Ever since I was a child, I knew I was going to start a business. I always liked problem solving, competing to be the best, and making sure I am better today than I was yesterday.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I had heard several high-profile entrepreneurs encourage those wanting to start businesses to choose a field they are passionate about. As I was trying to settle on a path that was interesting to me, I came across LED lights and immediately felt excited and connected.
The year was 2009. LED lighting was in its infancy, but I could see its benefits right away. It aligned with my environmental values because it was energy efficient and lasted longer than other technologies. And since it was in its early days, there were many people talking about it but no one was really doing much with it yet. I decided to be that person.
I started my business in Montreal and later branched out to other locations. Each light we sold was saving as much as 80% in electricity consumption and reducing waste on the planet. I felt proud with each successful sale. Proud because the business was growing, but also because I recognized the impact it was having on the environment.
In February 2013 I started looking at ERP (enterprise resource planning) software for the company. Various consultants were coming to the office and presenting their solutions, showing us the reporting their software could do. I remember thinking to myself, “I have no idea what these reports are telling me.” At that very moment I realized my engineering background would not be sufficient to take the business to the next level, and that I needed more business skills.
I checked McGill and the deadline for their MBA application was in March. That would give me about three weeks to get my documentation together and take the GMAT. I booked the GMAT for two weeks later and started to get my paperwork in order for the application. Luckily I got a 620 on the test, passed the McGill interview, and got into the part-time MBA program (PMBA). This was by far one of the best decisions I have ever made in the history of the company.
The PMBA had four extremely positive impacts on the me and the business.
- Of course, the first impact had to do with the curriculum. Prior to the PMBA, I had no exposure to the concept of “finance”. To me it was all just “accounting”. It was thanks to my McGill education that I started understanding the value of money, cash flow, etc. I also didn’t know anything about HR. The most influential courses in my program were related to human resources. As an entrepreneur I was too focused on the mechanics of the business, not realizing the human aspects of leadership. McGill taught me what to look for in people, how to encourage colleagues and how to give constructive feedback.
- I also met incredible people, especially in my own cohort. Even today I still brainstorm with every single one of them in their area of expertise. They are invested in our growth and really care about our progress. I am deeply grateful for their dedication. Beyond my cohort I have an extended network of classmates who inspire me and help me stay up to date with ever-changing business opportunities and challenges.
- The professors became my de facto advisory board. They took a personal interest in the success of my business. As with my classmates, I bounced ideas off of them, drew valuable insights from their experiences, and expanded my professional network by building on theirs. None of them held back from introducing me to people they thought could be helpful.
- Finally, I gained enormous value from the personal development that comes with doing an MBA. The program transformed my way of thinking. It taught me how to better understand myself and the people around me. I learned to recognize my own weaknesses and appreciate different personalities and their strengths.
We often associate a degree with its time and financial investments and with how it helps us progress in our careers. What we often forget is the impact it has on our non-professional lives and our self-growth. This is especially true with a part-time MBA, because most people go into the program with two or three years of work experience and come out of it with five or six years of work experience AND an MBA.
My cohort and I have discussed this question several times: Now that it’s been almost 10 years since we started our MBA, knowing what we know now, would we still sign up to do the same? And the answer has always been a resounding “Yes”. Our McGill MBA gave us the equivalent of 15 to 20 years of work experience concentrated in two or three years.