Dear reader,
This week's update title is not a pun, partially because it is pretty hard to think of a pun that contains the word "eighteen" and partially because I feel like a new era has begun. Instead of number puns, I will now be using number facts instead. This week's fact: Did you know cats can sleep, on average, up to 18 hours a day? I think I stay awake for 18 hours a day. However, cats and I have something in common: simply because we can do something doesn't mean we actually do it. Not all cats sleep for 18 hours a day, every day.
Similarly, I don't always do what I can do. On the surface, this sounds like a bad thing. Why not be all that you can be? Here's the answer: it's because in the real world, you have to make decisions and sacrifices and choose which doors to open and which doors to close. This past week, I've made a lot of choices and closed a lot of potential pathways. For example, while working on my Original Work, I decided to focus on qualitative research, not quantitative research. I will be surveying people over how certain elements of packaging make them feel, not surveying to see how many people like each type of packaging. I will be writing a formal research paper, not creating a slideshow.
However, my choices extend beyond the scope of this week's work. I made the decision to aim high for my Final Product (similar to Original Work, but instead of doing original research, we must create an original, tangible thing that showcases our learning) when I could have chosen to do some easy, mediocre product. I chose to challenge myself because it would be no fun otherwise. I chose to dream big and take risks.
I choose to make this journey remarkable, memorable, and unique.
I choose to try and amaze you.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
1/19 Weekly Update #17: Sewenteen, Sir!
Dear reader,
Can you do a Russian accent? The reason for this week's post title involves one. In the 2009 Star Trek reboot movie, Officer Anton Chekhov miraculously pulls off an engineering feat to save the ship, upon which Dr. McCoy asks him, "How old are you?", and Chekhov replies with "Seventeen, Sir!", except in a Russian accent, so it comes out as "Sewenteen".
Even though this entire exchange took all of 10 seconds, it really resonated with me. Oftentimes, people misunderstand or underestimate me because of my age, just like how McCoy didn't believe Chekhov could pull off something like that at 17. This is a big thing in ISM: we accomplish many things at a highschool age that many people don't expect us to be able to do.
However, we are lucky to have an astounding support network. Personally, I know I am extremely lucky to have found a mentor who is encouraging and helpful yet shares control of this mentorship with me. For the past week, I have been making my Original Work a reality and I had my first mentor visit!
My first mentor visit was amazing. I learned, in a couple hours, possibly more than I have in the past couple of months about how an ad agency runs. I got to see what it's like to work with clients and what it's like to conduct true market research. I also received priceless advice on how to conduct the research on my Original Work. Speaking of, once my Original Work is finished, I will upload it on here. There is so much more to come.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Can you do a Russian accent? The reason for this week's post title involves one. In the 2009 Star Trek reboot movie, Officer Anton Chekhov miraculously pulls off an engineering feat to save the ship, upon which Dr. McCoy asks him, "How old are you?", and Chekhov replies with "Seventeen, Sir!", except in a Russian accent, so it comes out as "Sewenteen".
Even though this entire exchange took all of 10 seconds, it really resonated with me. Oftentimes, people misunderstand or underestimate me because of my age, just like how McCoy didn't believe Chekhov could pull off something like that at 17. This is a big thing in ISM: we accomplish many things at a highschool age that many people don't expect us to be able to do.
However, we are lucky to have an astounding support network. Personally, I know I am extremely lucky to have found a mentor who is encouraging and helpful yet shares control of this mentorship with me. For the past week, I have been making my Original Work a reality and I had my first mentor visit!
My first mentor visit was amazing. I learned, in a couple hours, possibly more than I have in the past couple of months about how an ad agency runs. I got to see what it's like to work with clients and what it's like to conduct true market research. I also received priceless advice on how to conduct the research on my Original Work. Speaking of, once my Original Work is finished, I will upload it on here. There is so much more to come.
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Sunday, January 11, 2015
1/12 Weekly Update #16: Sweet Sixteen
Dear reader,
Why do we celebrate sweet sixteens? I actually have no idea, but I'd like to think it's not to celebrate coming of age, but that it is rather to celebrate the beauty of youth. Sixteen is that age where you're young and you know it, and the possibilities are seemingly endless. The reason this post is titled as it is is because this past week has given me that same sense of possibility and potential.
I have started to truly hash out the details to my Original Work, which will be a packaging study. Additionally, I have started to arrange mentor visits and it is all falling into place. Although I haven't gone on any interviews or completed anything new this week, it has been one of the most refreshing weeks in my journey. This week was a week of inspiration, of recharge, and of brainstorming.
