I Didn't Get to Tuck the Easy Way
I didn’t get to Tuck the easy way… but I got there.
Last week, I spent the week in Building a Successful Business at The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth in tiny Hanover, NH.
Getting there wasn’t simple.
A pre-dawn drive to Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
Arriving hours early. Just in case TSA delays were an issue.
Uneventful 2+ hour flight to Boston.
Then a 3-hour bus ride from Logan International Airport to Hanover.
The biggest blessings rarely come easy.
And the sacrifice required to reach them is often smaller than we make it.
I could list all the adjustments.
All the things that were new.
But that would sound like complaining.
And I’m definitely not doing that.
I’ll be honest. I’m still recovering. Still processing the week.
The caliber of people in that room.
Their revenue. Their client lists. The scale of their operations.
It challenged me, stretched me, and sharpened my thinking.
And just like that, my network grew by 53 entrepreneurs from across the country.
Different industries. Different perspectives. Same level of commitment.
But here’s the part I don’t take lightly.
I was sponsored by Wells Fargo.
Not because we’ve done business together.
Not because they’ve hired me as a supplier.
Because of a relationship.
Because someone believed in me.
Thank you, Tabatha Watson.
For watching my journey, cheering me on, and opening a door I couldn’t open on my own.
That mattered more than anything else this week.
We talk a lot about strategy.
Offers. Positioning. Teams. Risk. Growth.
And all of that matters.
But this week made something very clear:
Relationships open doors strategy alone cannot.
You can be doing all the right things… and still need someone willing to say, “I see you. I believe in you.”
And here’s what I was reminded of:
Character is who you are when no one is watching.
But the truth is… someone is always watching.
You just may not see them.
You may not know who’s paying attention.
But they are.
How you show up.
How you do the work.
How you treat people.
It all matters.
I walked into Tuck ready to learn.
I walked out with more clarity, stronger connections, and a deeper responsibility to do something meaningful with what I’ve been given.
This wasn’t just about business.
It was about belief.
And I don’t take that lightly.
Last week, I spent the week in Building a Successful Business at The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth in tiny Hanover, NH.
Getting there wasn’t simple.
A pre-dawn drive to Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
Arriving hours early. Just in case TSA delays were an issue.
Uneventful 2+ hour flight to Boston.
Then a 3-hour bus ride from Logan International Airport to Hanover.
The biggest blessings rarely come easy.
And the sacrifice required to reach them is often smaller than we make it.
I could list all the adjustments.
All the things that were new.
But that would sound like complaining.
And I’m definitely not doing that.
I’ll be honest. I’m still recovering. Still processing the week.
The caliber of people in that room.
Their revenue. Their client lists. The scale of their operations.
It challenged me, stretched me, and sharpened my thinking.
And just like that, my network grew by 53 entrepreneurs from across the country.
Different industries. Different perspectives. Same level of commitment.
But here’s the part I don’t take lightly.
I was sponsored by Wells Fargo.
Not because we’ve done business together.
Not because they’ve hired me as a supplier.
Because of a relationship.
Because someone believed in me.
Thank you, Tabatha Watson.
For watching my journey, cheering me on, and opening a door I couldn’t open on my own.
That mattered more than anything else this week.
We talk a lot about strategy.
Offers. Positioning. Teams. Risk. Growth.
And all of that matters.
But this week made something very clear:
Relationships open doors strategy alone cannot.
You can be doing all the right things… and still need someone willing to say, “I see you. I believe in you.”
And here’s what I was reminded of:
Character is who you are when no one is watching.
But the truth is… someone is always watching.
You just may not see them.
You may not know who’s paying attention.
But they are.
How you show up.
How you do the work.
How you treat people.
It all matters.
I walked into Tuck ready to learn.
I walked out with more clarity, stronger connections, and a deeper responsibility to do something meaningful with what I’ve been given.
This wasn’t just about business.
It was about belief.
And I don’t take that lightly.
More to come.
Chef Maria
