With the unveiling of our new SBP project, we’ve asked one of our SBP students to guest blog about their experience. Frank wanted to introduce himself, so I’ve left him to it. Enjoy!
—
Hi everyone. My name is Frank DeLeo. I am a psychology major and environmental studies concentrator in the class of 2014. The reason I am participating in the Summer Business Program (SBP) this year is because of my profound interest in the field that was sparked by the Executive Leadership Workshop (ELW).
ELW proved to me that my liberal arts education could be applied successfully in the business world. Like many students going into college, I had the mindset that I had to be an economics or accounting major to even consider an occupation or internship in business. However, that is simply not the case. This is a serious misconception that is deterring students from the field. Gaining a background in business, despite being a social science major, can only benefit me, and those of all majors in the long run.
After ELW ended, I felt myself yearning for a more in depth experience. As psychology major, I enjoy understanding how people think and the reasoning behind their actions; therefore, I fell in love with marketing and advertising. ELW touched on both of these topics, but not as in depth as I would have wanted due to time constraints. To gain a better understanding of the many facets of business, not just marketing and advertising, I was driven to sign up for SBP. Now two months after the application process, I am back on campus living in Carlin for the next two weeks.
Two weeks into the SBP, it is safe to say that the program is everything I thought it was going to be…and more. I am learning about everything I signed up for: starting a business, finance, marketing, sales, etc. Thus far, both Friday sessions have left a lasting impression on me.
Last Friday (June 1) was the session on entrepreneurial strategies with Jerry Snee ’75, president and CEO of Neuronrobotics. The primary take home message from the session was that the consulting vertebrate adds up to create the culture of a company. The various vertebrate (vision, mission, roles, goals, decisions, and rewards) can be slightly off and still produce a successful company; however, if one or more of the vertebrate are misaligned the company cannot function effectively. Prior to the session, the class took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. The self awareness that arose from deciphering the results was incredibly valuable. I discovered that I am an ENTJ, and that I have to deal with particular people in certain ways to tailor to their personality type. Who would have thought that talking with an introvert is drastically different than an extrovert.
This past Friday (June 8 ) was the session on advertising with Brian Sheehan ’83. This was the most fun I have had in a session thus far. Between watching ads, learning how to create a marketing campaign, and conducting SWOT and OGSM analyses, every aspect of the session was exactly the in depth advertising experience I was looking for. Not only did it satisfy my business craving, but the information directly pertained to our group project.
The group project couldn’t have been a better fit for my business interests: creating a marketing campaign for a company. This is exactly the opportunity I need to show how my education can aid me in the business world. My group consists of four rising juniors and one rising sophomore. The five of us come from varying academic backgrounds. Not one of us is an econ or accounting major. We are the only team to have no one from either of those majors in the group. This has not deterred our work ethic in the slightest.
On Thursday, we went over to Home Depot to really dive headfirst into the project. We talked with customers, associates, managers, etc to learn everything we can about the customers. The customers are our number one focus. Speaking with them has provided pertinent information on likes and dislikes to current types of renovation and installation options. For the sake of the team, I am not going to get into any details about our strategy for the project. I will say that we are learning a lot and are diligent in doing our research. In addition, we have the guidance and support of our competitive and intelligent executive, Al Correia ’78. He gets us inspired at every meeting. Our fourth meeting is on Sunday and we have plenty of new info to share.
—
Thanks, Frank! Looking forward to the next installment.
As always, don’t forget to “Like” us on FACEBOOK and look for our WIB, SBP and ELW groups on LinkedIN!
Kaithlyn
Kaithlyn Kayer
Associate Director, Entrepreneurial Studies
David Chu
Director, Entrepreneurial Studies & Pre-business Advisor
