The perfect job

This week I had the opportunity to attend one of the best speaker events since I started this MBA adventure. One class I am taking here at Columbia is Media & Entertainment Marketing (a half-course) whose professor is, apparently, very well connected in the Media industry. He has been bringing interesting guest speakers every week, but the one this week was definitely the best. Just imagine having the following job title 'Director of Marketing for the Lord of the Rings movie'... WOW!!! Now that's a job! And that was the title of Rose Polidoro, our guest speaker.

Of course, listening from someone who worked on the Lord of the Rings movie is enough to keep me interested for hours! Hearing about how Peter Jackson handled the trilogy and funny stories from the set from someone who actually WAS there is an opportunity I couldn't miss. It was also reassuring to confirm that Media is an industry that badly needs business management knowledge and that this management is not necessarily an enemy of creativity. She told us how the marketing strategy for the movie was planned and implemented, starting from the initial engagement of the strong cultish fan-based (in which I proudly include myself) and ending on the strategic marketing partnerships and promotions. It was interesting to see that something so MBA as a marketing framework, like the 4P's, was followed by her team (it was actually on one of her slides!)

However, although the LOTR subject would be a strong reason to make me love this presentation, it wouldn't be enought to consider it as the best one ever. What made it really outstanding was Rose's enthusiasm and love for her job! She said that she 'never worked for a single day in her life'. Although a bit cliche, you could really feel how true this was, her passion for her job. After the speach she just staid there, answering question after question and her friends actually had to drag her out of the class room. She wanted to be there and answer all our questions. She worked in several other media segments (like radio) and told us that it was always like a hobby. The fun was always there! And as she said, this was what we should pursuit, our dream job, what we really love to do.

Now, I'm sure that there may be someone who REALLY loves investment banking or consulting. But sincerelly, from the tones of presentations I have attended from consulting and banking companies, I never heard a single speaker with the same enthusiasm as Rose's. That says it all, I would say...

- I wish The Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had ever happened.
- So do all who live to face such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.