A new stage in my life...

I completed my move to New York City this week, and, luckily, I gave myself a few days to settle down. I am mildly amused that this is my first apartment to myself in 4 years, but with the consulting lifestyle, I do not expect to be here much.

Tomorrow, I begin the next phase of my journey as I report to Accenture for work at 8:30am. I am excited, even if it means that you will not see as much of me on social networks for a few years.

If you need to find me, I will still be out there.

New York City

Well friends, after an interesting journey since business school, I am winding things down here in San Francisco. My start date for Accenture has been moved up to November 16th. That means in 3 short weeks I will pack back into my car, road trip to Arizona, pack up my stuff there, and fly out to New York City.

So ... 10 years circling the east coast, hundreds of visits, several collected months on Amtrak - Alex Fleming is coming to New York.

I am very excited.

District 9

Every once in a while, the medium of science fiction hits the perfect balance between truth and fantasy, between reality and possibility, to create a truly unique and powerful commentary on the world we inhabit.

‘District 9’ is such a story. It is without question one of the most important science fiction films of the decade, precisely because it takes the viewer on a journey to grapple with some of the most important political, social, and economic questions that face humanity today.

The protagonist is disturbing to us in the beginning for his ignorance and weakness, but during the course of the film we are taken face to face with: forced resettlements, persecution and control of oppressed populations, international aid organizations and legal standards, refugee management, private security contractors in government roles, poverty, crime, weapons trafficking, industry exploitation of weapons development, genetic experimenting and manipulation on unwilling subjects, euthanasia, population control, identity and loyalty, and war profiteering.

Even though these issues are discussed in the realm of a fictional idea (aliens), the truly disturbing part of this movie is that every single thing that happens in this movie is something that is happening to humans in some part of this world – RIGHT NOW.

Many people chose to be happy in their ignorance, and a few people ask difficult questions about how these issues should be managed – but not enough.

Hopefully, in addition to being entertained, audiences will see this for what it is – an important piece of social commentary, in which science fiction holds up a mirror to humanity.

You might not like what you see.

Starting a Journey on the Open Road...

My life has been defined by the moments that I went out on the open road ... starting a journey for an unknown destination. These are key, contemplative, moments in my life. I will tell you about them, because they have punctuated a lot of times that helped me get through.

Car: 1972 Scout II
Time: 16th birthday

The first time I ever left my house to drive alone. I was going from my parents house to a night school class at ASU, but I never felt more alive.

Car: 1973 International Travelall
Time: After high school graduation

My roommate Kris and I left Wallingford, CT to drive to Ohio, New Orleans and then Colorado. It was our post-HS road trip, and it felt like we owned the world. Nothing could touch us and everything was possible.

Car: 1992 Ford Bronco
Time: Junior year in college

My Dad and I left Phoenix on a dark morning to drive my car to Philadelphia. The first time I would take a car with me (and get lots of parking tickets trying to park in Philly). It was a feeling of ownership that I have rarely hard (even when I bought a house).

Car: 1992 Ford Bronco
Time: 1 week after college graduation and being commissioned in the Navy.

I left Philadelphia at 5am on the way to a wedding in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and then to South Carolina for Nuclear Power School. My first trip as a wage-earning adult and the beginning of my time in the Navy.

Car: 1992 Ford Bronco
Time: Leaving Washington DC in the Fall of 2002

I left DC at 6am on the way to Norfolk, VA to report to my submarine, the USS San Francisco.

Car: 1992 Ford Bronco
Time: Arrival in Guam

I left the vehicle depot in Guam after picking up my car and drove through the typhoon ravaged island, with power poles lying everywhere. I went to Tumon and watched the sunset on a quiet night over Nikko Palace.

Car: 1999 Nissan Sentra (the Bronco was totaled after it slipped off the road in a tropical storm)
Time: Back in the USA

I picked up the car in Los Angeles with my mother and then we drop up towards Seattle (almost getting in a car accident in the first 30 minutes). It was just when we arrived on the mainland.

