TEMBA Gazette, Running Commentary, October 29, 2010

Amy Wittmayer thought she was pursuing an MBA to advance her already-successful career at Dell, but something happened along the way.  She found her passion.

This month, our TEMBA at Ten series profiles Amy Sherrill Wittmayer, a 2004 graduate of the Texas Evening MBA program and the current Director of MBA Career Management at Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina. 

Since her own discovery, Amy has helped countless others identify their career passion and purpose.  I caught up with Amy as she prepared to return to Austin to participate in this week’s Texas MBA Women’s Forum.   

Thanks for taking the time to do this, Amy.  We really appreciate it.  When you started TEMBA, you were working in finance at Dell and, from what I understand, intended to stay in that field.  Was there an “aha” moment, so to speak, that led you to switch directions? 

There was not one single moment, but a gradual pull in the direction of professional development and career management.  At Dell, I found myself increasingly involved with the women’s network, mentoring younger employees, and speaking at others’ staff meetings about career development.  I credit Dell and its employee-ownership model of career management with my early skills and interest in this area. 

As an MBA, I understand and was intellectually challenged by the business environment and the profit mission.  However, I felt more personally connected to a mission of education and development.  I wanted my work product to be people.

You started one of the first TEMBA student organizations, a women’s networking group.  What led you to form this group?

I feel that women face unique challenges in business school.  I think it’s natural for a minority group to connect in this way.  I wanted a formal structure for us to gather and connect. 

In addition to being a minority in business school, we also have the shared mental burden of balancing work and family.  It’s true that men also have this balance to achieve, but career/family planning is top of mind for many women.  We are also trailblazers in that few of our mothers held jobs similar to our goals, and few of us come from dual-income families.  We have few role models in the business world for how to manage a career and family.  Therefore, it seemed important to me to bond together during our time as students.

This was primarily a group for socializing, but these social hours during the TEMBA days laid the foundation for long-standing relationships.

So, you spent a few years with the Texas MBA Career Services team before launching your own career coaching firm, AW Consulting.  What was the greatest challenge you faced in going out on your own?

Wow.  Where to begin?  So many challenges.  Like most entrepreneurs, I had great knowledge of the product/service, but little knowledge about the running of a business.  I had no formal business development experience and no experience creating a website and marketing materials.  I faced a very uncertain economic environment and was concerned about predictable income.  The hard economic environment translated to great need in the client base, but fewer jobs.  This made my task very difficult to provide measurable results for clients.  And on a personal level, when I went out on my own, I had a great challenge with creating boundaries between work and home.  To STOP WORKING.  This was hard for me.

In the end, it was my strong relationships and work history with UT that sustained my business.  My former colleagues and the alumni office were always willing to reach out and help me succeed.

What is your favorite TEMBA memory?

Absolutely my first date with my now-husband, Brian Wittmayer, also TEMBA ’04.  Yes, the classes were incredible - thanks Meakin, Britt, and Kevin - I made life-long friends, and was stretched immensely.  But, meeting my husband in the TEMBA program left a lasting mark.  In fact, there were 6 TEMBAs from ’04 – 3 couples - who married each other, all in the same year.  We are still very close.

So sounds like you still keep in touch with a lot of classmates? 

Absolutely!  We have thrown baby showers for each other, given professional recommendations to/for each other, brainstormed our career paths, and used each other a general sounding board.  They remain some of my closest friends.

That’s fantastic.  I read somewhere that you try to get clients to focus on their interests rather than their capabilities….finding their passion so to speak.  Can you tell me more about that? 

Clients really must separate what they can do or have done from what they WANT to do.  We are sometimes limited by expectations, and I try to distinguish capabilities from these true interests.  It’s been shown in many studies that aligning interests leads to greater career satisfaction overall.

So, you recently accepted a new job as Director of MBA Career Management at UNC?  How do you like being back in an academic environment?

I think being in a high-caliber academic environment is a fantastic place to work.  The best and the brightest MBAs demand the best of you and I welcome that challenge.  Different from a corporate environment, academia has its primary mission of learning and growth.   In some ways, I have one foot in the business world still, and one foot in academia.  It’s a great blend.

What advice would you offer current TEMBA students looking for a career change?

Network smartly.  Network before you need to change careers.  Build advocates within a firm.  Get feedback on your professional narrative.  Be sure to translate your skills into something the employer needs, not just what YOU need.  Be patient.  Some transitions take time…always keep the long-run in focus.

