We met Lydia in her former MBA classroom in the W4 building, where she answered our questions on a number of different topics such as:

The MBA International Management studies at Pforzheim University
The MBA program gave me a great toolkit that allowed me to build my own business once I graduated. If I had to describe the MBA program in one word it would be resourceful. Because of the collaboration with different cultures and different teams during the MBA program I felt very prepared for an international career afterwards and the program made me feel very confident because I was able to build a global network the minute I graduated.
Studying here made me realize that it wasn’t just about gaining one more degree but it was more so about understanding the importance of culture and collaboration in international settings. The importance of valuing and respecting different cultures is the one thing that was emphasized during the MBA program. I think Pforzheim University is a great one to consider because not only is it centrally located where you can travel all around Europe but it is such a diverse program that allows you to connect with cultures from all over the world.

The BetaGammaSigma membership
When I joined BGS a second time during the MBA program it made me realize how powerful the organization is because I joined it in the US, I joined it in Germany and when I went back to the US to build up my network again I found out that there was no local chapter so BGS at the time asked me to create the first alumni chapter in the state of Michigan for the organization. One of the great opportunities that came from being a part of the BGS network was to connect with all of the different collegiate and alumni chapters around the world whether it was through speaking engagements or different types of collaborations and meeting new businesses. After creating the BGS alumni chapter in Michigan, I then led the chapter for four years as president but then also when I passed that on BGS was still a valuable organization for my business.

Cultural values
At a very young age I was exposed to a lot of different cultures. So being born and raised in Germany, having a middle-eastern background, and then moving to the US has really shaped my cultural values in a way where I can now implement all of that in my work with Blended Collective. The German culture still shines through in the way that I work; for instance, the order, the discipline and the persistence that I have but also the American values have really allowed me to approach business in a different way by taking a lot of risks early on in my career.

Lydia Michael is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, marketing and brand strategist, owner of Blended Collective, and author of Brand Love. We met Lydia in her old classroom on campus and talked about her MBA studies, her BetaGammaSigma membership and cultural values.

text: Business PF
photo: Lydia Michael