Last Week Today: Shoot Your Shot 🏀
June 3, 2024 🍎
Welcome to my Substack where I share the best of my week. Think of this as a catch-up between friends with life hacks & advice sprinkled in. Grab your beverage of choice and let's get started ☕️
Quote of the Day (QOTD)
“Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.”
-Sydney J. Harris
Highlight of the Week🔥
The “Last Lecture” at the GSB is a tradition where 5 distinguished professors are invited to deliver a lecture as if it were their final opportunity to address their students and colleagues. This lecture is meant to capture the essence of the professor's life lessons, insights, and reflections; It's an opportunity for the speaker to share personal anecdotes, wisdom, and advice.
In his Last Lecture on Friday, Professor Irv Grousbeck talked about the importance of betting on yourself through entrepreneurship; I found it applicable as I embark on my own founder journey post-grad. I spoke with classmates and some found his advice unhelpful, since many of them are joining the corporate workforce soon. While the entrepreneurship path isn’t for everyone, those who commit to it, must do so wholeheartedly. Here are some quotes I liked:
When the counting in our life is done (when we die), what will matter? Is it prominence? People? Legacy?
Be determined to own your own life. Don’t “lease it out” in sections by working for someone else. Your heart is not for sale. You must invent your future.
Entrepreneurs must have an unending desire to change the status quo, a willingness to be lonely, healthy confidence, tolerance for ambiguity, and the ability to be wrong in a big way.
Wouldn’t it be nice to go to work with a skip in your step? How do you get that skip in your step?
The only difference between friendship and love is the degree at which we can hurt each other
Stay tuned for more Last Lecture summaries in the next 2 weeks. These videos will be posted on YouTube so you can watch the whole thing online as well.
My Unexpected Favorite Stanford Class
One of my favorite classes at Stanford University Graduate School of Business is not what you’d expect: it’s not finance, operations, or a startup class. It’s a civic government class called I’m Just a Bill, taught by Keith Hennessey.
In this class, Keith and his teaching team create a simulation of US Congress where each student takes on a role of a senator or representative with personal party and state-specific objectives. For ten weeks we are “in role” with the goal of passing 4 bipartisan bills.
Yes, I learned about tech, economic, climate, and foreign policy, but I learned even more about negotiation, leadership, and critical thinking.
This photo is from when we go to celebrate Keith at the GSB Veterans Club’s annual dinner as the 2024 Jack McDonald Military Service Appreciation Award Honoree. Keith encourages students to think critically and engage in fair, charitable debates in the classroom and on campus.
My time at the GSB has been forever shaped as a student of this class.
Scared of Public Speaking? Keep Reading…
Public speaking isn’t easy. It doesn’t come naturally to most of us. My biggest fear was always that I would freeze up and not know what to do next. When I was preparing for my TED Talk, I had to confront these fears head on. Along the way, I learned three key things to do when you freeze up and how to buy yourself some time to remember the next line.
Pause. I know this sounds obvious, but it is okay to pause. Sometimes, it feels awkward, but just wrap up your sentence and then take a beat to reflect.
If you need more time, repeat the last sentence. This is going to buy you more time and add some dramatic effect to what you just said.
AND if you need even more time, you can ask the audience a question. Flip the script and ask the audience what they think about what you just said. How could your talk apply to their life? This gives them a chance to engage and you a chance to collect your thoughts.
Pros and Cons of Management Consulting
“It’s more than a job, but less than life.” That’s what McKinsey folks have to say about management consulting. Mike Peng breaks down the pros and cons of his time at McKinsey in this latest clip.
In Case You Missed It: What I posted on IG 💅🏻
🧠 How I’m Using AI as a Student
What I’m Reading 📚👀
📲How Your Business Should Tap into the Creator Economy
If you’re reading this newsletter, you probably know about the basics of the creator economy, but this was a great piece on how creators are changing business trends. I really appreciated the focus on smaller creators who often have the best ROI for businesses, as well as the super concrete takeaways on how brands can engage.
P.S. To all the small creators, think about your niche and the trust you have built with your audience when you charge for brand partnerships. Your follower count might not tell the full story.
🍿Want to boost your productivity? Hit the movies during work, expert says
Are you trying to look productive at work or are you actually productive? Think about how much you’re producing in the long term and the quality of that work. That’s way more important than the emails you answer in a day or when you clock in and clock out. Incentivizing breaks, like hitting the movies, can actually boost productivity in the long term. If you’re not a manager yet, start by building up trust within your team and then find ways to build in breaks in your work. A personal day or afternoon might be exactly what you need.
👩💻 More People Are Exploring Entrepreneurship Because of This Unexpected Reason
In 2023, more new business applications were filed than in any other year so far — and that number was 5.5 million. Do you know the reason for all of these new small businesses? Columbia professor Angela Lee theorizes that the reason could be the number of layoffs in Big Tech over the last few years that have freed up talent to pursue their own endeavors.
Meme Reminder
I hope you have the best week my friends.
Cherie