After spending five years in marketing strategy and advertising, Allison Shimamoto (Darden, ‘19) moved to Charlottesville to accelerate her career through an MBA at Darden. During her time at Darden, Allison immersed herself in the MBA experience, serving in a variety of roles ranging from Chair of the Darden Resilience Initiative Committee to the Lead of Darden Stories, and learned about the importance of pursuing initiatives and ideas she was truly passionate about. In our interview, she shared some of her reflections from her experience at Darden.
MBASchooled: What was the most important lesson you learned in business school?
My time at Darden has brought with it many valuable lessons, but if I had to name one, it’d be the importance of pursuing your passions. Often it’s the scariest decisions that bring the greatest rewards in our careers.
Long before starting school, I’d imagined making a business out of my love of natural hair and skincare. But, I didn’t know how to execute my vision, and frankly was not sure I had the chops to take the plunge. With encouraging professors and supportive classmates I launched my venture this summer, Oemi Botanicals, and have really enjoyed applying the tools I’ve acquired at Darden to make this dream a reality. So if you’re flirting with a new idea, give it a shot! What’s the worst that could happen?
MBASchooled: What part of you has undergone the most transformation as a result of business school?
“Time is our most valuable nonrenewable resource, and if we want to treat it with respect, we need to set priorities.” – Albert-Laszlo Barabasi
I love this quote. There is so much to do and see in your two years. A constant dance of academic, social and recruiting activities, where the three can never be in balance at one time. Before Darden, I can’t say that I had the command of my calendar that I do now. To be honest, I was a bit disorganized!
Today, I choose to invest time in the things I care most about, and depend heavily on my bullet journal to prioritize my to dos at the start of each day. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to know how to run a meeting efficiently!
MBASchooled: What was your favorite memory from business school?
In the final days of school, I had the honor of performing with the Darden Faculty Band. I sang as an undergraduate in a student acapella group, Shades of Brown, and have missed it! It was really cool to get to know some of my favorite professors in a new way, and jam out together in rehearsals. It’s something I will never forget.
MBASchooled: During your time at Darden, you were involved in a number of student activities. Was there one that was especially meaningful or impactful?
My time as Chair of the Darden Resilience Initiative Committee. The Darden Resilience Initiative seeks to promote mental health and wellness for students to better equip them to be resilient, compassionate, and self-aware leaders who rise in the face of adversity. We worked with faculty, staff, students and our Resident Psychologist, Dr. Debbie Wilson to make safe spaces for challenging conversations like, what it’s like to re-enter society as a military veteran or what does it mean to truly carve out time for self care.
I was fortunate to have the pleasure of working with a committee of peers who worked tirelessly to bring innovative solutions and programming to the Darden student body. My favorite of which was a Yappy Hour where Darden dog-parents brought their pups to play therapy animals for an afternoon and run around on the green!
MBASchooled: How has your outlook on yourself and your own career changed as a result of your MBA Experience?
I think I have a better sense of who I am as a person, and what sorts of things bring me joy, both personally and professionally. As an MBA, you’re challenged almost to a breaking point and in two years you find that when the rollercoaster has ended, you’re overcome with joy by the courage, drive and accomplishment you’ve shown to get through.
To get there, I learned how useful prioritizing self care and meditation can be to reset and rejuvenate. I learned to lean on family and friends in times of need and to reciprocate the support whenever I can. And lastly, that it’s truly possible to make a career out of what you love to do, and for me, I enjoy solving unique and diverse problems, and look forward to new adventures as a management consultant.
MBASchooled: What advice do you have for other students on how they can make the most of their MBA Experience?
Focus on spending time with people who are different than you in background, demography, and thought. By learning more about others, you’ll learn more about yourself and the world. Not to mention, making lifelong friends too!