Meet Maeghan Smulders

Getting to know the amazing woman with 47 job offers right out of business school

By Samadrita Guin, Section Editor

Image courtesy of Maeghan Smulders via maeghansmulders.com

“Super-intern” Maeghan Smulders – as the Toronto Star calls her – has become an inspiration to aspiring business students.As a young, energetic and highly motivated student at Mount Royal University, Maeghan graduated with 29 job offers, all of which she promptly rejected. She believed that beginning a career without extensive research and a hundred percent certainty of what steps to take next was  not justifiable.

And so Maeghan founded ProjectONE12, where she speed-interned for 10 companies all over North America. By the end of the project, she had landed 47 offers in total. She finally accepted a managerial position at Beyond the Rack, an online Canadian retail start-up. I was fortunate enough to interview her on some of her experiences and beliefs.

When Maeghan was younger, she was determined to be a marine biologist. She had three fish tanks in her room, a water bed, and her favourite movies were Flipper and Free Willy. So why the switch to business? Well, she switched to business because of a family trip to Hawaii, where she got her first opportunity to learn what marine biologists do in their jobs. “So, when I got to hang out with some marine biologists and swim/snorkel with fish, I realized I hated it when they touched me. And that the job was not as exciting as I thought! A year or two later I started working for a mortgage company, and I just loved the idea of being a business person,” she said.

When asked about ProjectONE12, she told us that she had a lot of fears when initially starting out. “I think the one that made it impossible to sleep was “What if it doesn’t work” or “What if I fail?” I had pitched what I was going to do to all my friends, family, peers and teachers, and a lot of them thought I was crazy. But no matter what you pitch, you have to be confident in what you are doing or it won’t work. So I remained confident, but deep inside was screaming with fear.” She strongly believes in the mantra that challenge is inevitable, but defeat is optional. In the case of a hurdle, looking at it from a different perspective makes the difference.

Maeghan was kind enough to share some of her insights about the project with us.

Along your journey, you probably encountered a whole lot of different emotions, and numerous experiences that could have clogged your mind from making a clear decision. How did you keep your mind clear and ultimately decide on BTR?

Yes, I did develop emotional connections with the companies, the people and the places I visited. It made it really tough to make a decision. But when I finished, I took two weeks off to come home and be with my family. One week was to “Vacation” and not think about ANYTHING project related. So after the week vacation, I spent the second week thinking about the things I enjoyed, the aspects of the project/work/journey that taught me about what I wanted to do and then picked a company that could offer me what I was looking for. I was really lucky BTR gave me what I was looking for and more.

Out of all the different cities that you visited, which one did you find the most exquisite and culturally engaging?

They were all so different! I loved Montreal, it was like experiencing Europe… that accepts Canadian money! But on top of that, they are a fast paced city. They have great businesses in the area and there is such diversity to what you can do. I did notice a difference though in the culture of work in each city. Toronto is very fast pace and straight to the point where as Vancouver is much more laid back and relation orientated. San Fran was competitive, but everyone was willing to help. It felt like a big community.

How do you think the project has changed you? What changes have you noticed in yourself, if any?

Oh man, it has hugely changed me. I have a confidence in myself that I never had before. I see the value I am capable of bringing to the table (which I believe EVERY STUDENT should learn about themselves) and I approach work, problems and relationships differently. I see the value in them, and the opportunity to do great things when you appreciate and find the ‘why’ behind all you do.

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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