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An Entrepreneur within a Corporate Setting: July’s aMAIZEing Alumni

By Alexis Menard On July 19, 2019 11:15 am

Madison McCrum, BBA ’18 in Business Management with a focus in EIM.

Alumna, Madison McCrum, graduated from UM-Flint’s School of Management with a BBA in Business Management with a focus in EIM in 2018. Madison was involved with the Entrepreneurs Society and the Hagerman Center during her undergraduate studies. At the age of 22, Madison now works for a Fortune 500 company and has moved out of the state to work in North Carolina and Florida. She credits her decision to concentrate in entrepreneurship to her strong-willed personality. Having the go-getter attitude has impressed employers she has met. As our featured Alumna, Madison answers questions on why she chose UM-Flint, life after college, and advice for students interested in management. 

Why did you major in BBA Management with a focus on Entrepreneurship?

I chose a BBA with a focus in Entrepreneurship because as a strong willed individual I knew I would need the knowledge to one day pursue my own company. As a recent graduate however, employers have commented on how they love grads with an Entrepreneurship focus because they are impressed with our confidence and willingness to be a self starter! 

Why did you choose UM-Flint for your BBA? 

Initially, I would have to say I chose UM-Flint because my mother is a nursing professor there. However, what made me stay was how much I was challenged, particularly in the Entrepreneurship Society, Business Law class, and the multitude of business competitions I participated in, which later on impressed employers. 

What is one of your favorite experiences at UM-Flint? 

One of my favorite experiences I would have to say is just the day to day banter I could have with professors on an academic and personal level. They helped me achieve awards (Hagerman’s Zillion Solutions: University Improvement) and question why I was choosing the path I chose. Was I going to be challenged or become bored? Where did I see myself in 5-10 years? How do I better others by bettering myself?

Why did you choose to go into the career path you are currently in?

 I chose to work supply chain in corporate retail because I worked full time in retail all throughout college. I am given pretty much free reign of how I want to own my departments and manage my staff. I have to make the calls on inventory management, product shipment windows, and seasonality time frames. My boss calls it, “an entrepreneur within a corporate setting.”

What is one of your proudest accomplishments so far?

So far, my proudest accomplishment is not the fact that I have landed an amazing corporate job at 22 years old at a Fortune 500 company, nor moving to NC and FL for improving my career. My proudest accomplishment is that I can still call my favorite professor on campus, Dr. Witt, throw a scenario at him, and get his opinion. It’s the ties I have back home that make me most proud, that and Urban Meyer retiring. 

What advice would you give students that are thinking of pursuing a career in Management? 

My biggest words of advice would be to stay humble and hungry. No matter what goes on in your career, don’t burn bridges -including in college. Also, pursuing a management degree is phenomenal if you are willing to work very hard for it -stay hungry! You will only get what you put in for it. UM-Flint has more than enough opportunities for you to succeed. 

Fun Facts 

Since graduating, I have moved to North Carolina and Florida. I have adopted two black labs and love to go hiking! I am currently living in Florida and snorkel, go kayaking with manatees, or play beach volleyball with friends any chance I get! The coolest professor on campus is still my mom, Toni L. LaRocco (2nd place goes to Dr. Witt)! I am truly grateful for the memories I made UM-Flint -Go Blue! 

New Program: Master of Science in Leadership & Organizational Dynamics

The School of Management is launching a new program for Fall 2017!

Students will learn not only state-of-the-art theoretical underpinnings of leadership and organizational dynamics, but also how to strategically implement these theories through simulated “real world” applications and exercises in the classroom and the online environment.

Click MORE to apply today!

We are Hiring!

The UM-Flint School of Management is seeking a highly qualified and motivated Graduate Student Staff Assistant to support Advising starting in Spring 2017.  The position is for 8 hours per week.  Training will be provided by SOM Advisors during Spring/Summer 2017, plus hands-on-training with supervision.

Hagerman Student Scholars selected for the 2016-2017 Academic Year

The Hagerman Student Scholars program has been expanded for the 2016-2017 academic year by adding two additional students to the lineup for its annual Hagerman Student Scholar Award. The Hagerman Student Scholar award was created in 2015 to support future entrepreneurs. Hagerman Student Scholars become ambassadors of the Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation located inside the School of Management.

Lauren Adams, Bryan Halpin, Nolan Moore, Sean Tabor, and Emily Zoromski will step into their role of Hagerman Scholars in the Fall 2016 semester.  Along with receiving a $2,000 scholarship, they will become ambassadors of the School of Management Hagerman Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Through this opportunity, the scholars will expand their networking opportunities while working one on one with School of Management professors and the community.

