Coming into the room at CDL, the only thing that I was really looking forward to was being able to explore University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, not really knowing about what kind of shadowing I had gotten myself involved with. I did not really know why I had woken up at 5:00 a.m. to take public transportation from Richmond Hill to Downtown. What I never imagined was being able to experience a lifetime’s worth of insight in just the span of half a day.
I got into the introduction room and was blown away upon entering. I never thought that it was possible to have so many big names from Dubai, the UK, America, Russia, and Canada all gathered in one lecture hall only 10 meters away from me at most. CEOs, CFOs, CTOs, and COOs were crawling all over the place and there I was, nervous because I did not even know what a pilot even was coming in.
My nerves were made worse by my more than embarrassing experience, having to cut in at the end of my mentor’s first venture session to say my introduction, which I was told was supposed to be my name, school, and reason for being at CDL. My greeting was met by Novartis representative, Aaron Nelson, with: “That’s great, but this is his [the venture representative’s] time—not yours.” Already, before really having a conversation with my mentor, I messed up.
I did not get to clear the air either until 4 interviews later, when I was able to ask him 2 questions before he went to enjoy his short break. I was quite depressed by that point because the meetings were so quick and he has so much to tell each venture.
After the break, however, I realized the need to change my approach to each meeting so that I can get the most value from them. From that point on, I was able to take critical notes on each meeting, analyze feedback my mentor gave, and realize how honest and cutthroat his advice was—even participating in a conversation with a venture myself. Eventually, what I thought was merely just long, cutthroat meetings with an intimidating investor ended up actually being a version of the truth that is constructive and not sugar-coated, which I appreciated about CDL and the entire experience. I was finally able to understand that investors do not try to be mean or unfriendly at all; rather, they do not want to waste someone else’s time and ensures that they are not trying too hard to not “damage” the venture’s feelings.
After all 10 meetings were over, I talked with Aaron Nelson and shared all of the passion and enthusiasm that I had, as well as how motivated I felt, with knowledge about markets, entrepreneurship, and the world of investments. Even though my questions were definitely not at all the most fascinating or thought out, he still took time to give me the best answers and help me down my path in life, allowing me to put my passions into perspective and see what I could actually make a future out of.
I then had to overcome my fear of talking to these large names during the breaks, which a new friend of mine, Arooba, helped me to do. We tried to approach multiple investors during the first large group break, with no success. Yet, we were able to gain insight from MBA students that were helping ventures realize their products. Nova, a U of T MBA student who first studied microbiology at U of T and turned to business and politics, told me about her fascinating journey and insights. A venture also gave me insight as to how their experience has been, trying to finance and realize their products.
The day quickly drew to an end and I got a chance to talk to Ani, the head of CDL’s high school girls’ program.
From Ani’s wise experience, I would like to echo these messages:
If you have to ask yourself how do I find my passion? How do I try different stuff?
Well, it is important to not just be passionate about finding your passion but to think deep and far. You need to find what is a “home” for you and what you are passionate about. Taste test to create a palate and hone it. Allocate time for yourself to do something you are passionate about, not something that you have to do. Do it because you want to and make yourself do it.
Moreover, always look for people that people can work with. They say it takes 10,000 to be proficient at a skill, but if you watch tv 1 hour a day, for the rest of your life, think of how much time is wasted. After all, time is a scarce resource. I’m not saying that you need to spend all of your time studying, but find out how to maximize studying through habits and make it efficient to absorb. Find what works for you.
Ani is not the first person who has told me this, but this being the 10th time someone told me just that day has really let me let go of my stubbornness. All of these people with so much success to their name have to have a reason as to why they are telling me this. I have to let go of my traditional thinking and adapt to the insight I am given.
