Meet Maeghan Smulders

If you could take away one lesson from Project One12, and pass it on to future generations, what would it be and why?

Gosh, there are so many. If I had to pick one, it would be [pullquote]“Don’t be afraid to fail or screw things up.” The day you stop making mistakes is the day you stop learning. [/pullquote]Mistakes give you the confidence to try new things, learn and be smarter in the way you view the world in the future. It’s so valuable. Fear is what limits us from our full potential.

If you were to do the project again, would you change anything about it? Why or why not?

I wouldn’t change anything. I learned so much from my mistakes, from my challenges, and from my successes. I am grateful for the adventure, and I hope I can continue to share the knowledge that was so generously shared with me, with others.

So what should university grads faced with limited job options do? Maeghan mentions that students have to put in more effort when it comes to finding a job and that sending a resume isn’t enough. It took 8 months of speed-interning for her to figure out the direction she wanted to go with her career.

According to her, “North America has an overemphasis and unrealistic expectation on what an education can bring us in our careers. Too often we assume that the more designations we have behind our name, the more likely we are to be given a job or direction, but that is never the case. We are off balance with the ratio of learning vs. doing, and it is something we need to address.”

Image courtesy of Maeghan Smulders via maeghansmulders.com

So what can you do right at this moment? Maeghan would tell you to get your hands messy and try random things – there are co-op programs, internships, opportunities to study abroad, and volunteer positions which are all valuable. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions and meet random people. You’d be surprised at how quick opportunity, confidence and good fortune find you when you are challenging yourself and following what you’re interested in. This is what will get you noticed in the jobs playing field!”

When asked about who are some people that inspire her, Maeghan provided us with a list of powerful individuals who have been highly influential in her life.

Sheryl Sandberg, COO Facebook – A powerful woman wise in her balance with life and work who has been recognized as a leader in technology and business today. After meeting her, Maeghan admires the way she approaches business and represents a company as well as stands true to her values.

Marissa Mayer, VP Google – Having done amazing things at Google, she continues to build the company to great heights. Maeghan says “She has a way of breaking down problems and finding solutions in very insightful ways. She’s a well spoken person, and I love the way she shares her perspective of business.”

Justin Bieber – Maeghan supports her answer by explaining that “This kid goes through so much! But I am absolutely in love with everything about him. His personal branding, connection with his fans, his ability to deal with haters, and stick to what he loves. Its SO silly, but I admire him and the “business” that was created around him. It’s interesting, inspiring and gives me a unique perspective on how I hope to influence others.”

Patrick Lor, Co-Founder of iStock Photo – Maeghen confidently states, “He is my mentor and best friend. Its not every day that you meet someone who genuinely wants to share their perspective of the world with the intention to help you succeed in yours. Pat was my first boss in the project, and continued to mentor me through all of ProjectONE12. He gives so willingly to help others succeed, and I really want to do the same for others because I know he has had a radical impact on my life.”

So what can we expect from Maeghan in the future? She says that she is currently working on creating a course that teaches aspects she has learned from ProjectONE12. Mount Royal University in Calgary is going to help her get the right resources in place so that she can share this knowledge with others. “My hope is that for next year, I can have a fully credited course and turn it into a program that can be duplicated/offered across Canada,” she says. “You can also expect great things from Beyond the Rack in the next little while. It’s a team effort, but I am SO excited to help build a company to do bigger and better things. I’m ecstatic.”

Sources
– Maeghan Smulders, Founder, Project One12 and Manager, Beyond the Rack
– Maeghan Smulders’ personal website
– The Toronto Star

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ARB Team
Arbitrage Magazine
Business News with BITE.

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