Adams, a senior majoring in Business Administration, expressed her excitement about being selected as a Hagerman Scholar. “It’s exciting to get involved this early on since I am only in my third year. I am excited for the networking opportunities and community involvement,” said Adams.

Adams sees entrepreneurship and innovation as ways of creating positivity in the community. As a part of the National Society of Leadership and Success, she has found that traits she already possessed will suit her entrepreneur spirit. “[National Society of Leadership and Success] gave me realization of my strong traits and interests. I am embracing entrepreneurship because it will teach me to be a better leader and to take risks for positive changes,” she said.

Lauren Adams, 2016

Lauren Adams, 2016

Moore, a senior majoring in Business Administration, echoed Adams sentiments about receiving the award. “When I heard about it, I got really excited. I applied for it and I was lucky enough to get it,” said Moore. “It’s been a huge blessing to me and my family. My mom cried when I told her I got it.”

As someone who grew up just outside Flint, Moore was never unaware of the cities issues. After he graduates from college, he hopes to contribute to positive changes in the city. “I heard about the crime, the violence, the poverty, and the poor economic situations that have plagued the city for years. Hearing about these things can easily crush one’s hope for a better future. After attending the University of Michigan-Flint for four years now, I have seen things that have restored my hope for the city, and I want to be part of that,” he said.

As a senior, Moore can see the impact that it will have on his education and career outlook. “The simple fact is this will help me get though school,” he said. “This is going to be my last year and I can get through this year without a bunch of student debt. It’s going to relieve a lot of stress and help me get a jump start on my career.”

Nolan Moore, 2016

Nolan Moore, 2016

Halpin, a senior majoring in Supply Chain Management and Marketing, agrees that the financial stress of education can affect the choices students can make. He understands the financial burdens that affect college students and how they impact the time it takes to get a degree. Originally starting his college career in 2004, he took only one course each semester while working full time. He states that the sacrifices his wife and himself have made allowed him to pursue his college education full time. “I set myself up to have one year without a job to go to school full time and this award helps me achieve my goal; it helps me to get where I’m going,” said Halpin. “My wife and I have both sacrificed for me to get this degree. For the school to participate in that and help to ease our sacrifice is amazing to me.”

As a student who is already heavily involved with Entrepreneurs Society as their Vice President, Halpin understands the impact of Hagerman Student Ambassadors. “I think the ambassadorship, reaching out to the community and to other students, that’s going to be the most fun,” he said. “I look forward to helping people achieve their goals just like this scholarship helped me achieve mine. That’s going to be phenomenal.”

Bryan Haplin, 2016

Bryan Haplin, 2016

Tabor, a senior majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship, credits Dr. Michael Witt for igniting his passion for Entrepreneurship when he joined the Entrepreneurs Society. He was elected Vice President for the 2014-15 academic year and shortly after, transitioned to President for the 2015-2016 academic year. He pursued his passion by starting his own real estate investment company while attending school full time. Shortly after, he obtained an internship with SkyPoint Ventures. He hopes his work through SkyPoint Ventures will create opportunities for students to strengthen the surrounding community.

“I think it’s [the Hagerman Student Scholar Award] going to give hope to local entrepreneurs,” said Tabor. “It’s going to give hope to college grads who want to be entrepreneurs and realize that there are people out there who want to support them— people out there that understand the importance of small business and that they’re willing to give of their fortune to help someone create their own.”

Sean Tabor, 2016

Sean Tabor, 2016

Zoromski struggled to find her place in the beginning of her college career. She discovered her love for business and joined the Entrepreneur Society. It was there that she discovered her passion for working with others.

“That has had a really big impact on my college career,” she said. “I have met a lot of really great students with the same goals and mindset that I have. That’s had a big impact. You get different viewpoints on everything and just some of the projects you do, dealing with the people you are helping is really cool.”

Zoromski believes that future Hagerman Scholars will benefit and gain opportunities that otherwise would not be available. “I think that it’s [the Hagerman Student Scholar Award] going to help other students learn and grow,” said Zoromski. “Everyone wants scholarships and having the different things you’re involved in, from getting the scholarship, is a great learning opportunity for other business majors. I’m a finance major so letting people other than entrepreneurship majors know about this scholarship will be a great opportunity for them to learn about entrepreneurship.”

Emily Zoromski, 2016

Emily Zoromski, 2016

UM-Flint’s Unique Culture Leads To Unique Business Success

It’s a story of love, success, and stickers.

Kayla Cornell was on a study abroad trip with the University of Michigan-Flint when she walked into a little shop she wished was hers. It was a small stationary shop, and the communication and marketing student thought that someday she wished she could do something like that.

It probably worked out well, then, that she was on the verge of being engaged to a guy whose passion in life is seeing people realize their entrepreneurial dreams.

