January 2020 by Lazy Faire

JANUARY 2020

FOR BUSINESS STUDENTS By Business Students

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT DEANS COMP WINNERS Events Read about all the upcoming events at ASoB

External Relations Shana Wilson. Artist, marketer and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right activist.

Lazy Chat Meet Robyn Kaulback, our favourite BLaw professor!

ONLINE AT HTTPS://WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM/

We hire U of A Alumni! What are recent University Graduates saying about their Xerox Agent Sales Career? About Segue Systems

ERIKA SCHNESYUK Bachelor of Commerce , Marketing Major School of Business University of Alberta

(Edmonton & Calgary Locations)

When you work for Segue Systems, you’ll experience the autonomy offered by an independent business and the support and resources of a respected, global leader. From a diverse range of products and solutions to sales training and support that is acknowledged throughout the world as ‘best in class’, you will find working for an independent Xerox Sales Agency will lay the foundations for your career success.

Segue Systems is proud to be a Lazy Faire Magazine print sponsor. Join our winning team. Apply today at: http://www.findyourxfactor.ca

https://www.xeroxagentsales.ca https://www.xeroxagentsales.ca https://www.xeroxagentsales.ca https://www.xeroxagentsales.ca

I like working at a Xerox agency because there is so much support, you never feel like you’re alone with any aspects of the job. There is a team mentality as well as the opportunity to work independently and meet personal as well as company goals. They push and challenge you to meet your goals and to succeed both within the job and personally. The best part is that you’re doing something new everyday, it isn’t just a routine job where you sit behind a desk. I get to interact with customers from many different industries and get to meet a lot of different people in different roles within companies and really build personal and business relationships with them.

AMY HAYWARD Bachelor of Kinesiology University of Alberta The team atmosphere really sets this job apart from all others I’ve had. Everyone wants everyone to succeed and is willing to help out in whatever way they can. And no two days are the same which keeps things fresh and exciting. You get to be a part of every stage of a sale and can really figure out what you like and what’s crucial for your future.

MAKSYM PRYMA Bachelor of Commerce Human Resources Management MacEwan University Working in the Xerox agency program has been immense for the development of my business acumen post graduation. The variety of work in this role allowed me to leverage many concepts I learned during my undergraduate program and develop new skills and have unique experiences that are unavailable to many new graduates in the City of Edmonton. Overall, this role is ideal for anyone looking to sharpen their sales, marketing, finance and accounting skills that they developed in post secondary.

Photo by: Dylan Wee

ABOUT US

Lazy Faire is a magazine run for business students, by business students. Founded in 2009, we have grown from a small group of eight into a team of 18 writers, designers, photographers and other talented members. Our goal is to provide content that is interesting, informative, and relevant to Alberta School of Business students. We showcase current and alumni student experiences and achievements, plus their take on modern topics, both serious and light-hearted.

SAVE THE TREES! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST ON WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM

FOR BUSINESS STUDENTS, BY BUSINESS STUDENTS

™

Our Socials

Want to be on the cover of Lazy Faire Magazine? Nominate yourself or a friend under “Contact Us” on www.lazyfaire.com

t da p U

es at d Up LF es t es a d p U at F d p L F U t es L s e t a d a Up pd s LF U te LF t es a a d p d U Up LF F L s e t a U pd LF pdates

LF LF LF U U U U LF pd pd pda pda U te te at at pd es es s s at es

U LF

p da FU

te s

es d at p U LF es d at p U LF te s p da U LF

es at d p LF U s te a LF Upd s te a LF Upd s te a d LF Up s te a d LF Up

pd FU

s at e

LF Up da t es LF Up s da t pdate U es F L F L U s pda pdate tes LF U F L U s pda pdate tes LF U F L U s e pda pdat tes LF U s pdate LF U

Lazy Faire has made a comprehensive list of all the events happening in the business community. From the events hosted by business clubs all the way to events in the Edmonton business community. You can find upcoming case competitions, networking events, panel discussions, info sessions and much more! Go to: https://www.lazyfaire.com/calendar Make sure to bookmark this page so you don’t miss another event ever again.

OUR SOCIALS IG LAZYFAIREMAGAZINE TW LAZY_FAIRE FB LAZYFAIRE WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM

SAVE THE TREES! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST ON WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM

s te LF Upda

a pd

tes

a pd

s te

s at e s d e p t U s LF Upda LF date s p te U LF Upda LF pd s e U t a LF Upd LF s e t LF Upda

FOR BUSINESS STUDENTS, BY BUSINESS STUDENTS

™

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS 08

Events this month

External Relations

Calendar of events happening in ASoB this month.

Shana Wilson. Artist, marketer and women’s right activist. Read more about her advice for students in finding themselves and their passions.

