Series Review: Suits

I was still in high school in 2011 when I started watching Suits. The pilot series was just launched and I randomly found the show online. I decided to try it out & I was lured in so badly. Mike Ross, one of the protagonists in the show had a photographic memory, memorized the US laws & regulations and passed the bar exam for someone else. I was mesmerized by the smart lines & conversations between the characters. Harvey Specter the character that has filled all social media with his quotes empowered me to believe I can conquer anything. What a series! “People like this, I LIKE THIS” and that was Harvey’s unorthodox hand gesture implying that most people have a very low bar, and he raises / sets the bar.

The story rotates around Harvey Specter a lawyer in New York who graduated from Harvard and him hiring Mike Ross, his side kick in all of his suited up adventures.  Everyone accepted to the law firm he works in has to be a Harvard graduate. The problem is that most people don’t impress Harvey, a successful character that works alone. But Jessica (the managing director & his boss) forces him to pick someone. The only person that impresses him with a smart line is a photographic memory protégé who has no law degree. The series has several characters that appease the taste of whomever watches the series. It has a law / corporate environment for those who aspire to be in corporate jobs later on.

I find shows the like of Suits quite impressive, appeasing and ridiculously entertaining. I would recommend watching it if you ever feel demotivated or if you feel your work is taking you no-where. It can actually make you feel that the excel sheet you are currently working on can change the world. Each season from the show is cut to two parts (summer and winter). Every time the series launches again a surge of excitement runs through my blood. Enjoy the series and if you started watching it after this review give us your feedback!

Movie Review: The Inside Job

 

 

Finance is not limited to those who study it. It is a phenomenon rather than a major or profession. Today most people in our Arab world do not understand the financial crisis of 2008 & its implications. They have no clue what CDOs mean & they do not understand how IB (Investment Banking) came to exist. That is simply because financiers made sure that they complicate financial terminologies, which in return made it easier to scam normal individuals like you and I. To have a better understanding of the financial crisis, I recommend watching the “Inside Job”, an Oscar winning documentary that stars Matt Damon as the voice behind the scenes. I found it very luring as it does not take the pace of traditional documentaries. It also tries to eliminate any boring scenery that could make it tenuous & painful to watch.

Being a finance major, I understood the financial crisis very well, as most of my banking and risk courses were based on this particular “Black Swan” & how to regulate the financial markets. Yet, I found it very hard to explain it to people outside of my major. Inside Job simplifies it & makes it interesting to watch. I think it is very important to have the whole world aware of the mess caused by a few irresponsible individuals. I think it’s as important to make people aware that most of the individuals responsible for this mess went off the hook with almost no penalizing what so ever. Most of the unethical habits have been savored & nothing has changed. Big bonuses are still checked in by high level executives and their pay is still incomprehensible by logic.

 

I won’t be ruining the movie for you, but I truly think It is a movie worth the watch. Tune into Inside Job on Netflix!

Previous Review: The Founder

 

McDonalds, McDonalds, McDonalds, what a success! Well, all credits go to a man named Ray Kroc.

 

In the mid 1950’s, after numerous attempts to sell milkshakes to restaurants, Ray Kroc suddenly got introduced to a well performing California Hamburger Stall that was getting a lot of attraction from customers. He later was able to convince its owners to franchise it and was able to turn it into the Godzilla of fast food brands. Throughout the movie, Ray Kroc stumbles upon many challenges and debates with the owners but always manages to overcome them given his supreme persistence behavior. As the franchise grows bigger, he gets greedier yet more persistent and clever. Eventually, he went on to becoming the founder of the biggest fast food restaurant in the world.

 

This movie/documentary offers amazing insights into the world of franchising and the challenges that come with it in terms of competition, sales and creativity. One of the concepts showcased in the movie and emphasized upon is the importance of evolving and changing in business. Ray Croc who started as a partner and franchisee of the Mcdonald’s brand was always an enthusiast of adding new ideas, products, innovations and services. Whereas, the McDonald’s brothers (The Founders) were satisfied with the status quo and against any idea proposed to enhance the business and innovate on the products and service. We all know that businesses that fail to change and innovate die one way or another for change is the only constant.

