Q&A With December 2016 MBA MoTM Candace Johnson (Michigan Ross)
Our December MBA Mama of the Month, Candace Johnson is a married mother of one and a dual Master’s degree candidate enrolled in the School of Public Health and the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Check out our Q&A with Candace where she talks about staying motivated, time management and childcare.
After graduating, Candice plans to return to Henry Ford Health System where she interned this past summer in their Corporate Strategic Planning office.
What motivated you to pursue your MBA? How did you know it was the right time to pause your career and start your MBA?
I decided to pursue my MBA studies for a couple of reasons. For one, I was finding it difficult to move up at many of the companies where I was employed. I learned the nature of the businesses fairly quickly, but I could never get to that next level. Secondly, I liked the Quality Data Analyst role I had at Chrysler before I left, but I wanted to do something more impactful with my skillset, so I looked to University of Michigan, my alma mater to help achieve my career goals.
Why did you choose Michigan Ross? What activities are you involved in on campus?
I chose Michigan Ross School of Business because I wanted to supplement my Master of Health Services Administration degree with an MBA from a top institution. I knew I would get a high quality education at Michigan’s School of Public Health, but I really wanted to understand the business side of healthcare. The collaborative nature of Ross with a focus on social impact has helped me achieve my goal of getting a high quality healthcare management education.
My first year of grad school, I was president of MTrek, a student-run organization in which 2nd year MBAs take 1st year MBAs on small outdoor adventure trips designed to foster friendships among classmates, promote leadership development, and introduce incoming MBA students to the team-based environment at Ross. This year, I am Vice-President and Chair of the Detroit Revitalization & Business Initiative Impact Conference. Detroit Revitalization and Business (R&B) is an initiative that explores the role that business, innovation, and entrepreneurship can play in revitalizing Detroit.
How has your time at Ross shaped your leadership style and your career trajectory?
Before Ross I thought that leaders were supposed to be essentially dictators, and I had a hard time embodying that kind of leadership style when I managed people in previous jobs.
What I found at Ross was that good leaders are inclusive and excellent listeners. These are attributes that are a lot closer to my personality than someone who simply gives directives. I like to solicit input from my teams before making a final decision. Career-wise, I still want to pursue healthcare management, preferably in a health system setting. However, I am much more aware of the wide variety and many facets of healthcare, so now I can think much more broadly about healthcare and see the big picture.
Do you have any time management tips that help you stay on track?
I try to structure my work time as much as possible so that when I’m home I can focus on being a wife and mother.
If I try to do work at home, I end up on the computer all night and I miss out on family time. I try to do as much school work as possible while I’m on campus so I can relax at home.
Additionally, if I have work that I have to take home, I wait until my daughter is asleep and stay up late to finish. It’s all about prioritizing and figuring out what my deadlines are and how to juggle things in order to meet my obligations.
Can you tell us about your child(ren)? What childcare solutions have you utilized during your MBA program?
I am fortunate to have my family close by to help with childcare. My husband and I do not have any additional funds, so I rely on my parents to help with caring for and raising Isabelle. My mother watches her during the day most of the time, but my father pitches in as well. Most of the time they come to my apartment but sometimes I drop her off at their home in Detroit before driving to Ann Arbor for class.
What has been your biggest challenges as an MBA mom? How have you overcome those challenges?
One of the biggest challenges of being an MBA mom is the lack of understanding by some of my fellow classmates.
They don’t understand why I am not available for group meetings in the evenings and on weekends, and sometimes I’ve run into people that are seriously disrespectful of my time and constraints. Some people don’t understand that I can’t come to a kegger, or go out drinking with them every week. I’ve had to be mentally tough and remember why I am there in the first place.
Another challenge I’ve had to overcome is learning how to accept that I’ll never be able to complete everything perfectly, and that sometimes I’ll have to settle. I always want to be #1 and want to be the best, but there is no way to “have it all” without sacrificing something. Sometimes I’ll get average grades, be an average friend, wife and mother.
Sometimes I’ll excel, and other times I’ll fail. And that’s okay. I’m only human after all.
Can you describe a typical day in your life as an MBA Mama at Ross?
- I wake up in the morning with my daughter, change her diaper and give her a bottle of milk.
- If I didn’t finish all of my work the night before I boot up the computer and try to get some work done.
- Once my mom comes over to my home to babysit Isabelle, I jump in the car and drive 20 miles to Ann Arbor where I park my car at an Ann Arbor Park and Ride lot and take the bus onto campus (the parking on campus is extremely limited).
- After arriving on campus, I’ll have class for about 4 hours, then I’ll grab some lunch and try to get some work done before it gets too late.
- Then, I’ll hop back on the bus, get in my car and drive back home.
- At home, I cook dinner, clean up, give Isabelle a bath, put her to sleep, then maybe do more work before going to sleep myself.
What advice do you have for professional women considering their MBAs or starting a family?
It is very possible to do both.
Many people feel that they have to get settled in their career first before starting a family. That’s a good idea and a great way to structure your life, but a lot of women end up working for too long chasing their careers, and before they know it, the opportunity for love and a family has passed them by.
Many women are mothers and have successful careers (i.e. Sheryl Sandberg), and you don’t have choose one or the other. My advice would be to think about what your values are, what your goals are, and what you really want out of life. If you already have children, think about what a two-year sacrifice would mean for your family.
It is definitely a challenge, but you will be putting your family in a better position in life once you obtain the MBA. You’ll also be setting an excellent example for your children, which is what we strive to do as parents.
If you have a partner, make sure they are on board as well, because they’ll be supporting you while you work on your degree financially, domestically and emotionally.
