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Never in my wildest dreams did I every think complete strangers would be complimenting me on my shoes, but now that I'm an Amazon Influencer it's happening!
I have hard to fit feet, and it seems like I'm not the only one that struggles with finding shoes that have some style but are still comfortable, and I want to share my favorites that I have purchased so far, with more to come!
Being a Lifestylist® means that I do a lot of walking - through airports, around job sites, and in our shops helping people. I've become a Lazy Lifestylist and my foamy, not pretty clogs have been what you have usually seen me in for years. Considering I buy everything else on Amazon, I thought why not shop for shoes and boots there as well? There were so many styles that I have never seen in a store that I shop at, and their return policy gave me the confidence to go for it.
My first pair were these Socofy wedges. They had good reviews, had lots of style and I thought were well priced. And of course thanks to Amazon Prime had a two day free ship.
When I got them I was a little aftraid - the wedge was higher than I expected and I tend to be a flats person. After I put them on though and take them for a stroll all of my concerns were gone. They were so comfortable, and the compliments started coming immediately, even from my coolest friends and clients! I loved these so much I'm going to buy another pair in another color, and a pair of boots as well.
After my successful first purchase I decided to dive in again and buy two sets of shoes that would travel well with me and go with everything. One of the things I've learned is that you have to be sure that the shoes you like in the size you need are eligible for Amazon Prime. On a few pairs when I found the size and style I liked it was going to take up to a month to get them, and shipping was pretty steep. After I few tries, I found my new every day shoe - these LabatoStyle Driving Moccasins are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn, are great looking, and the price is outstanding!
I have given these a workout racing through airports, wearing on muddy job sites, and when I have to be on my feet for 8 hours or more at the shop, and I never thought I'd say this, but I like them better than my foamy ugly standard. I bought a size up, and the leather is so buttery soft they are a little bit loose, but I'm going to buy two more pair (at least!) one smaller and one the same. At under $20.00 I can afford to have multiples.
Want to see more of our favorite Amazon finds? Visit our Amazon Influencer page and check out our Lifestylist List finds. We are adding to this daily so come back often, and please let us know what you think of these fab finds.
Shoe Styling With Amazon
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Labels: Fab After 50, Lifestylist List, Lifestylist Travel, Shoes, style, Trending, Ultimate Lifestylist
The Thrifty Lifestylist
Lula B's I thought it might be fun to try a vintage fashion store as well, focusing on what I call the Lifestylist Look. I had no idea how successful it would be, but I'm thrilled! It has been so much fun to be able to recycle clothes to people who are as excited about them as we are.
We are on a buying trip this week in Florida and we are so excited to get these looks back to the store. At this time we are only selling at the shop, but we are hoping to do an online shop as well soon.
We are on a buying trip this week in Florida and we are so excited to get these looks back to the store. At this time we are only selling at the shop, but we are hoping to do an online shop as well soon.
Posted by Lifestylist® No comments
Labels: Accessories, Lifestylist, Lifestylist Brands, Lula B's OC, vintage
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Renowned for being a thrill seekers' paradise, Queenstown continues to push the boundaries with what it offers its visitors.
Queenstown offers year-round experiences, utilising its heart-stopping surroundings to the maximum. Whether heading to the mountains during the winter, or basking in the sun and enjoying the lakes and rivers during the warmer months, Queenstown has a long list of activities for you.
One of the attractions of a stay in Wanaka is that it combines the warmth of small town living with the quality and attention to detail you'd expect of an international holiday destination.
In winter, skiers flock here from all over the world for superb skiing and snowboarding, including cross-country and heli-skiing. But activities here are year-round, including canyoning, climbing, skydiving and more. Nearby towns of Queenstown, Cromwell and Alexandra ensure plenty to explore, but visitors will probably be quite happy to simply sit in a café and take in the view of beautiful Lake Wanaka.
Get inspired with our latest travel news & special offers!

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Maternity Center at St. Francis
Providing expertise and comfort for new moms and babies.
Maternity Center at St. Francis
At the Maternity Center at St. Francis, we provide the perfect blend of expertise and comfort for new moms and babies. Our goal is to make your birthing experience special and unique in the way you want it to be. We are happy to connect you with qualified HypnoBirthing® instructors, or traditional childbirth classes during your pregnancy. Should you wish, our anesthesiology team can provide a variety of pain control methods to ensure your comfort and safety throughout labor and birth. We work with you to create a birth experience that matches your expectations as closely as possible. The Maternity Center at St. Francis has been designated a Safe Sleep Hospital Champion by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
At St. Francis, our cesarean rate for first-time mothers is 10 percent, which is lower than the national or Nebraska state average. If cesarean is necessary for a safe birth, operating suites and staff are ready at a moment's notice. Skin-to-skin contact and other preferences can still be honored with cesarean birth.
The Maternity Center has 15 private rooms where mothers labor, birth, recover and spend their postpartum time. Each beautiful, private room is a spacious retreat designed to make your experience special. There is a sleeper sofa for dads or other support people, and amenities like room service and wireless internet access make it feel like home. Whirlpool tubs are available for laboring and relieving postpartum discomfort.
The Maternity Center has a Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for babies who need special medical care. Nine private NICU rooms offer our tiniest patients the quiet, calm environment they need to thrive.
Research shows private NICU rooms are better for babies because they can provide better control of the environment, with less noise and activity and fewer interruptions to sleep. It's an environment more conducive for improved development and growth. Private NICU rooms can accommodate twins and even triplets.
The serenity and space of private NICU rooms are better for families as well. A NICU stay is a family experience, and we offer a peaceful environment where parents can stay as much as they like and be involved in the care of their baby. Parents are encouraged to remain with their baby or babies as much as possible, especially during feeding times.
Physicians, nurses, and staff are committed to involving the whole family as your baby grows.
Sacred Hour
Studies show that the mother-child bond is critical for a baby's ongoing growth and development. To help you get off on the right foot, St. Francis likes to give new moms and babies a special time to bond and connect — we call it the Sacred Hour. If you wish to participate, the Maternity Center staff will ensure your first hour with your baby is free from visitors or interruptions so you can take full advantage of this important moment in you and your baby's life together.
We also encourage skin-to-skin contact in the first hours and days of your baby's life to help the two of you get to know one another. This closeness is one of the best ways for you to learn about your baby and to bond and connect.
Support for Breastfeeding Mothers
Breastfeeding is a special way to bond with your baby. And research shows there are many health benefits for both mother and baby. If you choose to breastfeed, we offer several resources to help you be successful.
- Breastfeeding classes
- On-staff lactation consultant
- Breastfeeding support group
Blue Distinction® Center for Maternity Care
CHI Health St. Francis is designated as a Blue Distinction Center for maternity care by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, an independent licensee of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.


