A coworker asked me as we were walking out of the office late one night why I was bothering with an MBA. This was a debate I’d held for years before finally deciding last year to apply.

I pointed to each of the offices that lined the exterior of the building and counted, “MBA, MBA, MBA, MBA…” Then, I pointed to each cubicle on the interior. “No MBA, No MBA, No MBA…”

An MBA isn’t required to have success (or an office with a door), but there is no denying a strong correlation between senior titles and those three letters. Considering the proliferation of the degree, in some companies it may be required to even get a desk.

My reasoning, however, for pursuing the degree is more nuanced than simple job envy.  It’s not like I haven’t had a successful career up until that point, or that I’m not capable of scraping out further success. An MBA for me has all of the obvious benefits of stronger job skills and better connections, but more importantly, it’s a pivot point in my career. The degree, the resulting perspective, and the cache I hope will lead me into different conversations with different people and different goals.

To some extent this objective has already been realized. Much of the content in my first two classes has already come up at work, and I’ve found the case studies and ideas from the classes are eagerly received by others who aren’t pursuing the degree.

The intention behind many of these blog articles is to share with the greater business community some of the highlights from my classes and the books that I’m reading. Please reach out if these articles help you and your business, or if you’d like to share some ideas too.