I just submitted my final MBA project. Two years of work. One click. Done.

I just submitted my final MBA project. Two years of work. One click. Done.
Submitted at 1:18 PM today, and I’m feeling giddy.

Two years of balancing a full-time UX/Product career, family commitments, and graduate coursework, while testing how little sleep a person can function on (spoiler: less than you’d think, but I don’t recommend it).

This final module focused on fostering an innovative mindset: design thinking, human-centered design, business model innovation. Essentially, the work I live and breathe as a UX and service design consultant. Getting to apply those methodologies in an academic context, beyond the rubric, securing real stakeholder conversations and validating concepts with industry leaders, that is what made it meaningful.

The journey had its mix:
Teammates who sharpened my thinking, and situations that tested every ounce of patience and resilience.

I learned that reliability is both an asset and a burden. Being the person who will not let things fail often means carrying more weight than you expected. I learned when to build failsafes, when to enforce boundaries, and when to simply execute at the standard you know is possible.

Late nights became routine. Some semesters I was on 4 to 5 AM bedtimes consistently.

But here is what matters:
I completed this MBA, stayed present with my family, and kept my career moving forward. That integration was not easy, but it was essential.

The real takeaway?
Teamwork amplifies everything, both excellence and dysfunction.
A well-aligned team will always outperform a solo star. But a dysfunctional team will underperform even the average individual.

Teamwork makes the dream work, but only when the team shows up.

Grateful for this chapter and the discipline it demanded.
Ready for whatever comes next.