Last Week Today: We Made It
June 26, 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)
"People think focus means saying yes to the thing you've got to focus on. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas. You have to pick carefully." - Steve Jobs
Highlight of the Week🔥
Mama, we made it! I graduated last week and I’m feeling all the feels. It’s been an absolute whirlwind of saying goodbye to classmates, walking across the stage to get my diploma, packing up my life, and moving down to Los Angeles. WHAT. The last few weeks flew by and I’m typing this right now from sunny SoCal 🌞. I’m feeling emotional about leaving campus: It’s the routine, the life I’ve known for the last two years and now that’s been…upended.
As I’m settling down in LA, I’m creating new routines for myself so I can find my rhythm here. This includes walking 10,000 steps a day, icing my face in the morning (goodbye morning puffiness), and drinking a glass of lemon water as soon as I wake up. I love new beginnings. They’re prime for building new, healthy habits!
So… what am I doing after school?
My sister, Jean, and I are working together on a media venture. We need to incorporate in the next few days, so yes it’s real 👀🚀. It’s something I’ve been laying the foundation for for the last few months. While at the GSB, I worked with a professor so that once I graduated, Jean and I could hit the ground running on this project. Just know, that if it involves both Jean and me, it’s going to be a lot of fun — so stay tuned. It’s my first foray into full-time entrepreneurship. Here we go!
What I Learned From Starting My Own Podcast
Why. Wait. Over the summer last year I started my own podcast. No one is born knowing how to do it, but I know I can figure it out. Here’s a behind the scenes video of ✨making the podcast happen✨ The first few podcast episodes were clunky (my online audience let me know in the YouTube comments), but with quick iterations, I learned and adapted. I don’t have all the answers but the first step is experimenting and starting small. What are you doing today to make your dream happen?
My Biggest Regret at Stanford’s Business School
I honestly regret how much time I spent on classwork and schoolwork in my first year. In my business school experience, grades don’t really matter (it’s different from undergrad!). We have a rule that we can’t discuss our GPA with employers so there’s no reason to focus on the GPA. The extra hour I spent on an assignment could be spent hanging out with classmates or networking. Most people getting MBAs are overachievers and want to do things well so I think I just focused too much on schoolwork at the beginning.
Entrepreneurship at the GSB
My best friend at the GSB, Katherine, is a college dropout turned Stanford MBA student. At the GSB, she started a women's health startup, Verdant. I’m so glad she shared her story because of the passion behind her startup, but also because she isn’t afraid to keep it real. Entrepreneurship can be hard and lonely, and KG is honest about how she’s navigated that at Stanford.
In Case You Missed It: What I posted on IG 💅🏻
👋🏻Fave Business School Professors
💓How I’m Using Micro-Feminism At Work
💥What I’m Working on Post-Grad
✈️Where I’m Moving to After Graduation
What I’m Reading 📚👀
🌎 Finland is the happiest country in the world (partly due to work)
I loved this piece on Finnish work culture. The United States is notorious for having a stressful work culture compared to our European friends. Many of these practices and phrases aren’t about working less, it’s about making people feel seen and valued in the workplace. See what you can use in your day-to-day.
I might be biased here as a creator who posts career advice online, BUT how great are these stories? Social media platforms are mediums to bring folks together; and now people are using it for job opportunities or networking. Especially for folks in entertainment, digital media, and communications, posting on a social media platform can help you stand out. It’s definitely creative!
💰What Do Students at Elite Colleges Really Want?
Is Gen-Z selling out? Let’s talk about it. Lots of college students are worried about the job market and inflation post-grad… not to mention the thousands or hundreds of thousands of loans they might have taken out to go to college. Investment banking, consulting, and tech have always been popular post-grad plans. For me, I worked at LinkedIn right after college largely because the products I worked on aligned with my values, but also because there was stability and good compensation. I think Gen-Z is just balancing their financial futures like everyone else.
Meme Reminder
Me as a cat/content creator
I hope you have the best week my friends!
XO, Cherie