Car: 1999 Nissan Sentra
Time: leaving the Navy

I had all my possessions packed in the Sentra until it was loaded to the axles. I left the personnel processing station and drove out of Seattle without stopping to change out of my uniform. I put 200 miles between me and the submarine before I changed. I was almost as excited as the first time I drove away from home. That trip took me all the way across the country to DC, where I sold the car.

Car: 1989 BMW 325i
Time: after business school

On a clear morning, I left Phoenix AZ with a back seat full of books an clothes on my way to San Francisco. I was taking a risk, going to a new city. My life is in closets (a storage unit in Philly, a closet in Colorado, a closet in my parents' house in Phoenix, a closet in my friend's house in SF, and I live in the closet of a room in Japantown.)

I am in flux. I have no home. But I have my wits and my knowledge, and I know that the future holds bright things.

I am full of optimism.

Interesting and Significant Changes in Wharton Essays...

Hey all,

So, here are the new Wharton essay questions for the upcoming year. Very interesting stuff. I am going to take a few days to digest and comment, but I like them a lot.

2009-2010 Questions – First-Time Applicants

Essay 1 – (750-1000 words)

As a leader in global business, Wharton is committed to sustaining “a truly global presence through its engagement in the world”. What goals are you committed to and why? How do you envision the Wharton MBA contributing to the attainment of those goals?

Essay 2 – (750-1000 words)

Tell us about a time when you had to adapt by accepting/understanding the perspective of people different from yourself.

Essay 3 – (500 words)

Describe a failure that you have experienced. What role did you play, and what did you learn about yourself?

Essay 4 – (500 words) Choose one of the following:

a. Give us a specific example of a time when you solved a complex problem.

b. Tell us about something significant that you have done to improve yourself, in either your professional and/or personal endeavors.

Essay 5 (Optional) – (250 words)
If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application).

Post-MBA Chill Time

So, the great part about having an MBA from Wharton is that you always have a long list of couches to crash on in NYC :)

I spent the last few days meeting with friends, cris-crossing all over my new home, and generally catching up. It was a crazy few weeks packing the whole apartment, putting everything into storage, shipping things out west, and saying goodbye over and over again. Oddly, it reminded me of Pre-Term, where we would say hi to new people daily for a month, in reverse.

I am having a great time building my list of activities for the next 7 months. The more I think about it, having a long vacation is just awesome. I am going to be working on my business, alumni panels, travel, friends, reunion planning, non-profit training, and I have a BOX of books that I am going to read.

I have also started a new presence as an online adviser for people applying to MBA. If you would like to ask questions, please email me at:
acfconsultingservices@gmail.com

Last week, the people from HBS came up with a great idea of an MBA Oath. It is a rough and non-binding set of behavioral standards for MBA graduates. There is some debate about its ... usefulness, but I think that it is a vital step to vocalize the 'right way' to be a professional manager. There will always be bad apples, but I think this will serve well as a conversation point in the future.

You can find information here.

Off to a wedding in Seattle this weekend. Tis the season...

ACF Consulting Services - Introduction

Readers,

As promised, here is further information about my MBA Admissions Consulting activities. Please feel free to share this with anyone who is interested.

ACF Consulting Services - MBA Admissions Consulting (http://www.alexcfleming.com/ACFConsultingFINALwebsite.pdf)

ACF Consulting, a private, independent consultancy, serves candidates preparing for the admissions process at top US MBA programs during the 2009-2010 season. The primary consultant and owner is Alex C. Fleming MBA/MA from The Wharton School and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

- I will provide, for a select group of clients, comprehensive strategic advising, resume revision, content and essay development, editing of application materials, counseling on application process management, mock interviews, and other specialty services.

I have several key value propositions and differentiators:

1) Highly Relevant and Recent Experience – I received my MBA in 2009, and I served for the last 3 years as a primary student contact, official blogger, mentor, and leader of admissions volunteers at Wharton. This culminated with service as a Graduate Admissions Committee Assistant for the 2008-2009 season, during which time I evaluated MBA applications and conducted admissions interviews.

2) 100% Personalized Service – I conduct 100% of the advising, interviews, editing, counseling, and communications for the firm. There is neither assignment ambiguity nor questions about the background of your counselor. What you see is what you get.