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"He had the greatest mind since Einstein, but it didn't work quickly. He admitted his slowness often. Maybe it was because he had so great a mind that it didn't work quickly… I watched him hit that ball. I watched it bounce of the edge of the table and move into the zero-gravity volume, heading in one particular direction. For when Priss sent that ball toward the zero-gravity volume – and the tri-di films bear me out – it was already aimed directly at Bloom's heart! Accident? Coincidence? …Murder?" The Billiard Ball – Isaac Asimov
In "The Billiard Ball", first published in the March 1967 issue of If, Asimov presents a story in which scientific competition rises to the level of murder. Maybe. Asimov understood that scientists are human beings, and can be arrogant, petty, cruel, and filled with hatred. These traits, in turn, can make for a compelling science fiction story. And if you're looking for inspiration, there's plenty to be found.
Lord Kelvin, a brilliant mathematician and physicist, accused Wilhelm Roentgen, who announced the discovery of X-rays in 1895, of fraud. He argued that the cathode-ray tube, which Roentgen had used in his discovery, had been in use for a decade, and therefore if X-rays actually existed, someone would have already discovered them. True, he eventually came around and apologized, but calling a fellow scientist a fraud is pretty serious.
But Kelvin was actually the least of Roentgen's attackers. Roentgen had borrowed a cathode-ray tube from physicist Philipp Lenard, who had been exploring fluorescence using cathode-ray tubes before Roentgen, although he failed to pursue its origins or photographically document his findings. Lenard became angry that Roentgen hadn't acknowledged his work in developing some of the technology that lead to Roentgen's discovery, and for years he both demanded credit for the discovery of X-rays while simultaneously (and wrongly) arguing that they were just a kind of cathode ray with new properties instead of a different phenomenon. Lenard's attacks on Roentgen lasted until Lenard died in 1947, and because of the attacks, Roentgen left orders for all his papers concerning X-rays prior to 1900 burned, unopened, upon his death. Lenard went on to be an early member of the Nazi party, an advisor to Adolf Hitler, Chief of Aryan physics, and a fierce opponent of Albert Einstein and "the Jewish fraud" of relativity.
Then there's English inventor and scientist Robert Hooke. Hooke was a polymath, and is often referred to as the English Leonardo Da Vinci. He discovered Hooke's Law (the extension of a spring is proportional to the applied force), contributed to knowledge of respiration, insect flight and the properties of gases, coined the term "cell" to describe the individual units making up larger organisms, invented the universal joint and the anchor escapement in clocks and numerous other mechanical devices, his work on gravitation preceded Newton's, his Micrographia was the first book on microscopy, his astronomical observations were some of the best seen at the time, and he was an architect of distinction and a Surveyor for the City of London after the Great Fire.
But he was also an ass, especially when it came to Isaac Newton.
Hooke and Newton were involved in a dispute over the idea of the force of gravity following an inverse square relationship to define the elliptical orbits of planets, as well as Newton's theory of light and colors. In 1672, Newton was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of London, and his first letter on Light and Colors was read to the Society. Hooke, at the time a respected senior scientist and Curator of Experiments for the Royal Society, attacked Newton's theory, and also claimed that he had invented a reflecting telescope before Newton (Newton had actually invented it in 1668). Newton fought back, and won, but in In January 1676, Hooke again attacked Newton, alleging that Newton had plagiarized Hooke's Micrographia, which contained Hooke's own theory of light.
Despite the attacks, Hooke and Newton corresponded and in private correspondence, Newton had shared calculations that, he believed, showed that the path of a body falling to Earth would be a spiral. Unfortunately, Hooke realized that Newton's argument only held true if the body were precisely on the equator, and in the more general case the path would be an ellipse. In 1679, just after Newton's mother had died, Hooke exposed the error to the Royal Society, and after briefly responding to Hooke, he stopped writing anyone for over a year.
In 1686, when the first book of Newton's 'Principia' was presented to the Royal Society, Hooke claimed that Newton had obtained from him the "notion" of "the rule of the decrease of Gravity, being reciprocally as the squares of the distances from the Center". Only the diplomatic intervention of Edmund Halley persuaded Newton to allow the publication of the final volume of the Principia trilogy, with Halley telling Newton that Hooke was merely making a public fool of himself, and Newton removing every reference to Hooke in the volume.
But before you feel too bad for Newton, don't, because Newton could be just as much of an ass as Hooke was.
John Flamsteed may not be a name that's familiar to you, but was Astronomer Royal, and over 30 years had measured the positions of thousands of stars with a precision far exceeding anything undertaken before him. When Newton needed observations on the 'double' comet of 1680, he turned to Flamsteed, who provided him with the observations. There were some small errors in the data Flamsteed sent to Newton, and Flamsteed attempted to make amends by carrying out some of the calculations that Newton needed for himself. Newton, however, Newton caustically informed Flamsteed that he needed his observations, not his calculations. Feeling mistreated Flamsteed threatened to withhold his data.
Newton needed these calculations for a new section he was planning for the second edition of the Principia, around 1703, on a "Theory of the Moon", so using his courtly influence, he persuaded Queen Anne's husband, George, to commission a royal star catalogue, to be printed by the Royal Society. Flamsteed could hardly refuse this commission from his direct employer; but the moment he handed his draft data over to the Royal Society it was certain to go straight to Newton, who now dominated there. Flamsteed stalled, publishing the data as slowly as possible, and making certain it wasn't the data that Newton needed. When Flamsteed argued with Newton over an error in Newton's measurement of the size of stars in Opticks, Newton deliberately excluded Flamsteed from the discussions about the publication of his catalogue, and his request for a £2,000 grant to purchase a new telescope was rejected under Newton's influence. In 1708, Prince George died, and the star catalogue project died with him. In retaliation, when Flamsteed's membership of the Royal Society lapsed in 1709, Newton refused to renew it, effectively expelling Flamsteed.
But Newton wasn't through with Flamsteed. He needed Flamsteed's data, and by 1711, had persuaded Queen Anne to take up the mantle of sponsor of her late husband's project. In a note to Flamsteed in 1711, Newton threatened that "[If you] make any excuses or unnecessary delays it will be taken for an indirect refusal to comply with Her Majesty's order."
The matter came to a head with the eclipse of 4 July, 1711. Observations of the eclipse would be invaluable to Newton's calculations, but Flamsteed refused a direct order to observe it. He was ordered to explain himself before a panel of the Royal Society, and the council that was to stand judgment over Flamsteed was selected by the President of the Royal Society (Newton) and consisted of Newton and two of his most loyal supporters. The council, to no one's surprise, ordered the immediate publication of all Flamsteed's hard-won data.
Flamsteed's masterwork, Historia Coelestis, was finally published in 1712, against Flamsteed's wishes and without his involvement. The following year, Newton issued the second edition of his Principia, compete with a lunar theory based on Flamsteed's data.
Scientists gone wild, indeed.
Originally published on Science in My Fiction.
1. Asimov, Isaac, 1986. The Edge of Tomorrow. New York, NY: Tom Doherty Assoc Llc
2. Kevles, Bettyann H., 1998. Naked to the Bone: Medical Imaging in the Twentieth Century. New York, NY: Basic Books.
3. Chapman, Allan, 2004. England's Leonardo: Robert Hooke and the Seventeenth-Century Scientific Revolution. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis.
4. Clark, David H. and Clark, Stephen H. P., 2001. Newton's Tyranny: The Suppressed Scientific Discoveries of Stephen Gray and John Flamsteed. New York, NY: W. H. Freeman
5. Grant, John, 2007. Corrupted Science: Fraud, Ideology and Politics in Science. Wisley, Surrey, England: Facts, Figures & Fun
Originally published on Science in My Fiction. Featured image by Ryan McGuire from Pixabay.


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Young People
St George's Sunday Club:
Children and young people meet during term time in the Church Rooms on the second and fourth Sundays of the month at 10.30 am. On the first Sunday of the month, we all join together for the Family Service. For further details, please Contact Us.


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Wednesday, April 8, 2009
About to fall over...
(Daniel Danger)
My life these past few days feels like a blur. We're talking non-stop, no rest for a week straight. It started when I flew down to LA for Idiot Box, which was so much fun! It was a GREAT show, so even though I had to wake up at 4am to fly back to SF the next morning, it was definitely worth going. Got back to SF on Friday and went straight to work on the Danger/McCarthy show, which opened last Saturday. This show is incredible. I have never heard so many people say this was their favorite show we've ever had. The opening went great, was a little hectic when we first opened the doors because a lot of people wanted to grab the new Danger prints that were released. But the real chaos didn't start until Sunday morning when I work up thinking, hooray it's the weekend!, but then reality set in when I looked at our inbox to find hundreds of inquires about the Danger and McCarthy prints from the new show. Ok, so this is a good "problem" to have, that so many people love these two artists, but it was a little overwhelming at first, I must admit. But in the end, hooray for a successful show and congratulations to Dan McCarthy and Daniel Danger because they worked their butts off for this show.
The show was picked up by Flavorpill, Hi-Fructose and Arrested Motion, which is so awesome! You can check out the articles, which also feature pics of the artists and interviews...
Hi-Fructose: http://hifructose.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=333
Arrested Motion: http://arrestedmotion.com/2009/04/openings-daniel-danger-dan-mccarthy-gallery-1988-sf/#more-17056
Flavorpill: http://flavorpill.com/sanfrancisco/events/2009/4/4/the-watcher-in-the-woods
A huge thank you to everyone who supported the show and spread the word!!
If you're interested in seeing all of the work, please visit the show blog here... http://1988watcher.blogspot.com. The show will be up until April 25th, so definitely check it out in person if you can.
(Kiersten Essenpries)
We have exciting news about the Seinfeldology contest. Yes, that's right! We have a winner....
Nistasha Perez from Chicago got every single answer correct from the reference key!! So, Nistasha's big prize for winning is an artist proof of Luke Chueh's "Disintegration" prints.
And coming in a very close second was G1988 friend and long time supporter, Cory Sontag! Cory got 98 of the 99 Seinfeld references correct! Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest. We will be releasing prints of Kiersten's piece in the near future, so stayed tuned!
Labels: Dan McCarthy, Daniel Danger, Kiersten Essenpreis
3 comments:
98 of 99 I was so close which one did I get wrong, DAM YOU I missed out buying the Luke due to paypal issue and now Nat. bumps me out by one answer , I would have lost the pick anyways as dogs tend not to like me.
- April 8, 2009 at 8:28 PM
- G1988 said...
Actually you missed #4. And that's it! Keith Hernandez's spit! UP AND TO THE LEFT!
- April 8, 2009 at 9:03 PM
- Alda said...
could you guys post the answer? I don't think I can get all of them
- April 10, 2009 at 1:10 PM
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Browse through our investor relations resources below.
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Updated key information about IOU Financial trends, performance and activities. Read the Fact Sheet.
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Who we are. What we do. How we do it. These are just a few of the items in our informative investor relations presentations.
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Access to IOU Financial public reporting, including financial statements, releases and company information. View SEDAR.