09 Social Studies

Whats wrong with CSR? Read why it may not be the best thing

Thought vs Thought

Clubs Corner

Focus on mental health vs. physical health - which one is more important, or a better use of time?

Public speaking is a personal enemy for most of us. Read about how Toastmasters helps you overcome this fear.

LF Reviews

Student Spotlight We sat down with the Dean’s comp winners to talk about their idea, teamwork and their experience.

“I WISH I HAD LEARNED SOONER TO BE STRONGER, TO ADVOCATE MORE FOR MYSELF.”

Self help books... are they worth your time? We think so, yes! Here’s a list of our favourites!

19 Lazy Chat Meet Robyn Kaulback, our favourite BLaw professor!

- SHANA WILSON

SAVE THE TREES! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST ON WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM

FOR BUSINESS STUDENTS, BY BUSINESS STUDENTS

™

Editor’s Note

Contributors VP EDITORIALS Denise Nguyen Rachita Chugh WRITERS Timiro Mohamed Samuel Hughes Steven Prysunka VP ART AND DESIGN Melania Antoszko DESIGNERS Leire Domènech Karman Kaur Jazlynn Chan Ivy Zhou Katia Wlasichuk VP MARKETING Daniela Nadeau VP EVENTS Charlotte Grisé VP OPERATIONS AND FINANCE Erica Wee PHOTOGRAPHERS Jenna Silverstone Levi Soprovich SUITS LF DIRECTOR David Dang SPONSORED BY Xerox Canada SPECIAL THANKS TO Diana Wyley Tom Uminski 06

Editor’s Note It’s crazy to think that, as of this month, we’re just as close to the year 2040 as the year 2000. Forget New Year’s Resolutions; we’re making New Decade’s Resolutions this time around! Whatever changes you want to make in your life - be it saying goodbye to an old habit, forgiving and forgetting old grudges, picking up a new skill or hobby, or maybe just trying to stop being late to everything (guilty as charged!) - there’s no better time to do it. However, rather than immediately going for huge, life-changing resolutions that tend to fall through by the time February rolls around, I’d suggest taking a step back and trying small, gentle lifestyle changes instead. Reading more books, being more environmentally conscious, volunteering, or even drinking more water - all are little, positive changes that can be

SAVE THE TREES! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST ON WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM

easily adapted and incorporated into your daily life, without seeming the least bit daunting. Our theme this month is NEW YEAR, NEW BEGINNINGS, where we want to encourage you to ring in the new year with achievable New Year’s Resolutions you can and will - actually follow through on. In this issue, we’re going to be sitting down with the winners of December 2019’s BUS 201 Dean’s Competition, taking a look at whether businesses are exploiting corporate social responsibility for profit, debating between the benefits of physical exercise vs. meditation, and more. Read on!

VALERIE LEOW Editor-in-Chief

MEET THE TEAM FOR BUSINESS STUDENTS, BY BUSINESS STUDENTS

™

Meet the Team

Steven Prysunka

Karman Kaur

Melania Antoszko

I’m Steven Prysunka. I’m a new writer at Lazy Faire. I’m a 4th year Buec major. I’m in the U of A Judo Club and love movies, I’m taking a few film studies classes as well. I’m excited to be on the Lazy Faire team because I get the opportunity to write and research interesting, interview motivated and unique people and learn about business happening right here in our community and all over.

Hey there! I’m Karman, I’m currently in my third year at the University pursuing B.Comm with a major in Finance and a minor in Operations Management. I am looking forward to contributing to Lazy Faire as one of the Designers and gaining some valuable experience while working with an amazing team. I have always had a keen interest in Art and Design and therefore I’m excited about using this platform to practice my longlost hobby of designing. In my free time, I like to cook, spend time with my near and dear ones. I love traveling, going for long walks, watching the sunset and oh! Reading the LF magazine ;)

Hi there! My name is Melania and I am a third year finance major. People always ask me how I learnt to design and the answer is always Lazy Faire. Back in my first year of business, I was deciding what club to join, when I came across Lazy Faire. I’ve always loved magazines, but since I can’t write I picked designing. The thing is, I had 0 design experience. When I tell you those first couple months were rough, they were really rough. But I kept working on it, and I slowly got better to the point that I actually enjoy it. I love designing because it allows me to be creative in my finance degree. I hope you all enjoy this year’s designs and I would like to shout out my amazing designers Leire, Karman, Jazlynn, Katia and Ivy.

