Two Degrees Later: Why I'm choosing to live in a trailer on my parent's drive-way over taking a job

How I went from attending a prestigious graduate business school to scoring a sick Boston fellowship (with the company of my dreams) where I was living on a futon in a rat-infested loft with two dudes above a rock concert venue, but ended up moving into 1970's trailer on my parent's driveway to pursue a business idea.

They say 10 months would fly by. I believed them. However, I didn't believe I'd have the vast experiences, emotions, living, opportunities, learning and relationships in that time period. From staying in the on-campus dorms to my last day sleeping on my couch…what has taken place over the course of theses 10 months has been a ride where I've grown in ways I never anticipated or sought. They also say you will be employed. I also believed them.

After some time to reflect on what took place over these 10 months at grad school - where I am now, where I was then, where I thought I would and what actually happened, after cherishing the special relationships fostered and unique souls who have forever impacted me...leaving this wonderful place and time in my life was bittersweet.

It's a truly special feeling to move on to a new adventure from a place and time in life that makes it so hard to leave. To drive away with a heart so full, knowing that you did it right, that you are heading in the direction that you've wanted, and seeing your friends head down the paths that is best for them is all for which I could have asked.

Monday I graduated with closure in every way I could asked - with friends who are following what they love, while I get to venture off on the path I'd always desired.

Yet, there was a moment where I almost dropped out.

It was never because I didn't believe in the program (disclosure: WFU was amazing and if you are ever interested in a jam-packed year of learning, hit me up to talk) or felt like I didn't need this knowledge - rather it was 100% me...I was so damn eager to get my hands dirty and learn through taking action right at that second. When entering grad school, my goal was to gain the business acumen that would allow me to start a business. I quickly learned, that nobody has the answer to that. While I surely gained business acumen, I also gained much more than what I hoped for - unique experiences that I didn't realize would make such a difference.

In January I stopped focusing on 'getting a job' and focused on the reason I went to Wake in the first place - to learn and apply. Everything changed. I had ideas again, I created, I was involved in the community, I had overwhelming support from the university, and I was presented with opportunities and experiences that gave me energy. 

I never needed a piece of paper to validate myself and what I am capable of accomplishing (and no one should), however the people and experiences provided a sense of strength and newfound knowledge that by myself I would have never gathered. It's a blessing that it's so hard to leave, because that means I did it right. It took exploring those areas of discomfort, testing the waters, diving into the fields and conversing on levels beyond my realm of experience or interest. I struggled, I learned, I then ran with it.

In March I took that incredible trip to Boston where I hoped to one day work for the company of my dreams. I got the Fellowship, I was going to apply my new skills while improving the food system. I was going to live in Boston on a futon with two dudes in a rat-infested apartment over a rock-venue ..and I couldn't have been more stoked.

Then, two weeks ago, with deep regret..the company informed us that they would be closing their doors.

That was the final tipping point - between the cancellation of my fellowship and job rejection after rejection..at some point it's one of those things that you can't help but just laugh in amazement at how I was getting absolutely nowhere. If I wanted anything to happened, I was going to need to create the experience I wanted where I could apply everything I've learned in school while bringing my ideas to life. 

I committed to longer investing my energy into convincing someone of my value and fitting their need - my energy was much better spent just making shit happen. I had an idea I'd been tinkering with since the winter and at there was no other option to make it happen. As if I was waiting for that invitation to do it - I felt like the closing of my next job was that.

The last few weeks of school were been spent heavily researching, meeting, learning and creating this. While most people were winding down, accepting their jobs and taking vacations and stuff...I was just getting picking up speed.

NOW WHAT: This will be something I'll be rolling out these next couple weeks however I had to share a taste (hint).

As my roommate constantly reminded me these past couple weeks - I was never going to accept a job (…if only I knew that too, it would have been the year much less stressful). So maybe this is what you expected (it wasn't really for me).

But here's the plan….

Yes, I'm heading back to Northern VA, the place I vowed to never return. However, ...it's for business opportunities where I believe I can make the greatest positive impact and learn the most.