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2013 London Business School MiM Q&A with Ivan Anderson, Alex Salter and Daniel Lay
Please feel free to let us know if you would like to be informed of future chats by sending an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com. We would also be interested in knowing if you would prefer a different format or different topics.
Audio for Q&A (Click to listen now, or right click and choose "Save As" to download and listen later.)
Linda Abraham: Hello. My name is Linda Abraham. I am the founder of Accepted.com and the moderator of today's Q&A. First I want to welcome all applicants to the Q&A today and I want to congratulate you for taking the time to learn more about London Business School's Masters in Management program. It is critical for your decision making process, as well as, your admissions chances that you know as much as you can about the schools you are applying to. Being here today allows you to ask experts, both the admissions officers, the career services recruiter and of course students in the MiM program, about this wonderful program.
I also want to give a special welcome to Ivan Anderson, Client Services Manager at the Masters in Management; Alex Salter, Recruitment and Admissions Manager at the Masters in Management at London Business School; and Daniel Lay, Career Services Recruiter Lead for the Masters in Management at London Business School.
Also joining us, two MiM 2013 student ambassadors, Joao Matos Pereira and Celine Chao. Joao was born and raised in Lisbon, Portugal. He studied Pharmacy as an undergraduate and had some entrepreneurial experience prior to joining London Business School. He chose the MiM to improve his management skills and to pursue his international career as a strategy consultant.
Celine was born and raised in Washington, DC. She majored in the classics and spent semesters abroad in both Italy and Greece. Prior to attending London Business School, Celine worked in the employment law department of a full-service law firm and interacted closely with the firm's local business clients and in-house counsel. Inspired by the dynamism of the clients they work with, she wanted to challenge herself by exploring a career in business. Celine hopes to use her new perspectives and skills acquired at London Business School to pursue a career in industries, specifically the technology sector.
Thanks to everyone for joining. I'm going to take advantage of my position as moderator and ask the first question. What's new at London Business School's Masters in Management program?
Daniel Lay: New in Career Services for this year, we've got an Industry-Focused Recruitment Fair, which is actually taking place tomorrow night, which we are really excited about. We have got a variety of companies attending that, such as Google, and the number of startups, what we've seen is over the last 12 months, grew interest in the startup businesses here in London. We've got a number of those coming along with tomorrow night. That is quite new, and we are reflecting the market trends that we are seeing and where we are seeing a lot of our students wanting to come and explore opportunities.
Linda Abraham: Are there any new companies recruiting for the Masters in Management program? Are you seeing growth in recruiters, growth in numbers?
Daniel Lay: We are definitely seeing a growth across consulting. We have just actually published the MiM 2012 Employment Report which is actually live now on our website. Prospective students should definitely check that out to see how the most recent graduating class has done. We saw a growth there in the consulting area, particularly across top-tier strategy firms, and also a bit of a growth in media and technology. We have seen a number of hires at Google for example and one or two into Apple. I have yet to give you some names in the consulting field. Still some of the traditional hirers such as BCG and McKinsey, but the numbers that they have actually taken have grown as we have developed a relationship over the time that the program has been running, where it's now very much a target program for those firms and the firms of that ilk.
There has been real development there, and the growth outside of the traditional route has definitely been in some of the startups. Also, we've seen and what is also reflected in the employment report, is people are going to start their own ventures which have been very exciting. I'm sure that the guys from the program office would focus more the entrepreneurship element that is new on the program. We've seen the interest from the students and have obviously then responded to that with some actual content on the curriculum.
Linda Abraham: Alex and Ivan, maybe one of you can talk to us about the new entrepreneurial elements in the MiM program and maybe the other one, you can decide among yourselves, can talk to us about other new elements of the MiM program?
Ivan Anderson: I can start and talk a bit about the new entrepreneurial experiences, but it also ties into one of the newer elements of our international reach of the program. Basically, we have an entrepreneurial event each year during the spring term of the academic year where students compete in a competition, where they design their own organizations and their own products and they pitch their products in the various different inventions that they design to alumni. There is a panel of judges who decides and rank the ideas, as well as, the business ideas, etc. At the end, the winners receive a prize of some sort.
That ties into the international reach because this year we have included two global, international field trips on the program where students will have the opportunity to travel to Paris and Brussels for international field trip treks where they will visit a variety of various different companies and learn about the ins and outs and the operations of those organizations, as well as, network with individuals who work there and just learn a bit more about the organizations in those countries.
Linda Abraham: Is that a required element or is it an elective element?
Ivan Anderson: It is not a required element. It is very much so an elective element where students have the opportunity—basically, they either register or submit an application. They apply for the global immersion field trips and they are selected based on certain criteria. But the students can talk to you more about the criteria because they're actually going through the process right now of applying.
Alex Salter: [I wanted to add] more to do with the application criteria, the changes that we have this year, which we hope will bring about a more dynamic student body to our Masters in Management program. As you know, the Masters in Management is aimed at recent graduates and currently this year, we are opening the class to those that have up to one year full-time post-graduate corporate work experience or less than two years of experience in the non-traditional business role. Joao would be a great example of that coming from a pharmaceutical background. We also made some changes in accepting both the GMAT and the GRE which is new to the program this year. We are the first London Business School program that is doing this at the moment.
Linda Abraham: Celine and Joao, can you tell us a little bit about how you came to choose the MiM program?
Celine Chao: I chose the program because I was looking for starting my first steps in introduction to business. I had first looked at the MBA for London Business School and since I didn't have the five plus years or the required business experience to add to an MBA, I found the Masters in Management. I started talking with student ambassadors and previous students and that just started me on that path.
Joao Matos Pereira: As you said in the presentation, I had some entrepreneurial experience, but I felt I missed the true business knowledge and I wanted to perfect this knowledge. The Masters in Management was the choice I made because it was in London which is the capital of Europe per se, because the faculty was really good, and the quality of the people that I would encounter at LBS would be really high. So far, I'm not disappointed at all. All my expectations were met and I believe that it met my goals of improving management skills, of allowing me to pursue a career in consulting on an international environment. That's basically it.
Linda Abraham: We have one question from Sunny who asks "I wanted to know, what are the main differences between the MiM program and the conventional MBA program?"
Alex Salter: With regards our MiM program, it really is a pre-experience program for more recent graduates in the last couple of years. The MBA at London Business School, I can certainly say you will be required to have a minimum of two years work experience and it's actually unusual to see students on the program contributing at that level. The average work experience on that program has risen year and year. At the moment it's just about six years work experience. So we really are filling the gap in the market. People are graduating more recently looking for that practical business experience, whilst they might not have the practical experience themselves. It may only be in a number of internships that they have undertaken.
Ivan Anderson: Basically, just to mirror what Alex was saying in reference to the idea that it is a pre-experience program and it's designed for recent undergraduates who don't have a great deal of work experience versus the MBA which is for more seasoned or mid-level professionals. But also, I definitely think the differences between the MBA and the Masters in Management specifically is that we equip individuals who come from various different undergraduate disciplines with the skills and the knowledge, as well as, the tools that they need in order to really begin and to make their impact on the business world.
Versus the MBA which is slightly different where individuals either use the MBA to shift careers or to move up to the next level within their career. Versus the MiM which is designed to really give young professionals that are just entering the market the extra competitive edge that they need in order to really make an impact.
Linda Abraham: I know that Celine and Joao did not come from a business undergrad background. Is this program primarily for undergrads who do not have business degrees or would it be redundant for people who already have undergraduate business degrees?
Ivan Anderson: I can speak a bit about it and I think Celine will definitely be a great person to talk about it because she doesn't come from a business background and she can really reflect on the things that she has learned. But to answer your question in reference to whether or not students need a business background, the short answer to that is no, absolutely not. Because basically, the idea of the MiM program is that we take students from all different disciplines and we equip them with the knowledge that they need. So we start from foundational courses, but it's not foundational in the sense where it's very theoretical. It's foundational in the sense where you mix theory and practice. That's one of the more unique aspects of the program.
As well as, if an individual has a business background or they majored in business management or management, etc, from what we've heard from many applicants who have actually come on the program, they have said that it's not a repeat of what they have learned in undergrad because one of the best aspects of our program is that it's extremely practical vs. if you are an undergraduate business major or a finance major, etc, it's very theoretical.
Basically, graduates who do have business backgrounds always say that "The program is pretty unique and special for us." It helps them to bridge the knowledge that they learned in undergrad and also to give them a different perspective because it does provide that practicality aspect to it. But I will let Celine speak more about her experience since she comes from a humanities and classics background.
Linda Abraham: Celine, coming from a classics background, how did you adjust to the rigors of a highly-quantitative business program and could you comment on the switch?
Celine Chao: It was definitely a challenge especially in our first term because those who don't have that quantitative background need to catch up, so it's a steep learning curve. But at the same time, I think you actually gain a lot more as well, because coming from a more humanities perspective, even in our study groups or in classes, the discussion can switch based on the pre-experiences of the students that are there. So I think it's a really nice mix when you have people coming from an economics background mixed with someone who has majored in English. It's been really refreshing in that sense. I found it really challenging, but of course, you might have to do a little more reading from the textbook in that sense.
Linda Abraham: It probably takes a little bit more time to do some of the problems also, I can imagine.
Celine Chao: Yes, but everyone is so supportive which has been really, really nice. You can just go to any one of your classmates and ask, "Can you please explain this set of problem to me?" So it's been really good.
Linda Abraham: Joao, you apparently have worked in an entrepreneurial setting for a couple of years, but your background was more of the sciences and liberal arts. How did you find the adjustment to a business curriculum?
Joao Matos Pereira: As a science undergraduate, it's also very quantitative. We have a lot of math so I would say that the transition was not as tough as Celine's. But definitely on the first term you need to pick up, especially the economic and business terms that you are not used to. But I would say that for people who have science backgrounds, the transition is not as tough. With the support of everyone, it's manageable.
Linda Abraham: We have some questions from the applicants here. First, Mandy asks, "How critical are the letters of recommendation with the application?"
Alex Salter: I would say that the application process is certainly holistic in that we do look at every element from the GMAT to the essays, all the way to each of the references. I would say with the referees, the important thing is to pick people that know you, whether that it be in an academic or a professional capacity, and not just to pick the people that you think are going to be attractive to us such as the managing director of the company who don't know you well, then it's not going to add any weight to your application. Choose carefully and we do prefer one academic and one professional reference, but we do realize that this is not always possible. Some people do want to choose two academic references. I think you should just bear in mind of course that you don't want it to be a repeat of information from one to the other. They should really show off your strongest suits.
Linda Abraham: So title is not that important. It's more how well the recommender knows you.
Alex Salter: Yes, certainly. As I said with title, you do want someone who knows you well. At the same time, you don't want someone who just says that they know you in a personal capacity, but certainly someone that knows you well enough to be able to comment on your strengths, whether they be analytical strengths or your teamwork or leadership skills.
Linda Abraham: I wrote last year, and the applicants may be interested, on the American President's Day, I wrote a blog post entitled "The President Wrote My Letter of Recommendation." It tongue and cheek addresses this question as to what constitutes a good letter of recommendation and pokes a little bit of fun at somebody who thinks that if you were to get a letter of recommendation from somebody with a great title, even the president (that probably is a little tougher—though it would probably be a good one), then what could make a really good recommendation and it addresses this question too.
Back to the questions from the applicants, what is the kind of interaction between the MiM class and the MBA class?
Joao Matos Pereira: The London Business School is a quite unique campus. In that sense, the interaction between the MiM class and the MBA class is quite intense. Also, there are a lot of clubs in the school that are mainly run by MBAs where you can, if you want to take part of the community, you can interact with them. Also, the MiM has another thing that for me was helpful and for other colleagues also, which is the MBA mentoring program, which is when you come to LBS, you're assigned a mentor, an MBA mentor, who has some sort of experience in the areas you want to pursue professionally. I would say that in terms of collaboration and interaction socially and professionally, it's quite intense and quite productive.
Celine Chao: I guess just on a more personal note, you get to know them through either clubs or being a MiM mentee. It's really quite interesting because you are interested in the same thing and you kind of see your progression five years down the line. Talking more in-depth about how they got to where they are today has been really a great experience.
Linda Abraham: Really one of the distinguishing features at London Business School is that the business school clubs are open to any student at the business school. It's just not that there's a MiM entrepreneurship club and an MBA entrepreneurship club and an executive MBA entrepreneurship club. There is one entrepreneurship club and everybody participates. Is that correct?
Ivan Anderson: Absolutely, yes. There are various different clubs and activities available on campus. It's not segregated in regards to, "Okay, this club is only just for the EMBA program students. This club is only for the Masters in Management students." No. The campus itself and the community itself, it's very much inclusive of all programs, so all students from all of our seven degree programs are all able to interact in the same clubs and interact with each other in various different campus activities.
Linda Abraham: Vasileios has a question. "Do I have to sit for the essay and integrated reasoning sections of the GMAT in order for the GMAT score to be valid for you or is the score in the quant and verbal sections sufficient?"
Alex Salter: With regards to the GMAT sections, and you do need to ensure that you are completing the quantitative, the verbal and the AWA sections, the integrated reasoning section is not a compulsory element or certainly not one that we are currently using to judge your overall performance. It's expected that you complete the analytical writing section of the GMAT score also.
Linda Abraham: The next question has to do with grades and it has two components. What can an applicant do who has poor grades? That's one component. Maybe Alex you can take that one. The next one I think is more for Daniel and that is how important are one's undergraduate grades in the job hunt?
Alex Salter: Concerning lower grades, I would say with regards to lower grades as you know, we do look for the equivalent of a 2.1 or a minimum of 3.4 GPA for the course. If the grades are on the lower end of that, and we do expect students to be able to demonstrate excellence in other areas, they should also be aware that they are competing against people that are able to show -- that have all these characteristics. So they should bear that in mind and they shouldn't just focus on the fact that their grades are perhaps on the lower end. We would look for them to be able to address that in their essays and get an explanation as to why this is the case.
Linda Abraham: The specific questioner in terms of the low grades on the acceptance end asks how can he cope with a 2.2 grade. I assume that would probably be equivalent to less than a 3.0 on the US GPA scale. Would that be an application killer off the bat or would you consider other aspects of the application to potentially compensate?
Alex Salter: We do certainly consider all elements of an application, feeding into their holistic overview. For us 2.2, not necessarily an application killer straight off the bat but as I said, they should bear in mind that they are competing with people that do meet all the prerequisites of the course. The academic element of the course can be quite rigorous, so if they do have perhaps the lower end of the degree spectrum they should really be looking to have a lot higher GMAT and really demonstrate that they would be able to cope with the academic rigor.
Linda Abraham: Daniel, how do undergraduate grades affect the job search for MiM graduates?
Daniel Lay: I think it's important that people recognize that when you're doing a job search, recruiters will take into account your entire academic record and top-tier recruiters will be looking for stellar academic performance. Really, I mean they're going back to high school grades now very much so in what is becoming a hugely-crowded graduate market. They're looking for the best of the best and really looking for -- top recruiters tend to look for the same sort of talent.
When it comes to things like 2.2's, I think it's important that people understand that doing a master's program, whether it's with us or with another business school, won't necessarily mask what has gone before. Recruiters will drill down into that record, so you'd need to be fully understanding of that and have a very good pitch around extenuating circumstances and as to why perhaps performance as an undergraduate wasn't as strong. Maybe you've got a really good high school record, so maybe everything has been graded up until undergrad. There are ways around it, but I think it's key that people understand that the market is so competitive that they will take these things into account very much so.
When you're in the "milk-round" recruitment period where you're maybe just sending in applications through CVs, cover letters, application forms, lots of recruiters you have to have a 2.1 to get through the screening process. So by that very definition, if you have a 2.2, they don't always take into -- some firms do, but if we're talking about the big investment banks, big strat consulting firms, they don't necessarily look at 2.2's so you wouldn't even make it through the first cut.
When you're going off cycle a bit, maybe looking at career opportunities into the new year and outside of that milk round, where it's quite a faceless approach if you like, you may be talking to people more, networking more. That's where, if you've got other relevance on your CV, you are able to sell yourself and pitch yourself better. The 2.2 for some recruiters doesn't become as big of a deal, but I think it's something that we would want to talk students through prior to them making a definitive decision to come on the program.
It's definitely one of the things that the admissions team would highlight to me, for us to then have a further conversation around career goals. Because we want to be realistic and say, if you're absolute dream is McKinsey, it's unlikely that they would look at your application unless you got like a 790 GMAT or something to go with it. Perhaps you got a 2.2 at somewhere like Oxford or Cambridge here. That you've got a very, very strong profile and you can then explain the rationale behind what they would see as a lower performance at undergrad.
Linda Abraham: Hypothetically, if a person with a 2.2 were to be accepted to London Business School and at London Business School's MiM program, excels, the employee would also look at that.
Daniel Lay: They would.
Linda Abraham: If the record in the MiM was mediocre, then they'd draw a different conclusion.
