I had the good fortune of spending time with two incredible Pharm.D. students currently attending the USC School of Pharmacy. Note: This encounter is a direct result of a conversation between two friends, Komal Patel, Pharm.D. Alumni Association Board of Directors, USC School of Pharmacy, and myself. Komal Patel, Pharm.D., this was a great idea, and I hope that your students enjoyed the experience as much as I did. The amount of interest and level of engagement demonstrated by Andy and Brandon was refreshing. Furthermore, I was awestruck by the degree of passion they have for the pharmacy profession; more specifically, each exhibited an insatiable desire to want to help their future patients. Rest assured, I will be watching their professional development from a distance; hence, that loud noise you will hear from time to time will be me cheering from the Big Apple! Andy and Brandon, if your future travels bring you to the New York metropolitan area, dinner is on me. Good luck with your studies and here’s to wishing you massive success. Go Trojans…Fight On! hashtag#usc hashtag#amerisourcebergen hashtag#howarduniversity

ThoughtSpot 2019 - General Session

Another awesome day at ThoughtSpot 2019! The speakers at the General Session delivered a powerful and inspiring message. As we move forward into 2020, there remains a lot of optimism for the future of Independent Pharmacies. Also, it was a privilege to spend quality time with independent pharmacy owners from all over the country. It’s truly remarkable how much you can learn by engaging with pharmacy owners outside of the area where you play. Thank you, Tammy Dean for the conversation regarding your pharmacy and Sanger, Texas. Admittedly, I never heard of Sanger until I met you and your husband at ThoughtSpot, so thanks for the knowledge transfer. I found our discussion enlightening! Lastly, I am appreciative of the pharmacy owners from Brooklyn and Northern New Jersey whom I spent the most time with at ThoughtSpot. The work that these pharmacy owners are doing in their respective communities is noteworthy. For your viewing consumption, I’ve affixed photos of a few of my favorite moments during the General Session. Enjoy! hashtag#amerisourcebergen hashtag#thoughtspot2019 Lisa Riedell, John L Hartman Jr. "Jack"

ThoughtSpot 2019 - MGM Grand | Las Vegas

I had a great time today collaborating with the members of the AmerisourceBergen Sales Advisory Board at ThoughtSpot 2019 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. We brainstormed on a variety of topics, and every member of the committee offered solutions that are designed to contribute to growth in a meaningful way. Bear in mind, when you’re a remote sales professional such as yours truly, it's always nice to get in-person time with colleagues from all over the country. Moreover, when you put this type of diversity in a room together and let the creative ideas to start flowing naturally, practical ideas are certain to develop. Lastly, thank you, Lara Knudsen and Carla J. Frehn for the invaluable information you provided during the meeting. ThoughtSpot 2019 is off to a magnificent start! hashtag#amerisourcebergen hashtag#thoughtspot2019

Howard University’s Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) Program

College Consensus Ranks Howard University's Executive MBA (EMBA) Program Among Best of Its Kind

https://newsroom.howard.edu/newsroom/article/10861/college-consensus-ranks-howard-s-online-executive-mba-program-among-best-its

July 5, 2019 | Written by Misha Cornelius

WASHINGTON, DC — Howard University’s online Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) program was ranked the No. 2 best program of its kind by College Consensus. College Consensus is a unique new college review aggregator that combines top publisher rankings with student reviews. Howard University’s full-time, online EMBA was recognized in a recent guide to the 25 Best Online Executive MBA Programs for 2019. 

“It is very exciting to receive this recognition for our online EMBA program,” says Kim Wells, executive director of Executive Education & Center for Career Excellence at Howard University School of Business. “Our goal is to expand our executive business education to diverse professionals and we appreciate the College Consensus survey for providing a thoughtful and detailed review of our program.”

The EMBA program at Howard University is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.  Graduates of the Howard University School of Business report an average base salary of more than $100,000 per year. The online EMBA at Howard University offers 100 percent of the program curriculum online, with one Capstone Residency Presentation held on campus.

To develop the ranking, the College Consensus survey looked at three main criteria, including affordability, convenience, and reputation. Data was drawn from sources like U.S. News, the Economist, Businessweek, and each institution's own published information. 

View the guide to the 25 Best Online Executive MBA Programs 2019 at https://www.collegeconsensus.com/online/best-emba-programs-online/.

About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, one Schwarzman Scholar, over 70 Fulbright Scholars and 22 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.

Media Contact: Misha Cornelius, misha.cornelius@howard.edu 

The Power of Feedback

https://www.inc.com/maya-hu-chan/untapped-potential-feedback.html

While perusing my online newsfeed, I landed on an Inc. Magazine article, “The Untapped Potential of Feedback” that captured my attention. Pleasantly, it was an exceptional read with an interesting view of feedback. If you haven’t to read the full article, I took the liberty of crafting a brief synopsis of my high-level key takeaways: To start, I have to give kudos to the author of the piece, Maya Hu-Chan. After reading the 4th paragraph, I was spellbound; thus, I could not wait to find out what was coming next! As an individual that plays in the pharmaceutical sales arena, I can appreciate Joseph’s zeal to close the deal. In the context of this article, I learned something new. On top of that, the way that Mark, Joseph’s manager, handle this scenario receives a standing ovation from me…outstanding! Furthermore, the intel regarding the neuroscience research by Diana Rowland sounds fascinating, and I look forward to consuming her work soon. To end, as a native New Yorker, straight talk is always the best policy as long as your message is delivered accurately, clearly, and in a way that makes the other person feel respected. Friends, this article is worth a read. hashtag#nyc

