Cardinal Mail from The Summer Business Institute
Hey Mom and Dad! Things are going really well here in Washington D.C. at the Summer Business Institute! I cannot believe it is the last day. I am learning so much about business as well as having a great time exploring the city! Here is everything that we did yesterday!
In the morning, we focused on Marketing! The first speaker of the day was Stew Mchie, who spoke to us about traditional Marketing. Stew opened our eyes to the fact that marketing is everywhere we look. For example, when we wear clothing brands, we are marketing products to anyone who sees us. Stew explained how we tend to be influenced to buy certain products because other people use them. For example, if one of our friends is wearing a Nike shirt, we may want to purchase a Nike shirt too because it looks cool on them and we want to look cool too!
Stew also shared how good brands understand their customers when they provide a product or service. Part of marketing is ensuring that customers have a great experience with the brand, so they will keep using the product or services and tell their friends to do so as well. Stew used the example of Disney to show how little actions and details can go a long way for the customer. Their attention to detail is why families return year after to year to the happiest place on earth. Maybe we should plan a trip to Disney!
Let me tell you about the next amazing speaker, Ellen Johnson! Ellen focused on Digital Marketing. She explained how we are constantly subjected to ads that are marketed specifically for our needs on things like the radio, TV, and social media . Ellen used the example of the eyeglass company, Warby Paker, to explain how they market to their target audience of millennials through young and hip social media ads. I really enjoyed learning all about the different styles of Marketing. My group and I created a Marketing plan that we will use to convince the judges that we deserve to win the Shark Tank competition!
After learning how to market our products, we headed over to Monroe Street Market for lunch. There were so many options to pick from that I could not decide! Some of the popular places to eat on Monroe Street are &pizza, Chipotle, Potbelly’s and Busboys and Poets! Lunch was super yummy, and what’s really cool is that all of these places are right across the street from Catholic U’s campus. After lunch, I was eager to get back and listen to the last two speakers of the Summer Business Institute.
Laurence Alvarado, an entrepreneur and management professor at Catholic University, started off the afternoon with an intriguing presentation about Catholic Social Doctrine and a company’s responsibility to serve the common good. We dived deep into how Amazon and Uber apply Catholic Social Doctrine in their business model in order to be a “force for good.” It was interesting to look at companies from a Catholic Social Teaching point of view and even vote on which CSD the companies were complying with to serve society.
Next, we learned how to sell our products from a professional salesperson and professor at Catholic U, Mark Weber! Professor Weber kept us on our toes by calling on random Cardinals, having us introduce ourselves and answer questions, teaching us the importance of self confidence in sales. The highlight of his talk was when he brought three cardinals on the stage to compete in a sales competition! It was so entertaining to watch my friends get competitive to sell why their parents should let them attend the Summer Business Institute! After his speech, he even walked around to each of the tables to help us plan the perfect sales pitch that no judge could say no to! It was the perfect presentation to end the week and get us prepared for our Shark Tank Presentation.
After all the speakers were done, it was now time to get to work on our projects because tomorrow is the big day! We raced against the clock to put the final finishing details on our work. When it was time to step back and look at what we created, everyone in my group felt a sense of pride for all the work we put into our product. We cannot wait to show the judges our product and I hope that they believe in it as strongly as we all do!
Now it was time to run back to Opus to get all dressed up for our Formal Dance in Caldwell Hall! The room looked amazing and there was even a DJ! The food was fantastic, but the music was even better! We even got to sing Happy Birthday to one of our fellow Cardinals! I enjoyed dancing the night away with all my new friends and I cannot wait to see the projects that all the other groups created!
The dance was a great way to celebrate all the work we did this week, but was also had the opportunity to attend all night Adoration in Saint Vinny’s Chapel on campus. The service was beautiful, and it was so peaceful to sit back and talk with the Lord after a very busy week.
Speaking of a busy week, I cannot believe it is almost over, but I am really excited to take what I learned from the Summer Business Institute and apply it to my everyday life! See you soon, Mom and Dad!
Love,
Your “Cardinal”