Mandy Farmer, CEO Accent Inns, MBA, 2003

RRU:  How was the education experience at Royal Roads different from other programs you’ve taken?
MF:    I think one of the biggest changes for me was developing a thirst for learning. Having gone to 6 different universities before Royal Roads to get my undergrad – which was a fun way to see the country—I ended up with an undergrad from McGill. At that point for me universities were more about having fun and it wasn’t really about learning, per se. The schools didn’t really speak to me. So when I came to Royal Roads I was amazed at how everyone knew my name. At my previous universities I was just a number. None of my professors knew who I was. And suddenly not only do all my professors know my name, but all the administrative staff do too. It was this personal attention that was so different. And I knew that they were listening and helping to create the ideal program for all of us. So given that, we all knew the program was being shaped to where we wanted it to go, and that was very empowering.
RRU:  Thinking back, what was the best part of your MBA program?
MF:    It was the opportunity to showcase my new learning and my new skills in my workplace. I was doing school work at night, then going back to my job the next day.  The program focuses on applying what you learn so I was able to apply everything I learned to my job. So suddenly you’re this valuable resource at work, which is a great thing, and it’s going to advance you along your career path.
RRU:   What about the experience in the classroom, how would you characterize that?
MF:     At other universities I went to, I felt like I was being lectured at. I could easily go into a lecture, scooch down in my chair and have a little daydream. At Royal Roads, you just couldn’t do that. You were engaged in a conversation with the whole class. Not only were you having a conversation with the professor, you’re having it with everyone—all of your colleagues and your classmates.  In the classroom everyone is participating.  It’s not a passive experience. I found that experience even moved outside the classroom, especially during the residencies. Even if you’re getting a cup of coffee or taking a break, we were still learning from each other. There was such a passion for learning that we almost didn’t turn it off. It just kept going.
RRU: What did you learn that surprised you?
MF: One thing I learned while going to Royal Roads is that conflict is actually a good thing in team work. All teams are going to come through some kind of conflict. If there is no conflict then probably someone isn’t being true to themselves or they don’t feel comfortable enough in the group to share their true feelings about something. I’ve learned, especially with my own head-office team, that everyone’s got different opinions and I want to hear them. I want to make sure that people can tell me exactly what’s on their mind. Let’s get all that conflict out so that we can analyze the problem from different angles and then we can agree on the best course of action to take. And that was directly from the team work at Royal Roads.
RRU:   How did your workplace support you through the program?
MF:     Accent Inns sponsored me for the MBA program. They helped pay for tuition and they were very encouraging, things like that. I know that in the end they were thrilled with the results because they did see so much return on their investment within the first intake—the first classes. There were projects right off the bat where I was able to work on Accent Inns—not a case study on some imaginary company,  I was working on Accent Inns. So I was able to provide that learning to the company, but not only was it my learning, it was the instructors’ comments, the hours of classroom time, and it was also all of my colleagues’ feedback on that project. So, there was such a return on investment for the company. And not just on projects but in my ability to see the company as a whole, whether it was from an operational or marketing or financial perspective. It gave me a new set of eyes to look at the company.
RRU:   What would you say to a professional who was considering an MBA at Royal Roads?
MF:    I think it’s very important to keep working while you’re getting an MBA because the degree is to further your career.  I think the best thing about the RRU MBA is that you can continue working and then you can also apply that knowledge to your job immediately.  To be completely honest, I think Royal Roads is a very innovative school—more so than some of the larger, more established universities that might be a little bit cumbersome. I think that Royal Roads is light on its feet and has the ability to adapt and change, and because of that, it’s actually one of the leaders in its field. I’m extremely enthusiastic about the MBA program at Royal Roads University.