SaVona Smith

Georgia Institute of Technology’s Scheller College of Business

“Motivational speaker and consumer-behavior junky looking to be your company’s up-and-coming CMO.”

Hometown: Shallotte, NC

Fun Fact About Yourself: From ages 3-16, I clogged (a type of folk dance) competitively across the United States, winning more than 20 dance titles.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Journalism and Mass Communication

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Mattress Firm, Area Sales Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I had the honor to present a BEDtalk (Mattress Firm’s version of a TEDtalk) on diversity at Mattress Firm’s annual leadership convention. My colleague and I were the first area managers to be selected to deliver a “Talk.” Feel free to check it out here.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? When it comes to describing my classmates, the first thing that comes to mind is “the next generation of business leaders.” We are by far one of the most diverse and eclectic classes that Scheller has seen and we continuously challenge each other to think outside our natural unconscious bias. They are tenacious, analytical, and eager to learn and that energy is infectious. In the few weeks I’ve been here I have been able to make what I consider to be lifelong connections.

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? As a member of the Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) MBA prep program, I have to admit, I had no idea about Scheller’s MBA programs. However, after our weekend seminar, I was beyond impressed. Scheller’s location at the “intersection of business and technology” seems like one of those snazzy catch phrases you see on a school’s website. But, when you visit the campus, you realize that Scheller embraces that value proposition and so much more. Its location in the midst of Tech Square, involvement with the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), and the Georgia Centers for Advanced Telecommunications Technology develop your understanding and provide access to technology businesses outside of the classroom. You have access to more than 17 non-profits and incubators with diverse backgrounds. The best part is you don’t have to have a technology background to be successful at Georgia Tech, they teach you all you need to know!

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’m looking most forward to my international practicum experience. Having been domestic for the entirety of my career has limited my international business acumen. I am ecstatic about the opportunity to not only work with international companies on current business concerns but also for the overall experience and exposure. In order to be a well-versed business professional in an ever-changing consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry, it is important to understand diverse markets and cultures for successful global-brand projects.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? One of my most eye-opening professional experiences was at my first business review meeting. During my presentation on area performance, I realized that the majority of my successful insights were based on qualitative as opposed to quantitative information. This realization crystallized the fact that my role has sharpened my understanding of consumer behavior concepts but provides limited exposure to business analytics. As a result of attending this and subsequent business review meetings, the need to strengthen my skills in the area of quantitative analysis has become increasingly apparent to me. After careful consideration, I have determined that the best and most efficient way to gain the skills necessary to accomplish both my short and long-term goals is through obtaining a Scheller MBA.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? My innate answer to this question was that furthering your knowledge in an area of interest is always worth the investment. However, the financially conscious side of me conducted a cost-benefit analysis that determined that an MBA would not only shift my income trajectory but also allow me to career shift back to my consumer-oriented passion. I knew that my long-term goal was to become a CMO of a top CPG company, so I also studied their career paths and their roles post-MBA were what really got them there.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, and North Carolina State University.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Thankfully, as a member of MLT MBA Prep, we were assigned a “School Research Workbook” that helps us prioritize our target MBA programs. The factors we addressed were incoming class size, geographic region, academic fit, teaching method, academic strength in my specific area of interest, and career placement. In order to research the cultures of these programs, I signed up for campus visits and made connections that allowed me to conduct interviews with current or recent students.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Not sure that there has been a “defining moment” in my life but growing up as a child in an underprivileged family yet surrounded by many friends of privilege has impacted how I navigate the world. As a student with an exceptional academic record, I was exposed to peers who saw someone with my ethnic background as the exception rather than the rule. I was held as the “gold standard” for my race by my teachers and my friends of privilege. At the time, I did not understand how the impact of my experience was changing how I saw myself, my family and opportunities that were afforded to me and not others who shared a similar background. I now understand that not seeing reflections of myself in my teachers, textbooks, and media, communicated that interests of others who did not look like me was more important. From my experiences, I have developed a resiliency that allows me to navigate a landscape that unfortunately, is not very different from the one in which I grew up. My confidence, accomplishments, commitment and focus today allows me to support others in their growth as I advocate for equity, diversity and a presence in our society that has for too long been dominated by a limited few.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? Upon completion of my MBA, one of my short-term goals is to pivot from a role in retail sales to a brand manager position in the CPG industry. In this role, my goals are to gain exposure and understanding of the various facets of marketing such as pricing, positioning, and overall marketing strategy.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years I see myself as a successful brand manager who has been promoted to marketing director of market research for my company. I plan to continuously improve my skills and knowledge in the field to be at the forefront of company decisions.