3) Competitive Pricing – My base hourly rate is 30% below that of popular MBA admissions consulting firms, while at the same time providing personalized service and the highest standards of quality.

4) Diversity of Experience and Unique Perspective – I was a non-traditional candidate for business school, and I have successfully transitioned to management consulting. I have a breadth of work experience in the military, engineering management, diplomacy, and strategy consulting. My writing-intensive MA program and unique background allows me to provide distinctive insight and value to my clients.

Schedule your FREE initial phone conference now!
Contact: acfconsultingservices@gmail.com

http://www.alexcfleming.com/ACFConsultingFINALwebsite.pdf

Graduation Day

Graduation ceremonies are something of a 'rite of passage,' especially at Penn, where your actual diploma is mailed to you in June. The Dean shakes your hand on stage and the roll of paper you are getting in the photograph, which appears very official, is actually directions on how to get to the cocktail party. Go figure.

The high point of the day was an excellent speech by Muhammad Yunus the founder of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. He gave a very motivating talk about the power of a single person acting against the establishment. I hope that all of us can have the fortitude and integrity to take his advice, which seemed particularly relevant given the world financial crisis.

I am finishing my time here in Philly, and then I am off to 'relax' for a few months before starting at Accenture in the end of the year.

In the mean time, I will be starting a small business of my own, doing MBA/MA Admissions Consulting for people applying this fall. I will provide strategic advice, mock interviewing, essay review, and other services. I will be releasing more information about details soon, but if you are interested in scheduling an initial appointment please email:

acfconsultingservices@gmail.com

All the best,
Alex

Last Day of Classes

Well, my 3 year journey of classes is officially over.

It ended with a whimper not a bang, and a day on Amtrak to and from DC. I got my cool SAIS t-shirt "Will do Econ for Food." That sorta of gives you an idea of the sentiment among SAIS 2nd years these days.

I am not done, though many Wharton-only people are already partying like rockstars. I have 3 exams and my MA Oral left, but on the day that I finish I will be flying direct first class to Miami Beach for Wharton Beach Week!

It is going to be ridiculous.

The cycle of MBA life marches ever onward...

Last weekend was Welcome Weekend for the Class of 2011, and for me it was a number of 'last times.'

Last time as a Mini-Cohort leader, last time I will welcome a new class onto campus as a student, and the most sad ... last time the Follies 2009 team got to perform together. I have not decided how I feel about finishing MBA yet. Part of me is excited to be done, and I feel like I have reached the next stage of my life. So, it is good that grad school is ending.

The other part of me knows that life will never quite be like this again. I wish I could just do VAC and GA and Follies and Rugby and Whartones for a living ... but, nothing stops the progression of time.

It is hard to let go and watch the 1st years take charge of everything, you have to fight the urge to micromanage them, and let them find their own way. I know that the new Technical Directors of Follies will do a great job, and I have given them everything I know and all the tools they need.

But now, it is time for a new generation. I did not go out partying with the admits, partly because I was tired, but mostly because they should not be spending time meeting me, they need to focus on the 1st years and their new classmates as they begin this exciting time.

I have been contemplating what I will take away from this experience, and I think my proposed Wharton graduation speech portrays it best. (40 people participated in an election type process, and a good friend of mine, Lou Marchetti, will be honoring us at graduation with his remarks)

But, for my blog audience, here are my thoughts...

Good Afternoon. Mr. Yuunus, President Gutmann, Dean Robertson, Vice Dean Jain, Distinguished Faculty and Guests, and most importantly … the MBA class of 2009:

The Wharton Experience is different for everyone. I am sure if I asked every person sitting here to tell me the one moment from the last 2 years that defines your Wharton experience, you would give me answers almost as diverse as the people.

However, I will attempt to give one answer. And there are many strong possibilities.

Is the Wharton experience?

