Feb
06
It is a market unlike any other. It is famed and fabled. New York, New York.
Our cohort of business minded individuals, that after traveling around the world together and many late nights in the Lillis Business Complex, I now call my friends, just returned home from our last trip. We have walked the hills of San Francisco, the streets of Mumbai, the high speed trains of China and survived the muggy commute in Singapore. With all of the miles under our belt, there was simply no better place to end our world travels as MBA’s than in the city that defines american business, New York.
It was a capstone to our travels but a beginning to our “re”-entry into the professional world. For many of us the New York marketplace was just as foreign as the Singaporean market. It was unique, established and aggressive. The biggest challenge wasn’t fear of competition or unforeseen threats but rather the challenge of growth.
It’s unique to walk into businesses that have different functions, products, consumer uses and experiences and have all of them repeat the same notion, “not selling is never an issue.” It was reiterated time and time again that in the New York City Market, selling out wasn’t a goal it was an expectation. From nonprofits to the Major leagues, every business identified their greatest asset was that, they were in the “best” market in the world. This seems haughty when comparing to the boom of Silicon Valley or the emergence in popularity of the Pacific Northwest, but for anyone who has been or is from New York, you have experienced this ethos, that New York is to some, quite literally, the center of the universe.
Radio City Music Hall
As a student of business and a professional that will be relaunching my career, learning and familiarizing myself with unique markets is invaluable. Although New York stands for American business it is safe to say that it is not representative of the challenges that other markets face. It recalls the infamous Mad Men episode in which the New York ad executives spend time with a major client in southern CA. Although our country is unified around the same language, government and founding values, the business environments are just as foreign as traveling to southeast Asia.
While I suggest the uniqueness and power of the New York market, I still believe it to be the perfect representative of American enterprise. Mixed and challenged but strong, resilient and confident. Start spreading the news…I want to be a part of it, New York.
Written by Lauren Stornetta
Oct
29
Designing your competitive advantage: A sit-down with Tinker Hatfield
Oregon MBA Blog / Uncategorized / Warsaw Sports Marketing Center Blog Posted by Lauren Stornetta
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Design is a business and business is a design. To acknowledge this relationship is to understand the power of branding. Nike, first and foremost, knows the power of brand innovation and capitalizes on this strength. And the University of Oregon has adopted their branding expertise. The school and it’s programs have become a national brand, thanks largely in part to the man behind the curtain, the creative genius who is the powerhouse for Nike creative, Tinker Hatfield.
As we sit in a conference room overlooking Eugene in the fall, a sunset compliments the dramatic air in the room. Thirty-five, University of Oregon Sports Marketing MBA’s wait patiently for an informal sit-down with one of the most respected University alums. Tinker Hatfield walks in relaxed, cool and casual.
There is a lot to respect about someone as talented and as well known as Tinker, even if you may not be familiar with the creative design process. However, in my world, he is someone I have studied and revered throughout my career. I came into this MBA program with a background in design and marketing. My undergrad degree is in graphic design but I always knew that I wanted a more dynamic career. I laid out a plan; work as a designer-gather as much experience as possible, then diversify. Get the business degree. Because, if there is anything I have learned about working for businesses as a designer, there is nothing more valuable then the communication between the business and the person/team who designs how your business is perceived in the outside world. Some people I spoke to understood my thinking, others didn’t, but then listening to Tinker address 35 MBA’s about the importance of understanding business and communication, I was validated.
Among the stories and his background he illustrated a point of advice that I think will resonate with all of us as we begin to design our post-grad careers. He said, being great at one thing is good but being good at several things is your strongest asset. He told us to use our skill diversification as a competitive advantage. There is nothing more valuable than understanding the communication between different functions in the business. Coming from someone who has defined the importance of the creative innovation process and the effects that it has on a business empire, this advice is something that is irreplaceable. To all business professionals and those working towards their goals, remember to continue to learn and change in your surroundings and always design your own future.
Written by Lauren Stornetta