Another concept of importance was the value of customer service and satisfaction, Mcdonald’s was one of the innovators in terms of Total Quality Management. This was mainly through the way the kitchen was designed, the division of labor inside the kitchen and the speedy service to the customers who by the way got their food by waitresses to their cars.

This bright, absorbing biopic – in a very real sense, a monster movie – sets out how he did it. It’s eye-opening, well-acted, and darkly entertaining.

 

 

 

Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.   “Napoleon Hill”

5 Things To Consider Before Doing Your Masters

 

Taking the decision of going abroad is never an easy one, it usually requires some planning and some decision making to make sure it’s the best fit. When choosing to do masters program abroad you should consider the following:

 

The Program:

Choosing a suitable masters program is one of the toughest decisions I had to make. It’s the kind of decision with the point of no return ( especially if you paid your tuition at the beginning).

When considering a business program apart from the general MBA which requires some years of experience, you have 3 options.

1. Choose a continuation program of your major. For example: If you have a bachelors in finance you can continue a masters degree in finance, get more knowledge in the field and do your research accordingly.
2. Choose a program under the umbrella of your bachelors program. For example: Mastering in corporate finance if you have a bachelors in finance or international marketing if you studied international business or marketing.
3. Doing something completely different! For example: If you have a a bachelors in management but with a twist for an entrepreneurial spirit, doing a masters in entrepreneurship is always a great option

 

The School:

When looking for a good business school, you will be drowning in options. The choices are many, but the ones who attain certain qualities of education are a different story.

It is recommended to take a good look at the accreditations a business school has. The definition of accreditiations is:

Accreditation is a process of validation in which colleges, universities and other institutions of higher learning are evaluated. The standards for accreditation are set by a peer review board whose members include faculty from various accredited colleges and universities.

Make sure the school has at least 1 accreditation and a good reputation. This will definitely influence your job opportunities later on

 

The Courses:

Once you settle on a program, take a quick look at the courses offered for your program. The difference between what you have in mind and reality might come as a shock and influence your performance if you have no clue what to expect.

The Country:

 

Do your research on the country you plan on living in for it will be a year minimum. Check the visa requirements if you need one, the cost of living there (including food, rent and transportation). Take a quick look on the culture, things to do and student life. You are not going to be working 24/7!

Countries like France for example offer students help in rent expenses and is a great place to have fun and check the area and culture (Also, the wine is amazing)

 

The tuition:

When looking for a suitable business school, you will be surprised that many schools offer almost the same programs while having relatively the same reputations and accreditations. The only difference would be a sizable sum of tuition especially if you are interested in going to Europe. Choose wisely!

 

Stay tuned for more articles on how to choose the best business program for you!

 

 

 

 

House Of Lies

House Of Lies

 

General Plot:

A bit of an extreme peak into the life of business consultants and consulting companies. Marty Kahn is a management consultant who along with his team pave the way into consulting business and go through the maze of business and management consulting.

You don’t have to be a business professional to completely understand the series, but learning about analysis methods, their applications and how corporations do business is what you can take. It also provides great insights into dealing with people especially regarding meeting and sales strategies.

Please be advised, the series contains sexual scenes and foul language.

What you can learn:

“Leave whatever your afraid of at the door”

Get Out Of Your Head!

Have you ever felt so bored and helpless? Of course you did. Remember some occasions where you just wanted time to pass and get done with it. For students and people seeking a good experience, feeling bored and being stuck, counting seconds is part of the package.

Whether you are in a boring class or you are just having a dull day in your internship, you conclude that you just aren’t feeling it! I remember attending certain classes where I spent half of it staring at the wall and the other half scrolling through my Facebook page.

This mental  system is something I have devised to help get me back on track. It is very simple and will help you re-motivate and reset. After you’re done daydreaming or scrolling through your social media ,just ask yourself a couple of questions

1.Why am I here doing this?