Thanks Amy!  I sincerely appreciate your sharing your insights with us.  Hope to see you at the Women’s Forum later this week.

TEMBA Gazette, Running Commentary, October 22, 2010

Every now and then, a routine Google search will take me down an unexpected path.  Such was the case last week when a search for “plate tectonics” for my boys’ 8^th grade earth science review yielded an interview with Steve Poulos, NASA’s Orbiter project manager following the space shuttle Columbia accident.  The interview was part of the NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project that attempts to “capture history from the individuals who first provided the country and the world with an avenue to space and the moon.”  

If you’re well-versed in earth science, you‘re probably wondering what this interview had to do with plate tectonics.  Absolutely nothing.  In fact, I have no idea why the keywords directed me to this particular site, but I’m glad it did. 

What I found was some very valuable advice – not on technical topics related to space travel, but on highly relevant and timely issues pertaining to planning, teamwork and leadership.  It was an easy read and before I knew it, I had finished the entire 25-page transcript without realizing my sons were still eagerly waiting on my sage earth science counsel.  Sorry guys. 

Nothing I read was particularly earth-shattering or, despite the NASA setting, rocket science.  Instead, it was simple, practical advice on effective teamwork, leadership and project management.  Things like:

·         Always say “we”, never say “I”

·         Always write it down

·         If there’s a problem, don’t attack the person delivering the news; figure out how to solve it together

·         Always surround yourself with good people

Like I said, nothing we haven’t seen or heard before - just some valuable tidbits that we all probably need to be reminded of from time to time.  I know I do.

I’ve been reflecting on some of these takeaways in recent days, particularly the value of surrounding yourself with good people.  I’ve been fortunate to work with some extremely talented and dedicated people during my time at McCombs, and Tessa Green would certainly be at the top of that list.

As you all know by now, Tessa will be leaving the TEMBA program at the end of the month to take on an exciting new challenge with the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, an academic research center that, ironically, studies plate tectonics along with marine geology, terrestrial and lunar seismology, quantitative geophysics and a host of other research topics I can barely spell, much less describe. 

While I’m very happy for Tessa and know this is a great opportunity, I hate to lose such a valuable member of the TEMBA team.  To simply call Tessa “good people” would be a gross understatement.  Her contributions to the TEMBA program have been extraordinary and the program’s success is a direct result of Tessa’s ingenuity, dedication and leadership. 

So, thank you Tessa.  Thank you for all you have done for the students, faculty, administration and alumni during your time with the program.  TEMBA is much better because of you and for that we are all very grateful.  We wish you all the best on your new endeavor and hope you’ll continue to keep in touch.  After all, I could still use some help with this plate tectonics thing.

Note:  Be sure to check your McCombs email for information on an upcoming get together in Tessa’s honor.  Plans are being worked out now.  Cheers!

TEMBA Gazette, Running Commentary, October 8, 2010

You could pull out your begrimed GMAT study guide and review the section on permutations to figure out the number of possible combinations with eight stages and 130 bands.  You could re-read The Goal and attempt to identify any potential bottlenecks between the ZYNC Card stage and the closest beer tent and port-a-potty.  You could even turn to those trusty ol’ Brandl econ notes to determine the opportunity cost of picking, oh, I don’t know, let’s say Muse over M.I.A. (that one’s for you, Natalie).  OR, you could simply sit back and trust the TEMBA panel of experts to point you in the right direction.

Yes, for the third straight year, the TEMBA Gazette has assembled a dedicated and unbiased team of music aficionados to rate this year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival.  Each panelist has painstakingly researched this year’s line-up, paying careful attention to conflicting shows, travel distances between stages, the acoustical integrity of various sections of Zilker Park, the value of the 24-ounce Lone Star over the 16-ounce Heineken and other critical factors.  This powerful amalgamation of festival knowledge and expertise will ensure a pleasant experience for all who heed this invaluable advice, so please read on. 

This year’s panel includes:

Jeff Bock and a member of GWAR, SXSW 2010

Eric Hirst, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Accounting Professor, McCombs School of Business  – Eric knows his music.  How do I know?  I frequently sneak into his office to “borrow” CDs, rip them and then quickly return them before he notices they are missing. The majority of my summer soundtrack came from Eric’s collection.  A veteran of ACL, he’s seen the dust, the mud and everything in between.

Jeff Bock, TEMBA Alum, Director of Marketing, Freescale Semiconductor, Founder and Chief Musicologist, The Pulse – Jeff is the only person I know who will successfully complete the Festival Grand Slam this year.  He’s been to SXSW, Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and is now ready for ACL.  Shouldn’t there be a medal for that?