Yes, I'm heading back to my home, the place I vowed to never sleep another night. However, …I'll be living in a trailer in my driveway (I get to live out my dream of staying in a tiny home). So that doesn't count. 

I'm giving myself 3 months to do everything I love - learn from people, implement and test ideas, create, train, work hard, absorb in knowledge, challenge myself, follow a strict daily routine and only do the "hell *@^#^ yes".

Three months.

I'll see where it takes me. If I don't do this, if I don't scratch this itch, I'll always wish I did. The worst that happens - I get a job after the summer. However right now, this is the kind of shit that I look forward to - grinding out on business ideas, making shit happen and being healthy AF.

This is the shit that makes me so excited that I can't sleep at night because I'm shaking in my bed ...the type of work where I can't help but wake up extra early to get after the day. It's a life full of energy, excitement, challenges.. and I absolutely thrive.

There's a time and a place for these types of projects, and it comes with it's uncertainty but I'm absolutely embracing it. Bring it on.

20 years of school was great, but right now I'm eager to get after what I've always wanted to do.

ap

Food+Future Workshop&Makeathon

Sunday: Food+Future & IDEO Makeathon

Saturday: FFxBitten Workshop: A Clarifying Sprint

Some say "We Came, We Saw, We Conquered"

However yesterday, We Came, We Ate..and We Make(athon)

This was the Food and Future Makeathon

I'm going to continue off the questions raised these past two day's: How do we verify what's in our food? What's the truth?

With this question buzzing in my mind all weekend - on Sunday, 60 of the greatest bad-asses gathered to discover and answer this question. With 48 hours of curiosity itching behind me, I was eager to dive right in.

Here's the thing. We think we know what's in our food..well not exactly.

• For Example - Human DNA in our hot dog: In 345 hot dog samples, human DNA was found in 7 and 10% labeled as vegetarian contained meat DNA.

Let me introduce to you Illuminate - a scanner decoding nutritional content of one-ingredient foods. Using molecular spectroscopy (throwback to science fair in high school when I tested for the polyphenols in various vegetables based on agriculture methods…funny how seven years later this was what I was trying to get at), analytical chemistry, and deep machine learning - F+F is bringing to light food transparency.

It decodes (provides the true nutritional content), gives the power to the consumer to decide (take action based on the quality of your food), and delivers transparency (through superior outcomes allowing a change in health and decision making).

What are the possibilities of this...why even stop at food?

Perhaps you want to understand where your clothes come from, or have access to your own personal health data, can this be a tool that educates children and engages them in life of healthy choices, can this be the end to allergy attacks, what if all toilets scanned our shit? This is what we explored, and in four hours, brought to life.

The human centered design Process - inspiration, ideation, implementation

Discovery - understand, prep, inpso

THE PROMPT: So fast forward 3-5 years, when Illuminate is a widely adopted technology (with competitors and a need for innovation to remain relevant) among retailers - giving them the power to hold distribution accountable…a world where food is purchased based on nutritional levels. This data is translated into actionable explanations for the common person (from a kid to grandma). In the long term, the consumer can even interact with this machine.. and we know exactly what is in our food. Illuminate needs innovation to remain relevant. Go. 

Four hours and four people later (an MIT+Cal Designer, Tufts Engineering Psychologist , and NYU Culture, Education and Human Development), we proposed a solution.

RULES: 

1. Get inspiration - talk to people, listen..and more than with just your ears
2. Make assumptions - like as if all the technology was available and this couldn't fail
3. Think big - like super big (that also means no shooting down ideas)
4. Be real - prototype, test, bring it to life.

TL;DR

OUR SOLUTION: Leveraging Illuminate’s technology - we created a brand extension...a pill that takes a snapshot of your individual gut biome to increase transparency about your health. The data collected is able to provide recommendations to optimize your personal biome - in particular, focusing on the pregnant population who commonly suffer from ailments (everything from morning sickness to gestational diabetes) directly related to their internal microbiome. Not only is there a live child inside a mom...but live bacteria..and mom's should care just as much. There's an abundance of emerging research on the topic of gut health, and most recently pertaining to this population. We discovered that gut bacteria has incredible short and long-term impacts on the health of a mother and the carried child.

