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After graduating from the University of Texas-Austin (McCombs) with her MBA, Lucero Perez began her post-MBA journey after graduating from Texas McCombs by transitioning into a career in management consulting, before switching to a career in Tech at an enterprise software company. Along the way, Lucero navigated the post-MBA career and life journey with the support of family and friends, and her own career ambitions. During this conversation, Lucero spoke about her journey to transitioning to life after graduating, some of the highs and lows, and provided her own advice to how to best navigate career and life after graduating from business school.
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Transcript
Al Dea (00:35):
Welcome back to the MBA insider podcast. My name is Al Dea I’m the host of the Emmy insider podcast and the founder of MBA school.com. Today. I’m excited because I have the Lucero Perez who is an MBA grad from the class of 2016, uh, from the Texas McCombs school of business. And I’m excited today to talk to the Lucero and about her story from McCombs, and really since she’s graduated and moving on into the life after business school realm. So first and foremost, Lucero, thanks for being here today. I’m really excited to get to talk to you and to have you share a little bit more about your story. So I guess maybe just to start, so walk us through graduation. So I presume it’s a pretty exciting time, certainly maybe some mixed emotions, but talk to me a little bit more about what was going on and what that felt like for you.
Lucero Perez (01:17):
Sure. It was a surreal experience because I worked so hard to prepare for an applied to business school and then starting business school was a dream. And I think it took me a while when I was in graduation to realize that it was over and really what was happening. So I think experienced a mix of emotions, gratitude, and a bit of nostalgia and some kind of sadness. That’s something that was so important and so big that I had worked so hard for was over, but also a Pang of regret to, Hey, should I have done more? Should I have taken this other class? Should I have connected with more people? I think in general that the thing that wrapped everything up was gratitude and obviously kind of like a tackle of Texas heat. Yeah. It was a beautiful mix.
Al Dea (02:01):
Yeah. Yeah, for sure. And as you maybe just to follow up there, as you think about, as you mentioned, it was something you were grateful for and it was there anyone in particular or who was either with you on the journey or who helped you on the journey, who you were particularly grateful for. Does anyone stick out from your experience who made an impact? Um, either leading up to getting into business school or throughout the experience,
Lucero Perez (02:22):
My husband, we weren’t married at the time and he was working in Dallas. I was living in Austin and I think he would come like every other week and make me and my roommates dinner and go grocery shopping. So I think just that support system of him and then my family and friends outside of business school, honestly, to keep me grounded, because I think once a year in this program and this experience, you’re all going through the same thing you’re going after jobs. And it’s like this way of living and symptoms. You forget what the rest of the world is like. And so I don’t know, this is my husband keeps me fed and helped me be healthy, but also keep me grounded. But my friends and family very grateful for them. Yeah.
Al Dea (02:57):
I’m sure your roommates appreciated getting meals from your husband as well.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
Kidding me. They call him my boyfriend to our collective boyfriend. That’s
Al Dea (03:06):
That’s super funny. That’s great. Okay, so you graduate and you have, you’re very grateful, little sad, ready to start the next experience. So talk a little bit about what was it like to transition out of business school, back into the working world and into your first post MBA job?
Lucero Perez (03:25):
Yeah, so it was strange at first all because I had this amazing opportunity of business school, but I hit a pause button and I went back to fully like learn and immerse myself in this environment that I had never been involved in because I grew up in Southern Mexico. So it was a completely different experience for me. And then I took two months off after the end of my master’s, my MBA to travel around Mexico and Cuba. And so then coming back to work and having a regular schedule was a significant change for me because I hadn’t had that in over two years, but it was also exciting because it was meeting a bunch of new people and learning on the go, I wasn’t consulting at Deloitte. And I think in some ways it was easier for me than for some of my peers because consulting has this kind of defined path at the beginning where your staff in a project, you do certain types of projects and then you’ve finished. Who wants to the next, I think in general, I got lucky because my first project was in Santa Fe, New Mexico. And I had a really cool team that was composed of mostly women, very supportive bury intelligence. And also I wasn’t Santa Fe New Mexico. It was a dream location. So I think it was weird at first, but really a wonderful experience for my first job after business school.