Writer

Designer

VP Art and Design

SAVE THE TREES! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST ON WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM

FOR BUSINESS STUDENTS, BY BUSINESS STUDENTS

Calendar of the business club events happening at the Alberta School of Business in January 2020. For more events go to https://www.lazyfaire.com/calendar

SAVE THE TREES! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST ON WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM

â&#x201E;¢

Events

FOR BUSINESS STUDENTS, BY BUSINESS STUDENTS

The Inherent Problem with Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives

n an age where a flood of favourable or unfavourable reviews online can make or break a business, it is now more important than ever for companies to maintain an immaculate public reputation. General negative perceptions of a company have the potential to quickly turn into consumer backlash and boycott movements, which cut into profit margins - the lifeblood of any business. Thus, companies in this age face a unique struggle that would be unheard of decades ago as they are increasingly being forced to strike a unique balance between profit motives and corporate social responsibility… Or, at least the appearance of corporate social responsibility. It is not a new phenomenon for businesses to take a stand on social issues. However, it is the normalization of it, or even the expectation of it by each business’s respective consumer base, that has changed the importance that businesses place on formalizing the incorporation of corporate social responsibility into their business models and priorities. Research shows that consumers tend to buy more from companies they think are doing good according to their own personal values. In some ways, this is a good thing, as it shifts more power to the consumers to “vote” for the companies they favour

with their wallets. This, in turn, will push companies to try to win over their hearts - and, thereby, their money - by at least giving off the appearance that they care about their communities. With companies practically falling over each other in trying to earn consumers’ affection and support with their unprecedented acts of “generosity”, is it so hard to consider that some communities may actually benefit from companies’ self-interested initiatives? Alas, at the end of the day, as long as the ultimate goal of a business is to profit, there will always be an inherent conflict of interest for the CEO(s) in steering the company towards the path of inciting impactful change in the world and creating value for the shareholders they answer to. In such a business structure, it is almost inevitable that most companies will choose to adopt corporate social responsibility programs that merely look convincing to the public, while still not draining too many financial resources from the company, regardless of whether these programs actually address social issues. Thus, initiatives such as educational workshops for youth, or donating a portion of profits of a certain line of products to a charity of choice, will be the vastly more popular option to companies than, say, addressing systemic

™

Social Studies

WRITTEN BY: Valerie Leow DESIGNED BY: Ivy Zhou

discrimination and gender inequality in the workplace, as the unfortunate reality is that the former option is both more visible and more practical to accomplish. Real corporate social responsibility, therefore, requires more than just fancy statements of intent from corporate executives around a roundtable, or even consumer and media pressure that can easily be sated by the mere appearance of a company’s support of community values. The only way to change things

“ IT IS NOW MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER FOR COMPANIES TO MAINTAIN AN IMMACULATE PUBLIC REPUTATION. ” is to eliminate the inherent conflict of interest between shareholders and consumers by aligning their interests. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. As long as environmentally-friendly alternatives remain more expensive, less consumer friendly to use, and of lesser quality than their non-environmentallyfriendly counterparts, companies will continue to treat corporate social responsibility initiatives more as PR opportunities rather than actual progress towards social change that is felt just as strongly as it is seen.

SAVE THE TREES! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST ON WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM

FOR BUSINESS STUDENTS, BY BUSINESS STUDENTS

™

Thought vs Thought

Thought V/S thought Thought V/S thought Thought V/S thought Thought V/S thought Thought V/S thought Thought V/S thought Thought V/S thought Thought V/S thought Thought V/S thought Thought V/S thought Thought V/S thought Thought V/S thought In 2020, we should focus more on mental health/meditation Can thirty minutes of meditation replace thirty minutes of cardio? Well, no. Meditation and physical exercise operate very differently. People have raved about the benefits of physical exercise since time immemorial, but why the craze behind meditation? In recent years, there has been a surge in yoga memberships, mindfulness workshops, meditation retreats, etc. All of this can be attributed to people finally recognizing the positive effects of meditation on mental health. In today’s society, discussing and prioritizing mental health remains as important as ever. As students, we continually tackle the challenges of emerging adulthood, navigating the workforce, maintaining grades, and preserving some semblance of a social life. The accumulated pressure of all these factors can slowly transcend into unhealthy coping mechanisms and poor mental health. Exercise is undoubtedly linked to one’s physiological well being, but we often neglect our psychological well being. This is where meditation comes into play. Although our lives are incredibly demanding as is, experts say that starting our day with a short meditation session holds long-term benefits.You might be inclined to use your spare time to squeeze in an extra ten minutes of sleep but consider skipping sleep and tuning into your thoughts instead. What are the benefits of meditation after all? Let’s start with the physical benefits: · Meditation increases blood flow to your brain; the stronger and steadier the blood flow, the better your brain functions. · It reduces blood pressure and heart rate which alleviates unnecessary pressure on your heart and arteries. · It boosts your immune system. · It can release muscle tension. · It triggers the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for calming us down In addition to the physical benefits above, meditation presents a promising solution to treating mental health disorders, addiction, and everyday stress. Although physical exercise offers the immediate release of endorphins or “feel good” chemicals…the effects last a few short minutes. If we don’t exercise regularly, we will not fully experience the advantages of physical activity. However, a few minutes of mindfulness to kickstart your morning can leave you feeling content throughout the remainder of your day.You don’t have to deep-dive into your inner psyche to realize the impact of meditation. Simply focusing on your breath in a moment of anxiousness is enough to show you its power. This article is not a concerted effort for you to ditch exercise and opt for meditation. Quite the contrary! It is to show you how humans require a neatly constructed blend of both meditation and exercise in order to optimize their physical and psychological well being. Without one, the other fails to reach its potential.