The possibilities are endless. 

How we got here was even more fascinating.

Interpretation - frame opportunities, search for meaning

"How Might We" Questions and Design Thinking

• How - assumes a solution; might - free from judgement; we - takes a team
• A constant cycle of inspiration, ideation and interpretation to arrive at a human-centered designed approach
  • (We hit the ideation phase hard today)
• It's constant reiteration. No to pressure. Yes to brainstorm.
• "What if"…generate ideas
• A balance between broad focus and narrow constraint.

IDeation - generate and refine ideas

Brainstormin' Rules: 

• Defer judgment
• Encourage wild ideas
• "Yes, and" > but
• Stay focused on the question
• One convo at a time
• Visuals!! People understand better through sight
•  Quantity > Quality - in order to come up with a good idea, come up with a lot of ideas

*Ross in the wild testing our concept*

Experimentation - prototype and feedback

• Research and Prototype:  Build, listen, edit, repeat
• Prototyping - fail early, repeat, creative confidence
• Doing > describing
• Ask the right q's
• Learn from getting the product out in front of people (core users, experts, extremes)

Story Telling

• NOT A PITCH - instead we are capturing all we learned 

Storytelling moves past words alone to help people understand and feel the power of your offering.  At the end of the day, you’re going for impact with a considered audience. Storytelling is the human way …think of it more as a fun science fair.

• It's like an arc - you set the scene, you share your promise, and show were you end up now.
• Formula < Structure
• Convincing < Immersing
• Professional < Personal
• Important notes to hit: Empathy building, the promise made, business model, support (hiring), next steps
• The Bar Test: pretend you’re at a bar with you buddies. Tell the story of your concept. Are they still listening 5 minutes later? The story of your concept should ignite emotion, ideas, and interest

Tips:

• Be visual - images, prototype
• Be crisp. - time is tight..understand your points and communicate them
• Be human - empathy, anecdotes
• Be thoughtful - consider the strategy

Have fun

Ok..so maybe this isn't an explicit rule in Design Thinking...but I think it's an essential component of having a kick ass team like we did. Both days, I left bonded with incredible individuals who I not only learned from but created lasting friendships. It's sick when you can appreciate everyone's unique contributions, personalities, skills and experiences..it makes the process exhilarating. It's for that very reason this weekend was so special - I was surrounded by absolute rock-stars, in an environment where people loved food and creating and learning as much as me, and I was constantly in a state of exploration and excitement. 

Whether at F+F, Boston, or in life, this same approach can be applied - finding inspiration, learning from others, coming up with ideas, creating and tweaking (as we grow)..and in the end, you may even have a good story to tell.

As long as you had fun. 

ap

Counseling from Children, The Science of Seasonal Eating, Business Movement 101 and Weekly Lesson One-Liners

 

 

Mind

"There are hundreds of paths up the mountain, all leading to the same place, so it doesn't matter which path you take. The only person wasting time is the one who runs around the mountain, telling everyone his or her path is wrong" - Hindu Proverb

The pressure of providing content, staying connected and actively scrolling through social media for enjoyment is real. It's pretty pathetic this is the challenge our generation faces on a daily basis.

When you are constantly posting (or keeping busy with the posts of others), you aren't present in what you are doing. I love to share experiences, and perhaps offer something that I am experiencing that will be helpful to someone else...but it's also important to recognize that being present in your own life is more important than that. 

I'm finding that balance. 

*Read this excellent article inspiring continuing that topic* It's absurd this is actually a problem faced these days but nonetheless it can't ignore that. It's a longer read but definitely eyeopening! 

The real content: A couple messages gather around this theme of paths (whether it's in what you do each day, how you choose to live your life, or in work)

The paradox of opportunities: One of greatest beauties of life derives from the vast amount of possibilities and boundless directions. It's this same beauty that also bears one of life's greatest challenges. While so free, we can become overwhelmingly restricted...as if there's a perfect path to be chosen. In business terms, "opportunity loss". Some struggle with finding something to do and where to work ...a difficult decision nonetheless...however for myself, it's choosing between everything I want to do. I don't know if it's any better but it's an ambitious problem to have and keeps me hungry and on my toes.

