Psst...I Have a Confession to Make!

Psst….I have a confession to make… I am addicted to OCMC. It’s apart of my DNA.

Hi, I am Cheryl Dowell, Professor at Algonquin College and the faculty lead for our OCMC team.

For 5 years I have been working side by side with fantastic faculty coaches, close to 100 OCMC students and numerous industry professionals. And in the OCMC world…I am considered a “newbie”. Just imagine what knowledge and experience the seasoned OCMC coaches have (Be sure to tap into it!)

Why am I apart of OCMC? Why do I come back every year? Well, really, it is pure selfishness. Yes, I said selfish…….it just makes me feel SO good! Why not!

To see the bright eyed, eager, yet nervous students at the first OCMC meeting, then moving on to the one-on-one ‘motivational’ talks to get through the midterms, assignments, extra coaching sessions, work, and remain sane. To the pre-prep room walk in the hotel just before the competition. Ahhhh, who would NOT want to be apart of this!!!!

OCMC is not easy. It is WORK. Hard work. Ask any of the alumni and faculty coaches. At my first team meeting, I particularly stress that if you honestly believe that you have everything it takes to be apart of this competition then leave now (ouch!) OCMC is a learning curve. It is an opportunity to gain extensive knowledge outside of the classroom from experienced coaches. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Take full advantage of it.

I have another confession to make. Come closer now. Ready?

Last October – about 6 weeks before OCMC 2010, which by the way was truly AMAZING! The live band, the dancing – the celebrations - WOW - it was very memorable! Congratulations Sheridan College – you sure know how to throw a Gala.

Now, where was I? Oh, yes, my confession #2. Last October…. about 6 weeks before OCMC 2010, I found myself rethinking my role. Bluntly, I said to myself: ‘If I don’t see any major results this year (higher rankings), then this will be my last year. I just can’t handle the work load and the added pressures.’

Pretty selfish eh?!

Why am I telling you this? To show you that we are ALL human. When the going gets tough….some run, some hide, and some stay for the fight. I was ready to walk away, but then my team supported me (both students and coaches),they gave me the strength to keep moving. Within the week, I was back up fighting for our tomorrows! This is what OCMC is all about. Sure the medals and rankings are great; but, in the end it is the family, friends, support that makes us who we are.

Words of advice: mid October (AKA the breaking point). Everything seems to be due. Students are feeling it with group projects, midterms, presentations…oh, and then there is OCMC on top of it with coaching sessions, team meetings, fundraising, researching, and shopping for “that” amazing outfit!

Faculty are feeling the same breaking point pressures. Group issues, marking, midterm prep, marking, OCMC logistics, coaching sessions, course prep work, marking, committee meetings. I think we get the picture here.

So, what sets us apart? Nothing? What brings up closer together? Determination. Purpose. To better ourselves and the people around us. OCMC!

To the OCMC 2011 competitors: “no pain no gain”. Be ready for it, have your support systems in place. Bond with your team. Walk the talk. Be ready for the fight. And best of all, ENJOY this once in a lifetime experience. I keep coming back. I am fortunate to have this option. Its apart of my DNA. I know that by November 2011, you will also have OCMC in your DNA. As you become OCMC Alumni, you will also want to come back and give back.

To the OCMC 2011 coaches: THANK YOU! Keep up the worthwhile fight. You are making a valuable difference. It is not easy but truly rewarding.

See you all at Humber in November.

Cheryl Dowell
dowellc@algonquincollege.com
Tweet: @profdowell

Guest Blogger Considers OCMC

Hey – I am a guest blogger on the OCMC blog and thinking about applying to an OCMC team!

In my first semester at college I kept hearing faculty members and students talking about the ‘OCMC’ but only in passing. I personally thought it had to do with some sort of student debate rather than with marketing.

The day someone explained it to me was when I walked into my marketing class 20 minutes early for a test. I was invited in rather than wait in the hall. The anxiety for the test was written all over my face and I needed to think about something else for at least five minutes. The teacher and I started talking about the marketing program and why I choose it. It all had to do with my work history which started 11 years ago in sales and management. The teacher told me about the OCMC and the more he explained, the more excited I became because of the competitive edge it had to it.

The portion that I was thrilled about was retailing. When I was younger I always said that I would never work retail, it just wasn’t something I would EVER consider. I should have bit my tongue because that’s what I accidently fell into as a career. Retail taught me so much; how to manage a C volume to an AAAA+ volume store, how to create relationships with customers, and how to manage and coach a successful team. I took pride, but it took over 8 months for me to realize my strength with people. In the beginning I would never say hello to anyone as they entered the store because fear took over. As months passed and my confidence grew, I never let anyone come into my store unless they were greeted. I took this into consideration when enrolling into marketing, it was new and again fear took over. But as tests and projects were completed, I realized I had found my new passion.

So when the teacher told me about this competition with all the colleges, I was excited but at the same time hesitant - the fear was talking over once again. I began to Google-search the event to see what would come up and I was so excited to see the fun of Quiz Bowl and the interviews of people who had participated in the presentations. Everyone was extremely excited and only had something positive to say. They confirmed what I thought from the beginning - this is a onetime deal for me and if I passed it up then I would only regret it. The fear of trying and failing is what tends to push a lot of people away. So I told myself, ‘Hey, at least you tried,’ and who knows where this may take me.

I hear participating in the event can help build your skills and resume - sometimes students participating in the individual events have ended up with a job. This is a perfect way to start down the road to a successful career in marketing. The training would help sharpen my skills so the question here is, “If you don’t try, then how will you ever know?” So I suggest to everyone who is considering the OCMC, to go out and try it - what is there to lose except to build on the strengths that you already possess?

M.C.