Trent Thurman at Todd Snider, ACL 2009

Brian Hopkins, TEMBA Class of 2012, Austin Toros Account Executive, Spurs Sports & Entertainment.  Brian works daily in the entertainment business, so recognizing musical talent comes naturally.   I followed several of his suggestions during SXSW and am glad I did.  Brian took a different approach and highlights some of this year’s after shows for those not going to the festival.

Trent Thurman, TEMBA Director.  Yep, yours truly.  I’ve been fortunate to live in two very distinctive music cities, Memphis and Austin, and both have heavily influenced my musical tastes.  I once snuck into the abandoned Chisca Hotel in downtown Memphis just so I could stand in the room where Dewey Phillips introduced the world to a young Elvis Presley.

On to the picks:

Eric Hirst’s Recommendations

The Flaming Lips— Because you never know what you’ll see and hear.  AMD, Sunday, 6:00-7:00

Monsters of Folk—A super group of indie stars that actually does work well together.  Plus, it’s a two-hour show which tells you something.  Austin Ventures, Saturday, 6:00-8:00

The Flaming Lips

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros/Broken Bells (a tie)—Nothing like a band that is a collective to shake things up/half of Gnarls Barkley (Danger Mouse).  Great tunes from the first listen I had of both these bands new CDs (yes, I buy CDs).  Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros:  ZYNC Card, Sunday, 5:00-6:00 PM/Broken Bells:  AMD, Saturday, 4:30-5:30

Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses—Great songwriting and a little outlaw country.  Austin Ventures, Friday, 7:15-8:00

The Eagles—Not because I’m a big fan, but I missed them thirty-plus years ago because my Midget hockey team was in the playoffs that night. So, I’ll make up for that missed show from way back when.  Budweiser, Sunday, 8:00-10:00

Editor’s Note:  For Eric’s sake, I hope his team won that playoff game.   I would hate to think that Desperado could bring back some painful childhood memories of Midget hockey.

Jeff Bock’s Recommendations

Hey TEMBA folk --

Oh ACL!  You torment me so with your multi-faceted musical offerings.
I had a really hard time limiting my TEMBA ACL suggestions just to 5... so, I've taken it up to 6!

Each of these bands is dramatically different, and yet still awesome -- a great way to celebrate the diversity of ACL.

I have avoided the obvious choices -- bands like Vampire Weekend, The Black Keys, The Strokes (!), Spoon, Muse, and The Eagles if you're into that kinda 70's rock thing.  You should probably check out those bands as well, but you don't need me to tell you that 'cause you probably already would.

Here they are in no particular order...

Miike Snow

Miike Snow - Miike Snow has become an obsession for me.  I saw them at SXSW three times.  Then saw them at Coachella.  Then at Antone's the first week of June... and I'll be there at ACL as well.  Interestingly, there is no one named Miike Snow in this Scandinavian band.  Fun fact!    The music is hook and pop-forward, electronic-influenced but not electro.  The live show is great.  I liked their music before I saw them live, and now I'm going to see them six times in one year.  I'm either dumb or I'm on to something.  Honda, Friday, 3:00-4:00

http://pulseworthy.com/2010/03/31/sans-soleil-miike-snow/

                                                                                  http://vimeo.com/8610836

 The Gaslight Anthem - The best band from New Jersey sounds exactly like what The BEST BAND FROM NEW JERSEY should sound like.  Straight forward punk and whiskey-soaked Americana rock and roll.  Track linked here is "The Boxer" which is frightfully catchy.  Budweiser, Saturday, 2:30-3:30

http://pulseworthy.com/2010/06/27/boxer-the-gaslight-anthem/

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - I miss Joan Jett, I really do.  There was a time in this great country when women RAWKED.  Then Alanis Morissette and Avril Lavigne ruined it for all of us.  Grace Potter is here to say Ooh-La-La but yet still make it sound kinda hard and rawking.  Thank you.  AMD, Saturday, 12:30-1:30

http://pulseworthy.com/2010/07/20/paris-oh-la-la-grace-potter-and-the-nocturnals/

Deadmau5

Deadmau5 - He's SOO hot right now!  This guy just DJ'd the MTV Movie Awards at the beginning of September.  He's known for wearing a Mickey-Mouse type of contraption on his head which obscures his run-of-the-mill facial features, but keeps him mysterious a-la Daft Punk.  He is, however, an incredibly talented DJ and re-mixer... the link I share here is a fantastic remix of "The Longest Road" which happens to feature Lissie, another ACL artist, as the vocalist.  Please bring your glow-sticks to this show, and share one with me.  ZYNC Card, Saturday, 7:30-8:30

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5n7QvM6yVE.