The MA program fills our days with opportunities for networking, learning and career advancement. Lunches with corporate executives, board of directors and professionals (which are all super awesome!) however it was the counseling from a 10 year-old that I want to share. 

At last Friday's Wake Soccer game, we made friends with some kids (clearly I'm winning for grad school social activities). Who I really was talking to was myself, 12 years ago - hyper, full of energy, understanding of others, confident, bold, and dreaming. 

My teammate had her dog (in a dress)...so like every other person...I figured these young girls were going to stop by, pet the dog, and leave. Like most people.

..the rest of the soccer game was spent having all kinds of conversations ranging from school to life plans with elementary schoolers. 

When kids ask you what you want to do with your life...there's this sense that you need to over-simplify things so they understand...and here's how I found myself explaining what I wanted: "I want to be moving around where people are fun and doing crazy things, I want to create solutions that change the world, and lead people toward a healthier and more improved life through health and food"

And here's where 10 y/o me comes in - she starts doing the "twitchy jumpy thing" as she excitedly exclaims that she holds the answer. She so confidently tells me I need to be a counselor, that I love helping people, that I need to own a healthy store where I have solutions for people revolving around food and exercise.

(And so we began bouncing and talking about farmers markets and haircuts and essential oils - so innocently and unconcerned with how we just picked up a completely new conversation and never finished the other. That's also how I knew it was me)

It's funny how I spend hours with all these career experts - asking them where I should go, what I should do. Yet I meet this 5th grader at a soccer game and she had the answers. The answer being that we each have it inside of us - and that there are many paths to get there. Her understanding and genuine energy was so pure and unpolluted by the outside influences, ego, and norms that society inadvertently places on us. We go out searching for all these answers, waiting for someone to confidently send us in a direction and validate that our choice is the best one - yet, kids - with their unbrainwashed wonder, clear lens for dreaming, and invincible sense of possibilities - are often the greatest reminders of what we really want to do. 

Meals

What's in season?

• Apples, cabbage, tomatoes, collards, cucumbers, green peas, herbs, corn, kale, lettuce, 'shrooms, bok choy, blackberries, pumpkin, raspberries, peas, spinach, sprite melons, sweet potatoes, turnips, zucchini, beets!
• RIGHT NOW..is the peak of the best of the best selection...this summer to fall transition is the only time of year where you'll ever have such a wide variety

Is it important to eat certain foods during specific times of the year? 

There's a whole area of study stemming from the understanding on what to eat and when but here's what you need to know...

• Fruit's and veggie's beautiful spectrum of visual appeal come from their pigments (like our skin colors). Just like we have shades, so do plants. Chlorophyll (greens), Flavonoids (blue, red, cream), and Carotenoids (orange/yellow). Each are special in their own way, providing unique and different nutritional benefits (hence, why we are told to "eat a rainbow" b/c of the diverse essential vits+mins and nutrients necessary from all of them)
• Carotenoids (organge/yellows) bring this to the table: Vit C, Beta-carotene, Vit A, Potassium, Lycopene, and Antioxidants
• We are creatures of habit. We get in routines and purchase the same foods every week. Technology has enabled us to eat whatever we want, whenever we want. However the combinations of vits+mins and nutrients that our body craves for optimal functioning constantly change throughout the year.   
• Eating seasonally: It tastes better, it's cheaper, it's sustainable..even nutritional analyses have shown significant antioxidant content differences (freshly harvested, rotated...more bioavailable nutrients)..combat flu season with a simple coordination of your diet. 
• Also next time your fake tan goes wrong and you'll look like this - just say you over did it on the fall vege's carotenoids

Moves 

Ironically, it's the fitness junkies who can be the most sedentary. A 3 hour workout does not give you a free pass to sit all day. Being that I'm in class from 8am-5pm, I'm experiencing this corporate-like culture. I experienced this, gained perspective, and am now changing it. So I left off last time switching things up: had an epiphany, made some changes. Here are the few major ways to inject a bit more movement, improve your level of work, and elevate your well-being: 

