Each week, JWMI profiles students and alumni in its new featured series, “Winning Voices.” Learn about our diverse community and what sets our program apart from those who have experienced it. For more great “Winning Voices” content, click here.
Dahene Gustave
Operations Manager
1Source Events, LLC
Program/Concentration: Jack Welch MBA
PLEASE SHARE MORE ABOUT YOUR PROFESSIONAL ROLE AND RESPONSIBLITIES.:
As an Operations Manager at 1Source Events, I oversee the company’s operational activities and manage partner relationships. In short, my goal is to ensure efficiency, improve employee & client satisfaction, and foster flourishing partnerships with our vendors.
HOW HAS THE JWMI CURRICULUM HELPED YOU IN YOUR CAREER?
During my MBA program, I was promoted to Operations Manager thanks to my ability to apply what I was learning at school. The program provided me with valuable tools and increased my confidence. The combination of classes and outstanding professors helped fill in the missing gaps in my overall strategy. I can now fully adapt to the CEO Mindset.
DID YOU FIND THE CURRICULUM WAS IMMEDIATELY APPLICABLE? PLEASE EXPLAIN.:
Absolutely! I can honestly say that I started applying concepts to my work and life from the very first course: Leadership in the 21st Century. Finding ways to celebrate my team, learning how to build a guiding coalition to support my ventures, and using Value Stream Mapping to weed out non-value-added time at my organization are only a few concepts I have applied.
HOW DID YOU NAVIGATE JOB, FAMILY, AND WORK? WHAT STRATEGIES DID YOU IMPLEMENT TO GET IT DONE?:
This is a tricky question. Even today, as a graduate, I am unsure how I managed. I worked a full-time job, attended JWMI full-time, and still managed to take care of my family. Time management was critical to my success. I would log off work at 5:30 pm, make dinner, spend some time with family, and then do school work. Most weekdays, I only slept for 4 hours. My strategy changed daily depending on my personal and professional obligations. For instance, if I had one assignment due in a week, I would approach it differently than if I had two assignments due in the same time frame. If my son needed extra help with homework, I would adjust my schedule to make time for him. The key is to plan ahead, keep track of what’s due, and find the right flow for your life/work situation.
WAS THERE A PARTICULAR PROFESSOR OR MEMBER OF THE STAFF THAT YOU FELT HELPED YOU TO EXCEL? PLEASE ELABORATE.:
Every professor I’ve had in the program has helped me excel. Professor Cheryl Seminara challenged me in Strategy, Professor Christina Anastasia helped me develop my business plan, and Professor Bruce Smith helped bring all the pieces together in Capstone. All of my professors helped increase my knowledge and skills and made themselves available outside what was required to ensure my success. I am very grateful.
WHAT’S BEEN YOUR MOST REWARDING EXPERIENCE IN THE PROGRAM?:
My most rewarding experience was creating a 16-page business plan for my candle line in JWI 575: New Business Ventures & Entrepreneurship. I am in the process of executing the business plan and aim to launch it very soon. I was very impressed by the opportunity to develop a plan to help build my empire.
IN JUST A FEW WORDS, DESCRIBE WHAT “LEADERSHIP” MEANS TO YOU.:
Leadership is the act of strategically motivating and inspiring a team toward a mission.
PLEASE SHARE ANY ADVICE FOR NEW STUDENTS EMBARKING ON THE MBA JOURNEY.:
- You can do it, so believe in yourself.
- Find a good support system, but if you don’t have that, know that you can still do it!
- It feels GREAT at the finish line!
Connect with Dahene Gustave on LinkedIn
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