The Leader Brew Podcast
The Leader Brew podcast features the leadership stories of our former students who share their lifelong experiences from the classroom to the real-world.
Join Dr. Rick Arrowood and Co-Hosts as they reignite the magic of the classroom in these unscripted discussions. Learn from remarkable guests about how they overcame some of life's most challenging obstacles and yet found a way to keep their passion alive.
The Leader Brew Podcast
From Stage Skills to Leadership Success with Rachel Arditi
Rachel Arditi, Senior Director at Sage Therapeutics, shares a fascinating journey of juggling her master's degree with a demanding career. Discover how her theater background has been instrumental in cultivating her leadership skills and work ethic, all while leveraging classroom lessons in the real world. Our conversation sheds light on the vibrant dynamic between academic endeavors and practical application, offering listeners insights into how diverse experiences can fuel motivation and personal growth. Together with Dr. Rick Garrowood, we reflect on the exhilarating yet challenging path of reaching academic milestones, emphasizing the lifelong value of continuous learning and the importance of early life experiences.
Navigating the decision to pursue further education while working full-time is no small feat, and this episode dives into the strategic considerations that come into play. From setting clear objectives—be it career advancement, increased salary, or personal development—to consulting with advisors and seasoned professionals, we explore the roadmap to academic and career success. Personal stories, including shifts from arts to business, highlight the need for clarity and adaptability in balancing studies with professional commitments. With a message of encouragement, we urge younger listeners to be open to change and new opportunities, reminding everyone of the significance of support systems and self-care amid ambitious pursuits.
Hello and welcome to another edition of the Leader Brew podcast. I am Dr Rick Garrowood and I'm your host today, looking forward to catching up with a former student who I often see on campus, and one of the things that I always feel is this enormous amount of energy and excitement, and every time I run into her it's just like I get this boost of energy what we call referent power, I'm quite sure. So I'm joined today by Rachel Arditi, and she's currently working at Sage Therapeutics. There, she's the Senior Director of Research, operations and Business Management. Really, you're the chief of staff, truth be told, right? So that's really what's going on there. So I just wanted to welcome you to the show and you're nearing the end of your master's degree.
Speaker 2:I am One more week. It's so exciting.
Speaker 1:Wow, what does that feel like? Is it sort of like if you're running a marathon and you're at the 26-mile mark and you've got 0.2 to go?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's such a great analogy. For me, it feels like such an incredible accomplishment when I started three years ago and this program we're working full time too. When you're at the beginning it feels like the top of the mountain is really high up there and you've got a long way to go. But it's just incredible, I think, when I reflect back on what I've been able to accomplish in the last three years and I think what has been really wonderful is doing the part-time program has allowed me to really apply it in the work setting too, and so I see these like incremental changes or incremental ways of thinking about things differently, and just it's just incredible to almost be done and have met such wonderful people, including you, dr Arrowood, and you know my cohort, so it's very exciting to be almost to the finish line and I'm ready to kick in and really push to this. Last week.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, I think what's interesting about our conversation today is when I set out to do the Leader Brew podcast, you know, my thinking was from the classroom to the real world, but I think what's evolving that I find interesting is, yes, it's from the classroom to the real world, but then it's the real world back to the classroom and then once again we're back in the real world.
Speaker 1:This feedback loop, this continuous feedback loop, yeah continuous feedback loop and I think that's just as important to understand. How do you keep your energy up at all this? I mean you're working full time. You did three years of intense study, at nighttime, most likely right Most of the classes, because 630 to 930 sort of time frame, or 730 to 930. So how do you keep Rachel up and motivated? And like what's that center core?
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, caffeine plays a big role, definitely. But you know, for me, I have always been really motivated by learning new things. You know, I, about eight years ago, I switched from a different industry. I was in the theater world and then I transitioned into pharmaceuticals, right. So I always joke that I went from working with opera singers to neuroscientists, right, the very different groups of people, very different subject matters. And what has been a big motivation to do this MBA and then, you know, continue to do well in my industry, is just to learn more. I think knowledge is really you know everyone says this but knowledge is really power, and I it's just fascinating to learn more things, be exposed to different perspectives. So for me that when I feel stimulated and challenged, that's when I'm my best self and you know that's what brings me excitement and energy to things. And I think that's in the last three years, you know, doing the MBA. It's been another way to challenge myself and get exposure to different subject matters, people, perspectives.
