After six years of running his own hospitality and restaurant business, Jose Cerecedo Lopez (WP Carey, ‘20) enrolled in ASU’s MBA program to identify the next step in his career. Through his time at ASU, he’s immersed himself in numerous clubs and activities, such as the Entrepreneurship Club, and serving as the VP of Diversity and Inclusion in the MBA Student Association. In our interview, Lopez talks about how these experiences have helped him grow, and find his purpose.
MBASchooled: Prior to business school, what did you do, and why did you choose to go to business school?
I did my undergrad in Finance and Accounting and in the last semester of college I had the opportunity to start my own business in the Hospitality/Restaurant industry where I worked for almost 6 years.
After a while running my business, I saw that I didn’t want to stay there more time and wanted a new and different challenge. I saw business school as a great opportunity to develop personally and professionally, and also having two years to rediscover my next steps.
MBASchooled: What was the most important lesson you learned in business school so far?
Business school has helped me realize that a lot of what I experienced as an entrepreneur is actually very valuable for the whole business world. When I came into business school, I thought that the fact of having experience only as an entrepreneur, never having a boss before or any taste of the corporate world, would represent a disadvantage for me. But, on the contrary, I actually saw that I brought a different and unique perspective to the classroom and enriched the diversity of thought. The lesson being: Every background and experience is useful in business, and that there is nothing more valuable than the diversity of thought.
MBASchooled: What part of you has undergone the most transformation as a result of business school so far?
The biggest transformation has been the opportunity to think about my future and my true purpose. The first thing I learned as an MBA candidate, thanks to a presentation given by our program director, was the concept “Ikigai”, a Japanese word whose meaning translates to a reason for being, encompassing joy, a sense of purpose and meaning and a feeling of well-being. Ikigai aims at finding one’s purpose at the intersection of doing what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can get paid to do. I’ve tried to focus my time here at business school in finding my “Ikigai” and by doing so, I’ve experienced a personal transformation that translates in a new way of seeing things, especially in my professional future.
MBASchooled: You are very active in student leadership activities, such as serving as VP of Diversity and Inclusion, Co-President of the Entrepreneurship Club, and President of the Golf Club. Why are you so involved, and how did you choose these activities?
As much as I like my classes and learning in the classroom environment, I love to go outside, put into practice what I’ve been reading, and learn from experience. I see all these leadership roles as an opportunity to have experiential learning, put into practice the knowledge acquired in the classroom, to develop strong relationships and, also, a way to give something back to the program that has given me a lot.
About how I choose these activities, it was mainly given by my interests and hobbies. My entrepreneurial experience drew me to the Entrepreneurship Club Activities since the very beginning; our club has the opportunity to attend meetings of a local Angel Investor group and this is an amazing experience. On the other hand, golf is a sport and activity that I really enjoy, and during my MBA has been an amazing way to strengthen relationships, network and have a great time. And for the VP as Diversity and Inclusion position, I was lucky to have been appointed and invited by the two presidents of my MBA class.
MBASchooled: As VP of Diversity and Inclusion, what is your role, and how are you creating a diverse and inclusive culture at WP Carey?
My role focuses on coordinating and planning activities where MBA students can showcase and share their cultural background, how they see business from their personal experience and perspective, what are some traits and characteristics that are unique of them, and how these reflect in the workplace.
MBASchooled: As a VP in the Student Government, what are some of the challenges and benefits of leading your peers?
Challenges: You have to be very open minded and take in mind everyone in your class, this goes back to the inclusion and diversity we all need to promote wherever we will be working.
Benefits: The satisfaction of knowing that you are working in projects and activities that bring benefits to your peers and the program as a whole.
MBASchooled: During your involvement in these roles, what was a challenge that you faced, how did you work through it, and what did you learn?
For the Entrepreneurship Club, we are currently getting ready to host the MBA VCIC (Venture Capital Investment Competition) West Regional in our campus.
We will be receiving 6 different teams from 6 different business schools, a diverse group of VC judges and founders from successful Start-Ups of our region that will come to pitch at ASU. Making this happen has taken hard work and determination: first, qualifying as hosts for the competition; then securing the funds, connecting with VCs that wanted to judge, and also finding founders with the time to come to pitch with us.
Doing all this, plus the regular workload of my classes, my other leadership roles, the time spent on my plans after the MBA, and my personal life, creates a nice and interesting challenge. But all this really helps me work on my planning and time management skills, and also gives me tons of opportunities to network outside the business school and talk with successful VCs and entrepreneurs, and that, for me, is priceless.
MBASchooled: As you re-enter the workforce, how do you see what you’ve learned as a result of these leadership positions helping you as you navigate your career?
I think that the big learning comes in the rediscovery of my purpose. My time in the MBA, all the experiences and lessons, have given me a new and different perspective in business and life which allows me to go out and seek for the opportunities that align with my purpose. I come out way more focused, with a defined strategy on mind of what a successful life looks to me, and with clear goals that I know I must reach in order to succeed.