Al Dea (04:29):
That’s great. Could you talk a little bit more, maybe what were some of the exciting aspects of either being in that first job or just being in post MBA life and then maybe on the flip side of that, what were some of the challenging aspects of that as well? Yeah,
Lucero Perez (04:43):
I think it was exciting to get paid again. That was really great, but it was to have a steady paycheck. So that was one thing for me, it was also exciting that I was in that technology implementation project and I was on the part of organizational change management, which that was new to me in general, but I was in an industry that I had some experience before in public sector. So I think making that connection of something new with something old was exciting for me. And also it was exciting to come back to Deloitte. I had interned there and reconnecting with the people that I either interned with or that I met while I was there in the summer of my, in between year one and year two of business school was great. So you said what’s exciting. I think that was exciting. What was challenging is really because I kept having that voice inside my head that said, it’s what you’re doing. Good enough. Are you good enough for this? Are you a good fit for this? Like the normal imposter syndrome kind of question. That was really challenging for me.
Al Dea (05:32):
Yeah. So let’s talk about that because I know that’s not something that is something that you just face. I know it’s something that a lot of people face and would love to just maybe know, how did you navigate that? Or how did you work through that? Because I do think it’s something that is really difficult sometimes to work through and having worked in consulting. I also know that one of the things I, that makes it sometimes challenging about consulting is that when you, every time you get put on a new project, it’s basically just another chance for imposter syndrome to come creep in, right?
Lucero Perez (06:06):
Yes. Yeah. I think your question was, how do you work through it? I think building rich relationships within consulting and sharing that with people, because at the beginning I felt like I’m alone. Let’s, don’t let them discover me. Like it probably was a bad hire, but then when you share that with other people, you realize that you’re not the only one. And I think that is the first step to be like, okay, I’m not alone. And that feels so much better, but also acknowledging, Hey, this was a new experience for me. And when you’re experienced something new, you probably are going to have some failures and you’re going to learn. So like shifting that lens to, yeah, let’s focus on what you did and celebrate that. Let’s focus on what, what you, maybe you, where you made a mistake, but it was also acknowledged that it was a first experience for you. And let’s make sure that you take that and then put it back into, Hey, how am I going to do it better next time? Kind of like that mindset of growth and development as opposed to, oh, you did it wrong, that’s it? It’s done. I think that’s how I worked through it, but it’s a practice I’m still working through it in my new job. I’ll yeah,
Al Dea (07:05):
I think we all are. I think we all are still working with it. Whoa. So one of the things that you said was you talked a little bit about the importance of relationships, and I also know that you mentioned you had been a summer intern at Deloitte and then before coming back full-time but would just love to know just on that notion, how did you know, I think in consulting particularly like relationships, particularly a big firm are like really important, but how did being able to come back to it in a full-time opportunity having had that experience that previous summer, how did that help you, particularly with things like finding, you know, good projects or finding the right people and just, can you talk a little bit about just how all of that importance or that chance to have a couple of months to build those relationships and meet people maybe helped onboard you faster when you did come back full-time for Deloitte?
Lucero Perez (07:51):
Yeah, so I felt the first thing that gets very tactical as I came back to use systems that I knew already, and then principals other organization, like kind of what is important for them. I knew because I’ve learned over the summer. And so I think that part, I had that familiarity and so it immediately helped me be like, okay, I know this place I’ve used the systems, I’ve experienced some type of project that is similar to what I’m about to get into for my first project. So that was definitely helpful. And I think at least in consulting, and I wonder if this was your experience as well, it’s all about relationships. And so my focus during the internship was to build meaningful, genuine relationships, not just for, I want to get something out of you, but like I’m generally curious about you as a person and then coming back and reconnecting with those people that helped me find a job. So I think what I would say is knowing, coming back to a familiar place, helped to onboard quicker and going back to the connections that I had made that I felt like this was a genuine connection that also helped the time.