SAVE THE TREES! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST ON WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM

WRITTEN BY: Rachita Chugh DESIGNED BY: Karman Kaur

FOR BUSINESS STUDENTS, BY BUSINESS STUDENTS

™

Thought vs Thought

In 2020, we should focus more on physical exercise WRITTEN AND DESIGNED BY: Karman Kaur What would help one better? A session of meditation, attending Zumba or lifting weights at the gym? Honestly, the best kind of activity is the one that you are staying consistent with. Something that helps you relieve stress and does not put you in a guilty spot for breaking the habit. Yes, I am talking about the elephant in the room. We all have been in the situation where staying regular might have been challenging. But the best way to cope with this in 2020 would be to mix it up. If going to the gym 3-4 times a week seems boring, one can try pilates, swimming or something else along with going to the gym 2-3 times a week. The benefits of physical exercise are enormous. As a student, we juggle through a number of courses, staying engaged in extracurriculars and maybe working part-time on the side. Squeezing in a short workout session can be hard but the benefits it entails, helps us in so many ways. It contributes towards our studies and many other activities indirectly. How does that work? In the Ted Talk “The brain-changing benefits of exercise,’’ the neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki talks about how working out boosts your mood and memory -- and protects your brain against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Physical exercise does not simply help us with “looking good”, the benefits it offers cover a range of areas including mental health, regulating hormonal levels, self-confidence and long-term well-being. According to this talk, she carried out an experiment on herself to see the effects of exercise on the brain. What she found was that exercising does not only have immediate effects on our mood cycles and focus, which again, are super beneficial for students. But its effects are long-term in the sense that exercise also changes the brain anatomy, physiology and function. One is required to increase his/her cardiorespiratory function to have these effects. This implies that meditation can be helpful but in order to achieve transforming effects, it should be complemented with a session of physical activity. How much would be enough to achieve these benefits? A number of studies show that any-form of physical exercise carried out for 20 minutes 3-4 times a week is sufficient to reap these benefits. As a student 20 minutes 3-4 times a week sounds doable. So, in 2020, let’s grab our workout shoes and help ourselves stay healthy, not just physically but also mentally.

FOR BUSINESS STUDENTS, BY BUSINESS STUDENTS

™

Student Spotlight

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

WRITTEN BY: Steven Prysunka DESIGNED BY: Leire Domènech PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Levi Soprovich

Dean’s Comp 2019 Winners

We Interviewed the winning Bus 201 Dean’s Comp team: Rami El-Khatib, Devan Boytinck, William Ho, and Crystal Langat about their sustainable, online grocery delivery business Melio.

SAVE THE TREES! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST ON WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM

FOR BUSINESS STUDENTS, BY BUSINESS STUDENTS

Tell us about your idea! Ordering groceries online and picking them up with a drive-up option. We really wanted to get into the ethical sourcing and environmental aspect of it. Traditionally, the grocery store experience is ancient and our friends in Europe have been redesigning the experience for the past 30 years in new and innovative ways, so bridging these ideas is how we got to our idea. What did you learn along the way? The work ethic behind it was big. It wasn’t easy and it would’ve been great to have more time to polish it more. I think we would do this again, right guys? (Yes, yes they would) Did you have any other ideas? Originally we weren't specifically organic, but as we went on the idea of ethical consumption developed, as well as the warehouse and how we can avoid wastage. But the drive-thru was always a part of it. We looked at Amazon and how all purchases are online, so why don't we do the same with groceries and modernize the experience? The organics help put us in a niche because grocery stores already have so much competition and the organics fit our theme.

How did you feel, being done BUS 201, sitting in Dewey’s having a drink, celebrating being done and then getting the call that you’re being called up to dean’s comp? I mean, what can you do about it right? It’s an honor and a really, really great opportunity for us to be here, with very esteemed judges. We really appreciate that. We didn’t look at it as “aw, we have more work now”, we looked at it is “we have this much time until then, how can we polish it up, how can we grind it out and put out the best content.”

