Getting to and getting through the John Molson MBA

When I reflect on the inspiring and supportive people that surround me, I’m struck by feelings of gratitude. I have a group of friends from high school who have been in my life for over 15 years and, if you had seen us back then, you never would have guessed that we would accomplish the things we have. I’m continuously inspired by their authenticity, determination, and success.

Without the support of the caring friends and family in my life, I wouldn’t be writing this post today as a graduate of the John Molson MBA. So, to my friends and family – thank you! And to you, the reader, I hope you’ll enjoy accompanying me as I write about my journey and that each of you can take something from this post that will contribute to your own personal or professional development.

Truth be told, if I can get a few laughs out of you, I’ll be satisfied. Because if you’re considering doing an MBA there’ll be no laughter soon – only finals… Ok, I’m just kidding. If your MBA experience is anything like mine, it’ll be an all-out mix of academic challenge, social expansion, mentorship, skill development, and a ridiculous amount of personal growth. But definitely also finals!

I’m going to start the telling of this story during my high school years. While there are some things from that era that I definitely don’t like to think about – my choice of hairstyle, for example, or my questionable taste in punk music– I’m lucky to have many fond memories from that time. And that’s where the path to my MBA began: in high school history class.

Let me set the scene for you: the year is 2007, “Umbrella” by Rihanna is number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, I can barely see through my shaggy mop of hair, and I think I’m the coolest guy ever. I like school, a lot, but I try to pretend like I don’t – have to maintain appearances, right? I’m a punk guitarist. I play shows, man. Band practice is totally not just an excuse to play video games.

Behind my teenage attempts to be cool, I loved history. I loved reading and writing, and thinking about ancient civilizations. What would it have been like to be a Roman senator, or more likely a conscripted Roman soldier? I liked the fact that thinking about the past helped me put my present experiences into perspective, but I had no idea what I wanted to do with my future.

When asked about the careers I was considering I remember that my stock answer was “surf bum in paradise”. I suggest you all pause your reading to go check average surf bum salary ranges on Glass Door now – I’ll wait.

Right – so scratch that and on to Plan B.

I knew that the thing I liked most about history was imagining that I was a person from another time and place. Imagining how I would think, feel, interact with, and derive meaning from the world. I was moved by the growing realization that the society we view as constant is simply one iteration of many, each building on the last, and stretching back to the dawn of civilization. I wanted to understand people in the past but also those around me in the present. What makes us who we are? Why do we do the things we do? And what is the meaning of it all?

Thinking it would help me unravel these hidden mysteries, I chose to pursue studies in psychology, both in CEGEP and at McGill. And while my time in psych didn’t actually reveal to me the meaning of life, it did teach me that I’m passionate about understanding human behaviour – how we get along, what drives us, why we are so different yet so similar.

My time at McGill allowed me to formalize my understanding of the observations we all naturally make as we interact with others. The personality frameworks I learned about were particularly useful – the Myers-Briggs types and Big 5 Model – I’ve applied them liberally to make sense of group dynamics throughout my career and during the MBA.

Deepening my understanding of the neurobiological bases of behaviour has also been useful to me in making sense of myself and the people around me. I’ll always be passionate about human psychology and luckily, because I interact with others on a daily basis, every day presents an opportunity to continue learning.

During my undergrad years, I left the punk music behind and applied myself not just to my studies, but to a growing number of hobbies, including Olympic weightlifting, jujitsu, hot yoga, nutritional science, running, music collecting, and DJ’ing. I spent many afternoons in the cafeteria of the McGill gym reading about what to eat so I could run faster, lift more, become more focused. I also expanded my taste in music, performed my first DJ set in front of an audience, and found a passion for electronic music that is still burning strong a decade later. I carry those learnings and habits with me today and they’ve been invaluable in keeping me energized and driven. Like many others, I’ve had plenty of experience with stress and burnout, and while I haven’t always maintained my healthy habits, they’re deeply ingrained and I always come back to them. Anyway, back to the story.

While I loved psych, by the end of my three years at McGill, I knew I didn’t want to make a career out of it. At least I knew what I didn’t want to do! As I tried to figure it out what I did want to do, I spent a year working in a restaurant in the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood. I loved the pace, the pressure, the “work hard/play hard” attitude of a high-end kitchen. But waking up at 3pm and getting home from work at sunrise isn’t the healthiest schedule.

After a year in the restaurant industry, I applied and was accepted to the Police Technology program at John Abbott College with the idea of becoming a detective. And while I still enjoy the idea of being a detective, I soon realized policing wasn’t for me. Culturally, I think I’m a bit too “grey-area”, especially because of my psych background. My personal view is that many criminal issues are in fact social justice or public health issues and I didn’t want to be an enforcer of legislation that I ultimately didn’t agree with. So, of course, I took the logical next step and went to work on a pipeline welding crew in the Alberta oilsands.

Through my personal network I was offered a position as a welder’s helper making nearly triple my previous restaurant income. I was given two weeks to accept the offer, pack up my life and fly to Edmonton to begin this new adventure. I gladly accepted. Talk about a culture shock upon arrival! And never mind the fact that I’d never held an industrial job before. Don’t like country music? Too bad. Don’t own a pickup truck? City boy. Psychology degree? What the heck are you doing in the oil patch?

My answer to the last question was simple: I don’t know, but I’m giving it a shot! I bought my first pickup three months later. After completing my contract in the oil sands and driving my mechanically unsound, bright red truck back to Montréal, I began my search for another job ‘out West’. Through the same personal connection, I was introduced to an entrepreneur who was in the process of growing his small finishing carpentry business. He was looking for someone to help manage his three carpenters, one major finishing contract, and some landscaping.

By the end of my tenure with the company we were a crew of 40 and finishing 1000+ condo units per year. He knew I was probably smart enough to do the job and that my people skills would help him expand and manage his work force, but he also knew that I didn’t know the first thing about the business. So, for my first 6 months on the job I wore a tool belt, lugged around a compressor, and shot so many finishing nails that the nail gun started to feel like an extension of my hand. I installed baseboard and window casing, built interior doors, installed kitchen cabinets and granite countertops, got covered in glue and dust. Often late into the night. Often six or seven days a week. And all very badly at first. My pry bar and pliers became my favourite tools (because I had to uninstall and redo so much work). Eventually I got it though, and those construction skills still serve me well today. This city boy learned how to use tools!