Al Dea (08:46):
Yeah, no, I agree with both of those things. And I, part of the reason why I asked the question too, is because I do know that within the context of a large corporation relationships, really, but also within the context of a large management consulting firm, they’re really your ticket to finding the right projects or being able to work on things that are interesting to you, but also to, from a performance management perspective and just building your own kind of brand and whatnot, they are really important. And so much of how you develop and grow, uh, particularly within consulting firms is relationship based in terms of they’re often the ways in which you do get those development opportunities or their stretch roles, or being able to work on something that is really interesting. And it’s, I think I’m fortunate to, and that I think like you, maybe I’m genuinely curious about people, so that stuff comes second nature to me, but I know that’s not always easy for other people or they’re not everyone looks at a large organization and is, oh, this is great. I’m going to meet all the, get to meet all these people. They might look at it and be a little intimidated by it. So it can be tricky I guess, to be able to do that. Yeah,
Lucero Perez (09:48):
I agree. And just the point of artists, I think it really helped me because I had the opportunity to start full-time after the MBA with some people that did an intern at Deloitte. And I could definitely tell that I was more comfortable. Yeah, yeah. Then they weren’t. Yeah, for sure. And yeah, I totally agree with you just one or two at that point.
Al Dea (10:05):
Well, and I think you’re right. And I think the other thing that comes with it is there is a, any job has an onboarding or ramp time, right? Like it does take time to get up to speed, but I do, and I’m probably biased because I worked in consulting for so long, but I do think that there is a little bit of nuance and to the ways of working within the context of consulting that sometimes even take maybe a little bit longer, or just start a little bit more different. And I think that might also be some of the things that maybe you saw in terms of what, how you were able to ramp once you started full-time versus maybe someone who perhaps didn’t a summer there and their learning curve that they had.
Lucero Perez (10:42):
Sure. Yeah. I also had a lot of help from new people that had been there for longer and I didn’t do it on my own, but yeah, it was a good opportunity to be able to compare myself to my peers that hadn’t had that internship experience and how we just got things a little bit quicker,
Al Dea (10:57):
For sure. So we’d also love to know maybe going back into that first job, we often talk about what’s the ROI of an MBA there’s people that will go into the quantifiable benefits, but we’ll just also love to know just from a tactical level, as you think back to that first job, what were some, either experiences you had or examples where you could tell that your MBA had helped you either because of an experience or something that you drew upon from your time in business school, or just, uh, what were some examples of how the MBA really helped you in that first job?
Lucero Perez (11:28):
Yeah. And so I think my MBA confirmed my belief that no matter how smart you are, you don’t have all the perspectives, but you cannot claim to have every perspective have considered every possible experience, particularly as it relates to your customers and you need those to create something successful. And I think that I already had an idea of that, but I think that was really clear to me in business school. So that experience and that helped me, um, who transition into my first job. And I also think it helped me th the business school experience with that infinite sense of curiosity, to ask the right questions, to take a beginner’s mindset, because in business school, I come from a nonprofit public sector background. And so I was generally curious and be like, Hey, I’m not an expert here. I’m a beginner in many of these topics that I’m taking classes on and what questions do I need to ask?
Lucero Perez (12:17):
What experience am I having? And what experience with somebody that hasn’t, doesn’t have knowledge in this particular technology that we were implementing right at Deloitte or this particular type of communication, like what would experience be like, and what questions would we need to ask to make sure that we’re understanding where they are? And I think that was super helpful for me. I went back to familiar territory because I was, I did some consulting before in Paris. And so I knew kind of what that process looked like, but definitely the business will help me be a little bit more curious and not think that I have all the answers.