A Friendly Cup of Coffee

Denmark Meets Brooklyn for a Cup of Coffee

I had the most amazing time having a cup of coffee at a Starbucks in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, with Marta Gabriela Rodriguez-Karpowicz who currently resides in Aarhus, Denmark. I initially connected with Marta and her friends, Estefanía Zárate Angarita ♀, and Cathy Perez on LinkedIn a couple of months ago. Since then, we’ve been consuming each other LinkedIn content; and lo and behold, I find myself having an in-person cup of joe with her today. Admittedly, I did not know much about Denmark, so it was fascinating learning about the country, its culture, and more importantly; some of the highlights of her journey. Most notably, she’s a co-host of the popular radio and television talk show, “You’ve Got 5 Options.” The premise of the show is that every challenge has 5-solutions, every transformation process has 5-steps, and every great interview has 5-key questions. What’s more, we both have a passion for facilitating classes, giving talks, personal development, and donating our human capital to worthy causes. I can only hope that what I had to contribute to our conversation delivered equal value. I look forward to visiting Denmark in the future to participate in a LinkedIn Local Aarhus event. Until then, Marta, have a safe flight back across the pond. The pleasure was all mine!

Connecting on LinkedIn

My Take on the Power of LinkedIn

While on my favorite elliptical, I came across an article on LinkedIn that stopped me dead in my tracks and was compelled to write this post.

As a result of periodically sharing my thoughts on LinkedIn, I’ve made connections all over the world. That has led to substantive conversations with a diverse group of individuals, which has allowed me to cultivate new friendships. From Gloria Hailes, MBA, Mira Brancu, PhD, Estefanía Zárate Angarita ♀ (Denmark), CHANTELLE FITZGERALD, Cindy Penn - Headshots and Video Marketing, amongst others, I’ve gained new knowledge and different perspectives on a variety of issues allowing me to grow on a professional and personal level. Bear in mind; I had no strategic plan when I began giving LinkedIn energy back in January 2019. My game plan was nothing more than to share my authentic thoughts in my stream of consciousness writing style. You can deduce that I am now 'ALL IN' on this platform. LinkedIn delivers value, and the possibilities are astounding! Lastly, I sincerely appreciate everyone that read my content. The likes and comments are awe-inspiring! I look forward to growing with each of you on our respective journeys. Okay...that’s my two cents today as I jump off the elliptical. Lol!
What’s your take?

New York City vs The Bay Area

NYC Beats Out San Francisco to Be World’s Best Tech City

New York City beats out San Francisco to be World’s Best Tech City…really?? I had to go back and read the headline a second time just to make sure I read it correctly. Wow! If you’re like me, this is surprising; as a result, I was compelled to read this article since I was curious to know what metrics were used in this study.
Okay...the study uses six index categories to measure what makes a successful Tech City. They are as follows: (1) Business Environment; (2) Tech Environment; (3) City Buzz & Wellness; (4) Talent Pool; (5) Real Estate Costs; and (6) Mobility. I’ve affixed the link to the Savills report if you want to take a deeper dive into the research findings. While there are several key points in the article, the point that jumps off the page is, “Scale is something New York can offer when you’re employing so many people, so there’s a real advantage there for large tech companies. There’s that work-and-life balance that’s so important, and that New York can offer that is quite advantageous.” Well said Paul Tostevin, who’s the author of the report. Good read. ... hashtag#technology hashtag#business

Amazon and Long Island City

Seven Negotiation Lessons from Amazon's HQ Disaster in Queens - HBS Working Knowledge - Harvard Business School

Like many of you, I found myself wondering what exactly happened to the much-publicized Amazon plan for a New York HQ campus in Long Island City. Admittedly, I wasn't paying close attention as this story initially developed; however, with all the media attention, there was no shortage of opinions. In fact, the buzz around this proposed move (at least in my circle) was extraordinary. Notwithstanding, looking from a 30,000-foot view, the potential economic impact on Long Island City, Queens, and surrounding areas would have been tremendous. According to this article, “25,000+ jobs paying more than $100,000 each with all the ancillary economic benefits” was forecasted.
hashtag#forecasting That said, this piece offers an intriguing perspective regarding what the author, James K. Sebenius titled, "Seven Negotiation Lessons from Amazon's HQ Disaster in Queens." A few key takeaways: The power of social media as a vehicle to rapidly augment the views of the opposition by providing a voice to many otherwise passive groups is remarkable. Finally, the synopsis on “DADA” (Decide-Announce-Defend-Abandon) specific to this article is outstanding. Great information and nicely written. hashtag#lessons

Visit to Capitol Hill

New Jersey Pharmacists Association

I had the distinct privilege of spending time with a New Jersey Delegation on Capitol Hill, directed by Elise M. Barry, CEO of the New Jersey Pharmacists Association. It was an invigorating and humbling experience with some extraordinary individuals that should be applauded for their advocacy efforts in the pharmacy space on behalf of the people of the Garden State. Moreover, please allow me to extend a special “Thank You” to Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. of the 10th Congressional District in New Jersey for taking the time to meet with the delegation. His level of engagement, genuine willingness to listen, and the ability to quickly recognize the crux of the issues brought forth by his constituents was noteworthy and something to behold… hashtag#independentpharmacy hashtag#pharmacists

AmerisourceBergen New Hire Class

AmerisourceBergen New Hire Class

I had the most remarkable time co-facilitating the latest “New Hire Fundamentals” class for AmerisourceBergen with Gina Chambers, KATIE COLLINS, and Kim Mais who are members of Joy Rowan Field Sales Training team. Additionally, thank you Rich Carter for your mentorship. Undoubtedly, this group of talented individuals joining the AmerisourceBergen team are well-positioned to do amazing things in the future… Please join me in wishing them the very best in their new career journey! hashtag#independentpharmacy - Joe Mustafa, Anthony Masi