• Combat the movement discouraging clothes - so long heels, restrictive skirts and even those damn tote bags. 
• Biking to school - Active commuting gives a major boost to psychological well-being (school or work, this is important for us all), including happiness and ability to concentrate. Well-being is found to be higher for people commuting by active travel like walking or public transport compared to driving (and obviously the physical benefits follow, as well as increased creativity)
• Sitting on the floor - Chairs are a luxury and not doing us any good ...instead of going into depth on this, you can follow the link to read more. 
• Cut the Commute? - I recently came across this....startling (but not surprising) that the simple act of community is killin' us. Cutting you commute is equal to the equivalent of making $40,000 more in yearly salary! Right now I am paying that much...so I'm pretending that by walking/biking to school they balance each other out :) (I'm not even considering what it would be if I was actually commuting ..that's a whole other story...)

More

For the sake of entertainment, wonder and to reassure you that there is never a dull moment - my attempt to recap the past three weeks through the wisdom of one-liners: 

-When attending a career fair: professional frat party - packed, sweaty and thirsty for conversation...yet crucial for networking

-When at a Wake Saturday football game: proof of what the power of free food/drinks and Harambe can do

-When attending your professor's husband's concert: if there is no divide between the band and audience, it's acceptable to go on stage

-When recovering from an unfortunate butt dial: nothing...just never take your phone into the bathroom

-When surviving your first financial case competition: 48 hours of Finance requires 96 hours of recovery...never underestimate the importance for a platform of creativity 

-When competing in grad school field day: competitiveness and sun-burn susceptibility doesn't change with age 

make it a great week! - ap

Th[reecap]

I practice writing daily - both as an exercise of clarity, skill acquisition, and peace of mind - however I struggle between regularly sharing for two reasons. 

1. Why do I care for other people to know what's up?

2. Who am I to put thoughts into the heads of others? 

For two weeks I did thorough reflecting on my intentions of blogging. Trying to first get my thoughts together myself - I hadn't yet found a deep enough reason to share with others my experiences. When publishing what I write, I first ask the above questions. What value am I adding? A laugh? A "lesson" (and more, who am I to provide that?)? I've come to the conclusion while I always hope to benefit others somehow...the purpose of my actions are not always what they seem. After much reflection, I realized it's not the daily occurrences which I care to have others knowing and taking interest. Rather, it's the documentation and value in the process which I'll accumulatively display. 

Article by article - I don't believe to be spreading anything too life altering - but more it's the compilation of documents piecing together a story that is valuable. The underlying path of connectivity and understanding the journey is where magic's found. With that being said - here I am. To display start to finish how things happen. 

These may come in the form of weekly recaps, sporadic stories, or anything that had a great influence in my day that I get a chance to reflect and digest in writing.  While writing also provides structure, forced thought refinement and a personal challenge to stretch my interests in the form of creative expression - I have even more of a reason to finally share :)

---

Weekly recaps are the goal. However, in the midst of simply reflecting, enjoying the experiences and diving head first into these new adventures...I'm now forced to consolidate three weeks of a vast ranges of 'happenings' to one post. Hence the title " 'three' cap" . To spare a life story I'll group it into the highlights. 

1. The (not so) Solo Salem Adventures

2. The ('dorm'et) food

3. And The "Wait. I'm here for school" / "I'm a grown up now"side

1.

As the wise motor scooter rental man from Key West once said

"GET LOST" - so that I did. 

I'm a firm believe there's no better way to familiarize yourself with an area than to workout in it. The majority of my adventures are in the form of fitness - finding trails, gardens, neat hidden gems (usually pools but they're lacking in that department). For the most part I set forth solo. Don't let that deceive you into thinking I'm walking a lonely life here. From stepping foot on campus not knowing a soul, I've made at least 20+ friends this past week in the class...that's not considering the community brunch conversations, dorm neighbors, karaoke bar duet partners, and those daily meaningful interactions with others while enjoying weekend trail walks. While setting out alone, I never cease to become surrounded by and interact with the neatest individuals.

2.

You can learn a lot about a town by your Costco trip. And having to fit all your groceries on your bike. 

