Ever Think of Starting a Business? An Interview with Vantage Point MBA’s Co-Founder
If you’ve ever thought about starting a business, this story may inspire you. If you enjoy reading about entrepreneurs who took that leap, check out Vantage Point MBA Co-Founder Melody Jones’s recent interview with digital magazine, GoSolo.
In the interview, Melody explains how she and her Co-Founder (and best friend), Meredith Shields, turned their passion for coaching aspiring MBAs into a thriving consulting team. Today, they help more than one hundred applicants gain admission to top MBA programs each year. She also discusses the biggest challenge she faced on her entrepreneurial journey. In addition, she explains why she is passionate about MBA admissions consulting. She then shares her top three tips for anyone thinking about starting a business, excerpted here:
“GoSolo: What are the top tips you’d give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Melody: I love this question! Sharing my experience and lessons learned brings me so much joy.
#1 – If I had waited for everything to be perfect before starting my business, I would probably still be waiting. I didn’t have every answer or know every challenge ahead of time. While I never encourage carelessness, don’t let perfection get in the way of progress. Sometimes you simply have to take a leap of faith. Trust that you will figure things out along the way. If you surround yourself with trusted mentors (and/or an incredible business partner), you’ll always have someone to lean on when inevitable challenges arise.
#2 – Focus on people! Those people can be your clients, your suppliers, and most importantly, your team. Put them first in all that you do, and success will follow. This may seem idealistic, but I’ve seen it make sound business sense too.
#3 – Invest in automation! It’s very easy to implement and maintain manual processes when the business is small and getting off the ground. Initially, it might make sense to try different methods before you figure out what makes sense for your business. However, once you’re ready to hit the gas on growth, automating your processes and systems will enable you to do so seamlessly without needing to work around the clock. For example, investing in a robust CRM system has been a game-changer for my business. It’s worth every penny.”
Read the feature for much more on Melody’s journey, including how she made the transition from investment banking to Columbia Business School to a career in marketing to founding Vantage Point MBA Admissions Consulting. She inspires us every day and we think she’ll do the same for you!
Katie is a passionate mentor and coach, helping her clients craft a unique, compelling story by leveraging her experience as a corporate executive, alumni interviewer, and campus recruiter. Before completing her MBA at Kellogg, Katie spent five years in banking where she learned practical finance skills as well as how to operate in a demanding, high pressure environment. She pursued an MBA in order to transition to an industry role where she could utilize her finance knowledge to drive change within an organization. Post-MBA, she worked in finance and strategy for a leading CPG firm, progressing to an executive role leading the finance function for a $2B business segment. Her experience managing diverse teams led to a passion for developing others. In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities, she led her firm’s MBA recruiting efforts and served as an alumni admissions interviewer for Kellogg.