Daniel Lay: Yes, absolutely. I think again, it's all about the recruiting timeframe. So take into account that when you're applying to big banks and big consulting firms, you're doing that literally from the first day you're on campus, so you have not started the program really.
Linda Abraham: So there's really intense competition.
Daniel Lay: Yes. No one can really judge whether you have performed on the MiM program because you have not actually really started it. They're going to be saying that, "We can really only go on your undergrad -- it's great that you've been accepted to LBS. That obviously shows a sign of high performance so we would expect you to be good." But if they haven't -- as I'm sure you'll be aware, a lot of them would just have a filter that you have to have a 2.1. If you don't hit it, you're out of the cycle or out of that application process.
But off cycle is then when you can start to talk in a bit more detail. You might have been on the program for three months, six months, and you're talking to recruiters outside of that full recruiting period, then absolutely, you can then start to talk very much around what you've been doing on the program, the club societies that you're really excelling in. So it's different pitches if you like, at different times of year.
Linda Abraham: That makes perfect sense. Thank you very much. Let's go back to the applicant questions. Truyen asks, "I have an interest in entrepreneurship and strategy." What does the MiM program offer to somebody like Truyen and what are the advantages of the MiM program?
Ivan Anderson: In reference to entrepreneurship, we have actually an entrepreneurial management course that we offer during the third term of the academic year that talks all about the field and various different ventures, how various different ventures are started, and as well as, bringing together all of the knowledge. Also at the end of the course, students will be able to participate in a project where they develop an idea and pitch it to a panel of judges. In reference to strategy, there are a couple of different opportunities in the MiM program in the school in regards to learning more about strategy. We have a strategic analysis course. We have various different courses in the program that deal with strategy. But also, there's the opportunity to join one of the student clubs which allows you to network with MBA students and perhaps even other MiM students who have work experience, that have worked in strategy, or worked in consulting, etc. So there are many opportunities to really develop and learn the various different interests that an applicant might have.
Linda Abraham: Joao, I know are interested in entrepreneurship and I think you are also hoping to go into consulting. How would you answer that question?
Joao Matos Pereira: I believe in terms of entrepreneurship, there are two words that we need to remember here. One is LBS incubator and the second is networking. So the first one, the LBS incubator is something that LBS offers where if you have a good idea, the school will support you for one year after you graduate with all the technical and expertise you need. The second word is networking, because here at LBS you have a lot of talent. You can go to the guys. You can talk to them and discuss ideas. But you also have the alumni network which is really, really big and really, really supportive and you can talk to them. You can ask them for funds. You can present ideas. So in that sense, LBS will give you the tools if you have a good idea to be successful.
In terms of strategy, my background was entrepreneurship in the pharmaceutical industry and now I moved to strategy consulting. What I believe LBS offers in that area is the knowledge you'll need to be successful in the first couple of years. What I think will give you the edge is that LBS is really practical so when you get a job, your learning curve won't be as steep as the other guys that you are competing against because you know what you are supposed to do. I believe that transitioning from one to the other is not that difficult even though -- because if you are talking about multi-consulting firms that have small offices, they are entrepreneurs themselves, so you can help the firm develop and some firms really value your entrepreneurship. I think that's what I can add to this conversation.
Linda Abraham: Celine, do you have something to add? Are you hoping to get into consulting or entrepreneurship and how do you feel that the MiM program is helping you?
Celine Chao: I think Daniel always says that you kind of dance with this idea of consulting at some point during the program and certainly it's always good when you're looking to do case studies. Just this whole sense of building on your analytical thinking and problem solving has been a great experience.
Linda Abraham: Saurabh asks, is the access to alumni same as for the MBA program?
Alex Salter: In terms of the alumni network, it's certainly the same. The alumni is using, just like our portal login access, even to ask questions about ideas that they have or they're looking for advice, whether it be with regards to visas or businesses that are looking to start up, they reach out for an alumni network using the portal resources. That access is the same regardless what program that you'd come and join us on. Certainly on campus, you look forward to get to know people that are going to be your fellow alumni in the future, such as the MBA students who won't graduate at the same time as you, but will become a part of your alumni network.
Linda Abraham: Another question from a different Saurabh who asks, "What is the percentage of the class that arrives without any work experience?" Do you like to see that applicants have had internship experience?
Alex Salter: It's about 50/50 percent of the class split between having internship and not having internship experience. I would say internships can certainly add, not just weight to applications, but weight when you're looking to do a job search. For example, if you're interested in consulting or investment banking, then it really is quite important to have some kind of experience and to be able to sell to the recruiter why you believe you would fit in that kind of organization.
But not all students do have internships and certainly some will have work experience. Some people do things like four-day placements with Deloitte for example or they might just have a more generic undergraduate work experience, even an experience of working in their student associations or undergraduate or as treasurers for example.
Linda Abraham: Saurabh also asks, "What about part-time work experience?" Do you consider part-time work experience or part-time entrepreneurial experience as relevant work experience? It depends on the quality of the experience that would determine the relevance of the work experience but I assume you weigh that also.
Alex Salter: It certainly can add weight to an application, certainly with entrepreneurial experience. For example, if someone started their own website or their own card business design, we realize it's not always going to be a full-time project that they're working on. It's something that they're working on alongside their studies. It's certainly something that can be taken into account. As you said, it does depend on the nature and the relevance of the experience.
Daniel Lay: We get this a lot around internships and the role that they play on people's job hunts. It's definitely becoming more and more apparent from recruiters that there is that demand for people with internships on their CV. Again, the competitive nature of the graduate market here in London is really to make yourself stand out from the crowd. I think if you have some solid internship experience on your CV, it does really help. Consulting firms for example, would like potentially a bit of consulting experience, but also a variety of experiences. If you think about obviously what consulting is all about from actually going in there and doing it as your job, working on different projects, then having a variety of work experience on your CV would be quite advantageous.
With banks, I think we are definitely seeing a shift towards, almost you have to have done a banking internship to really be attractive to the bulge brackets coupled with ideally quantitative undergraduate degrees and so on. That's maybe a bit of a sweeping generalization, but that's what we have seen in the people that they have shortlisted for interview. So it's definitely something people should give a lot of thought to. It will enhance your CV.
Again, it's this whole package, that you have a great master's degree, a really solid undergraduate performance and some really interesting internships and exciting extracurricular activities. I know that's the dream CV, but that's becoming more and more in the crowded market that you need to standout. So I would encourage people that may be looking to join a master's degree in September, over the coming summer, if you're thinking my CV is maybe a little light, try and get some experience.
Obviously, it's not always that people can get the big brand names on their CV, but any experience that you can then demonstrate, that you've been able to put into practice the competencies, etc, you've worked in teams, you've worked on projects, you've worked under pressure, et. All the things in your practical experiences that you can then talk to recruiters about, that is definitely going to hold your application in terms of jobs and also when applying to the program will definitely hold those applications in good stead.
Linda Abraham: I think that's a great answer. A question from Clara which I think is probably concerning a lot of MiM applicants and that is, many people are concerned about opportunity for foreigners to stay and work in the UK after graduation.
Daniel Lay: It's a hot topic as it always is. The post-study work visa that some applicants might have been or might have heard of which allows you to stay and work in the UK for two years were scrapped back in February of last year. So that's been gone for nearly a year and it was replaced with, to stay in the UK and work full time post graduation, you need sponsorship from a company. Currently in the UK, there are approximately 25,000 companies who sponsor non-EU nationals but it's not always as simple as that. You can look on the UK Border Agency website and see this great long list of companies. There's still a huge amount of education that the school is doing. We do that in partnership with the UK Border Agency and other immigration lawyers. Pumping out information to recruiters is about actually how easy it is that if you're a Tier 2 license holder, and that's when I refer to 25,000 or so companies, that's what they are. They'll be a Tier 2 license holder. If you're on that list, you can actually quite easily hire non-EU graduates from the likes of London Business School.
Now, some companies get it and have been doing it for years, the big banks, big consulting firms. It's not necessarily an issue. We work very much with the smaller firms and some of the larger firms. It's quite surprising—lots of the big industry firms that we've all heard of and have global footprints, etc, that they're still very wary when it comes to sponsorship of graduates from outside the EU.
So we're constantly messaging to them the new procedure which basically, if you're in the UK, is a relatively straightforward process and it's extremely cost-effective. There are also a few parts of it that the government introduced to make it an easy process for the companies i.e., you don't have to go through the resident labour market test which was always something that put companies off. They've made a few concessions, but it's still a learning process for a lot of these companies.
We take it upon ourselves. I mean I work quite strongly on this and part of my role would be working with companies to talk them through the process and almost hold their hands and explain to them what they need to do, put them in touch with people from the UKBA. We're very proactive about it, but it's still a little bit of a work in progress. The UK is definitely not shut for business. The government tagline, if you like, is the brightest and the best is what they want to retain. But it's not as straightforward as that. There's an awful lot of education that needs to go to the recruiters and we work in partnership with the UK Border Agency on that.
Every year we'll still see non-EU MiMs remain in London and not necessarily with big firms that you've heard of. Some of the small firms are definitely coming around to it. I think we need to appreciate they've worked under a certain regulation for a long period of time so this is relatively new. For some of them, no one likes change and it's that hand-holding process and working it through with them, putting them in touch with the right people. There are a lot of legal aspects to it. So hopefully if people wanted to have a look at more information that we're putting out on our website, , they could go there and see what the current status is of visa situations here in the UK and what we're doing to address that.
Linda Abraham: Another very interesting question from Saurabh who asks, "Do you anticipate that MiM graduates...Joao, do you anticipate that you will ultimately go back and get an MBA or do you feel that this is going to be the terminal degree for you, at least in business?
Joao Matos Pereira: That's a discussion we have among MiMs and I believe it's a 50/50 split. Some people want to go back and take the MBA and some people say that's enough and maybe they will do after 10 years like a more senior program like the Sloan or something like that. In my personal opinion, I have some work experience, so right now after the MiM I think I have the basis to work for some time. My plan is to come back after seven or eight years to do a more senior program. But a lot of the MiMs plan to come back after two or three years, so it really depends on your options and what your career goals are. It really depends on you.
Celine Chao: I agree with Joao. I don't think enough MiMs have the time after the MiM program started, have actually there have been enough numbers for a report to go out about that. But certainly it's one of those options that you think about because we do some of the same modules that you might see in MBA, but at the same time they also have more specialized classes in marketing, entrepreneurship, etc.
Linda Abraham: So I guess the jury's out on that one?
Celine Chao: Yes.
Linda Abraham: Alex or Ivan do you have any thoughts on that?
Alex Salter: We need to echo Celine's point that we don't have enough data at this point at London Business School. I must say management is only in its fifth year now, that's why we're not currently appearing in Financial Times ranking, so that is something that will be up and coming within the next few years. It is certainly something that we do see more mentioned now I would say on applications, particularly people who are looking to perhaps launch themselves entrepreneurially. They are looking to come back and do -- maybe not necessarily at London Business School, but certainly thinking about extending their networks and an MBA is of course a great tool to do that.
Linda Abraham: The next question is "What roles do MiM students play at centers such as the Deloitte Innovation Center?"
Ivan Anderson: If I'm not mistaken, it's still a new project that is taking place at the school. I don't have 100% knowledge of exactly the roles that MiMs can play and the role that they do have the opportunity to play in the center. However, I will definitely say that [applicants interested should] feel free to drop us an email to ask and I can definitely find out more information and get back to you. But unfortunately I don't have enough knowledge to speak about the incubator at this time.
Linda Abraham: Joao and Celine, what are your favorite classes at London Business School?
Joao Matos Pereira: So far from the courses we had, I would say marketing is really interesting because I took some marketing classes back in my undergraduate and they were really qualitative. Now, here at LBS, you can add the quantitative part to that, so it turned out to be a science and not like what people traditionally think about marketing. I would say I also really enjoyed management analysis and systems which is basically designing Excel models and coming up with ways of analyzing data. Because I think it's something that's going to be useful in the future and something that's going to allow the MiMs to progress faster in their career path.
So I would say marketing and MAS, which is Management Analysis and Systems, were the best so far but I'm looking forward on the last term, the summer term. I'm looking forward to strategy which I think will be really, really cool.
Celine Chao: Looking back on term one, I think for myself it was, everything was new so I really enjoyed that challenge. We had accounting management analysis and systems and leadership and organizations. As Joao said, they were all very, very practical. It's something that a first-year analyst might see trying to optimize a model. But I think I would say the same, management analysis and for me leadership because it touched upon things that you might at first think, were common sense, but perhaps later on in our careers would have more application to softer skills that managers need to work on. You learn a lot about your own style of leadership and working in a team which I think is really important going into the workplace.
Linda Abraham: Alex and Ivan, what are you looking for when you get an application? I know it's not just the GPA. It's not just the GMAT. It's not a specific quantity of work experience. What makes an application jump off your desk in a very positive way?
Alex Salter: As we have touched upon, you do need the basic elements of the program to be able to be competitive. As far as the required elements I would say on an application, the things that can really help you standout are definitely your essays. It's a chance to really inject your personality into the application and the essays often ask multiple questions under the banner of one question. I think it's really important to show that your attention to detail isn't lacking and you answer all elements of the application questions. It really is a chance for us to also get to know your experiences and what they've done for you. You might have had this fantastic internship, but your essay is really the chance for you to bring it to life on paper, what you've learned and how it's going to take you forward and how it fits into your career goals. So for me, that would definitely be a great way to bring your application to life.
Ivan Anderson: Just to piggyback on what Alex said, I definitely think all of those aspects are important but then also I think there should be -- it's really important I think when I review an application that an individual has really reflected on their previous experiences and also has somewhat of an idea of where they see themselves going. So for example, the idea of career goals perhaps, as well as, just really reflecting and really having a very good understanding of themselves, their values, etc, and how that will help them to be unique in the program and what they can really add to the program. Because when we're selecting students for the program, it's very important that we have diversity, etc. So I think it's very important that applicants have a very good understanding of themselves to really know what they could bring to the program and also what the program can be bring to them so it's somewhat of a two-way street.
Alex Salter: Just to demonstrate your research levels as well. It's really a chance -- we know that the MiM gives you practical elements, but you really need to show us why, what's that actually going to do for you and why specifically the Master's in Management at London Business School, how it's going to enhance your profile. Try to elaborate and not just pick the generic keywords that you see on the website like the strength of the alumni. We know we have fantastic strong alumni ports, what we do sell the school on, but why will that enhance you as a person and what can that do for you?
Linda Abraham: Great advice. Celine and Joao, what do you like best about the MiM program at London Business School? I'm not speaking specifically about classes or groups. What do you think is the best aspect of the program and has the program met or exceeded your expectations and in what ways?
Celine Chao: I definitely think this is an easy question because it's definitely the students here that have totally exceeded anything I had thought of prior to the program. I think you learn so much more. You have entrepreneurs. You have students from all different types of backgrounds and the amount of learning that you do, just being around them and having discussions with them, is just as much as you do in the classroom. So in that respect, it's very much so exceeded my expectations.
Joao Matos Pereira: I agree with Celine when she said that people here are really, really talented. We see that in class because we might be talking about a subject that a couple of us are not familiar, but the level of discussions that are generated in class, they're so intense and deep that you really get interested and you really understand what's going on around you. Not only that but also the people, the former students, and I was quite surprised about that. It's a really active community. People that left the school 10 years ago are still involved and still wanting to help not only in the clubs, but also in your academic life. I was really impressed about that. I would have to say that my expectations for LBS, LBS has exceeded my expectations in terms of the people. In terms of faculty opportunities, it met my expectations, but I must confess my expectations were already really high.
Linda Abraham: So it was tough for the school to meet your expectations because they were already high?
Joao Matos Pereira: Yes, but they did. Exactly.
Linda Abraham: Thank you all again for participating today. Special thanks to Daniel, Ivan and Alex, Celine and Joao for joining us. It's been an excellent session. I really want to thank you applicants and participants for your excellent questions and the panelists for their excellent answers. If you have additional questions for Daniel, Ivan, and Alex or for the London Business School team, please email them to firstname.lastname@example.com.
We look forward to seeing you at future Q&A and Events. Visit our event schedule page for our full list of upcoming events and details, or to register. You can also subscribe to our events listby clicking reminders on our event schedule page.
Once again, thank you again for participating and best of luck with your applications.
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We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them.
So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even.
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We told the sad, shocking news that Houston Press music editor Chris Gray, who's as much a joy to read as he is to work with -- which is to say, a lot -- had a heart attack on the way into work Monday morning.
Most of the reaction, naturally, was posted on our Rocks Off music blog. But the Gray love came though on Hair Balls, too.
Geezy wrote:
Man what a damn shame, saw the headline earlier and immediately hoped it was not someone from The Press and sure enough it was. Hopefully all of our thoughts and prayers reach Gray and help him make a full recovery in a quick and timely manner. Looking at the comments it's good to see so much well wishing, and good to see that he is holding his own in the hospital.
Get Well Soon CG.....