To sum up my dorm food experience in three words: Winter Training Trip

...but for three weeks...and I only have to eat like 1/5 as much....and I don't have the option to ride in the van to Whole Foods or Jamba Juice or have the luxury of a seafood dinner.

1. First off...the obvious - resources. What do I have to cook with? A pan and tuberware. One spoon, knife and fork. 

2. What will rot first - Obv gonna use up hard boiled eggs for the first source of protein over beans because I don't want my new roommate to hate me for making the dorm smell like rotten shit. 

3. VARIETY - Am I getting dem veggies? Has every meal been heavily grains or am I including lots of foods and colors? Has each meal looked the same each day or am I keeping it fun? This can get hard when you have to fit everything into a backpack....but #firstworldprobz amiright? 

4. Workouts and demands - How active am I? What am I doing? What's my goal of that workout...do I want to eat before or not, what will I need after/am I doubling in the day?

5. Can I switch things up? For example - the same ingredients made to make overnight oats can also make me a smoothie - gotta keep things interesting and find new way to combine ingredients into a masterpiece. 

These were just a few of my thoughts when surviving the born-again dorm life. What goes through someone else's mind depends on their goals and preferences - i.e. others prefer Bojangles er'day or a meal plan - that's cool too...my goal was just to make sure I am eating a well balanced diet that will fuel me steadily throughout the day and save some dat $$$.

Nonetheless - I don't mindlessly go about my eating. Sometimes even more so than eating (hard to believe right) I enjoy the creativity and the challenge of using what I have to make a new dish...and making sure I am giving my body what it needs. Subjective, but I base this on how I perform and feel. Full enough? Lacking energy? Thinking fast? Recovering?

3.

As I formally hung up my new white blazer - the realization hit me hard - I can now officially deem myself "professional".

A close second to learning basic accounting in 48 hours - making it an entire day without spilling anything on my pristinely white jacket was my greatest business school accomplishment to date.

Tomato soup, bird shit...it always seems to find a way. This feat is nothing short of a turning point in my life and should receive the deserved attention. Having recently graduated from daily yoga pants, I understand why people dress up. It makes one come off looking like they have their shit together. In the 'world of business' that's looked at as a good thing. But let's be real here...it's all an act and no one knows what they are doing. Despite the drastic adjustment, I've found the whole 'putting real clothes together' thing to be surprisingly quite fun. There's a chance to inject some personality through the expression of style (a new phenomena for me). While I'm certainly not wishing spilt coffee on my clothes or to walk into class with bird shit upon me - we are all human and I don't think one should compromise that in the world of business for the sense of feeling "professional" and looking like we are "suppose to".

If that wasn't a true testament of my business growth...I did actually learn a lot. Four classes in three weeks - Excel (side note: Everything I ever 'knew' about Excel was wrong - and I was finally taught the right way. Freakin' beautiful. I can see myself getting addicted to making some kick as worksheets. There's something engaging about trying to create worksheets in the most efficient manner by applying shortcuts, and seeing the ease and creating perfect readability that get's me real excited), Math Fundamentals, Accounting and Microeconomics. It was challenging but in a 'totally do-able' way. Most importantly..I nailed the three week routine..it went something like this: 

Move in the morn (run/bike/yoga/track/etc), get ready (takes 15 mins courtesy of short hair and night-before preparation), walk to school, eat breakfast and drink coffee while writing, read the news/Wall Street Journal (because you know...I'm an educated, grown-up, business woman), either do personal work or review notes from the previous day for about an hour...then head to class from 9AM-4PM, lift...HAVE TO MOVE BECAUSE I SIT IN CLASS ALL DAY AND IT EATS ME ALIVE, study, eat (this week watch Olympic Trials, read, REPEAT. 

All there is to look forward to next week:

Settling into the new crib with Hayley, make 150+ new friends...experiencing the excitement of the first day of Kindergarten all over again, house design (!!!), reading the new books for class (finally...an excuse to buy these much longed personal development books...not the so much looking forward to the $800 accounting book), adventures with my new partner and crime roomie before we officially start school on Thursday (I foresee lots of yoga, wine, workouts, and interesting stories). Happy Fourth!