™

Student Spotlight

What set you apart? One concept of our idea was inventory management and the way we tried to use data for inventory management. Not only are we providing a new service to Edmonton, but just the concept of how to do business. Times are changing, everyone has the internet, so why can't we have a warehouse for the goods and order online? There were so many more value points we could hit and that's the way the world is shaping right now. If you look at Europe, there are other places doing something similar.

What do you want readers to know about the experience? The biggest thing is if people have a passion, go for it. If you see the one opportunity that you have passion for, see how far you can go with it.

What new issues and trends did you want to capitalize on for your idea? When we saw that nonprofit businesses were allowed this year, we saw that as an opportunity to take our business in an environmental direction. Everyone's realizing how important sustainability is. The common thread in many of the presentations were hitting that environmental and sustainability [theme].

“IF PEOPLE HAVE A PASSION, GO FOR IT” What do you want readers to know about the experience?

Any other thoughts? The biggest thing is if people have a passion, go for it. If you see the one opportunity that you have passion for, see how far you can go with it.

What got you to decide on this idea?

Any tips for team work?

I don't know, we were just brainstorming and when we got to this idea we were like, 'this is it". We had way different ideas in our initial brainstorm, but we sat down and took all the common ideas and were able to reach this and it kept building from there.

Don’t be afraid to bounce ideas off each other and don’t shut others’ ideas down. That’s why we worked together as well as we did. If there was an idea someone else didn’t like, we phrased it in a way that was encouraging rather than telling them “that sucks”. Elaborate on each others’ ideas. We thought in the same direction so we all kept moving forward; it was nice.

I was helped a lot not only by our coaches Evan and Emily but everyone else.We met over coffee and we were able to bounce ideas off them. A lot of our ability to reach first place came through the people that helped us. Take help where you can get and don't be afraid to ask questions. There are so many people who are there to help and mentor you.

SAVE THE TREES! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST ON WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM

EXTERNAL RELATIONS

SHANA WILSON WRITTEN AND DESIGNED BY: Melania Antoszko Photos provided by Shana Wilson

Shana Wilson’s career has been anything but boring. She graduated with her Bachelors of Commerce in Marketing and since then worked in a variety of industries including advertising, telecommunications, construction and design, retail and most recently producing a Hollywood movie. But in the background of all of that, she was slowly mastering her painting. Just 4 years ago she decided to leave her business career, for a career in the fine arts. Not only is she a successful painter, but also an advocate for feminism and equality, starting the movement Women Who Roar. Read more about Shana’s advice for students on finding your passion, how to stand up for yourself and her thoughts on women in business. Enjoy! Read the full article online that highlights the steps she took throughout her career. WHAT ADVICE TO STUDENTS WOULD YOU GIVE ON FINDING YOUR PASSION? Try lots of things. Don’t be scared in your early years too, oh my gosh, I have to get a career. I have to climb that

corporate ladder. Life is long. At 53, I have had a ton of different careers and you need to recognize that at 45 or 50, you might start a whole new career. So, delve a little bit, try a few different things, you know. WHAT WAS THE MOST VALUABLE SKILL THAT YOU LEARNT IN YOUR CAREER? Oh, I’ll tell you what I didn’t learn, which I think is even more valuable. I wish I had learned sooner to be stronger, to advocate more for myself. I wish I’d learned sooner just to say no to other people, no that’s your job.You do that. That was a long, long time coming. I wish I’d learned that at 30. WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE FOR STUDENTS IN LEARNING TO STAND UP FOR THEMSELVES? You know, I know it’s just something you have to practice

SAVE THE TREES! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST ON WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM

every single day. Like even as small as if you’re in a restaurant and your food comes and it’s not quite right to say, Oh, you know, excuse me, actually, this isn’t what I ordered. This isn’t right.I think the other thing too is recognizing that you can still be a nice and good person but be strong. Instead of always having to accommodate, you can be a very nice and good person, but still say to the people around the table, “I disagree with what you’re saying and here’s why. Maybe you can convince me of yours [idea], but I really think you should

FOR BUSINESS STUDENTS, BY BUSINESS STUDENTS

listen to me.” Just and have something to say also.You’ve got to just be fearless and confident. It’s such a valuable skill. It’ll make a huge difference in your life in terms of managing stress, managing people around you. It’s a life changer. CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT WOMEN WHO ROAR? At this age and stage in my life, I want to make a difference. I want to try and make a difference in particular for women and all women inclusive of gender, sexual preference, religion, color, nationality, like it’s just time. And I think I’ve got a lot of experience behind me that I can speak to what I have faced personally and I’ve seen other women face. I have a lot of emotions that I want to get out of me using my paintbrush. I hope in this age of social media; a picture says a thousand words. So, a picture can very quickly convey what someone might not have the time to read the full article to absorb. And it can also be seen if it happens to go viral or if it gets posted. A picture, has the opportunity to reach a lot of people in a very short amount of time. I think that that’s what I want my