Speaker 1:That's great Now. So do you think you kind of started out that way in life? Or, you know, if we go back to sort of high school days and those early college days, are you pretty much the same then as now?
Speaker 2:Yes, I would say so I've always had a real strong work ethic. I think, if I think back, you know, in high school and in college, theater were really big parts of my life, and what's inherent in that culture is you're working long hours, you're, you know you have a finite amount of time to amount of production and, you know, every five to six weeks you're working with a totally different group of people, and so there's a lot of energy and drive to do well and to make sure that the production and the cast are as good as they can be. And so I think that really set the stage for some of my early thinkings and just what I've really kind of taken in my life and really tried to, you know, really show up as a leader. I think accountability is huge, and so, yeah, I would say anyone who knows me would probably say, yes, I'm similar to what I was in high school and college.
Speaker 1:That's great. So tell me, you know, as we sort of look at that theater experience, which I'm a big proponent of. In fact, many, many years ago I served as the president of a community children's theater and that also led me to a local community theater where I managed to get cast in a role playing in a mental insane asylum it was the Curious Savage by Jeffrey Patrick, and I was one of the what they at that time called the inmates, and it was one of my greatest experiences. I had absolutely no desire to perform. That was just not my initial desire at least. But I will say after three weeks, when the show closed the following day was the hardest because no one was applauding and I really have to say I loved the applause every night. I loved the energy of the, I love the energy of the, of the audience.
Speaker 2:Well, it gets reinforced right. Your, your great work has, you know, that instant gratification. It's amazing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's kind of like how my classes are right, because I think in many ways as faculty there is a performance role. I mean, particularly in those evening classes. If we don't keep that energy up somehow whether it's caffeine and donuts or, you know, the occasional sense of humor to put in there, then I think it would be a miserable experience.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think the professors that I in the classroom setting, have responded to the most are those who are most engaging and the passion for what they're teaching comes through. And you're right, by the end of the day, everyone's you know kind of running on their reserves. So I think it is a really important part, that performative element. I think it really helps. When I think about your class. That was our first class of our MBA and you, yeah, which was. It was great, though, because your style was so engaging and interactive. Right, we were up and moving about in the classroom and really kind of putting that practical application to what we were talking about, so that class has always stuck with me.
Speaker 1:Oh well, that's great. I love to hear that. Tell me a little bit about the importance of building connections within the classroom, but not just that classroom, you know, sort of a continuation over the three or four or five years, however long it takes. How important is it for students to really genuinely connect with other classmates going through similar experiences?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's huge. I had this mentor when I was starting out in the theater world 15 years ago. He was an incredible guy and the culture that he instilled was something that totally stuck with me. And the very first day in onboarding he went over the four pillars of respect. The four pillars of respect, he said that it was listening, supporting, showing kindness and being polite. To translate that into the answer for your question I think that's how we can show up for other students Listening.
Speaker 2:I think we all want to feel like our opinions are valued and that we're being heard, and I think that's how you can show up for your classmates. I mean, we all have our different experiences but someone else's experience is just as valuable as your own and I think being open to that and that perspective, you know supporting each other. You know there are some tough times when you're doing your finals, your group projects, etc. And I think it's really important to make someone feel that they're supported through encouraging them, et cetera. And I think as students, there's a lot of pressure and demands that are both within the classroom and in the external environment, and just a kind word every once in a while I think goes a really long way Showing kindness.
