Welcome to our inaugural podcast, dropping this week! You'll get to meet our three hosts, learn their "why" behind their pursuits and the DBA choice, and get a preview of upcoming interviews.
This week is full of excitement as this labor of love takes off. As my colleagues and I are counting down the last six classroom meetings, it has been a great moment to stand in reflection, and dare I say, almost celebration? We are on the downhill slide, and we are all likely in awe.
July of 2022, I walked into our cohort reception to meet my new colleagues. I met Amy right away and got to know Val as our class time progressed. I quickly met my seatmate, who would go on to be my Top Gun "Goose" in our program. (He and I bonded on our quirk of eating in front of people at cocktail receptions. Thank God, I'm not the only one...)
Sitting in class that first day, I was so glad when I heard another cohort member eagerly announce, "You are likely sitting here, knee deep in 'imposter syndrome'. Everyone else is too." Gosh, I am always grateful when someone rips the band-aid off. I've never been afraid to admit that I don't know what I'm doing. But this particular day, listening to all of these introductions and successes, I had a flashback to my first day of my freshman year in college, when I realized I was in the wrong class. Same feeling. My colleagues are authors, entrepreneurs, C-suite-level executives, engineers, scientists, and people traveling from all over the world to attend class.
Yep. Definitely feeling like I'm in the wrong class again. I was so glad to hear the phrase "imposter syndrome," because that's sure what I had. I've spent twenty years in sales, marketing, and management roles, but this was definitely the big league.
And you know what? To hear these accomplished individuals struggle through the same fears, concerns, and confusion gave me hope. The learning has been more than textbook, and for me, the reminder was, "If you knew how to do this, you wouldn't be here. And, if it were this easy, everyone would have this degree."
That became my North Star. The challenge, the journey, and the sacrifices (and there will be plenty!), have all been worth it, with the right perspective.
As one of your hosts, I'm excited you'll join us to get a sneak peek and answers to questions we wish we knew coming into this degree program. It's been the journey of a lifetime, and I encourage you to jump in full force for the ride.
Like my Grampa Fred said, "Education is the one thing no one can take away from you."
