The last post left you with our group competing in the Aspen Case Competition. Unfortunately, we didn't win; however, it was completely worth my time even though it did consume the entire weekend. I wouldn't hesitate to do it all over again (hopefully the result would be different). I did get to read the other case studies, and they were very good too. I am glad I didn't have to choose between them! It must have been a tough decision for the judges.
After recuperating from that weekend (which only was a day), I had to prepare for the many presentations I would give over the next week. One of them was on something that I am particularly passionate about...management consulting. I was asked by Rick Boone, the current president of the Retail Bakers of America, to conduct a workshop at their convention on team building and communication. It was quite the honor to be asked, and I am very appreciative of the opportunity. The workshop went tremendously well, and I met a ton of bakers from all across the U.S. If you would like to see the slides from the workshop, you can download them at our company's website, Enth Solutions, LLC or you can click here to contact me.
That night I was privileged to be attend Rick's induction ceremony and dinner at Ella's. In fact the event turned out to be extra special because my wife competed in a cake decorating competition during the convention, and the awards ceremony was held during the during as well. Now I know you all are just waiting on the edge of your seats to find out the results, but first take a look at just one of her cakes and you can be the judge.
Deena's Shaped Cake
And that was just one of the several cakes she had to do in a 4 hour time window. If there still is any doubt, yes, she won the competition. She will be heading off to the unfortunate city of Las Vegas for the national competition at the end of September.
After that great weekend, it was time for finals and the presentations I had been preparing for. Well, they all went very well, and we got some great feedback on our presenting styles in our transportation logistics class. It is always good to hear from people out in the workforce and your peers on what you do well and what needs some work.
So what's in store for this summer? I will be working full time at SVI, which I am very excited about. I really enjoy the people there, and best of all the work is surrounded with things I love...organizational development. In addition to working, I will also be taking a night class for 6 weeks on International Management. I haven't had the professor yet, but I have heard only great things so I am pretty excited. A few of my cohorts and I are also going to be doing some summer reading. We received several recommendations from our professors, and I am ready to start the book club. It will be a good way to keep in touch with the great people I met this year. And finally, I plan on having some fun and maybe even starting a grilling club too with my MBA classmates.
I know that was a very brief synopsis of what's be going on the past month, but stay tuned. I am sure there will be some "interesting" stories from this summer. Be sure to check back soon for a "Review of the Walton Professors and their 2010 Class." If you're interested in getting an MBA or just curious, there will some great information there.
