Never Too Late to Elevate: My Decade-Long MBA Journey

It's been quite the ride to get to this point, but I'm overjoyed and humbled to have recently shared the findings from my MBA thesis at the prestigious RISKWORLD 2024 conference. If you had told me 10 years ago that I'd be presenting at such an amazing event, I would have had a hard time believing it.

You see, earning my MBA was a long and winding road, filled with ups and downs. With the best of intentions, it took me a solid decade to complete the program. Why so long, you ask? Well, life simply got in the way - in the best possible way. Over that span, I gave birth to three wonderful children, earned three professional designations, and even relocated my family from Pennsylvania to the Carolinas.

Just when I thought I was finally closing in on the finish line by re-enrolling to complete my final six credits, I found out I was pregnant with baby #4! At that point, the thought crossed my mind: better to embrace it now than delay things further. So if you happened to spot me waddling around at the Workers' Compensation Institute's 2022 events, just know that in addition to the bun in the oven, I had also just turned in my long-awaited thesis (yes, right before ChatGPT's launch rocked the world!)

For my thesis topic, I decided to pursue something I'm truly passionate about: the talent shortage facing the workers' compensation industry. Drawing from my own experience writing the "Elevate the Adjuster" blog (formerly Nerdy Nikki) aimed at helping with talent attraction and retention, I knew this was a relevant issue to tackle.

The stars ultimately aligned in the most incredible way: my diploma date landed exactly 10 years to the day after the birth of my first child. And then, I was selected to present my research and recommendations at RISKWORLD 2024 in this session:

You see, earning my MBA was a long and winding road, filled with ups and downs. With the best of intentions, it took me a solid decade to complete the program. Why so long, you ask? Well, life simply got in the way - in the best possible way. Over that span, I gave birth to three wonderful children, earned three professional designations, and even relocated my family from Pennsylvania to the Carolinas.

Just when I thought I was finally closing in on the finish line by re-enrolling to complete my final six credits, I found out I was pregnant with baby #4! At that point, the thought crossed my mind: better to embrace it now than delay things further. So if you happened to spot me waddling around at the Workers' Compensation Institute's 2022 events, just know that in addition to the bun in the oven, I had also just turned in my long-awaited thesis (yes, right before ChatGPT's launch rocked the world!)

For my thesis topic, I decided to pursue something I'm truly passionate about: the talent shortage facing the workers' compensation industry. Drawing from my own experience writing the "Elevate the Adjuster" blog (formerly Nerdy Nikki) aimed at helping with talent attraction and retention, I knew this was a relevant issue to tackle.

The stars ultimately aligned in the most incredible way: my diploma date landed exactly 10 years to the day after the birth of my first child. And then, I was selected to present my research and recommendations at RISKWORLD 2024 in this session:

"The Workers' Compensation Talent Shortage: Gaining Insights from Adjusters and College Students"

It was such an honor to share my findings. Getting the opportunity to do a deep dive into this critical topic and propose potential solutions was something I'll never forget.

None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of so many:

• My employer, MTI America , for making it possible to attend RISKWORLD
• The RIMS (Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc.) team for selecting my presentation proposal
• My outstanding co-presenter, Carey Armistead CPCU, SCLA, AIC, AIC-M of Sompo Insurance
• My husband George Jackson, III., AIC for being a rockstar dad while I researched and wrote
• The loyal readers of Elevate the Adjuster , many of whom participated in my research study
• All of the #collegestudents and #claimsprofessionals who participated in the research study
• And anyone else in this amazing community who supported my efforts along the way

If there's one key takeaway I hope to impart, it's that it's never too late to pursue something you're passionate about - whether that's academics, a career change, or any other endeavor. Reframe any self-doubt as motivation, and lean on your support system. You can elevate at any stage!

Here's to new heights ahead for us all.

~Nerdy Nikki