Belanger never gelled with Semin the way he did with Fehr and Chimera.  Laich is better suited to the wing, and Fleischman is better suited to the press box.  Compare centers with Pittsburgh (Crosby, Malkin, Staal), Detroit (Datsuyk, Zetterberg), Chicago (Toews, Sharp) ... 

* Mike Green has been awful in the playoffs in the past two years as well -- I would argue that he's been passed on the depth chart by Tom Poti, John Carlson, Jeff Schultz, and possibly even Karl Alzner.  

* Boudreau was out-coached and had no good ideas other than the obvious, of putting Semin with Backstrom and Ovechkin.  I would have used Belanger-Chimera-Fehr on the power play with the first unit struggling.  I also think Knuble needed more ice than he got. 

* the only person with a Stanley Cup ring on the team is spare part Scott Walker. (Knuble was a spare part with Detroit in 1998, so I'm not counting that one). 

In all, this clip pretty much summed up the playoffs. Absolute bummer.  Can't wait for the slate to be wiped clean in a few months! 

Time to drop the puck and eat -- wait, what is Canadian food?

Loads to talk about since I last posted, so let's get right to it (in no particular order): 

* This past Thursday was our annual International Food Festival, which is a massive street food market as you would expect to see in Asia, with performances, dancers, and loads of food from 14 different ethnicities.  Along with my classmate Anthony Barber, I was in charge of organizing the diverse cuisine.  

Each food stall was either run by an Anderson cultural club or by Andersonians who wanted to highlight a culture -- and in a few cases, not necessarily their own!  Our student body president, Kevin Morris, and Anthony Pu ran the Vietnamese table and did a tremendous job.  Your favourite Manchester United supporter teamed up with several Canadians, including blogeteers John Park and Matt Kerbel, to run a Canadian table whilst wearing hockey sweaters -- I donned a vintage Edmonton Oilers Wayne Gretzky shirt, a gift I received from Mrs. V a few years ago. 

The dancing went on well into the night, until we were all kicked out by the Dean of Students, who we soon realized was supported by ... the LAPD. Oops. 

* The hockey playoffs start today and my beloved Washington Capitals have drawn the Montreal Canadiens in the first round.  I'm not sure how happy I am with this matchup: this is the first time ever that the Caps have played Montreal in the playoffs, and only the second time that the Caps have played a team based in Canada.  There is some discussion on campus of growing playoff beards, where each person participating does not shave until his team is eliminated from the playoffs -- they do this for charity across the NHL, but it may end up conflicting with recruiting for us.  

* Also, the LA Kings are in the playoffs for the first time in ages - I'm excited for them!  The Kings have a tough draw against the Vancouver Canucks but since I live here I will be cheering for them throughout the playoffs -- unless they play Washington, of course! 

* Last weekend was A-days II, where the second round of prospective admits get to visit the campus to get a taste of life here.  I wanted to share my response to a very pertinent question: so far, UCLA Anderson has exceeded my expectations in almost every criteria.  The alumni network has been fantastic, my classmates are extremely accomplished, and the courses -- especially the electives -- have provided me with excellent training.  Plus, the balance of career and fun is the perfect for me; everyone understands why we are here, and seeks to maximize every minute of it both in the classroom and in the bar.  I just can't say enough good things about my experience here.

* My only complaint is that not enough is done for significant others here.  Any business school that tells you that significant others are automatically integrated into the culture is lying to you - it's hard work for the partner and for you.  But business schools, UCLA Anderson included, could do more to make it an easier move for them, especially if they are moving from out of town. 

* UCLA Anderson's student body is phenomenally accomplished and diverse by way of backgrounds, professions, walks of life, and passports; from my (albeit limited) vantage point, I would say UCLA Anderson is more diverse than most other American business schools.  However, as Philip Delves Broughton astutely points out in his book, What They Teach You at Harvard Business School, all American business schools are glaringly deficient in diversity by business training.  Example: while there are loads of different passports in my section, almost everyone is, from a business perspective, American-trained.  In fact, I can count on one hand the number of people who spent more of their career outside of the U.S. than in the U.S. prior to business school -- and two of us are Americans! 

