The IA has changed my life, not to be cliché or anything, but it has certainly impacted me in a POSITIVE way. It happened in the right time, and I'm exceptionally GRATEFUL to be part of it. Without the IA, I wouldn’t have a clear idea of who I am or what I want to do, I wouldn’t of learned how to find value to make my life more purpose, and without it, I wouldn’t have learned how to fail and be perseverant. These are just some of the many valuable lessons the IA has IMPRINTED and gifted me with. Because this has been such a REATTRIBUTING experience, we—as the first IA class—have decided that we want to give back to our community by sharing everything we’ve learned these two years. The lessons and experiences acquired here are unparalleled. 

The class has been divided into two groups: BlendZ and IA final thesis. We have to to maximize our PRODUCTIVITY and test out if BlendZ can be managed by only 6 people, this is the perfect time to do so.  The IA final thesis group is currently working on a project, somewhat like the iWEEK, where we go to a secondary school—somewhere in Peru, the location is still to be determined—and we give the kids (14+) workshops on some of the MAJOR lessons we’ve learned in the IA like: autonomy, passion, mastery, mindset, personal branding, and others. We want to give lessons that will REMAIN with them, not theory that will fade with time. The idea is to challenge the students to create an innovative solution to a local problem, and at the same time applying what they’ve learned in the workshops, learn how to collaborate, and also learn about design thinking through the process. Also, the last day, each group would pitch their ideas and we pick the project we believe in the most, and we will also help fund it with the money of BlendZ. Finally, through the week, we would also film a documentary that not only ENCOMPASSES what we'll be doing, but also captures what the IA means to us and how it's CHANGED us. 

Nothing will be set in stone until we've found the schools. Therefore, we are in the process of searching for schools that are willing to give us the TIME of their teachers and students, so that we can carry out our project. We've just started, but contacting schools, has been our biggest challenge so far. As I think more and more about this project I get infinitely INSPIRED and DELIGHTED to work. The project still needs to be defined and twitched around, but I'm certain that our interaction with a small school and community will make an IMPACT, in them and also in us. 

When you have a clear audience, you are able to understand their needs and SERVE them better. By having a set community and school, we will be able to change our plan to make and make our visit more RELEVANT. Additionally, once we know the school we can do deeper research and serve their needs closer.  Yesterday, during lunch, I was brainstorming and talking about the project with my classmates and I realized that even though they would BENEFIT from workshops and the challenge, we could maybe--as we learn more about the community--pose a bigger challenge to help them LONG-TERM. I would maintain the workshops, but like I mentioned previously, with lessons and not with heavy content that they will forget. 

During lunch, Paolo mentioned his idea about installing a well, we would bring the materials and we would CHALLENGE the community and us to build it over the week.  Even though, the idea of building a well was metaphorical it got me thinking on how we could MODIFY the project we have now and make it even more significant to our audience.  I see the VALUE in both ideas, and I don't see why we can't merge both. Right now, I’m not quite sure where I want to go with this thought, but I’ll keep thinking about it, and it will become more clear as we have a established community. I believe that our main focus this week is to find our AUDIENCE, so we can develop further the project. 

I feel E M P O W E R E D. 


EMPOWERED to make a difference in a some children's lives, to GIVE BACK to my community, and to create something that will give VALUE, to others and to me. Taking on this project is the perfect GOLDEN FINALE to end our crazy adventure. It comprises who we are and what the IA means to us. And as we find the school, the more we will define the project, and the more meaningful it will become. 

A sushi genius once said:

JIRO ONO--the leading sushi chef in the world--wakes up every morning eager to prepare sushi, but not any kind, the most EXCEPTIONAL sushi in the world. It’s not about the money or the fame; it’s about following a PASSION that gives his life meaning, and still keeps him in kitchen with 85 years of age. 

There is no more valuable feeling that doing what you LOVE and MASTERING it. 

To me, Jiro is the perfect example of SUCCESS, because he’s not only found his C R A F T, but exceeds in it. He LOVES what he does, he INSPIRES people, he conveys PASSION, and PERFECTION through his delectable food. Money, is not his focus; money is just a by-product. There are few people who truly find PURPOSE in life; we are too focused on seeking high pay checks, studying  the most hired careers, and fighting for the head positions at work. We have completely forgotten to explore what makes each of us HAPPY, or we have simply left it aside. Why are we so scared to follow our passions? We have defined passions as: "they won’t pay the bills" or "they won't help us succeed". We have decided that if they don't give us money, they are not worth our TIME, even if they make us smile.

Is this the right MINDSET? Do we have the right definition of SUCCESS?

SUCCESS is not about having a big title, the latest iPhone, or a mansion; success is about finding YOUR CRAFT. A craft that enlightens you inside, even, when you just think about it. However, it's a CHALLENGE, and your craft won’t just come to you. You must EXPLORE, EXPERIENCE, and TRY NEW THINGS  in order to find that something that DEFINES you and gives your life an aim. The IA has helped me define who I am. Even though I haven’t found my craft yet, I feel that I’ve embarked myself in the right road, which is helping me explore it deeper.