messages, my paintings to show. I’m tired of the fact that when you go to museums and galleries and the paintings, the walls are whitewashed. We are a whole lot of other colors in this world, and we need to celebrate or respect them. I’ve tried to encourage other artists to paint beyond what they see in the mirror and let’s make a difference. IN TERMS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY HERE, WHAT DO YOU THINK WE CAN DO TO PROMOTE EQUALITY FOR MEN AND WOMEN IN THE WORKING WORLD? A lot of companies have affirmative action programs in terms of hiring, which is great. It’s the medium and small businesses that need to up their game. I think because they don’t have investors, since they’re not public companies. Honestly what it all comes down to is because women are the ones that have to bear children. I can remember doing my job interviews in my twenties and thirties, and I always took my wedding ring off my job interviews because if they saw me with a wedding ring, they knew

™

External Relations

I would be probably having kids at some point. I hate that I had to do that. It’s just not right. But I had to do that because otherwise you’re, you’re stereotyped right then and there. So, until childcare [is available], until pregnancy becomes something revered and that businesses of all sizes go, “oh, you’re pregnant. Amazing. We’re here to help you and I want you to have the baby,” it’s hard for men and women to be on the same playing ground. And so, until the world embraces that side of women, it’s really hard to have an even playing field. There needs to be, and not just in government, not just in big businesses, rules that say “no, you have to treat her the same way that you’re treating everyone else,” or “no, she needs a break actually right now because she’s carrying 70 or 60 extra pounds”, “she has to pee every half an hour. She hasn’t slept for three months because she’s been pregnant”. It’s a tough one. I don’t know. I don’t have an answer other than I just think people need to do a better job of understanding.

SAVE THE TREES! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILINGNG LIST ON WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM

FOR BUSINESS STUDENTS, BY BUSINESS STUDENTS

™

Clubs Cornerner

student, staff, or alumni. I think it’s really nice that we accept everyone. We’re really supportive of each other.” Toastmasters’ inclusivity also applies to embracing everyone’s different backgrounds and personalities. “We’ve got students getting their master’s, engineers, business students, science students. It’s hard to pinpoint an exact personality. I think there’s an intrinsic motivation to recognize within yourself a skill you want to build. It doesn’t matter if you’re shy or bold, when you get there, you’re all on equal footing.”

TOASTMASTERS WRITTEN BY: Denise Nguyen DESIGNED BY: Katia Wlasichuk

S WE START THE BEGINNING OF A NEW DECADE, the

phrase “new year, new me” couldn’t be any more important. Self-improvement becomes a goal for many in different shapes and forms. And for some business students still deciding what to work towards, consider this: Toastmasters.

Toastmasters International, a nonprofit organization based in California, offers educational programmes that reps skill development of real-life communication skills and puts it into practice. Toastmasters’ long-standing history of success had branched off to many chapters across the world, including one right here at the University of Alberta, making it one of the oldest clubs on campus. President Chris Yakiwchuk, an entrepreneurship student at ASOB, sat down with Lazy Faire to tell us about why he joined in the name of self-improvement, what’s to come in the future for Toastmasters, and what to expect as a member.

CLUB’S CORNER

Members whose native languages don’t include English are also welcome to participate in Toastmasters. “It’s a great way for them to meet new people and develop language skills.” Chris found it intriguing that there was always something to improve in communication skills no matter how outspoken or soft spoken one could be, learning that after an event during his earlier years as a student. “Before I joined, I tried my hand out at the debate club. I was always a drama kid and did musical theatre. I had no issues standing up and talking in front of people. When I tried to debate, I stood up at the podium and I froze.”

Little did he know that joining the debate club would lead him into a completely different direction. “After I froze up at the podium, I told myself, ‘I should “[Toastmasters] started as a way for really look at not doing that’. My dad people to get together,’’ Chris explained. took Toastmasters through his work “It’s really stayed true to its roots as a and told me to join if there was one on way of community where you’re concampus. I saw the banner, didn’t listen nected through one common goal, and to their spiel, and signed up my name. that’s self-improvement.” I changed my work hours, and started showing up.” Self-improvement isn’t limited to just students, since goal-setting is seen in all Fast-forward two years later, where stages of life. Chris runs as president of Toastmasters. “What we really try to do is to make “I was ready for a challenge and to take sure it’s a safe place for anyone to on the reigns. I knew that it was somecome out. You can meet a whole bunch thing I felt strongly about. I’m proud of of people across faculties [and different the club, the history, and the people.” schools including NAIT and Grant MacEwan], and it doesn’t matter if you’re a

SAVE THE TREES! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST ON WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM

FOR BUSINESS STUDENTS, BY BUSINESS STUDENTS

Chris is also optimistic about what’s ahead. “I think the future of Toastmasters is really exciting. We’ve really been trying to get our name out there. I’ve been keeping track of attendance statistics in the past calendar year and I’ve seen drastic improvement in terms of people coming out to meetings. The next step is to let undergrads know that we are a resource for them. Even if they aren’t that interested in speaking, they can still come out to make new friends across faculties and make different experiences.” As a whole, things may change for the organization as it markets toward a new, younger audience. “It’s starting to push into a social life aspect. It’s very good for people making new friends and building connections.”

