Trying a little experiment

I got through the first chapter of "The 4-hour Workweek". Timothy Ferriss writes that when he goes to Princeton that he challenges his guests to try to find and contact a list of celebrities to see if they can get a response. What he finds is that when they actually try, they actually do get responses. He found that most people however don't even try. He was fascinated, but also saddened by it. The excuses were terrible, especially from Ivy league students.

I'm going to try this experiment. I'm not an Ivy league student, but maybe it's better that I'm not. A student at Princeton is someone who has always done what they were supposed to do. This isn't something that I'm, "supposed to do" but it's something that I can do so that I can see if it can be done.

I'm going to start with social media posts, then move on to email, and finally paper letters. I'm going to make sure that I respect the person's privacy so I won't do anything like phone calls or showing up at their door etc, but a friendly letter or email seems harmless.

I finally graduated from school last month. It wasn't a huge ordeal, but it was meaningful. I definitely think that Elmhurst College was a good fit for me in all the important ways. The school has good values and hires good professors which I think is more important than flashy computer labs and luxury gyms (although the gym at Elmhurst is every bit as functional as gyms at bigger schools). I was really busy the last semester and had trouble finding a job out of school, but I did manage to do so. That said, the company that hired me wasn't a good match for someone like me, and I don't mean that necessary in a bad way. Door to door sales is just not what I want to do with my life. The fact is that even if I stayed with Silverfern and moved up, I would still be dealing with that same business model. There is also a strong chance that I would be dealing with the same product. 

Anyways, my birthday came and went. I worked on that day from 12pm to 9 so there really wasn't a chance to celebrate on that day. I got the 4th off, but wasn't informed until the 3rd. My birthday was salvaged by my dad taking me to a Sox game. I might get to go to another, my Aunt and Uncle are giving me tickets to an upcoming game. Maybe I'll ask a few friends. 

Overall it's been a let down of a summer so far, but there is still time to save it. It technically doesn't end until mid September if I remember correctly. So here are my goals for the summer.

1. Start a fun and exciting career in marketing

2. Go to a Baseball game

3. Get tickets for the Bears vs Dolphins football game this fall

4. See an awesome movie in theater

5. Set long term goals for myself. 

I suppose it has been a while since I last updated this blog. Not that it really matters, although I was surprised to see that 35 people read it. I wonder what they were thinking? Maybe something about McDonalds, or AMA got their attention. Anyway, it's a rainy Wednesday in Chicago, so I'm staying in to get some schoolwork done and fill out some applications for a new job and internships. I don't dislike my job, but Pizza delivery is a slackers job, even in college, and I'm capable of a lot more. I volunteered to do a psychology experiment for school, should be an easy $10, so it would be stupid to turn down.
I'm getting a little apprehensive about the job at Mariano's  I really would love to work there, it's a beautiful store and I admire their philosophy. I stopped by one of their other locations, Franklin Park. What surprised me was the prices. I expected Whole Foods prices, but I think the prices are comparable to Jewel.

AMA did a trip to the McDonald's World Headquarters on Friday. It was interesting to see a company like that from the inside, and I was amazed that we were able to sit in the actual board room. For such a large corporation  it was surprisingly intimate. The building, while large was smaller than I expected, and at one point in time we were mere feet away from the CEO's office. The employees there were very friendly. It seems like a great place to work. Most importantly, I got to learn how they interact with Leo Burnett and DDB, which are my two dream employers right now. It's a very involved process, and in a way, I would be working for McDonald's so I would get to have my cake and eat it too.