text: It would seem that Finnish national treasure, Tapio Wirkkala must have had a soft spot for Italian food or coin when he designed the Bolle Range for Venini Glass. Charming and refined, this multicoloured collection of bottles was created by wirkkala in 1968. The colours are created with a special incalmo technique where two hot pieces of glass are fused together to create an object. It's a difficult and expensive process which means the vases and bottles pictured here could buy a small car. Today these are still hand blown by the master craftsmen at Venini.


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This modern composition sparkles with a unique mix of ripe juicy citrus, velvety wood and soft musk. Seemingly simple, the scent develops over hours on skin and delivers its multiple facets of olfactory fascination.
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This post was originally published on the ICMI blog.
A busy contact center needed to hire more agents.
The manager presented her case to the executive team. Her proposal focused on key performance indicators (KPIs) that indicated the contact center was short staffed:
- Long hold times
- High abandon rates
- Poor service levels
The manager was disappointed when the executive team rejected her proposal. She thought she had put together a strong case based on compelling data.
So, what went wrong?
The short answer is the contact manager focused on the wrong KPIs. Here's how to identify KPIs that executives truly care about.
Step 1: Target Hot Buttons
The first step is to figure out what issues executives care about the most. I call these "hot buttons."
There's no single answer here. Take the time to ask them directly. Listen carefully to the types of questions they consistently ask you.
Let's go back to the busy contact center. Executives there cared most about cost containment. They had recently invested in some new marketing initiatives and needed to rein in spending in other areas.
The manager's hiring proposal was rejected because she didn't directly address cost containment. In fact, it raised a red flag because hiring more people would increase costs in the short run.
A more successful strategy would have been to illustrate how hiring more agents would save the company money over time. For example, adding staff might improve first contact resolution, reduce discounts given for poor service, and cut down on customer churn.
Step 2: Link Executive Hot Buttons to KPIs
The next step is to link KPIs to the issues your executive team cares most about.
Here's how a different contact center leader successfully pitched hiring new agents to the company's CEO.
The manager started by recognizing that cost containment was the CEO's hot button issue. In particular, the CEO often asked about the volume of overflow calls sent to an outsourced contact center. (This was because calls sent to the outsourcer were more expensive than those kept in house.)
So, the contact center manager focused on the percentage of calls kept in house as a KPI.
Using this KPI, the contact manager was able to show that hiring more agents would reduce costs. Saving money was music to the CEO's ears and he quickly approved the plan.
Step 3: Create Clear Reports
Executives don't have a lot of time to read dense reports. They need clear reports that are easy to read.
A great example comes from Lupe Zepeda, Customer Service Manager at CSA Travel Protection.
She met with her executive team to identify and agree upon the KPIs they were most interested in seeing. Zepeda then created a report that was easy to skim and scan, but also contained additional information.
Here's the format:
The report is shared with executives on a monthly basis. (That's their preferred time frame.) It provides a clear snapshot of the contact center's performance and allows executives to quickly identify any areas of concern.
The smiley column on the right hand side is a best practice. Some people worry that a simple, color-coded smiley graphic is too silly for an executive report. Executives actually like it because it tells them at a glance whether or not the KPI is on target.
Getting Started
Sharing KPIs with executives doesn't have to be difficult. Just keep in mind their primary purpose. They're called Key Performance Indicators because they're designed to provide a quick snapshot of performance.
You'll do well if you can use KPIs to show executives how your contact center is contributing to organizational goals and the specific issues they care about most.