O WHAT DOES THE PATH TO SELF-IMPROVEMENT

exactly look like to members of toastmasters? Meetings consist of prepared speeches and improvised speeches.

With prepared speeches, members use a new program called ‘Pathways’. Pathways, an online platform, is a new way of building skills. A questionnaire gauges what your interests are and what you want to build, like team-building or dynamic leadership. Pathways is offered in multiple languages. “It’s not just for business presentations,” Chris pointed out, “it’s for face-to-face talking, like when you want to meet a friend for coffee.” The program encourages you to take steps to your goal weekly, hence the name. “By the end of it, you’ll be a different person. I think that’s really cool, the power of self-improvement.” Improvised speeches are Chris’ “favourite part of the night”. “It’s fun to get a

random prompt, and to be like, ‘okay, just go with it’. It takes all of the skills you learned, like stage presence and the way that you speak and carry yourself, and you just go.” Toastmasters also hosts speech contests, starting with levels at each smaller branch. Successful partici-

™

Clubs Corner

learned in general is that there are a lot of students on this campus that I don’t interact with on a daily basis. Without this club, I would’ve never met lots and lots of people through this club who have gone on to do bigger and better things. I’ve made many great friends.” What’s the secret to these authentic relationships, even in a networking setting? “Toastmasters is organic. You can go there and be yourself. We ask if you want to partake in any of the speeches. If you’re content sitting there and taking it all in for a meeting or two, then it’s all good. If you want to push yourself and be more outgoing, then come on up and tell us about yourself.”

pants reach the international level. Judges look for criteria such as word choice,delivery, speech mechanics, and so on, before advancing a participant to the next level. Regardless of the language the words were spoken in, body language goes a long way when it comes to presentation. “You hone your skills. It’s constant practice.”

To join Toastmasters, there is an option to have a free or paid membership. Members who pay the one-time payment, which covers a membership for 6 months at a time, are able to participate in speech competitions and prepared speeches.

Outside of technical speaking skills, Chris has also been taught plenty from being a part of Toastmasters. “I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to be a great leader and that I can perform to the expectations of my team. What I’ve

For more information, visit https://uofa.toastmastersclubs.org/.

“By the end of it, you’ll be a different person. I think that’s really cool, the power of self-improvement” SAVE THE TREES! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILINGNG LIST ON WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM

FOR BUSINESS STUDENTS, BY BUSINESS STUDENTS

™

LF REVIEWS

LF REVIEWS: SELF HELP BOOKS A new year, a new decade! It's exciting yet daunting, and makes you feel as though you should reinvent yourself. Reinvention is a tall order, so where should you start? Here's a list of books I read and loved in the last year; all four of these books can help any business student get a fresh perspective in the new year, whatever their resolution may be.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell Outliers is not a traditional self help book. It reframed my perspective on success and what it takes for extremely successful individuals to “make it.” Business students are inundated with examples of billionaires who all have the same miraculous story of bootstrap-pulling and innate genius. This book breaks down pure success as we know it. It sheds light on what might be sheer luck (and being there at the right time), and what is in our control. This is the book that put the 10,000 hour rule in the public consciousness among other big concepts. It's nice to have a more realistic perspective on what separates outliers from the rest of us. The latest addition to Gladwell’s repertoire, Talking to Strangers, is a fascinating read as well and may help you understand why people so often misunderstand others. Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink, Leif Babin Written by a Navy Seal, turned business owner and consultant, this is the book I needed for group work in BUS 201. Despite the focus on the military, humility, ego control, and understanding are central themes; it turns out that people like working with those willing to admit their mistakes. It's easy to blame others but so much more rewarding to make the buck stop with you. The book also shows how being a good leader and holding yourself responsible for your group doesn't necessarily mean being a control freak. It’s a tough concept to comprehend initially, but understanding it will help you rethink leadership and your role in any project you take on in the future. Accountability as a leader is a challenging yet ultimately empowering philosophy to apply to team work.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie This is the oldest book on the list (published in 1936), but it's a classic for a reason. It covers everything from dealing with people, criticism, influencing and persuading people, and leadership. Some of the advice may seem like common sense, (like smiling and showing genuine interest in what others do) but you’d be surprised to learn how many people end up doing the wrong thing.You don’t have to dazzle people or appease them with hollow flattery in order to be the center of attention. In fact, the book shows that honesty, humility and genuine care and curiosity end up making you a pretty popular person. Living in a world with resumés, social media, and LinkedIn, we are often under the misconception that we need to sell ourselves to be memorable. The book offers the reader an alternative approach to business, relationships and dealing with people in general. As a bonus, the book also offers good advice for anyone who finds people leaving them at a party when they start bragging about their day trading. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss,Tahl Raz This book is the most business-centric of the four. It has concrete rules on how to effectively engage in negotiations and leave with all parties satisfied. The book states that life is a series of negotiations and coming out on top doesn't have to mean making someone else lose. If you really want to put this in practice, try the SMO Negotiations class next semester. WRITTEN BY: Steven Prysunka

