Tales from the MBA trenches!

Over the past few years I have created a few different businesses that I am currently working on expanding, etc. During this time I have spent a great deal of time working on business plans and private placement memorandums along with marketing and advertising and dealing with the various personalities that one must deal with here in LA. It's been an interesting challenge and it's reminded me of how much of an entrepreneur I am. Having said all that...

The last degree I earned (2004) was my MA in screenwriting/ mass communications. I must say that film school sped by so quickly and I had a blast refining my screenwriting skills that I hardly felt like I was in grad school…

As some of you may know I have been interested in getting my MBA for some time now. While I do have access to USC and UCLA here in LA, I realized that I wasn't particularly interested in setting foot inside the classroom. So I began my search several months ago for the university that would fit my needs and that had a stellar online program. I narrowed my choices to 3 schools and then decided on one of them. I applied and was accepted and have recently completed my first week of my MBA program!

The excellent school I chose is Regis University. Regis is a Top Tier Western University. Founded in 1877, Regis University is located in Denver, CO, on a picturesque 90-acre campus overlooking the Rocky Mountains. Regis University is regionally accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and is one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities nationwide - others include Georgetown University, Boston College and the University of San Francisco. For more information you can visit www.regis.edu or www.mbaregis.com

The first week was filled with lots and lots of spreadsheet work and business plan reviews and creation. I spent about 7 hours working on spreadsheets Sunday night. Fortunately for me Erica is also getting her MBA too, so I am not alone in the trenches. Together, we'll be even better equipped to put all of our ventures on a much larger scale.

I find myself most interested in two areas: marketing and financing. After much thought, I've decided to get an MBA in Marketing. The bottom line is that a business will never succeed if you do not know the market and how to reach your potential clients. Everything in Hollywood is about marketing...long before the cameras start to roll we're thinking about marketing.

How do I learn online? Well the program itself is a year-round three semester MBA which takes two years or 6 semesters to complete. Each semester is broken up into two 8-week sessions. There is a fast track option which allows you to complete your MBA in 16 months if you double up on classes. I am strongly considering this as time goes on. I find myself far too busy to want to linger in the program for the full two years. I'd like to get done sooner.

I've found that online learning will deter lazy people who are used to showing up at class and not contributing. There is absolutely no way to fake it here. If you do not participate in online discussions everybody knows it. This I like. It means that my peers must be disciplined, committed and prepared.

Each week consists of the following: streaming video lectures, lots of reading, various assignments, and additional work and research for a marketing/business plan. All assignments must be turned in to the professors on the designated days, in addition it is mandatory to participate in class discussions on the message boards and to communicate with others about the current issues. I feel challenged and I like sitting down to do the work. But at times, I feel like I am not leaving the computer which I already spend a lot of time at!

This week and the next few weeks we will be knee deep in Statistics. I fear I may have more spreadsheets to do!

I will be chronicling my time with the MBA weekly so please feel free to ask questions and follow along.