* Next year, I'll be co-president of the International Business Association, with my friend and section mate Lena Zaitseva.  Bringing a further global perspective to campus is extremely important to me -- especially cross-cultural perspective.  In fact, the other interesting statistic I would love to see is how many people in the student body have moved across regions for work (study abroad doesn't count); I would reckon this is higher than the number of people whose careers were primarily outside of the U.S. 

* Disappointing end to the Champions League campaign.  The second yellow to Rafael was very harsh, and I felt United had played well enough to deserve to be sent through.  It has definitely affected morale on the team, especially as we dropped three points at home to Chelsea a few days before, then dropped two more at Blackburn a few days after.  Hopefully the derby match this weekend will give us focus for a last-gasp run at the only title we are still in the running for.  We need a favour Bolton Wanderers and Spurs! 

Till next time, ROCK THE RED!!!!  And be on the lookout for the next installment of Europe's loudest ROCK THE RED party - this time from Los Angeles! 

-- Sreesha

Sometimes you have to think for two

Last weekend was A-days weekend, where UCLA Anderson admits are invited to campus to meet the dean, professors, fellow students, and get a small taste of life at UCLA Anderson.  There is a weekend for the Round 1 admits, and a weekend for the Round 2 admits sometime in May.  

I had the chance to participate in the Meet The Class of 2011 panel organized by my fellow blogeteer John Park.  Of all of the questions we received, there was one that really stood out in my mind about being married during business school.  I think this is a critically important component of business school and I wanted to highlight it further here.  

And to give it justice, I have to give both the bright side and the dark side.  Important Note -- this applies not just to UCLA Anderson, but to any top-ranked business school around the world. 

All facets of the business school life, including the socializing, is focused entirely on you, the student.  That's very different from the situation when both partners are working, where the home life is focused on both people jointly.  So you have to decide before starting the MBA program how active your partner is going to be.  

One of my closest friends from London put it this way: you and your partner have to decide whether the partner is involved in everything at school (bar classes and recruiting, of course), or whether the partner is completely uninvolved in school.  Both are equally viable, so I'm not advocating one over the other; that's something you have to decide personally. 

The ALL option goes like this -- your partner goes to every party, social, activity, or meeting that you do, and you turn down the events that your partner can't or won't attend.  Then, your partner is completely integrated into the class and your classmates treat your partner just like any other student.  

The NONE option is the opposite -- you specifically schedule time (a weekend, say) that you will specifically be off-campus; on those days, you step away from the MBA program and focus on your non-MBA life.  You can socialize, but do it with non-MBA friends; the focus should be on spending time with the partner as you would when you were working.  Then you will be refreshed when you step back onto campus rejuvenated with a wonderful home life. 

Don't underestimate how much hard work both options are.  The ALL option is a very difficult road for your partner; she has to socialize and network with loads of new people with whom she has nothing in common, but who all have a shared MBA experience to bond with.  The NONE option requires that your partner place a lot of trust in you to still be a loving partner in the face of a stunning number of career and social opportunities. 

But you have to choose, because there is no middle ground.  In the abyss between the ALL or NONE options is a no-man's land, where you have made no time for your partner, but your partner has not really integrated herself into the culture of your school.  As you become busier in the MBA program, she'll feel lost, confused, and lonely, especially if you and your partner have moved to school from out-of-town.  There is no worse feeling than seeing your partner struggling and unhappy while you feel like you have the Midas touch. 

Is all that hard work worth it?  Of course it is.  If you decide on the ALL option, your partner will have loads of new friends in a hurry.  I can't say enough nice things about how welcoming my classmates have been for Mrs. V.  When it all goes well, there's no greater feeling than seeing your partner be as friendly as you are with your new friends from school -- or, in my case, seeing my friends run up to her just as we walked into the karaoke bar and pull her up on stage to sing "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas. 

The NONE option can be equally sweet: I see my friends in that position (especially those whose partners don't live in town), and you can tell the extra energy they get in the days before and the days after they see their partners.  And as a student, you know your classmates that are in that position, so when you get the chance to meet their partners, you also go out of your way to welcome the partners for the short time they are on campus.  Plus, the partner still have their own lives, friends, careers, and agendas, so they don't feel like time is just moving on. 

If you, as a reader and potential MBA student, get nothing else out of reading my blog, please keep this in mind, have that conversation with your partner before you go, and whichever option you choose, make sure you put the time and effort in to make the MBA program work not just for you, but also for your partner. 