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Teasers of Sunny Leone's "One Night Stand" and Richa Chadha's "Cabaret" released March 25, but the former one seemed to have been liked by many. "One Night Stand" crossed nine million views on YouTube in a week, while "Cabaret" managed to get four million views.
A poll was conducted by IBTimes India wherein readers were asked to vote the teaser they liked the most. According to the vote results, fans liked the teaser of Sunny's film more than Richa's flick. "One Night Stand" received 78.57 percent votes, whereas "Cabaret" got 21.43 percent votes.
It seems makers of these two flicks are enjoying being in competition with each other. In fact, both the films released their songs on the same day. Sunny's "One Night Stand" released the song "Do Peg Maar" (2 Peg Maar) and Richa's "Cabaret" unveiled the track "Paani Paani" March 30.
Looking at Sunny's fan following, it was obvious that her film would receive so much love from the audience. Also, "One Night Stand" looks different from her previous films like "Mastizaade" and "Ek Paheli Leela." The first look poster of this film had already created curiosity among the audience, and the teaser captured hearts.
The first look of "One Night Stand" showed Sunny hugging a man, with a mysterious gaze in her eyes. The teaser showed how a one-night stand changed the life of Sunny's character. Directed by Jasmine D'Souza, the film is apparently a romantic thriller and scheduled to be released April 22.
On the other hand, in the "Cabaret" teaser, Richa is seen as a glamorous cabaret dancer in fishnet stocking, leather bodices, strappy-tight corsets, and a bedsheet. "Cabaret" also features the "Hunterrr" actor Gulshan Devaiah. Richa and Gulshan will be seen in a few steamy scenes.


