"24" (and I don't mean the tv series)

With about 4 1/2 months to go before I leave for Oxford, I'm doing everything I can to ensure that the brief year I'm there for is as productive as possible. I want to leave as little up to chance as possible. I've already begun my post-MBA job search, including pre-filling my job applications online to save me time later in the year when I'm buried nose-deep into my macroeconomics textbook trying to figure out the relevance of a logarithmic function when constructing a marginal utility curve.

When not solving quadratic equations, I always thought it made good business to model your behavior after others that you admire, or aspire to be. For example, after businesss school, I thought about returning to Citi to work as an investment banker at Citi Capital Strategies. Since all of their "I-bankers" were previous financial advisors with their Series 24 Principal license, I decided to muster up some courage last week, and ask my boss to sponsor me for the Series 24 exam, which he did!

While not as glamourous as a guest role on the TV series "24" with Jack Bauer, within the world of Wall Street, it is impressive. I have to climb-up 3-wrungs on the corporate ladder before I find another person who holds the Series 24, so it's a big honor, even though right now there are few jobs to be had.

So, now I'm busy studying. I plan to take the 3 1/2 hour exam in 4-weeks so that I can clear the way for studying for the CFP exam in mid-July. Thankfully, Lisa agreed to look the other way when I posted up my white board near our computer desk to help organize myself. I'm going to need to make the most out of my 24-hours over the next 4 1/2 months!

tribute to my fiancée and family

On March 27th, earlier this year, I learned that after my second application attempt, I was finally accepted into the MBA program at the Saïd Business School at Oxford University. It was truly a dream come true. Nearly 10 years earlier in 2000, I had studied abroad at Oxford while an undergraduate student at the State University of New York. That was when I first heard of the business school as they had just started breaking ground on their new state-of-the-art building. I immediately knew then what it would mean to me to return to England one day, and earn my degree from "the city of dreaming spires."

However, a lot happened during those intervening years. For one, I finally finished my undergraduate degree! I also transitioned careers from managing my brother's beucolic Hamptons cafe to investing other peoples' money as a financial advisor for some of the top Wall Street investment banks. But most importantly, I finally woke up and smelled the coffee, and realized that the love of my life was right in front of me all along. After 10 years of due diligence I am happy to say that my now fiancée did not hold it against me, and she agreed to marry me.

Of course, this made the prospect of leaving to do my MBA nearly 3,500 miles away in blighty ole' England problematic. Thankfully, I have a very understanding fiancée, and as long as I bring home the bacon I will have a very happy household to return to. That is why it is my great pleasure to thank my fiancée and family for all of their understanding, and continued support, as I take one great leap into the unknown with the hope of making a difference, and improving our family's fortunes. Wish me luck - I look forward to sharing my journey with you!