The Personal MBA^TM

This week’s profile is a dramatic, inspiring story of a regular guy with no formal college education who pulled himself up by his bootstraps to create the life he wanted for himself and his family.

Steve Olson is a software manager and blogger who frequently writes about business and education. Here are a few of Steve’s most popular and insightful essays:

• 5 Steps to Start a Business & Purchase Wholesale
• Why People Believe Money is the Root of all Evil
• Why Getting a Good Job isn’t the Best Way to Earn Money
• How the Public School System Crushes Souls
• 10 Tips to Secure a Management Position without a College Degree

A new member of the PMBA, Steve is a living, breathing example of the power of taking responsibility for your own education.

Name: Steve Olson
Blog: steve-olson.com
Work: Software Manager at Ergotron, Inc.

Who are you, and what do you do?

I am a 37 year old father of two. I’m married to Christine who is also 37 and we’ve been together for 18 years.

I manage a team of software developers and DBAs who maintain the software infrastructure at Ergotron, Inc, including the Oracle eBusiness Suite. At Ergotron, I am fortunate enough to lead one of the finest Oracle teams ever assembled. I can honestly say that I believe Ergotron is one the best companies in the world, and that’s why I choose to work there today. Many people are down on corporate America (myself included), but Ergotron is an exception to the negative stereotype.

I could give you a thousand examples, but instead I’ll just give you just one – a week before Christmas 2006 our founder’s family unexpectedly gave every employee $500.00 in cash. There were people in tears at the event. I love this company, the people that run it, the founder, and my team. Some people may think I overstating how fun it is to work here – I’m not – I’m understating it.

I also author a blog part-time at www.steve-olson.com. I write personal anecdotes that promote thought, freedom, and entrepreneurship. I am planning to use the blog as a springboard into larger creative ventures.

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If you're new to the Personal MBA, you'll want to check out the manifesto and recommended reading list to see what we're all about.

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Olivier is a long-time member of the PMBA from Paris, France. A frequent contributor to the PMBA forums, you can find Olivier on the boards under the username Cypher. Olivier has also posted summaries of Getting Things Done, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and The Art of The Start on his website.

Name: Olivier Cotasson
LinkedIn: profile
Blog: blog.cotasson.info

Who are you, and what do you do?

I am 35, single, living in Paris, France, currently involved in web development. I’ve been doing so for the last 6 years as a freelancer. Prior to this, I worked in a web agency.

I will soon join Exakis, an IT company specializing in Microsoft Solutions, as project manager (PM). When not working, I am very keen on paragliding.

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Name: Tyler Martin
LinkedIn: profile
Blog: Two Years Through B-School

Who are you, and what do you do?

My titles are many: Father of three, husband, soccer referee, MBA candidate. The list goes on. As it pertains to business, I am the Affiliate Relations Manager for a News Corp. division. I handle the distribution and supporting marketing efforts for cable networks. My clients are cable companies like Comcast, Time Warner, Dish Network and DirecTV. I’m on the line side of business: selling. My day-to-day entails contract negotiation, entertainment, hosting, and sportsfan emotional arbitrage.

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