Every morning—during the week—my alarm screams "wake up" at 6:20 am, I stand up and walk to the shower, change, brush my hair and teeth, dry my hair, disconnect both my computer and phone from their chargers, walk out to the breakfast table, eat, put on my shoes, and finally, at 7:00 am sharp, I’m already pressing the elevator button to go downstairs to the car. I follow this ROUTINE everyday—unconsciously—because it has helped me to be EFFICIENT, stay ORGANIZED, and REMEMBER to bring everything to school. 

We all have systems and they make us more PRODUCTIVE. Schools have systems, businesses have systems, and even the human body has systems. We have to SYSTEMATIZE certain things in order to make then a constant habit, instead of just having another task we have to complete.  When you have a system, you know exactly when to do that something it and how to do it, things FLOW by themselves; however, without systems, you have to set yourself remainders to do things and sometimes you MISS them. 

Last class—in Blendz—Gisella and I created a system so that the ordering of fruit runs smoother. Every week, we drown Jorge Cocchella’s email inbox with fruit orders, we order different quantities and flavors each time.  It gets CHAOTIC and BEWILDERING. This week, for example, we forgot to order for the Monday 16 because we didn’t know how many smoothie bags we had, how much had to be ordered, and what flavor had to be ordered.  Our department was FALLING APART because of a lack of structure; we had no inventory or ordering system, and since none of us were participating in the Monday’s sale, we completely forgot to order. Thus, we had to make an EMERGENCY call and rush our order. 

No fruit means: UNHAPPY customers, and LOST sale opportunity.

Systems don’t have to be too SOPHISTICATED nor PUZZLING, they can be simple reminders or short routines that allow your business to run tranquil.  Just like they talk about in “The Checklist Manifesto”, they shouldn’t have more than NINE steps, which is the average capacity a human can remember. Once a routine becomes a habit, you have nothing to worry about, no more missing tasks, no more mistakes, and no more rushing orders. For Blendz sales, we ‘ve decided that every Monday we are selling Ma’Berry, every Thursday we are selling Berry-B, and both days we are selling Banorange since it’s the only non-diary smoothie we have. The system for ordering goes as following:

This structure will facilitate our supplier’s PRODUCTION and DELIVERY, and it will also allow us to stay coordinated, and make sure we always have enough fruit for the events, even when we are not the ones in shift to sell. Now, we only have to order once a week, same flavors, and same amount. No more SATURATED inboxes.

AUTONOMY is key in a company--and anywhere really--because it fosters CREATIVITY and INNOVATION. This is why we have to break out from that squared, structured, systematic box. Nonetheless, it’s important to maintain organization and accounting of things, this is why SYSTEMS are created. We should create structures that keep us on top of things, but don’t limit our imagination. We should create structures that are detailed, but don’t make us sheep. We should create structures with different steps, but have space to freely pivot or modify things if needed. We should use systems to organize our creativity and company, they should't be threatening, if so, something has to be changed. SYSTEMS, are essential for success. 

Media is EVERYTHING. Media is EVERYWHERE. Media MATTERS. The whole world revolves around media. It has become part of our daily routine, our habits, because it has changed the way we communicate and interact, how businesses market, the accessibly of information, and how we learn. The Internet has REVOLUTIONIZED our modern world.

With only a few CLICKS, you can reach out to people living on the other side of the globe. With a few CLICKS, you can create meaningful advertisements to catch more consumer eyes. With a few CLICKS, you can begin a worldwide conversation by creating a hashtag. MARKETER, more than anyone, have taken control over the media world—especially social media—and have redefined its use. Who knew that a tweet or an Instagram post could reach so many people?  Well, companies are currently HARNESSING the power of these social media sites to reach out to consumers; we’ve seen the impact. Today sales are increasing and advertisements are becoming YouTube sensations.  

The INTERNET and MEDIA have become the most P O W E R F U L phenomenons of our time, they are crucial.

The future of MARKETING is media because this tool has allowed us to create trends, conversations with customers, and even spread the information or promotions around—with one click—to the entire word. MEDIA has made advertising cheaper, expeditious, and efficient. 

As college approaches, I soon have to begin deciding what path I want to follow, and what career I want to pursue. I’m almost certain that I want to study business—major in marketing—for my future career. Therefore, for my IBG I’ve decided to work on my media skills; even though, I won’t start my career right ahead, mastering Photoshop, Illustrator, knowing how to manage social media, and even learning how keep a good online presence are some basics for my career.  The faster I begin to MASTER them, the more SKILLFUL I'll become. 

People, who DOMINATE media, DOMINATE the business world. I, for example, have been a victim of the social media marketing fever. In my Instagram account I follow a user called “JamaWena”, which is managed by some friends in school. They post delicious dishes, snacks, and desserts they eat around in Lima, gastronomic capital. Many times I’ve used their Instagram profile as a culinary guide. Even though they do it for entertainment, they are actually marketing the different restaurants, and as a result people are going there, including myself. They have achieved COMMANDING many foodie’s actions.

Media has played a huge role in globalization and networking. It's certainly imperative for the future, and especially key for a marketing carear. If marketing is something I want to pursue, learning how to manage this POWERFUL tool smartly is a great beginning. Media literacy is INDISPENSABLE today. Therefore, if you want to have a memorable online presence, a well known business, or the skills to produce distinct ad, don't satay behind, and begin to UNLOCK the tricks and secrets MEDIA has to offer.