I love college basketball. I love it so much that instead of being on cloud nine after watching in person one of the great college basketball games in recent memory – the 2010 NCAA National Championship Game between Duke and Butler – I was absolutely furious. Gordon Hayward’s half court prayer that was just inches away from swishing through the net meant that I was just inches away from being at the greatest college basketball game of all-time – no questions asked.

But when I started at KemperLesnik on May 28, I was in fact on cloud nine because I had a full-time job working for the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational. What could top that? Even better, I interned for the tournament after my sophomore year at the University of Michigan, so I was already comfortable with most of the people with whom I would be working.

But from the second I stepped through the office doors, I quickly realized that a deep passion for college basketball wasn’t going to be the key to my success. In my first week, I sat in on an important meeting with the company’s CEO and contributed to a conference call with our Tournament Chairman, former ACC and SEC coach Dave Odom. What did I learn? In order to succeed at this company and this field, I would have to think from the business side of college basketball, not just from the basketball side.

When I first started, I kept coming up with ideas to enhance the tournament that were “cool,” but I never thought about the financial or logistical implications that came with the idea. The Tournament Director Briana Wells kept telling me I had to “wrap my head around” the things we were talking about. Meaning, I had to start thinking from a different perspective, one that included the “cool” aspect but also the business aspect.

Since then, I have started to think on a different level. When I think of an idea, I immediately think about the business implications first to see if it’s even possible. Only once I get over that hump do I let myself get excited about a potential new idea.

My colleagues at KemperLesnik have challenged me from day one and allowed me to take on projects and solve problems on my own instead of holding my hand through it all. I’m only three months into my first full-time job, and I can honestly say that my rational and logical thinking has greatly improved. I am excited to see what challenges lie ahead.