Speaker 2:I think that the way that I think that shows up in the classroom and also in the workplace is really just having starting from what is the most respectful interpretation of what the other person is saying, and I think that goes a long way to building those connections and building those relationships. It's huge. You know this job market externally, the macro environment, people are really having to leverage their network and you know I think you always had to to a certain extent, but now with you know you're working against AI and the bots that are reading the resumes and you really kind of need that in-house connection or that you know, to help get your foot in the door, even through a phone screen. So I think it's just really important and you know I just tie it back to sort of the culture that you know my mentor had instilled a long time ago and I try and bring that to my interactions with my classmates and then also in the work setting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think it's important for faculty to set aside some time, you know, not necessarily each class period, but throughout the term. I think it's what I have learned over the years, particularly in the I think undergrad well, possibly undergrad and graduate. Now that I think about it is, you know, I'll often say to students look to your right and now I want you to look to your left. These are people you're going to want to know. The chances of them perhaps one day starting a new business for which they're going to be hiring is pretty good, right when you really think about it, or they have a connection to someone. It's that sort of six degrees of separation. So get to know, at minimum, get to genuinely know the person to your left and the person to the right, and it's not about just putting them on your LinkedIn and, you know, years later wondering should I reach out to them or not.
Speaker 2:No, it's asking them questions. It's getting to know them, getting to know the person that you're sitting next to, absolutely.
Speaker 1:You know, I think that's it and I think it expands even more. I mean, from my perspective, I want to get to know every single student I have. Now, the practicality of that is not as good as you know, my enthusiasm for it is, but I, you know, I try my best. I want to get to understand as many of the students as possible in that short period of time than, of course, staying with them afterwards. So I do think that we as faculty do have to sort of lead the classroom and say networking is a crucial, an important role, and that doesn't mean that you start off each relationship with what can I get out of you? Who are you? You know all of those things. It's about that humanistic, encouraging. You know, that's really what it's genuinely about, because the truth is you're all in the same boat, right? Everyone's experiencing pretty similar issues. You know cost of education, cost of books, transportation.
Speaker 1:you know, All of it is just going up. Yeah, authority, it's sometimes challenging for them to transition into a different dynamic in the classroom where they're not in charge, and so you know I'll see that occasionally too. You know that that'll definitely pop up when you look at your classroom experiences. How, how does that connect to your working, your coworkers, so your relationships at work? I mean, is there sort of I'm trying to wonder like, is there kind of a similarity to the classroom and then to the workplace?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I think so, I mean I would say it's all.
Speaker 2:I mean it really comes back down to people and how you relate to people, and I think the important part is really what's great about the classroom is that you get to try out different communication styles right To reach objectives. It's the same thing at work too. If I think of a group projects setting especially the group projects where they're assigned by the faculty, you know it could be a group of people that you've never worked with or never met before, right, and so you're all trying to figure out sort of what is your common ground and how are you going to work together to achieve a goal. I mean that's very similar in the work environment too. And again, I think it comes back to those four pillars of respect that I mentioned earlier. It's really just making sure that you're showing up in a way that makes people feel comfortable and you're creating sort of that safe space to engage thoughtfully and collaboratively, and I think that's the classroom is a great training ground for that and translates directly into the work environment.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's sort of the academic laboratory.
Speaker 2:Exactly you know.
Speaker 1:If you're going to make a mistake, this is the place to make it A hundred percent. I say to students that are so afraid to do presentations this is the time to do it right. You're in this control.
Speaker 2:Get that feedback? Yeah, Get it.
Speaker 1:Get it now Absolutely. You know you mentioned a little bit earlier about AI and chatbots and that sort of thing. We hear so much about the emergence of AI and within that you know, llms and robots and all things technology and it seems, to some extent it seems a little scary. But tell me in terms of real world, right in your workplace, what's the pulse, what's sort of the receptiveness of it?
Speaker 2:Cautiously optimistic, I would say, especially in the pharmaceuticals. There's a lot of platforms out there Google, nvidia, they are looking at drug discovery pipelines and how you can leverage AI to more efficiently identify targets et know, break down complex data sets, et cetera. So I think there is a lot of energy and momentum around how do we harness that while we protect our own proprietary IP. So I think right now I notice in my workplace there is definitely I've been working with our informatics team really to look at this there's definitely optimism and sort of an acknowledgement that in order to move to the future, we're going to probably have to bring in AI, but I think it's still relatively new, so it's understanding sort of what are the pitfalls around security et cetera, or how do you protect security. So I would say, cautiously optimistic.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's kind of what I was sort of feeling from the other side, not being in it necessarily, but that's what I'm doing in that way. Tell me about sort of what are your thoughts? Let's say there's someone who is interested in pursuing a master's degree. They're currently working, but they're just not sure. So what sort of advice would you give them in terms of going back, you know, in this case from the workplace to the classroom?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think I would say get serious about why you want to go back to school, why you want to get your master's. What are you, what is your objective from it? You know some people are. For me it was I wanted to kind of round out my educational experience. Coming from having a bachelor's of fine arts, I wanted to really kind of boost my business knowledge. That was my own personal reason.