- Your first friend from Welcome weekend, who came with you through this journey, and will be in your life forever
- A contemplative email from Anjani Jain, the math exam, and the first time you were cold-called
- MBA Café at 3pm, or Koo Plaza on a sunny day in April
- Your learning team meeting to finish the first Marketing 621 case
- MGEC 621, Jeremy Seigel’s Class, Problems in Financial Reporting, Negotiations with Prof. Diamond?
- Whartones Concert, Dance Studio, the Comedy Show, or WICS?
- The Charity Fashion Show, Philly Fight Night, Rebuilding Together, or the Social Impact Club?
- The Conferences (Consulting, Marketing, Finance to name a few)
- The 80s party, Foam Party, Argentinean Asado, the Russian Revelry Night?
- India Club, Israel Club, AAmbaa, Whambaa, Europa?
- Thursday Night Follies, Whalasa After-Parties, Beack Week, Wharton 54 … or is it PUB?

We have had so many incredible times in the last 2 years, it is impossible to list them all, but the sad fact is that somewhere, deep down … we know that this is not reality… that the joy, energy and exploration of our MBA cannot continue indefinitely.

This has been a year of intense change for the world, and this graduation feels a little bit like crawling from under a warm blanket, to the harsh cold of a financial crisis.

I think that leads us to a more important question: What if the Wharton experience is not any of the events I mentioned, but instead the shared value system that we create and embrace, and carry forward with us.

I believe the true Wharton Experience involves 3 things:

First, I think we all have gained a great humility in teamwork and human interaction. I have been exposed to so many incredible and talented people in this class, that I am constantly dazzled. From our learning teams to committees, we cannot assume that we have all the answers … we have learned to respect and rely on each other. This trust and humility allows us to get done more as a group then we possibly could alone, and it will serve us well as we go forward.

Second, we must take our sense of co-production, to use a Wharton buzz-word, and make it larger. The self-driven energy that conceived and executed all those things I mentioned earlier came from us. We create our environment through will alone, and we must remember that we each have the power to affect change. Call it whatever you want: entrepreneurship, co-production, self-motivation … but we must use this same energy to create value and be a force for positive change in our lives.

Third, and perhaps most important, we have built and shaped a vibrant and diverse community of shared experience. Each one of us, for years to come, will recall our friends and colleagues in this class and we will always be able to reach out across the globe, whether it be through email, phone, or perhaps Facebook. We must not let this community die, and as we go about our careers, we must use this resource to help people and to achieve good.

It should be our goal to share this Wharton experience with the world, and to make the world our Wharton community. The principles that we have lived here truly can make the world a better place, and we are the carriers of this message. As you go forward in your chosen career, work for yourself, but never forget our duty to each other, and to humanity.

My friends, it has been a privilege to learn with you, and congratulations.

A graduation speech in an alternate universe...

So, just for fun, I auditioned to be the graduation speaker at SAIS. Though, to be fair, I was a pretty big long shot since I have been gone most of the last 2 years, and I didn't think they were going to have a stranger get up there.

So here, for your pleasure, are Alex Fleming's graduation remarks in an alternate universe...

"Mr. Secretary-General, President Daniels, Dean Einhorn, Distinguished Professors and Guests, and … most importantly… my fellow graduates – I would like to thank you for giving me the great honor of speaking to you today.

I don’t know about you. But I have spent a great deal of my time at SAIS in the library.

I imagine, in fact I am sure, that it warms the hearts of our faculty to see the constant traffic jams in Nitze library, and the surge of energy as young idealists grapple with hundreds of years, and thousands of pages of wisdom.

My classes at SAIS have fueled my dreams for the future. I can see, as I look around this room, a gathering of big dreamers. We are driven by the unseen fire to ‘change the world.’ We are not sure how it will manifest itself, but it burns within us, and our growth in the last 2 years has made it brighter.

Interestingly, the world in the last year has presented us with events that may give us a moment of pause.

Now, since I am a Strategic Studies concentrator, I knew as I was preparing these remarks that Professor Cohen would not let me leave this stage unless I quoted either Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, or Winston Churchill.

Luckily for me, Mr. Churchill gave a speech in 1943, which I believe bears on the subject matter. He said:

“The price of greatness is responsibility. If the people of the United States had continued in a mediocre station, struggling with the wilderness, absorbed in their own affairs … they might have remained forgotten and undisturbed beyond their protecting oceans: but one cannot rise to be in many ways the leading community in the civilised world without being involved in its problems, without being convulsed by its agonies and inspired by its causes.”

