Rachel Johnson, Minnesota Carlson MBA Class of 2024
Age: 36
Hometown: St. Paul, MN
Undergraduate Institution and Major: Interpersonal Communications & Psychology, Metropolitan State University, St. Paul, MN.
Graduate Institution and Major: School Counseling, Lewis University, Romeoville, IL
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): 11 years in Education as a School Counselor & Academic Advisor, 10 years in Entrepreneurship as a Real Estate Investor and operator of short and long-term rental properties, and 14 years of contract work as a market manager in the brand activation event industry.
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
While my passion for working with students was dwindling due to burnout, my desire to be more business savvy was increasing, due to my growing real estate portfolio. My partner emphasized how business-minded I was and shared his story of using the MBA to make a career pivot himself. I am pursuing business school to advance my career as I make a pivot into marketing, which will subsequently increase my income to have the cash flow to allow my real estate business to grow.
I would have liked to attend business school 3 years ago when I was first looking to make a career change. There were two things that impacted that from happening: purchasing an investment property and covid. While unemployed after moving back to the U.S., an opportunity arose to purchase an off-market duplex, a dream of a deal. To get purchase approval for the investment property, my lender stated it would be challenging to get me through underwriting if I took a job in a new field, so I took a job in education to purchase the property. With plans of staying for a short time and then career pivoting, 6-weeks into the job, covid struck, and I was stuck. Now today, with the decrease in covid cases and the impact on our lifestyles, this brings me to pursuing my MBA, which feels long overdue, and I am ready for the journey.
Why did you choose Carlson? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
I chose Carlson first due to its credentials and reputation. I knew that if I were going to be making a career pivot, I needed to be set up in the best way through a highly reputable program. Second, I wanted to stay in Minnesota. I lived abroad for 5 years before the covid pandemic, so leaving Minnesota was not a desire. Through Carlson, I want to build a new network and get re-grounded in my hometown.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2024?
The Carlson class of 2024 is an inspiring group of students from varying career and life backgrounds. A valuable contribution I bring to this class is my perspective from my career history in 3 different industries, which has provided me with an array of knowledge and skills in differing spaces. Additionally, I have had the experience of living locally in the Twin Cities, as well as internationally in the United Arab Emirates. Having a global experience is something I find brings value to diversity of thought.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I’ve traveled to 31 countries. My top favorite countries are Kenya, Columbia, Oman, and Austria. Kenya and Columbia were special as I stayed with local friends from the country and was very well taken care of. With Oman being tucked between two of the largest oil-producing countries in the world and not having oil itself, Oman feels like a step back in time 40+ years with the simplicity of its culture and architecture. Austria felt like a fairytale of a country, and the greenery it offered was something I was missing while living in the desert in the Middle East.
Post-MBA career interests:
1-3 years: A career in marketing, while simultaneously expanding my real estate portfolio.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Share my background and be specific about what I am hoping to gain from an MBA program. There are two main points to sharing who you are when it comes to the application, who you were, and who you want to be. Get out of your head as to what your lack of experience may be and share what you want to gain from completing an MBA.
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
For myself, nothing. For prospects with geographic flexibility, I would narrow in on what MBA programs are connected to the companies that you may be specifically targeting. Hold a conversation with the programs to learn of their OCR’s (On-campus recruiting partners) from previous years and what is in store for the upcoming year.
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
The recommender portion of the application was challenging for me. It made me realize that I had not kept in touch with people as well as I would have liked to. To get through it, I had to be bold and reach out to someone that I was kicking myself for not keeping in better touch with. I particularly asked this person to be a recommender for my application, as I thought they would specifically add value to my overall application through their perspective of the work we did together.
What is your initial impression of the Carlson students/culture/community?
The students are hungry for growth. The culture is a safe place to learn. The community is encouraging.
What is one thing you have learned about Carlson that has surprised you?
I have been pleasantly surprised by how helpful people are in this community. Coming from working spaces where I’ve felt the busyness of the environment, I’ve gotten used to people being pressed for time. It has been pleasant having people respond rapidly to offering up assistance. I first learned this by reaching out to alumni of Carlson and found their prompt responses and willingness to connect uplifting.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
I am anxious to find harmony in learning the course material to be able to use in my future career while balancing the time to invest in the networking and processes it will take to find what that next career will be.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
To add new tools to my toolbox through experiential learning, connecting with my classmates and challenging myself to grow and think in new ways.
