Diana Nichols

Georgia Institute of Technology’s Scheller College of Business

“Mathmagician with a creative flair who is itching to turn absolutely everything into a business.”

Hometown: Chicago, IL

Fun Fact About Yourself: After surviving solely on fresh fruit and veggie juice for 60 days, I dropped 44 pounds and ran my first marathon.

Undergraduate School and Major: Florida A&M University, Economics; Georgia Tech, M.S. Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Vroom Vroom Escape Room, President and Co-Founder; Munich Re, Actuarial Associate

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest accomplishment so far has been the ability to hire others. I was able to take an idea for a mobile escape room, flesh it out into an actual desired experience, grow it to reach thousands, and hire talent to help expand it. I’ve made several attempts at starting businesses in the past (selling hand-painted tees, selling coconut jerky, and trading stock options) but never quite ventured past the hobby-loss phase. Now I’m in a position to employ others who share in our mission and it feels absolutely wonderful!

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? In one word: solid. They are the type to scoop you if you need a ride, lend you a blazer, huddle up for a quick cry and hug, and celebrate accomplishments with a free beer and a high-five. It amazes me how supportive and collaborative my classmates are, even though we’re competing for some of the same positions.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? My key factor for choosing Scheller College was its focus on entrepreneurship. When your goal is to loan Oprah money, you have to be in an environment that cultivates and rewards your entrepreneurial curiosity. I found that here. Scheller focuses on all things innovation and Georgia Tech has a wealth of programs for start-ups. It wasn’t a difficult choice for me.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’m mostly looking forward to the Finance Club. Tangential to my entrepreneurial endeavors is my budding desire to delve into private equity and venture capital. Having been in the midst of the Atlanta start-up scene, I’ve come to learn (the hard way) that acquiring capital is every business owner’s bane. I want to help with that. Private equity is a closely-guarded field, but as a member of the Scheller MBA Finance Club, I hope to be better exposed to its network and opportunities.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I decided to pursue an MBA now because I wanted more options. My goal is to develop the leadership and business acumen to take my company to the next level and to contribute in a corporate intrapreneurial environment.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? First, I started with a cost-benefit analysis of my current efforts and future potential. I then took the present value of possible salaries and acquisition offers, net of the business school expense. I arrived at the incontrovertible conclusion that an MBA was what I needed to achieve my overly ambitious goals. (Seriously, I did that; I love numbers.)

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I also applied to Berkeley and Emory. (Berkeley’s Haas seemed to have an entrepreneurial focus akin to Scheller’s. Emory’s Goizueta is a top school with an unbeatable location. Scheller gave me the best of both worlds.)

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I started my search by determining which of the top schools put entrepreneurship as a forefront, as opposed to an afterthought. I then narrowed those down based on location. My wife wasn’t willing to move just anywhere and being without her for two years was not an option. I personally visited the campuses that made the cut. I looked for diversity in the student body, and forward thinking in the course selections. Finally, I tuned into my gut feeling. If I wanted to hang around the campus longer or continue conversations, then those schools went in the ‘yes’ pile.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My defining moment was finally completing an Ironman triathlon. “Fall 3 times; Stand up 4” was the Facebook message that I posted in my triathlete group before Ironman Florida 2016. On three prior attempts, I tried and failed to complete the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run. I simply wasn’t fast enough. When I started training for the Ironman, I could hardly swim, bike, or run. My “swim” was a sad loop of thrashing and floating; my “bike” was limited to a stationary spin class; and, my “run” was nothing of the sort. As a 5’4 almost 300-pound woman, running was not something I planned to, wanted to, or could do. But I set out to do the impossible and had the crazy notion that if I tried hard enough I could actually succeed. As a kid from the south side of Chicago wanting to go to college; as a black woman wanting to be an actuary; as a gay woman wanting to marry her love, I’ve had that crazy idea before. I have two mottos in life: “Fail Better,” and “Never, Never, Never Give Up.” As long as progress is made, a failure counts as a success tool. With the right tools, anything is possible. On my Ironman journey, I’ve had many successes to blunt the failures. I switched to a plant-based diet, dropped 100 pounds, swam in oceans, biked across states, ran for charities, and inspired so many people I’ve lost count. In November 2016, I finished Ironman Florida. I crossed the finish line and stepped into an elite group of achievers who practice doing the impossible. I know now that the sky is the beginning; I no longer believe in limits.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? After my MBA, I plan to accept a position as a product manager with a company that has a strong entrepreneurial culture. This firm can be either a venture-backed start-up or a Fortune 500 with a burgeoning division. My goal during this period is to learn and develop best practices in bringing products to market and in managing talent. Since a product manager’s duties in an established company closely resemble those of the founder of a new business, this path would be instrumental in succeeding in my long-term goals.

Where do you see yourself in five years? After contributing to my post-MBA company, I plan to return to my entrepreneurial endeavors and grow them by applying the best practices that I’ve mastered. My current venture, a mobile escape room with a focus on team building, is based out of Atlanta. However, we’ve received requests from businesses throughout the country, from as far as Vermont and Oregon. In five years, I plan to be able to meet that demand, and more.