Al Dea (12:48):
Yeah. And I think again, like beating a dead horse here, but I think those are not only important for any job, but particularly for a job like consulting where there’s always a little bit of this nuance in terms of obviously people hire consultants for their expertise. But particularly when you’re coming in, either at the undergrad or MBA level, a lot of times they’re not necessarily always hiring you for your specific expertise in something, right? Like they’re hiring you for your ability to learn or your ability to gain that expertise rapidly. And to your point, and again, tying some things here together, I do think that’s sometimes where the imposter syndrome comes in because you do you feel like you’re supposed to be the expert, but you are at a point, at least at that point when you’re first starting out where you probably have in many cases, the least amount of expertise, because you’re just getting started and, and you haven’t ramped.
Al Dea (13:42):
And so it is this kind of nuance of yes, they are hiring you for your expertise, but like collectively as a team, that’s probably true for your specific role. I think at least early on, I think to your point, it is to be curious, and it is to ask the right questions and it is to bring the bear, the other resources or knowledge that exists and collect that we work as a team to get there. And then over time you start to build your expertise in a particular industry or function or whatnot. But I at least, yeah. At least to me, that’s where I feel like a lot of the imposter syndrome comes in, right?
Lucero Perez (14:18):
Yes. It is like many things can be true. Like you’re feeling like you’re an adequate Brioso was like, Hey, I began to around an external person that comes in an external view. So I should also ask what, I guess you could label them dumb questions or two simple questions. Okay. Why is this on this way in a way? So I think if you want to take something that’s positive from that, it’s also, Hey, let’s ask basic questions because maybe this people have been like your clients, for example, have been too much into this way of doing things and do this process and do this technology right. That they don’t even ask themselves like, Hey, why are we doing it this way again? What is the goal? What’s the purpose? And so I think that was it. I would like to spend things positively sometimes. So I think that would be the positive spin, but for sure, being put in a new situation over and over again with projects definitely is, is not helpful for the imposter syndrome. For
Al Dea (15:03):
Sure. Could you maybe also talk a little bit about just cause because consulting is just an industry where you, it is very people and relationship focused and team-based and collaborative. Could you talk maybe a little bit about any experiences in business school that maybe helped navigate some of that just because you are working with so many different teams and people like in a consulting environment and you do definitely have the potential to do a lot of that in business school as well.
Lucero Perez (15:29):
Yeah, I think in general, like in looking back business school is a bunch of projects and different topics together and with different teams. So I think starting from the core where we were assigned to a group of people to go through the first semester, I had a very different team. Like I was the only woman to begin with. And then people were had expertise in marketing and finance. I had some expertise in like change management in way from my previous job and just probably policy. And so I had also that perspective, I think, learning to work with these people and communicate effectively and use the words maybe that they understand that was incredibly helpful and then throw a business school and every class at different projects with different people and being comfortable talking to them and working with them from different backgrounds. I think that was the most invaluable experience because it’s like you can put a price tag to that. Yeah,
Al Dea (16:18):
For sure. No, I like to say that business school is just one big group project or a rotating air to your point rotating set of group projects. But no, I think that makes a ton of sense. So I want to switch topics just to think more just about just general like life. So I would love to just know from you, what is the benefit of hindsight and knowing what you’ve been through over the past couple of years and just how you’ve grown both personally and professionally, what’s something you wish you knew about this life post MBA that you know now, but that maybe you didn’t know before you started these, this past couple of year journey.
Lucero Perez (16:52):
Yeah. So I think it’s the, you don’t have to know to the T what is the best possible path for you? Because I think they grill on us like, Hey, you have got to know what you want to do. And you have, if you’re in consulting or investment banking, you’re recruiting from day one. And I understand why they do that, but you don’t have to know exactly what you want to do. Like it’s more of a, to me it’s, if you think that business school is a group project, then the life of their business school is an experiment to implement what you learn. And that’s a group project. I think you may decide, for example, for myself, I decided to pursue consulting and that was the right decision for me at the time. But it wasn’t really what I wanted to do with the rest of my work life and pay.