Well, the global financial crisis has truly convulsed us, and changed the world into which we are emerging. Many of us, and many people throughout the world, are filled with a great sense of uncertainty. This anxiety compounds with the incredible challenges we already face in all corners of the globe.

It is at this moment in history that we, as SAIS graduates, are taking our first professional steps. Therefore, I would like to offer some thoughts on the new roles and new responsibilities we will have as we go forward.

The last year brought us a chorus of new discussions about the role of capitalism in economic history. Indeed, it is a SAIS graduate who is spearheading one of the largest government interventions into the financial markets in the history of the world. We do not know where this historic shift in tools and techniques will settle, but we will be a part of it, and we must be prepared to take on the new roles that emerge.

Much of the response to world events has been irrational anger, mostly from people who do not understand the underlying factors at work. As SAIS graduates, we have been given arguably the most solid foundation in economic theory and practice that a person can have without getting a PhD; so our role in this crisis is to fight irrationality with logic and reason. We must not stand by and allow others to make decisions based on emotion.

The role of regulation and government intervention in the private sector will be drastically different in 5 years time. The end state of this development will involve hundreds of factors, but we will an integral part of its success or failure. We will be the regulators, the practitioners, the policy makers, or we will be advising the leaders who execute this change.

At SAIS, many of us walk and cross over the line between the public and private sectors. With the new interaction between these areas, our role is to maintain the big picture and step back from our daily work to assess long-term goals and priorities, and apply our unique knowledge to produce the best decision.

Whether we find ourselves in government or in business, the world today holds more questions than it ever has. We are the people who will answer these questions, and when our moment comes to offer a solution, we must be ready.

But, as Mr. Churchill said – “the price of greatness is responsibility.”

Our new roles will bring us new responsibilities, and we must not fail in these.

Despite distractions, we must continue to serve the ideal of making the world a better place. 61 years ago the United Nations proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is a document that gives us a vision of a world without hatred or suffering, without oppression and fear. The realization of this vision has proven … illusive.

It is our responsibility to further the achievement of ideals like this even in times of adversity, and not to lose sight of the horizon as we crawl through the weeds.

It is our responsibility to understand global economics and world markets better then the practitioners. If we chose to become practitioners, it is our responsibility to be aware of and monitor the long-term effects of our actions.

It is our responsibility to understand the people of this world and to make them our brothers and sisters. The isolationism and aggression that drives countries apart is born in the fear of the unknown and in the distrust of the stranger.

We, as the SAIS community, understand that all of us can come together as one world. It is our responsibility to spread this knowledge, and to further the understanding between peoples and cultures.

Finally, it is our responsibility to maintain our moral and ethical compass on our path to greatness. It is seductively easy to make compromises during times of bounty, which in times of hardship lead us to bad decisions. It is our responsibility to use our own moral touchstones, our classmates, our professors and our families to stay on the right path.

“The price of greatness is responsibility.” We have the potential for greatness, and as we achieve it, we must not forget our responsibilities.

Thank you, and congratulations."

Going Forward from MBA

I have been very contemplative lately. I can't quite figure out why.

It is possible that I am finally coming to terms with the fact that after 5 years in the Navy and 3 years in graduate school, I am actually on the verge of entering "real life." I am sure that MBA is not real life

- it is an incredible laboratory of leadership, teamwork, experience and human relationships.
- it is a place of few consequences, where people can become whoever they chose
- it is a place of forgiveness and catharsis, where people overcome old demons
- it is a place of exploration, where people discover the person they think they want to be, and try it on for size.

MBA is all these things, but it is definitely not reality.

There are only opportunities going forward, and I believe that I have the answers, if I can only unlock them from within myself.

Beginning the transition out of B-School

Friends,

I have recently uploaded a video diary for the Wharton Diaries program, but updating this blog is a way of preparing for my transition out of business school.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03dMmVj2jZ0

I have come to enjoy blogging, and I hope to get a chance to continue as my work allows.

Cheers
Alex