Click HERE for full article.

 

Breaking Down the Barrier of Communication Apprehension

Brian Blume, Ph. D.
Professor of Org. Behavior & HR Management
(Article by Kim Laux)

 

When commenting on the results of a study that identified the greatest fears among Americans, comedian Jerry Seinfeld joked that “at a funeral, more people would rather be the guy in the coffin than the one delivering the eulogy.”

Fear of public speaking ranked higher on the list than death itself.

Public speaking anxiety is only one form of what scholars call communication apprehension (CA), the fear or anxiety of real (or even anticipated) communication with another person. These feelings may also arise during one-on-one conversations or in group discussions/meetings.

Seeking to understand the implications of CA in the business world, Brian D. Blume, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resources at UM-Flint, conducted a study in which he measured this level of fear/anxiety in 263 students.

Professor Blume and his two coauthors took a closer look at the relationship between students’ CA scores and leadership, multicultural appreciation, adaptability and grades. Their article, “Communication Apprehension: A Barrier to Students’ Leadership, Adaptability, and Multicultural Appreciation,” appeared in the Academy of Management Learning & Education (Vol. 12, No. 2, 2013).

“My earlier studies indicate that CA can prevent otherwise highly-capable individuals from reaching their full-potential,” said Blume. “Most research from the communication literature focuses on reducing CA in the context of a speech or presentation. However, the ability to overcome CA in a team setting and in a one-on-one conversation is likely to influence practices that are important for both business students and working professionals.”

The study revealed that CA was negatively associated with students’ willingness to take on leadership opportunities, appreciation for a multicultural world, and adaptability to new situations. People higher in CA are more likely to experience anxiety when required to communicate, avoid situations demanding communication and speak less when such situations are unavoidable.

“We believe that more research is needed to develop interventions for these contexts,” said Blume. “For example, if someone is hesitant to speak up in a group/team setting or when interacting with other individuals, s/he may want to set a goal to give a certain amount of input in their next team meeting. S/he may also set a goal to talk to one new person a week by initiating a conversation.”

Professor Blume believes that the first step toward managing CA is self-awareness.

“An honest and accurate assessment of one’s level of CA and its potential effects on academic, social and future career outcomes is essential,” he said. “This should be assessed early on in college to help students understand what they may be experiencing and allow them to confront the anxiety they feel in certain situations.

“People should be educated regarding the implications of higher CA and encouraged to go against feelings of anxiety to communicate whenever possible, particularly in relatively low-risk learning environments like the classroom. This is consistent with the clever adage that, The biggest difference between an experienced speaker and an inexperienced speaker is when an experienced speaker is scared to death, he knows it is normal.”

To help someone become more self-aware of his or her level of communication apprehension, Professor Blume has posted a self-assessment (as well as his full article) at http://www.professorblume.com/research.html. He also included a guide to help with interpretation of the CA score and links to websites that offer practical suggestions for overcoming CA.

 

Entrepreneurs Society To Build Third Work/Live Home with HFH

Members of UM-Flint’s Entrepreneurs Society, an organization composed of School of Management students, helped Habitat for Humanity (HFH) build the first “Work/Live” house in Flint on West Fifth Street in June of 2012.

The Work/Live home contains both residential and commercial space, and provides the resident both affordable housing and an opportunity to become a self-sufficient small business owner. Now, the society will help HFH provide a third such house in the same neighborhood.

The success of the unique houses has attracted the interest of MasterCard. The company recently announced it is providing a $90,000 grant to the Genesee County HFH, and a total of $400,000 in grants to be awarded to five HFH affiliates in MasterCard target markets that will replicate the model created by Genesee County HFH and the UM-Flint Entrepreneurs Society. The five awarded affiliates will be visiting Flint in August for hands-on training.

The residents of the newest house will be small business owners Scott Hempel and Tyler Bienlein. They will soon have a new affordable space in the Grand Traverse District in downtown Flint for their tabletop gaming store, where they will work and live thanks to this innovative housing pilot.

“We are grateful to Genesee County Habitat for Humanity for their willingness to be creative and innovative in addressing the need for small business job creation, and to the University of Michigan-Flint Entrepreneur Society in making the connection and strengthening our business plan,” said Scott Hempel.

SOM’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence Michael Witt founded the Entrepreneurs Society in 2008. “We came up with the idea, along with Habitat,” said Witt. “Our management students learn how to start new businesses through this process by engaging in new company formation activities, such as conducting a needs assessment, define potential new businesses that meet those needs, recruit suitable candidates, help them create a business plan, set up financials, marketing plans, etc. We accommodate the needs of the new business and help them succeed.”