Lucero Perez (17:28):
That was a great experiment. I learned some things I’m going to apply that to my next job. And then I’m going to pursue something else because what I thought was maybe a good career for me for the next 10 years, it wasn’t anymore. My needs changed. So let’s try something new. And I think taking those U-turn sometimes it’s okay. And that doesn’t mean that you’re a failure. I think that careers, a long stretch, you can take features and experiments to confirm what you wanted is indeed what you wanted, or even if you took some things for granted, from what you have and then want to come back. So I just think it’s a one big experiment after business school.
Al Dea (18:02):
I really love that analogy that you gave and just in terms of being a series of experiments. And I agree with you. I think one of the things that I always try to tell students when I get the chances that for 99.5% of you, the first job you take out of business school is not going to be the last one. And for, and I’m living proof, you’re living proof. I can count, I can just name off all the people I know who are living proof for that. And that might be true for industry company function, et cetera. So I think that there’s that element of it. And I think it’s hard to sometimes believe when you’re going through that, because you’re so focused on getting the job or getting the internship. So I understand why it doesn’t maybe register as much, but we all know that to be true, but I do love the idea and the notion of the experiment, because there are a lot of possibilities that can happen and it is hard to really predict too much of the future. There’s just, it just is. And I guess maybe on, as a followup to that, could you share either an experiment you had after business school or maybe something, a direction you went in that maybe you didn’t think you were going to go in when you were thinking about this in business school, or was there like an experiment that you you had after business school that was maybe different than what you had imagined kind of like when you were in the MBA experience itself?
Lucero Perez (19:20):
Oh man, that’s a good question. I think what I’m doing right now is I’m experiment. After business school, I went through the Lloyd that’s I thought that’s what I wanted. And then I realized that I didn’t, and I realized that also what I really wanted to do, I grew up in Mexico. And so I wanted to be able to work in Mexico and this position that I’m in right now with Workday, I’m a volume manager. And so they hired me initially to focus in the Mexico territory because they were opening up shop and it was a leap, right? Because I had been already a manager at Deloitte, I was managing teams and trying to figure out, Hey, what is the next step for me? And I went to the side to try an individual contributor role, to focus in Mexico, which is something that I was really passionate about.
Lucero Perez (19:58):
And so I think it’s going right. It’s been an interesting experience because I started in the pandemic and we can talk about that to a third in April last year. And so it’s all been virtual, but I think that is one of the big experiments that I said, Hey, I want to work in Mexico. I haven’t had the chance to do that at Deloitte for several reasons. And I want to try it out and I’m willing to maybe take a step side or maybe a bit of a step-down to try that out and to see if it’s what I want to do and doing something completely different. Cause yeah, we call it internally business consulting services, but it is different from what I was doing. It’s been great. It’s been a good learning experience and managing this whole thing with the pandemic. It’s also been part of the experiment. I don’t have final results yet now, but I will let you know when I sure.
Al Dea (20:38):
For sure. And on that notion, I would love to know, because I think it’s, I think that’s great that you decided to move to an individual contributor role because you realized there was this other thing you could do to explore versus continuing on the path that you were going up. But could you talk me more about that decision? Like how, like what made you excited about that? Or what was hard about that? Like you said, I think it’s very, I think maybe very easy to like say, okay, now I’m managing a team. The next thing for me is to manage two teams are now they’re an imaging two teams. It’s now it’s to manage a full program. Now that I’m managing the whole program. Now I want to be the one to sell the program and then cause naturally that’s the up and to the right that’s that’s the curve that you’re supposed to take versus like jumping off it and moving to a new one. So could you talk a little bit about making that decision or how that came about? Yeah. Yeah.