Speaker 2:Some people feel like they need it for career advancement, you know, to get to that next promotion, to get to that next level.
Speaker 2:Some people are, you know, from a salary perspective.
Speaker 2:So I think it's really getting clear about what you're going back to school for because it is a significant time commitment and you want to feel like you're totally ready to school for.
Speaker 2:Because it is a significant time commitment and you want to feel like you're totally ready to do that. I also think just talking to people right Understanding for people who have connect with people who have finished a master's degree or a part-time program and understand what their experience is. I think Northeastern in particular has great advisors to connect with and speak to and a lot of events too that you can go to and kind of get a better understanding. So it's really about, I think, like talking to people, getting clear with yourself sort of what is your goal for it, because I think that also shifts where you want to go to school. Like, if I think of, there's a lot of schools that are geared towards entrepreneurship you know, starting your own business, you know in a master's program, and maybe that's where you want to go to. But I think it's just really getting clear about why you want to go back to school and what you're hoping to get out of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because that clarity of the why is really what's going to get you through the two or three or four years of studies. That's what's going to get you through the. Oh, I have to write another paper, I have another discussion board.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what is your North Star that you're going towards, you know, and to help keep everything in perspective, especially when you're going through those moments of like. Oh, another assignment, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that's great. Well, one of the questions that we always like to ask on the podcast is what would you tell that eight-year-old who's just starting to think about what is my future?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would say it's okay to try different things. I think about my career path in particular, and I was, you know, at 18,. You're making sort of a major decision of, like, what is your career path focus? And when I started to get to the tail end of my theater career I had such fear about transitioning to another industry. You know, there's that whole imposter syndrome, like you know, are my skills transferable? You know, can I do something different, etc. And I think the eight year old if I could just have told my eight year old self it'll be okay, right? You know, I think things will open up and take some of that pressure and stress off of yourself. I think the time to try things is when you're young, you don't have so many major responsibilities and I think it's just coming at things with an open mind. And if I could go back in time I would say, hey, is it going to be okay? Don't stress as much, just kind of let it go and let it come to you.
Speaker 1:I think that's so important.
Speaker 1:It's going to be okay don't stress as much, you know just kind of let it go and, you know, let it come to you. I think that's so important. It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay, it will. You know. Time is going to go on and I look back over life and I think to myself why did I worry so much? Why did I stress out, you know, why did I not take that chance? And most of it was, I think, to some extent fear, you know, fear of loss, fear of uncertainty, fear, fear, fear.
Speaker 2:But fortunately stepping out of that comfort zone too. I mean, I think that is that's huge right. You know you're having to be vulnerable and you know kind of put yourself out there, and there's always that fear of like, ok, well, they accept me, will I be able to do X, y and Z?
Speaker 1:But you know something will happen, and usually it leads to something even better than what you could have thought, and that's the beauty of it. That's awesome. Rachel, thank you so much for being a guest on today's podcast. We really, really do appreciate you coming in. Keep up your absolute glowing spirit, that energy that you have. You know, be sure to take a break from time to time. I've learned that lesson. Make sure you have a little bit of break from here and there, but just keep doing what you're going to do and I think it's all going to be fine.
Speaker 2:Thank you. This is so nice to be invited onto the show and talk with you this morning and I really appreciate all the support over the last three years.
Speaker 1:You got it and there's more to come. All right, thank you all very much for listening to today's episode. I hope you got something out of it. We want to say thank you to Northeastern University, swinburne University, the Soliton Group and, of course, jared Zamarowski, our amazing audio engineer. Thank you all and have a great day. Thank you.