The Sword - I grew up as a metal-head.  I'm not afraid to say that.  Back in the day, I had an awesome mullet -- full on party in the back, bid-ness in the front.  If you are into music with some edge, one of the best nu-metal bands in the world hails from the ATX, The Sword.  They just finished a tour opening up for Metallica, if that gives you any frame of reference.  I've seen them twice here in Austin, both times at smaller venues but both have been unforgettable and powerful.  Even if you don't like metal, it will never die.  Give in.  ZYNC Card, Friday, 5:00-6:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk9uevsHvAE

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Group Hug!  Edward Sharpe is convinced that he can make people love each other through his music.  The songs are folky/catchy but deeply touching and real.
I saw them at Lollapalooza in Chicago this past August, their show was the highlight of the entire weekend for me.  You will leave the show thinking that there IS a better tomorrow, that we ALL can love each other...  sit down for a group hug!  Do not miss this show, even if you aren't a folky.  Zync Card, Sunday, 5:00-6:00

http://pulseworthy.com/2010/05/16/home-rac-mix-edward-sharpe-and-the-magnetic-zeros/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0RQnGhxZzg

Those are the top choices, but you can't go wrong.  Explore.  Eat a crunchy cone and enjoy the tunes, I'll see you there.

Editor’s Note:  A mullet, Jeff?  You’ve got to love Wisconsin natives.  For those of you not currently following Jeff’s recommendations on the Pulse, I highly recommend it.  Check it out at:

www.pulseworthy.com
www.twitter.com/pulseworthy
www.facebook.com/pulseworthy

Brian Hopkins’ Recommendations – AFTER SHOWS

Why after shows?  The festival is sold out, so what are you to do?  Don’t panic.  ACL is more than the music at Zilker, it is a reminder of why we live in Austin and encompasses the whole city… also if you have an 11-week-old, it is tough to find a 36-hour babysitter.

The Strokes - Released arguably the best, or at least the most important, debut album of the 2000’s.  Possibly the biggest band in the world for about 6 months and subsequently saw a great deal of backlash.  After two “above average to good” albums and a long break, they are playing their first club show in almost 4 years in Austin.  Stubbs on Wednesday

Neon Indian - Austin’s own Alan Palomo is a laid-back DJ that just creates great music.  He had a full band at SXSW to compliment his electronric/chillwave sound and should have the same on Thursday.  Opened for Phoenix this year on their tour and should be pretty popular at the festival.  This is a good chance to see him more in his element. La Zona Rosa on Thursday

Monsters of Folk

Monsters of Folk - A super band made up of Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes, Jim James from My Morning Jacket, and M. Ward.  The best non-SXSW show I saw in 2009.  A lot of artists seem to shy away from their past work in other bands, but this group embraces what made them big in the first place.  The fun part is they usually put a different spin on it so you will see Jim James singing a Conor Oberst song with M. Ward on drums.  Mostly straight forward blues-rock with some country elements as well.  Stubbs on Friday

GIRLS and Soft Pack - I haven’t heard either of these bands, but one of the great things about ACL week is finding new music.  Both bands had critically acclaimed albums released last year and while the rest of the city is either at the Black Keys or Sonic Youth shows, this may be a nice break from all of the weekend’s crowds.  Antone’s on Saturday

Just for fun, the five bands that I haven’t seen who I wouldn’t miss at the Festival:

a)      LCD Soundsystem

b)      LCD Soundsystem

c)       LCD Soundsystem

d)      Matt and Kim

e)      LCD Soundsystem

Editor’s Note:  So, just so I’m straight, we should check out LCD Soundsystem?  I do like Drunk Girls…that’s a song, by the way.

Trent Thurman’s Recommendations

To limit any repetition, I purposely waited for the rest of the panel to send me their recommendations before completing mine.  It’s funny, while I didn’t do so on purpose, I realized that three of my recommended bands hail from the same neighborhood in LA, Sliver Lake.  Though the three bands have decidedly different styles, it says a lot about the talent coming out of that area.