Lucero Perez (21:25):
And so I think I like to give a little context, so stop me if I’m giving you enough. But last, my last year at Deloitte, that was 20, gosh, it was 2020, but really throughout 2019, I realized that as I was going deeper into or had more experience as a manager and managing one team, I’m like, okay, the next step, as you said, is managing two teams. I don’t like my life right now as much. I like the way, if you asked me to define myself, I would be telling you that I’m a consultant and I’m a lot more, much, I’m much more than that. And so I stopped liking what my answer was to who you are or what are you enjoy doing? And also the path that I still moving forward, where I was, which was moving to the next level, the next year in consulting, I just didn’t know anybody that had a life.
Lucero Perez (22:07):
I didn’t want it. I met a lot of people who are in that particular level and I just didn’t my life didn’t resonate with them and it’s not what I was pursuing. I had the great opportunity to take a long break. I went on a 10 a week honeymoon to Southeast Asia and took a three month off a three month leave of absence. And so I think I had a lot of times to reflect into what I wanted to do, what I wanted in my life to be like. And really what I wanted is I wanted a chance to work in Mexico, especially if I could make dollars because let’s face it. It’s so much better that way. And I also wanted to have a live that would allow me time to pursue other interests and pursue other hobbies. And so I would not define myself through my work, but more through the relationships and the other impact that I had outside of work.
Lucero Perez (22:52):
And I think that was really clear to me. And so when I came back from that trip, I was still at Deloitte and I saw the job at Workday and I applied because they wanted somebody to work in Mexico to open up the practice. And I was going through the process. I think the other decision criteria that came into play was that the idea of being scrappy, right? Hey, we’re starting, we’re figuring this out. We are going to work closer together. We’re going to wear multiple hats, but we’re funded by a larger organization. That’s really successful and focused on the development of their people. And so I think that was the last thing I liked that feeling of starting something new. I liked that feeling of being scrappy and figuring it out. And so I think those three things, there are, say three, maybe
Speaker 4 (23:29):
Having
Lucero Perez (23:29):
A life that you enjoy, not defining yourself by the, by what you do at work. And then also having the experience of starting something from scratch and figure.
Al Dea (23:39):
I think that’s, I think that’s a great way to frame it. I really liked that. So you brought it up. So I guess I have to ask you about it. Talk a little bit, starting a new job during a pandemic. And just also just think so talking about that, but also just thinking about it in the context of what you said of just you sometimes eat, prepare, and you make the right decision based off the information you have and then sometimes things change. And so how has that gone?
Lucero Perez (23:59):
It’s going, it was wild and I will be grateful to work there forever for doing so much to try to figure it out. I, in one of my round of interviews was in person and that was the one time that I met people at Workday, then everything else has been remote. I haven’t been able to travel to the prospect sites to do the patients. So it just, it’s been fun, isolating experience, honestly, and I’m trying to experiment, okay, let’s have virtual coffee chats with my colleagues to get to know them better because the way they speak about the comradery and the culture of the, the value consulting practice within, within Workday, Hey, these are experiences before the pandemic. I don’t have that kind of connection. That kind of experience. I cannot speak to that. And so how do I make sure that I feel connected, that I feel that I’m supported by my team while being remote.
Lucero Perez (24:45):
And so I think I’ve just been trying different. Yeah. Different approaches, mostly coffee chats and just like, Hey, I don’t know, you’re in the same practice. Do you want to connect for 15 minutes and see what we’re all about? And so that has been, I think something that’s helped, but it has been a weird experience and yeah, things have shifted like organizationally you have shift the resources way of doing things. And so I think, I guess as an organization, we’re figuring out how to sell in this environment because it, at the beginning it was like, oh, this is temporary. And I know it’s temporary, but it’s extended for so long that we’re like changing the way we do things. And I think it’s exciting and terrifying at the same time. Like I’m learning how to do this job and then everything is changing now. Okay, good. Let’s go. So, um, that was the long answer out, but that’s pretty much what it’s been like. No,
Al Dea (25:28):
It sounds like a journey and it sounds like you’re rolling with the punches as best as you can. And we’re hopeful that at some point you will get to meet your colleagues in person. I think we all hope that we all have that. So one thing I did want to ask you about is just this notion of success, I guess maybe where you are now, I’d love to know in your own words, what does success mean to you?