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Louis van Gaal has made a staunch defence of his United reign but clearly knows the media at least aren't buying his explanations.
The Europa League defeat at Liverpool in the last 16 first leg at Anfield has intensified the pressure on the beleaguered Reds boss.
The West Ham FA Cup tie at Old Trafford offers the Dutchman a potential lifeline ahead of having to engineer a recovery from 2-0 down against the Anfielder's next Thursday.
And the 64-year-old still believes he could add silverware to his troubled Old Trafford tenure.
"It (Anfield loss) puts more pressure on us. But we are in three competitions still. After the defeat in Midtjylland you have sacked me already and then we stood up and we got into the next round and that is still possible against Liverpool," argued Van Gaal.
In pictures: Liverpool v United
"Maybe we can score three goals. It shall be very difficult I know that but it is possible. It is not impossible.
"Against West Ham United it is also possible. At Old Trafford we normally win our games.
"It is possible that we are going out and then it would be a very difficult situation for everybody but still we have the chance to win something and you have to believe in that.
"I see a lot of you (the media) are not believing in that and that has been for a long time but we are still in three competitions and there are many of my colleagues who are not in three competitions any more."
MORE United stories:
Asked if he thought his managership at United was working Van Gaal replied: "When you are thinking that you have to write it.
"But yes I do think it is working. You have to see how we have to work with the circumstances we have to work. When you don't have too many players and you have to play in three competitions it is very difficult to play.
"You are very negative. When you see this game (v Liverpool) do you think it has been like it all season? When you see this game then it is possible to say what you are saying. But when you analyse what we have done this season and last season you cannot say that. But I cannot change your mind.
"I do think it is working. The style is also working. It is not giving the best results. It is not good enough when you think you want to be champions or if you want to win the FA Cup or the Europa League but it is still possible."
Van Gaal's side have failed to drum up any kind of impact making winning streak this season.
The recent four-game success came to an abrupt end at West Brom followed quickly by the Liverpool debacle.
But Van Gaal won't use United's horrific injury list as an excuse.
"I cannot play the same line up in many matches. It is also because of the full schedule. Every manager in the Premier League is rotating and that is necessary. But I have to rotate because of injuries or tired players. That is difficult," he added.
But would things be different if he had a full squad to select from?
"It would be cheap for me to say that. I don't want to hide behind the injuries. We are still in three competitions so we can fight for a lot," said the Reds manager.


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Club Majestic shooting suspect Shaquille Porter faces same charges as suspect Dequandrea Truitt, witnesses are not revealed
A second suspect arrested in connection with the Club Majestic shootings faced the same murder charge as already arrested Dequandrea Truitt during a 9 a.m. Recorder's Court hearing on Monday, Feb. 18.
Represented by attorney Kyle Fischer, 20-year-old Shaquille Porter was charged with the murder of Charles Foster Jr., 24, and six counts of aggravated assault. He also faced two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and a charge of theft by receiving.
During the hearing, Detective Katina Williams described the shootings which took place on Jan. 1 at the Cusseta Road night club. When police responded to the scene that morning shortly after the shootings began at 2:15 a.m., they found Foster lying on his side on the dance floor from a gunshot wound to his torso. Several others were injured inside the club, many of them 16- or 17-year-old boys.
Foster was pronounced dead at 3:28 a.m. at The Medical Center.
Williams told the court how another victim in the parking lot, along with testimonies from witnesses, led police to believe there were two shooters: one inside the club and one in the parking lot. Officers found another victim after discovering Foster that suffered a gunshot wound to the head from where a bullet grazed him and another wound to his back. Williams said the man was attempting to leave the parking lot when he looked up and saw someone shooting at him.
Matching shells from two different weapons were found inside the car the victim occupied and inside the club. Williams said several witnesses present the night of the shooting said Porter was there the night of the shootings.
Williams said following the initial investigation warrants for his arrest were released. Once Porter learned of an outstanding warrant for a theft by receiving, he decided along with an attorney to turn himself in.
After hearing Williams' testimony, Fischer asked how many witnesses had identified Porter as a shooter. Williams couldn't recall, but said there was more than one. She also declined to name the witnesses after Fischer requested their identities.
During the proceedings, Fischer expressed concerns that both Truitt and Porter faced murder charges for the same man, in addition to both being charged for the assault of the man shot in the parking lot.
"There has been another individual that has been charged with the exact same charges," Fischer said. "There may be one or more witnesses who would name Mr. Truitt as the man who shot Mr. Foster."
Judge Michael Cielinski told Fischer that although he understood his complaint about the charges, police did not have to produce their witnesses in court. Fischer was told he could speak with those witnesses at a later time.
Porter was given no bond on the murder charge and bond totaling about $75,000 during the hearing.
Truitt, who was given a hearing Jan. 8, also faces no bond for the murder charge and bond totaling about $75,000. During the hearing he pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying that he didn't kill anyone, but "did do some shooting outside in the parking lot." Both men await trial in Superior Court.


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CARO and CIRO Training and Certification
Request Program Information or Ask a Question
The program offers training for two levels of RETA accredited certification:
CARO – Certified Assistant Refrigeration Operator
This is an entry-level credential, designed to demonstrate that an operator has sufficient knowledge to work under supervision in industrial refrigeration.
CIRO – Certified Industrial Refrigeration Operator
This allows the operator to assess more advanced concepts, principles and applications required to supervise industrial refrigeration operations. It measures mastery of applied refrigeration system operations and troubleshooting based on principles and knowledge presented.
Program Highlights
- Ideal for incumbent corporate HVAC seasoned technicians interested in enhancing their knowledge for a career in maintaining state-of-the- art specialized heating and air conditioning equipment
- RETA certification training and exams assess competencies in the realm of industrial refrigeration operation and provides the fundamental knowledge needed to understand these concepts and operating principles
- The training course for these certifications is 48 hours long, offered as a fast-track training (eight days, six hours per day), with flexible scheduling
- At the end of the course, CARO and CIRO exams will be offered at Tri-C Testing Center
Program Prerequisite
- 5 years of experience with refrigeration equipment in a manufacturing setting
What is RETA?
The Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association (RETA) is the most-recognized organization in the country dedicated to the professional development of industrial refrigeration operators and technicians.
This certification is the only ANSI accredited program of its kind in the country and it ensures that operators and technicians are equipped with the knowledge to safely run their equipment.