SAVE THE TREES! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST ON WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM

FOR BUSINESS STUDENTS, BY BUSINESS STUDENTS

L A Z Y C H AT

ROBYN KAULBACK

1. Could you start by telling us a bit about yourself? Where did you obtain your post-secondary education, and how did you end up at ASOB? All of my education has been at the University of Alberta; in fact, I sat as an undergrad student in the very same seats and took the same courses as current ASOB students. My first undergraduate degree was in Education, followed by an after degree in the Faculty of Physical Education. Many of the required courses for this route were taken through the Faculty of Business - one of the most memorable [courses] being BLAW 301 which piqued my interest in law. I completed graduate studies in Physical Education, worked for a number of years in the sport and fitness industry, wrote the LSAT, and ultimately applied to law school. After obtaining my law degree at UofA, I was in private practice for three years, and then worked as a full-time instructor and Director of the Legal Research and Advocacy department in the Faculty of Law. I’ve been teaching at ASOB since 2017. The manner of teaching between business and law studies is different, but I love the faculty and the practical approach and perspective that business students bring.

™

Lazy Chat

2. Business Law offers a fairly unique set of classes in an undergraduate program. How do you think offering business law classes helps BCom. students navigate the business world?

4. Many students you teach have the goal of getting into law school. Do you think that having an undergraduate degree in BLaw gives those students an advantage over students that don’t?

When I was an undergrad, there were very few BLaw course offerings; there were no courses beyond the basic BLAW 301 survey course. Today there is a greater recognition and understanding of how the law affects businesses, operations, and transactions. Almost everything we do in our professional and personal lives has legal ramifications. We are subject to statute laws on federal, provincial, and municipal levels. Businesses need to recognize legal issues and proactively manage legal risks. BLaw grads will be sought after to fulfill these roles.

Yes, definitely! In my view, a BLaw student is the perfect candidate to successfully navigate the rigours of law school. A BLaw graduate enters law school with a solid understanding of the Canadian legal system and the basics of constitutional, contact, tort, corporate, commercial, and property law. Additionally, a business degree prepares students to successfully adapt to the legal profession and corporate culture which very much mirrors how the business world operates. The skills needed to succeed in business would undoubtedly transfer to a successful career in law.

3. The majority of ASOB undergraduates are either Accounting or Finance Majors, with BLaw being less popular. Why do you think this is, and what reasons can you think of that would compel more undergraduates to pursue BLaw as a major? I think the traditional areas of Accounting, Finance, Marketing, will always be the most pursued majors. In recent years, however, newer majors (i.e. BLAW, SMO, Entrepreneurship and Innovation) have developed which may be increasingly relevant to meet the demands of our evolving business world. Additionally, students are encouraged to pursue diversity in their education and take a well-rounded approach to course selection. I think the broader the knowledge and skill set that a business grad can bring to the table, the more marketable they will be to potential employers.

6. Finally, as one of the more popular BLaw Professors, you’ve seen a lot of students go through your class. From your teaching experience, what general advice could you give to undergraduate students based on your experience which will help them achieve success in ASOB? Attend all classes, take good notes, and be engaged in each lecture. Get involved in the faculty, student groups, and business organizations. Make friends as well as future professional contacts. On the first day of law school, the Dean will tell you, “your reputation starts here - in law school.” I believe the same is true for business school - your professional reputation starts at ASOB. WRITTEN BY: Sam Hughes DESIGNED BY: Jazlynn Chan

SAVE THE TREES! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILINGNG LIST ON WWW.LAZYFAIRE.COM

Hiring New Grads!

Last year across Canada we hired over 100 new business grads! With the top Sales Training in the country and endless development opportunities, find out why a Xerox Agency is where you should start your career.

For current job postings, visit www.XeroxAgentSales.ca