Lucero Perez (25:47):
Okay. So I think I would start with being started with working on maybe being involved in high-value activities in general, in work in life that bring me energy, reducing busy work as much as possible, understanding that there would be busy times our work that maybe I had to scale back at other things that I’d like to do, like my hobbies and that’s okay. But that also I have a way of supporting myself and my family and a job that allows me to have time to rest and to truly rest. So I can be more creative and have time to pursue hobbies. I think I’m switching my lens into thinking that work is just that, and we can have an impact then it’s great, but it’s just a job. And that I want to make sure that I, in my life, I have time to do that job, but also to pursue other things that I’m passionate about and rest. So I could be creative. I think that’s, it’s not balanced, but it’s figuring out the flow of and life.
Al Dea (26:45):
I really like that description. And I’m just curious, how do you track or manage to, or figure out if you are like working towards that versus not there where you want to be and then maybe being able to course correct. Do you have anything that keeps you honest or that you keep as a, kind of, almost like a checkpoint, if you will, just to make sure that you are working towards what you want to be working towards in terms of that vision of success?
Lucero Perez (27:12):
I think I pay attention to myself and my body and my reactions, right? Like how I feel throughout the day. And then especially at the end of a work they had like how I feel and the weekend, do I feel like I have time to do something or do I feel like I’m just resting because, but resting in a sense, like I’m exhausted. I don’t even have time to think. So pay attention to my body and my emotional reaction to what I’m doing. And also having a partner, having my husband here and being together all this time. He’s a good barometer of saying, Hey, you’re complaining too much or Hey, you don’t have energy. You, we haven’t done. We practiced yoga together. So we haven’t found time to practice yoga because you don’t even want to talk about that or like even think about it. Uh, I think that’s a good way for me to match if I’m having many days like that, I need to step back and make a change because that’s not what, that’s not what I want my life to be like. And so I think paying attention to my body, my emotional reaction throughout the day, and then also at the end of the day, and then sharing that with my husband, I think has been how I keep myself in check.
Al Dea (28:09):
Those are all very great ways to keep, uh, keep yourself honest, moose. Sarah, thank you so much for being here today, I guess before we close out, I guess last question for you. So four soon to be, or a recent MBA grads. What advice do you have for them just in terms of navigating life after business school?
Lucero Perez (28:25):
What an exciting time Ray is a great place to be. I think when you’re about to graduate and I think what I’ll tell, and I tell anybody that I connect with, it’s be curious as you’re graduating and transitioning into the world of work, be curious about the work, be curious about the business. Like what, how does a business make money? What is, what are the customs, the internal norms the what’s spoken, what’s not spoken and also take time to get to know your colleagues personally. I’m I guess, a relationship that learns. So I think be curious about people generally about what they care about, what their life is like, not just the work, but outside be patient because you don’t have all the answers and don’t assume that you do, but also don’t beat yourself too hard for not knowing, just acknowledge when you’re going through something new, tell yourself that this is something new for me, that it’s okay to make mistakes, because I haven’t been through this before and just dig deeper and try to different approaches to something like experiment.
Lucero Perez (29:20):
Once you come across the same problem, same type of project, more than once. So that’s be patient with yourself and be patient with the approach that you take and finally be humble experience. The experience is just, I have a lot to learn and that’s okay. That’s fine. I actually am looking forward to learning that. And I think to borrow from, I spent some time at the tremor, Erika and Formica, Dallas Fort worth that region. And something that I remember from the values is that I wouldn’t like to share that you are powerful yet unfinished. So be curious, be patient and be humble,
Al Dea (29:52):
Wonderful advice of the syrup press. Thank you so much for joining me today and for sharing your life post business school. I really appreciate your insights.
Lucero Perez (30:00):
Oh, thank you. It was a pleasure joining you all. Thank you so much for having me.