-- Sreesha

Sports Business Career Night - Tuesday February 16th!

When I was six years old, it seemed quite clear to me that I would be playing professional hockey for the Washington Capitals.  I was undaunted by the fact that I had never skated before, I did not actually own a hockey stick, or that my hometown of Frederick, Maryland did not actually have a hockey rink. 

Thus, I was thrilled when, just six months after my 21st birthday, I stepped onto the ice at Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C.  It was my first taste of professional hockey in my hometown. 

Of course, I wasn’t actually playing in the game.  I was a sportswriter, and I had snuck away from my duties before the game to sit on the Capitals bench and then step onto the ice in my suit and shoes, not skates.  Even worse was that I was there to cover the game for the visiting team, the New York Islanders -- an outsider in my own city!   

Sitting on the bench, I knew then that I wanted to be in the sports business.  This is the only industry in the world where otherwise rational people will voluntarily spend, in aggregate, billions of dollars and completely alter their lives in support of corporations that they have no connection to.  

Sports is big business.  In the US alone, sports is a $410 billion industry; some estimates put the global figure at double that, putting it on par with the auto industry in size.  

The entertainment industry is currently drooling over sports because a consumer can’t -- and won’t -- time-shift or place-shift the consumption of a sporting event.  The Super Bowl took place at precisely 3:00 on Sunday in Miami, and was only available on CBS.  By contrast, film, music, and video games can be consumed on different platforms and can be pirated.  

But even more than the money, sports is about passion.  No other industry can consistently replicate the passion of a sports fan.  Did I benefit from watching the Capitals beat the dreaded Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday afternoon?  No.  Did it make me feel good?  You better believe it.   

On Tuesday, February 16, 6pm in the Executive Dining Room, the Sports Business Association is holding our annual Career Night, where Anderson students will have the chance to hear first-hand insights into the sports industry from executives from some of the leading sports franchises and companies including: 

• ESPN (sports media)
• Anaheim Ducks (National Hockey League)
• Los Angeles Clippers (National Basketball Association)
• Chivas USA - Major League Soccer
• Mandalay Baseball (minor league baseball)
• Ontario Reign (minor league hockey)
• RotoHog (fantasy sports)
• Epic States (sports social media consultancy)
• AccuScore (sports forecasting)

The keynote speaker is Kelly Perdew, the CEO of RotoHog and the winner of the second season of The Apprentice.  

The event is free for Sports Business Association members, and $10 for non-members - money well spent for such privileged access inside the sports industry. 

Anderson students - check your email for the invitation and RSVP! 

-- Sreesha

UCLA Anderson - MBA Struggles and Rewards

Hey Everybody! Oh my gosh - how long has it been? Sigh, no I didn't drop off the face of the earth and no the big scary MBA program didn't swallow me alive. I just had to get through first quarter finals, which were a bear! However, I survived relatively unscathed.

So, I finished winter break, and it was sooooo fun! Good time to catch up with family and friends in the Bay Area. But it wasn't ALL fun and games. No, our diligent student club put together some DOJs (Day on the Job) for several companies in the Bay Area. A bunch of us visited some awesome companies like Apple, Google, HP, Adobe, Cisco, and on and on and on. Each company gave a presentation about their products and positions and then we got a chance to network with the employees. It was a hectic schedule but very exciting and worthwhile.

The DOJ took up a good 3-4 days of my time and after that I headed off to Reno with family. I gave myself a $30 budget and proceeded to lose it all.....but hey, I had a fun time losing it! Now I'm back in LA and have already completed the first week of the second quarter. What have I accomplished so far this quarter you might ask? Well, I participated in a case competition and had a job interview. Not a bad way to start of the new year. I didn't win the competition, but had lots of fun. We worked something like 20 hours straight analyzing the case, got two hours of sleep, and then presented our recommendations to executives at Deloitte. It was a one-of-a-kind experience and something I recommened all MBA students try at least once in their lives. Btw, my team didn't win the competition, but quite honestly we felt like we had because of the feeling of accomplishment after such hard work.

The second quarter class schedule has been much more manageable, although I can see it getting really hectic once interviews pick up. Well, that's about it thus far.

I know many of you out there must be thinking about MBA school, whether it's the right thing to do, or how to get through the application/interview process. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Until next time!