Unleash the Ashish!
I’ve finally hit my stride and made it through the difficult transition from summer break back to school. I’m getting through my to-do lists and going to bed without action items still lingering from days before, which is nice for a change. I’m getting the hang of teaching, the job search is going well, and my classes are all starting to make more sense. I still feel like there’s something missing in my life. What could it be...?
Ashish Brothers!
"Ashish Brothers" is the name that we gave to our team the first week of orientation when we came up with a team name for Fisher Tycoon (a two day business simulation and our first team project). The name stuck with us and we used it in all our presentations and on all of our project deliverables (sometimes as Ashish Brothers Risk Advisors or the Ashish Brothers Center for Leadership). Most of our professors got a kick out of it.
Your group is the most important thing in your life in the first year of the MBA program. You live with them for the most part with all of the group work that is required in the core classes. To the first year MBAs reading this blog, take care of your team! If they succeed, then you succeed. I was extremely fortunate with the group that I was assigned to and I’d like to introduce them...
Ashish Kumar – Ashish is President and CEO of Ashish Brothers, Inc. He’s originally from India, but has spent the last couple of years here in the states. His interests are long distance running, athletic apparel, and eating lots of food. He’s also an excellent cook and invited us over to his house for authentic Indian dinners last year. As President of the Indian MBA Association, he helps arrange great events for the school such as the annual Diwali dinner and the elaborate Utsav celebration in the spring (click here for a video, the show was awesome).
Miao-Chi Chang – Miao-Chi is from Taipei, Taiwan and is currently studying abroad in Shanghai, China. She was one of our accounting/finance experts and was never seen without a smile on her face. Seriously, I don’t think I ever saw a single frown in the nine months we worked together. Miao-Chi also participated in Utsav, as one of the dancers.
Shanna Groom – Shanna is one of the school’s Fisher Ambassadors which means she spends much of her time recruiting prospective students, giving tours, answering questions, and volunteering at events. She’s originally from Florida, so her and I would always joke about how much colder it was here last winter than at our respective home cities. Shanna is one of the few students who came straight from undergrad, but she's demonstrated that she can hold her own both inside and outside the classroom.
Will Thomas – Will is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio and is currently studying abroad in Monterrey, Mexico. He transitioned seamlessly from the non-profit world and interned at Burger King this summer (where he got to take some sweet pictures with the King). He was my workout partner for most of last year, and we went to the Arnold Classic together with a small group of friends.
As a team last year, we focused on two things: excellent performance in the classroom and having fun throughout the process. I think we did a good job of achieving both of these goals throughout the year. We consistently received high marks on our project deliverables, while still finding time to celebrate and enjoy each other’s company. We also recognized our cultural differences and used them as an opportunity to learn more about the world around us, rather than an inconvenience. Much time was spent teaching each other about different customs, practices, and business etiquette in each of our home countries.
Some say it's the 1985 Chicago Bears, some say it's the 1972 Miami Dolphins, but my vote goes to Ashish Brothers for the greatest team of all time.
Enter: Video Montage.
Mike ^_^