Graduate perspectives: Finding the Right Family / Work / MBA Balance

I recently had a meeting on the sixth floor of the John Molson School of Business building and a wave of nostalgia washed over me as I passed my old classrooms, the MBA study lounge and the John Molson MBA International Case Competition office. For three and a half years, this floor had been my second home. I thought back on the knowledge that I gained and the friendships that were forged during those late nights, consecutive weekends, and holiday Mondays spent working on case studies here.

And then the nostalgia was quickly replaced by incredulity: How had I managed that? With a full-time career as a sales and marketing consultant in the natural and organic industry, and as a mother of two, how could I have also carved out enough time to complete a part-time MBA? Today, I jury-rigged a lunch out of salad topping and mixed nuts because I couldn’t find ten minutes last night to slap a sandwich together!

The part-time MBA at Concordia was an easy choice for me; a high-quality and great value English-language business program offered in the city where I live, work, and where my family is based. However, the whole thing seems implausible to me now and there were times back then that it seemed downright impossible. But what sustained me in those challenging times was the thought that the sacrifices would pay off. That they were temporary. That things worth doing are not worth doing halfway. That I should take it all in and get the most out of the whole MBA experience by jumping in with both feet!

I have never tried to be Super Woman – though my daughters will claim to have seen my Lex Luthor side when I catch them misbehaving at the end of a long day – so I needed to adopt a more practical strategy to complete my MBA. Here are the three tactics that helped me get the most out of my MBA experience: 1) playing an active role, 2) celebrating the wins, and 3) finding support.

Get involved in and out of the classroom

In spite of the additional time commitments, I dove in: as VP Marketing of the Graduate Student Association Speaker Series; as Executive Assistant Marketing of the 2015 MBA International Case Competition; making it to the semi-finals with my team at the 2016 Competition; as a member of both the Women in Business Club as well as the MBA Case Competition Club; and as a teaching assistant.

Being proactive and involved allowed me to meet and collaborate with a diverse set of individuals. Not only did new friendships develop, but tackling shared challenges together created a bond and made us stronger as a group. We were able to grow close to each other even if we came from different educational, professional, and cultural backgrounds, because our touchstone was the next obstacle.

Celebrate the wins

Progress is a powerful motivator. During my MBA, I made sure to celebrate the little wins; if I had focused solely on the end-goal of completing the program, it would have seemed an interminably long, hard road. Fortunately, I had this approach instilled in me from a young age by my coaches when I was a competitive swimmer for 10 years. At one point, I was training nine times a week and going to school. I had to learn from a young age to prioritize, focus, be disciplined, and celebrate the wins before moving on to the next.

A lot of sweat goes into completing an MBA and I don’t want to downplay the enormous importance of focus and prioritization, but recognizing and internalizing small victories was equally crucial as it gave me a renewed sense of momentum. This helped propel me forward toward my next project, exam, presentation, or case competition.

What does celebrating look like? You probably have your own victory dance; for me it was watching thirty minutes of my favourite Netflix show (House of Cards at the time) or penciling in a hot yoga class. After late night case competition training sessions, we rewarded ourselves with drinks and a bite to eat, often at La Belle et La Boeuf on Rue Sainte Catherine.

Find support

The support of my husband and family were fundamental to earning my MBA. There were days when I felt both guilty and deflated coming home to find my girls already asleep. Or when I hadn’t been able to pick them up from daycare, or read them a bedtime story, or make it to this weekend’s soccer game (again!).  Yet I always knew they were in good hands when I wasn’t there. Whether it was my husband shuffling around his work schedule or Grandma hosting another impromptu slumber party, I knew my girls were surrounded by loved ones who were willing to make their own sacrifices to support me in mine. It takes a village, right?

A Harvard study found that the daughters of working mothers go on to have more successful careers – reading this soothed my guilt. The study also found that sons under fourteen who were exposed to mothers who worked full- or part-time for at least a year grow up to hold more egalitarian gender views and share parenting, household and financial responsibilities more equally. Working mothers are strong role models for daughters and sons, just as I hope to be for my girls.

Is the John Molson MBA challenge worth accepting?

Were these challenges and sacrifices worth it? Absolutely! Were all aspects of my life in balance at that time? Absolutely not. The balance was definitely weighted towards academics, but, again, I knew it was for a limited time.

There are days that I miss MBA life: constantly being pushed beyond my comfort zone; discovering new strengths; meeting fascinating people; celebrating small wins; and, of course, interacting with the professors. Dr. LeBel, Dr. Paulin, and Dr. Segovia, in particular, believed in me and had a huge impact.

The numerous group case studies, presentations, as well as being part of the various associations were all instrumental to achieving my post-MBA goal of building a company. These experiences helped me further develop my critical thinking skills (short-, medium-, and long-term strategizing), learn about all aspects of business, increase my self-confidence when doing a business presentation and, lastly, increase my credibility in the business world.

The main thing that I learned from the MBA is that you get what you put in. Decide what you want to get out of those three letters. At John Molson, you’ll find yourself with a unique set of opportunities and a unique group of colleagues to explore them with. Be sure that when you return to Concordia as an alumnus/a, your nostalgia is mingled with the incredulity of “How could I have done all that?” and not the regret of “Why couldn’t I have done more?”