{"id":5053,"date":"2025-09-25T07:32:40","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T06:32:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.iese.edu\/mba\/?p=5053"},"modified":"2025-09-25T07:32:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T06:32:40","slug":"how-my-summer-entrepreneurship-experience-changed-everything","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.iese.edu\/mba\/how-my-summer-entrepreneurship-experience-changed-everything\/","title":{"rendered":"How my Summer Entrepreneurship Experience changed everything"},"content":{"rendered":"

How much can 8 weeks change your life? <\/strong>For me, it changed everything.<\/h4>\n

From Consulting to the MBA<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Before IESE, I spent almost seven years in consulting, growing from intern to manager in a boutique firm in Brazil. I loved the exposure: working with different industries, practices, and C-level executives. But something was missing. I wanted to feel the impact of building something from scratch, to take risks, and to see a direct connection between my work and people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n

I had many hypotheses about where I wanted my career to go, but I knew I needed more learning and a more international perspective before making a leap. My dream of a career change plus geography change led me to the MBA.<\/p>\n

The entrepreneurship focus at IESE was one of the reasons I chose the school. <\/strong>From the beginning, I had a plan: use my first year to learn more about tech companies and startups, get involved with Women in Business, run a half marathon (or two), build strong friendships, and then spend my summer in the Summer Entrepreneurship Experience<\/a> (SEE) testing a business idea.<\/strong><\/p>\n

First Year: Surprises and Highlights<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The MBA taught me about prioritization from day one. FOMO is real \u2014 but you quickly realize you can\u2019t do it all.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sometimes it meant trading hours of sleep for a late-night social gathering. Other times, it was choosing between attending a professional event or catching up with friends I had already made. Even simple things like whether to spend a free afternoon meeting new classmates or deepening the friendships I\u2019d already built felt like meaningful decisions.<\/p>\n

Amid those trade-offs, a few highlights stand out. The Communication course was a great surprise.<\/strong> In just one week, I saw how much clearer and more confident I had become in contributing to class discussions. I also made time to keep exercising<\/strong>: while I didn\u2019t manage the two half marathons I had originally planned, I did complete one. Getting involved with Women in Business was another defining choice<\/strong>, one that eventually led me to being elected President of the club in my second year. And perhaps most importantly, I found the time to make the lifelong friends I had hoped for.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Choosing SEE<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Despite my plan, I almost lost sight of my \u201cwhy.\u201d<\/strong> Surrounded by classmates pursuing consulting or big corporate internships, I felt pressure to follow the same path. I even came close to accepting an offer.<\/p>\n

Then I paused and asked myself:<\/p>\n