2.What will be the end results after all of this is over?

3.Who am I doing this for?

4.What value will it add eventually?

Thinking about the answers gets you into a state of awareness. That new state will help you acknowledge that pulling through this class is a must to get your degree, or getting through this certain project will help you add a valuable experience on your resume. When you feel too comfortable or stuck in your comfort zone, ask yourself these questions, re-invigorate yourself and get to work!

 

Movie Review: Joy

Joy

General Plot:

 

The story of an entrepreneur called Joy , who is leading a very difficult life full of adversity.  Joy is attempting to create an empire from her product. A cleaning mop!.The movie truly portrays the challenges, failures and circumstantial issues that face many people who attempt to start their own businesses.

Why Should you watch it?

Many business students dream of starting their own business one day, mainly to leave the corporate world and be their own boss. This movie provides amazing insight on the reality of such choices and teaches valuable lessons on persistence and perseverance.

 

Lesson learned:

“You make your own luck”

If you ever start a Business-The Shark Tank Series

The Shark tank show to many business students is a business degree by itself! For those of you who don’t know shark tank, tune in to a great reality show connecting billionaires willing to invest their money with future entrepreneurs and businesses. They present their ideas, products or services and sharks decide whether to invest  or not. Famous billionaires such as Marc Cuban, Kevin O’Leary, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec, Barbara Corcoran and Lori Greiner surely get things interesting with their questions and usually put contestants in a tough spot.

After watching 8 seasons of shark tank over and over again, I took the liberty of compiling a list of questions asked on the show that might come in handy when considering starting your own business endeavor!

The Basics

What is your product or Service?

This might seem very obvious, but you really need to define the product or service you are offering

What need does it fulfill in the market?

In many situations, an idea pops up that really does not fill any need in the market. Take it behind the barn and shoot it as Kevin O’Leary says

What are your target markets?

it is very important to have a target market that is properly defined

What is the business model you want to use?

If you dont have a business model in mind, get to work

Are you in the right place?

Are you in the right country and starting at the right time? is it politically unstable? are the laws of the country in your favor or against you?

Where do you see the business in 3 months, 1 year, 3 years, 5 years and 10 years?

having a definite plan for the upcoming short and long term periods keeps things in check and steady.

The Technical Stuff

Do you have a proper valuation?

Make sure the numbers make sense when presenting your business or doing the “Pitch”. If you ever want to get investors, don’t ask for a 100,000$  for 10% of your company if your yearly sales is 50,000$.

What Costs Do you have ?

Many contestants fail to know the fixed and the variable costs that they have which is usually a red flag. So, if your ever pitching in an accelerator or for angel investors, know your costs!

What are your projected sales and growth rates?

There are multiple ways to forecast projected sales for the upcoming year or quarter, make sure you use a reliable projection method which is realistic compared to your previous ones!

 

Stay tuned for more related articles!

4 things to Consider Before Choosing Your Business Major!

Choosing a major when considering to enter a  business school is one hell of a decision. Although most business schools give basic courses that are common to all business majors, what really counts are the 3-5 concentration courses that really make the difference on your career, perspective and mentality.

First, know what are you getting yourself into

Is it something I would handle studying for 3-4 years? It would be a terrible experience to go into accounting or finance major if you hate numbers, Or into economics if you hate charts and graphs!

 

Do your research about the market needs…

What are the future career opportunities? Sure, you can study finance and work in marketing later on, but is it worth all the effort?

Does it align with your passion?

Many people have a knack for investing even before going to business school while others might have an eye for campaigns and generally enjoy psychology related topics. Its obvious!

Finally,

What are the potential post graduate programs you would care to pursue?

While many business majors have multiple postgraduate masters programs, others have less options that would strictly bind you to one career. A Masters in digital marketing would be wonderful, but would not be helpful if you want to work as a banker!

Eventually, make sure you really think well about your options and decisions! you never know where life will take you!

 

Show me the Money!

This is the kind of article talking about a couple of examples where some kind of knowledge comes in handy. For a young business student or fresh graduate,