From Dreaming to Doing: How altMBA Catalyzed My Personal and Professional Growth

I submitted my application on December 31, 2021, just hours before ringing in the New Year, believing the symbolic date might bolster my chances of getting into the program. I had long hoped to afford it, and when the opportunity arose, I didn’t hesitate to hit send and raise a glass to the New Year and, hopefully, a new experience.

I didn’t realise how perfectly this beginning encapsulated Seth Godin's altMBA until I wrote my first note in the dedicated course file: Take a step, celebrate it, and make it the beginning! To start, all I needed was belief that the program would edge me closer to the person I was ready to become. While I coveted the prestige of saying, "I've completed the altMBA," I gained something far more valuable - a new perspective to life and the world around me.

More than a year has passed since I completed the program, and it has profoundly changed me, both personally and professionally. I genuinely believe that without the altMBA's worldview-changing experience, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Even if you aren’t seeking something that can entirely alter your life (though, why wouldn’t you?), I argue that a good measure for the value of any program is the lessons that remain.

Here are the lessons still guiding my life, months later:

1. Just starting: I can find a million reasons why I shouldn't start, but starting now is always better than waiting another day.
2. Setting goals: I now ensure to make plans in writing, including a detailed description of the goal, anticipated benefits, expected obstacles, necessary skills, a comprehensive action plan, a list of supporters, and, of course, a deadline.
3. Choosing ideas: The altMBA taught me why I should write down my numerous ideas, how to structure them, and essential principles in deciding which to pursue, especially challenging when doubts begin to creep in.
4. Identifying change agents: When I desire change, I consciously pause to understand the change agent pushing me in a new direction. I then revisit or update my goals to ensure this new direction truly makes sense.
5. Grappling with sunk costs: Despite past investments, I don't have to persist with something that no longer serves me. I can change my mind.
6. The power of framing: Everything boils down to how the situation is framed. I control how I move the pieces on my chessboard and have the power to change the narrative.
7. Asking questions: The magic of human connection lies in asking questions and allowing people space to answer. The program has made me more aware of this approach and the simple remedy of inquiry.
8. Leading from any chair: Leadership doesn’t require a specific position or credentials; it needs the courage to take the lead with genuine intentions.
9. Going for enrollment: To effect change, I need to involve others in the narrative, be open, find commonalities, and build from there.
10. Remaining true to myself: Realising I am not my title, was huge for me. And the fact that I can give the world so much more by honouring who I am.

+1 Generous feedback and the power of community: The altMBA thrives on a community that supports the individual and provides generous feedback. The aim is to be there for others, celebrating and empowering them to continue. The best part - the community remains open to support each individual even after the program ends.

In summary, if you are looking for a program that will open your eyes and propel you from dreaming to doing, this is it. It's your time to leap - with an open mind and heart. The program takes a month, which may feel like an eternity, but it will genuinely catapult you light-years from where you started.

I'm forever grateful for this life-changing experience.

Stay inspired. Keep inspiring.