Catching Up

We're into our 3rd week of classes and the first one that wasn't modified by the start of the quarter or a holiday. Last week was MLK and I spent it in Vegas with buddies from undergrad and the GSB. I didn't play in the MBA poker tournament this year and spent my time instead watching lots of football, playing blackjack and playing some poker cash games. But I did sign up for the tourney as an observer and got a deal at Caesars, which was very nice. It was fun to stay on a different part of the strip than where we usually go. I also slept more than my usual Vegas schedule since I was trying to fight off a flu bug (successfully for the most part).

One of the nights that I turned in relatively early a bunch of us were flipping channels and came across a show called Flavor of Love on VH1. It is perhaps the most hysterical reality show I've ever seen - and also a strong sign of the continuing collapse of our society. Flava Flav of the rap group Public Enemy is in a Bachelor-type set up where he's choosing a companion from 10 or so women, all of whom have nicknames such as Honey, Cutie, Goldie and for the lone Asian on the show - ?Red Oyster? Memorable quotes include such gems as "Flava is such an intellectual" and at one point Flav takes a date to Red Lobster. If you ever want to witness a cultural wasteland and laugh in the process, this show is for you.

But anyhow, back to school. So far I really like what I'm taking - here are some highlights:

Sports Management: On the first day of class Carmen Policy (former president of the 49ers and Browns) came and talked about NFL expansion in LA among other NFL issues. Then at our last class Dusty Baker (manager of the Cubs) was in class.

High Performance Leadership: One component of this class is a small group session that meets for 2.5 hours each week in which we work through role plays, discuss issues in depth, etc. We've had two sessions so far and I think I'm going to get a lot out of them.

Building and Managing Sales Organizations: It's incredible that there's only one class on sales (and a relatively new one at that) at the GSB. I'm very glad I'm taking it and have already learned a lot about compensation, the pros and cons of using channels versus direct, etc. We're also in the midst of a simulation where I am a salesperson managing my own pipeline and thus far its a mixed bag. It gives me a whole new appreciation for salespeople.

I'm also busy organizing the Principal Investment Conference for the GSB. It includes a keynote and a series of panels about private equity, venture capital and real estate investing. The conference didn't happen last year, so me and the two other co-chairs are more or less starting from scratch. It has been a challenge, but it's coming together well. Here's the website link for the conference.