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Is Washington's Love of Ivy Grads Good for the Country?
Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, is a former White House correspondent with two decades of experience covering Washington government and politics. Click here for Mr. Brown's full bio.
During the confirmation process for Elena Kagan, who joins the Supreme Court for its opening session of the year Monday, a good deal was made of the fact she became the third woman among the nine justices on the high court. Some, less committed than others to the idea that diversity means only race and gender, noted all three of the women grew up in New York City.
Others, perhaps wanting to get their two cents into the discussion, suggested that, in reality, President Barack Obama's court picks were as similar to each other as were George W. Bush's. After all, they all came from Ivy League law schools.
In fact, eight of the current Supreme Court justices graduated from either Harvard or Yale; the exception, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, has a Columbia law degree only because she transferred to Columbia from Harvard. Moreover, Justices Sonya Sotomayor, Kagan and Ginsburg are all New York City products.
It is not just the Supreme Court, however, where the Ivy League seems to be producing America's leaders, at least in recent years.
Each of the last four presidents have at least one Ivy League degree. Mr. Obama graduated from Columbia and holds a Harvard Law degree, Mr. Clinton has a Yale Law degree, and both President George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush graduated from Yale, and the younger Mr. Bush also has a Harvard MBA. By comparison, nine of the 16 presidents before them (four Democrats and five Republicans) were Ivy Leaguers…


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Writer/Producer: Katherine Brann Fredricks Adapted from St. Teresa of Avila & Garcilaso de la Vega Director: Jessica Bashline Composer: Oriente Lopez
Benefitting EL MUSEO del BARRIO
All for Gold, God, and Glory: A Jewish saint battles the Spanish Inquisition over the conquest of Peru in a new musical drama by Grammy Award winning composer Oriente Lopez.
Occasion for Sin weaves together the lives of the royal Incas; the court of Spain, where 13-year old Prince Felipe is torn between a bastard Priest and the corrupt Regent of Spain; and the woman whose determination to demonstrate God's power in the world led her to become the Patron Saint of Spain, Teresa of Avila. Together, these passionate adversaries confront the timeless conflict of waging war for peace.
June 23 @ 9:30 PM; June 25 @ 12:30 PM; June 27 @ 9:15 PM; July 1 @ 5:45 PM; July 2 @ 9:15 PM; July 8 @ 3:15 PM
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Oct 13, 2017
A little maid of three years was missing from her home on the Genesee. She had gone to gather water-lilies and did not return. Her mother, almost crazed with grief, searched for days, weeks, months, before she could resign herself to the thought that her little one—Kayutah, the Drop Star, the Indians called her—had indeed been drowned.
Years went by. The woman's home was secure against pillage, for it was no longer the one house of a white family in that region, and the Indians had retired farther and farther into the wilderness. One day a hunter came to the woman and said, "I have seen old Skenandoh,—the last of his tribe, thank God! who bade me say this to you: that the ice is broken, and he knows of a hill of snow where a red berry grows that shall be yours if you will claim it."


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We voluntarily provide details of our lives and our relationships to the Cloud. In return we receive helpful suggestions about when and where to travel, where to eat, and what to see along the way. We are simultaneously "augmentors" and "augmentees." For many this is a fair exchange.
I don't always use the term "augmented reality" to describe what we get in return since I'm no longer sure what isn't reality in our modern age.
I'm not just playing word games. Philosophically, everything we sense in our daily lives makes up the "reality" we face, regardless of whether this comes from direct contact or through an electronic medium of some kind.
Whatever comes in through our eyes or ears or sense of touch is part of a greater reality we must interact with. Sounds generated by the banging of a drum next door or a loudspeaker broadcasting a drum beat from 1943 may have little consequential difference. Their vibrations both travel through the air to our eardrums, we experience them, and we respond.
These are examples of the realities we experience every day. That we as humans can manage sensory input from so many sources is a significant evolutionary accomplishment. How else would we drive a car, ride a bicycle, or play guitar in zero gravity?
One of the things we learn is to pick and choose what we pay attention to:
- As infants we pick out mother's face from a sea of faces and reach out.
- As children we learn not to stare directly at the sun.
- As teenagers we learn to manipulate the complex controls of multi-ton vehicles while listening to the radio and chatting with friends.
- As adults we learn how to navigate the complexities of home ownership, death, and taxes.
Along the way now we have technologies to help us think, decide, even remember. Increasingly we see technology attempting to help us in advance of need — planning a trip, selecting a restaurant, selecting a tune to play. The complex algorithms that evaluate our creditworthiness and track out of the ordinary credit card purchases are no longer esoteric but are coming to a phone or a tablet computer near you to help you survive — and hopefully enjoy — your daily grind.
One thing that's happening is that sophisticated technology is not being limited to highly specialized vertical niches but is now being brought to "the masses." An example is Apple's Siri. That Apple had the guts to bring such an advanced technology to support the humdrum day-to-day transactions of millions of ordinary consumers was nothing short of audacious. Other advanced technologies continue to find their ways into the hands of ordinary people such as Google Glass.
All these technologies expand the scope of our work, our decision-making, and our relationships as more options and information are placed before our eyeballs or into our ears.
How do we as individuals manage these changes — these augmentations — of our respective realities? Are we evolving into two classes, haves and have-nots, with only the haves really possessing the wherewithal to take advantage of increasingly complex and feature-rich realities?
I like to believe that I can be in control, that I can manage the constant flow of data. I like to believe that I can influence the frequency with which I receive notices from my bank as well as how often Google Now tells me the details of the trip I'm about to take (or so it thinks).
I also know that, if something really important happens, I want to know about it now. But to be able to do that the system really needs to know how I define "important." Yet, I'm not sure that I feel comfortable about sharing the intimate details of my preferences, my hopes, and my fears with the machine — especially if that machine might mistakenly reveal my private details to others or to some government agency "… just trying to catch crooks."
As technology oriented as I am, I am beginning to have some doubts about where the technology is headed. Just as I thought in the early days of social media that the relationship categories of systems such as Facebook and LinkedIn were remarkably primitive, so I now feel that systems like Google Glass, Google Now, and Apple Siri are also primitive and prone to error.
On balance such systems provide useful information. They also make mistakes both of commission and omission. As we become more dependent on the assistance of such systems for our daily lives, we need to keep in mind the disclaimers displayed online with online maps and driving directions, that conditions may have changed from the time the map was generated.
How many people actually take this heartfelt recommendation by mapping system attorneys? I don't know. But it also makes sense (even more sense, in my view) to be cautious about taking the advice of Google Now (or Apple Siri). Things change constantly. The traffic accident that just occurred might take a lot more time to make its way into crowdsourced warning systems and heads up route displays.
An important question is, of course, are we better off with these reality augmentation systems then without them? Right now I certainly believe we are. I also think skepticism and caution are warranted. Living in the reality of the world is a remarkably complex undertaking. How we behave, survive, and prosper are influenced both by major events — and by the beating of the wings of a single butterfly.
There's no doubt in my mind the cloud-based services can help us deal with the major events, but I think we might have to wait a bit longer for the butterfly wings.
Related reading:
Copyright (c) 2013 by Dennis D. McDonald, Ph.D. Dennis is a Washington DC area consultant specializing in digital strategy, collaborative project management, and new technology adoption. His clients have included the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the US Environmental Protection Agency, Jive Software, the National Library of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering, Social Media Today and Oracle, and the World Bank Group. His experience includes the management of projects involving the conversion or migration of financial and transaction data associated with large and small systems. Contact Dennis via email at email@example.com or by phone at 703-402-7382.


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Aluminum channel for 87-213 ??
A quick learner from San Francisco says:
June 14, 2016
I have ordered and installed these rollers a few times as replacements and they're perfect. Now I need the aluminum channel that they fit into. Or perhaps a suggestion for another roller that will fit into a more readily available stock channel. Channel with inside dimension of 9/16" is proving impossible to source. Any ideas?
Paul from SWISCO responded:
June 16, 2016
Thanks for contacting us. Unfortunately, the hardware you're looking for is unique to the particular company that made your window. There isn't any generic type we could offer to you. If you have the metallic AAMA sticker, send a photo of it and I will try to find the manufacturer for you. You would need to contact them directly.


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San Diego Sky Tours Youth Education Program
Aviation opportunities are growing fast in the commercial aviation field. Our kids need opportunities and motivation to get them in the right direction. As owners and caretakers of these wonderful vintage aircraft, Air Combat San Diego would like to inspire youth with our aircraft and exceptional pilots. Please call for more information.
Young men and women, 12-16 that would like to participate in our 2-4 hour program at the Montgomery Field hangar please send a freshly crafted resume and cover letter to email@example.com. Aviators resumes are so important. We will selected, based on an honest appraisal of motivation and effort, one student a month to 'hang' out at the hangar, learn about aircraft, aviation and job opportunities. Following the orientation, the student will go on a biplane ride with one of our exceptional pilots. After the day, they will be kept on our fly list to fill any open seats and other opportunities. Please get your children involved in aviation!
Our Office
Gibbs Flight Center
3717 John J Montgomery Dr
San Diego, CA, 92123
United States
Contact Us
Please fill out this form for more information and to be on our contact list for specials and discounts.


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