Warpaint

Warpaint – With a name like Warpaint, you might expect a hard edge to this L.A. quartet, but this would hardly describe this all-female band I saw for the first time during this year’s SXSW.  More of a post-punk meets ambient meets alt-country.   The band has been touring with the XX (see below) and Zola Jesus in recent months, and just signed on with Rough Trade, so this won’t be the last time you’ll hear from this mesmerizing act.   ZYNC Card, Sunday, 11:45-12:30

Local Natives – When I first saw Local Natives on an outdoor stage on a cold day last March, Talking Heads came immediately to mind.  That’s hardly a profound statement considering the band covered Warning Sign on their debut album and readily admits to being heavily influenced by the Hall of Fame group.  This comparison took on more significance, however, when David Byrne himself attended a sold-out show at New York’s Bowery Ballroom in May.   Austin Ventures, Saturday, 4:45-5:30

The Henry Clay People – Yes, once again, I’m going to pitch my favorite band, the Henry Clay People.  The group’s latest LP was released in June and they spent a good portion of the summer touring with Against Me! and Silversun Pickups.  I’ve seen them multiple times and they keep getting better and better.  Download their latest song, Slow Burn, for free here:    http://henryclaypeople.com/store/#  BMI, Sunday, 4:40-5:20

 

Sahara Smith – This local singer-songwriter from Wimberley started performing and writing songs when she was 14.  Now at 21, she’s just released her debut album to critical acclaim.  A great excuse to get to Zilker early on Friday.  She’ll be playing much bigger stages and venues very soon, so see her while you can.  Austin Venture, Friday, 11:20-12:00

The XX – How would I describe the XX’s sound?  Minimalist?  Goth-pop?  Therapeutic?  Put it this way, I’ve been playing the XX as background music prior to TEMBA information sessions.  Winners of the 2010 Mercury Prize for Best Album for the UK and Ireland, the XX has captured the attention of listeners worldwide.  I was a little disappointed when I saw them at SXSW, but, in all fairness, the outdoor venue at the French Legation wasn’t overly conducive to their sound.  I’m looking forward to hearing them again.  ZYNC Card, Saturday, 5:30-6:30

So there you have it.  Enjoy the weekend and see you at the park.

TEMBA Gazette, Running Commentary, October 1, 2010

Loyal readers of Running Commentary may remember the praise I heaped on Texas State Fair concessionaire Abel Gonzales, Jr. last year.  So taken was I by his culinary genius, that perhaps I went a tad overboard in comparing him to Michelangelo, da Vinci, Edison and other historic luminaries.

Abel Gonzales' Deep Fried Butter

Why, I even invoked the names of Lincoln and Kennedy in my glowing review of his deep-fried deed.  But hey, the guy did create deep-fried butter, so his historical significance remains undisputable in my book.  (see last year’s post here: http://trentsrunningcommentary.blogspot.com/2009/10/temba-gazette-running-commentary_15.html)

I went as far as comparing Gonzales’ feat to Ted Williams’ .406 batting average in 1941 – one of those once-in-a-lifetime achievements, the likes of which we will likely not see again.  Imagine my surprise then, when less than a year later I learned of another deep-fried delectable that – dare I say – eclipses Gonzales’ buttery masterpiece. 

Mark Zable has invented…are you ready for this…deep-fried BEER.  You heard me right – DEEP.  FRIED.  BEER.  Why, I bet even the Splendid Splinter is rolling over in his grave...er, I mean cryonic-suspension-frozen tube right now.  Deep-fried beer.  I’ll let that sink in for a minute.

Mark Zable's Deep-Fried Beer

Impossible is apparently not a word in Zable’s vocabulary.  According to his website www.friedbeer.net (I can only assume that the .com domain was already taken…go figure), Zable ignored the naysayers who warned that mixing alcohol with oil in a deep-fryer would “cause a violent reaction.”  Instead, he dedicated nearly three years to the R&D process to perfect his luscious libation that premiered at the Texas State Fair on September 26^th. 

Zable claims his “revolutionary” approach to the manufacturing process allows him to successfully fry the beer inside ravioli-like dough without losing the beverage’s liquidity or potency.  “Nobody has been able to fry a liquid before,” Zable explained.  “It tastes like you took a bite of hot pretzel dough and then took a drink of beer.”  Well done, sir.  In my humble opinion, you have now earned the distinguished title, Chef Boy-Par-Tee.

If you’re going up to Dallas this weekend, please join me for a pre-game hot one.  Zable’s trademarked Fried Beer can be found at the east end of the Centennial Building or the food court in the Tower Building.  Just remember your ID.  The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission ruled that you must be of legal drinking age to consume Zable’s tipsy treats.

Travel safe, enjoy the game, hook ‘em and stay hungry, my friends.