I think best with a marker in my hand and a whiteboard at my disposal. For a solid 45 minutes, I brain-dumped all of my ideas onto the whiteboard and molded the beginnings of my Original Work. This creative catharsis is one of my favorite feelings in the world. You can practically taste the energy, and there is nobody there to tell you "no" but yourself. You get to try and consider things from as many different perspectives as possible, and it's immensely fun to put yourself in other people's shoes. You get to step back after you're done, look at the monster you've created on the board, and go Yes. I made that. And it's beautiful, even if nobody else understands it quite yet.
Next week, I will update you on my first mentor visit (if scheduling goes well) and the progression of my Original Work!
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Why do we celebrate sweet sixteens? I actually have no idea, but I'd like to think it's not to celebrate coming of age, but that it is rather to celebrate the beauty of youth. Sixteen is that age where you're young and you know it, and the possibilities are seemingly endless. The reason this post is titled as it is is because this past week has given me that same sense of possibility and potential.
I have started to truly hash out the details to my Original Work, which will be a packaging study. Additionally, I have started to arrange mentor visits and it is all falling into place. Although I haven't gone on any interviews or completed anything new this week, it has been one of the most refreshing weeks in my journey. This week was a week of inspiration, of recharge, and of brainstorming.
I think best with a marker in my hand and a whiteboard at my disposal. For a solid 45 minutes, I brain-dumped all of my ideas onto the whiteboard and molded the beginnings of my Original Work. This creative catharsis is one of my favorite feelings in the world. You can practically taste the energy, and there is nobody there to tell you "no" but yourself. You get to try and consider things from as many different perspectives as possible, and it's immensely fun to put yourself in other people's shoes. You get to step back after you're done, look at the monster you've created on the board, and go Yes. I made that. And it's beautiful, even if nobody else understands it quite yet.
Next week, I will update you on my first mentor visit (if scheduling goes well) and the progression of my Original Work!
Until next time,
Eileen Bau
Monday, January 5, 2015
1/5 Weekly Update #15: Quinceanara
Dear reader,
The past couple of weeks have been amazing. I've been on winter break for the past 2 weeks (which why I've been MIA), but now I'm ready to get back to work. This update will be written about the week before winter break.
To recap (from Weekly Update #14): I needed to find a mentor before the semester ended. Research Showcase was also coming up.
Tuesday was Research Showcase. It was exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. I've been working on my display board for hours and this event was basically the culmination of the first semester. Additionally, several school officials, professionals, and people important to me attended. I am satisfied with my performance. Basically, I knew that I had to stand out among the dozens of displays, so I set up a little marketing survey (data/results and analysis posted soon) in which each person physically put a sticker on my display (kind of like crowdsourced art/research). This data will be used as a preliminary study to help me plan my Original Work. (If you're confused about what this is, I believe it was addressed it Weekly Update #13)
On Thursday, I went to Slingshot LLC, an advertising agency in Dallas. I had a series of interviews with several professionals in their team, and they were all brilliant. However, in an even more exciting turn of events...I found a mentor! I haven't yet asked my mentor if I can publicly release details about them on this blog, so for now it will be kept under wraps. But I can tell you I am infinitely excited because I know that this mentorship will be invaluable.
The reason this post is entitled Quinceanara (A Latin-American tradition in which a girl celebrates her 15th birthday with a special religious ceremony and party) is because besides being the 15th week, this week was better than any birthday present anyone could for. I successfully found a mentor and proved that I'm not just another student interested in marketing, but that I am a student actively pursuing my dreams.
Until next week,
Eileen Bau
The past couple of weeks have been amazing. I've been on winter break for the past 2 weeks (which why I've been MIA), but now I'm ready to get back to work. This update will be written about the week before winter break.
To recap (from Weekly Update #14): I needed to find a mentor before the semester ended. Research Showcase was also coming up.
Tuesday was Research Showcase. It was exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. I've been working on my display board for hours and this event was basically the culmination of the first semester. Additionally, several school officials, professionals, and people important to me attended. I am satisfied with my performance. Basically, I knew that I had to stand out among the dozens of displays, so I set up a little marketing survey (data/results and analysis posted soon) in which each person physically put a sticker on my display (kind of like crowdsourced art/research). This data will be used as a preliminary study to help me plan my Original Work. (If you're confused about what this is, I believe it was addressed it Weekly Update #13)
On Thursday, I went to Slingshot LLC, an advertising agency in Dallas. I had a series of interviews with several professionals in their team, and they were all brilliant. However, in an even more exciting turn of events...I found a mentor! I haven't yet asked my mentor if I can publicly release details about them on this blog, so for now it will be kept under wraps. But I can tell you I am infinitely excited because I know that this mentorship will be invaluable.
The reason this post is entitled Quinceanara (A Latin-American tradition in which a girl celebrates her 15th birthday with a special religious ceremony and party) is because besides being the 15th week, this week was better than any birthday present anyone could for. I successfully found a mentor and proved that I'm not just another student interested in marketing, but that I am a student actively pursuing my dreams.
Until next week,
Eileen Bau
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