Venturing with Vanessa

VFAshion: Smart Casual Featuring Snehal Sawlani

1. What is your definition of smart casual? Smart casual are pieces that are relaxed but still put together. It’s an outfit that you wouldn’t be embarrassed meeting the CEO of a company in, but is also comfortable/light/breezy enough for your day-to-day.

2. What is your favorite piece of clothing? I don’t have a particular favorite, but I tend to reach for blazers time and time again. A well-fitted blazer can instantly dress up even a simple t-shirt and jeans and give off a polished vibe. I also love maxi skirts - they’re effortless and an instant classic.

3. Best outfit you’ve ever worn? Again, I can’t think of a particular favorite but it’s definitely something I feel very comfortable and confident in. For me, that’s usually some version of skinny jeans and a top with subtle details paired with statement necklace and a classic watch.

So, hey there from Providence, Rhode Island! As I am rounding down the first week at VFA Training Camp, I have to say it has been an amazing experience (minus the fact that I have probably consumed my bodyweight in espresso in five days).

On the first day here we were assigned/encouraged to write a few SMART goals for the next five weeks. Being someone who has been in leadership positions in the past, SMART goals have been an unavoidable part of my life. I used to dread them solely because I never mastered the "measurable" part of a goal. I like to say that I judge my success “when I get the feeling," which clearly isn't a measurable item. What I mean when I say "get the feeling," is that I seek a feeling of fulfillment as opposed to mastering a skill or getting a promotion, etc. So setting my goals for this trip ended up being difficult for me.

After talking with my coaches/pseudo-mentors, Amy and Tom, we came up with one goal that I have fully committed to; a goal that could be deemed as “cheesy” to some and “easy” to others. This goal is to learn one new thing everyday about my peers, team members, hard/soft skills, or myself. And I’m not going to lie, this turned out to be one of the easiest goals I have ever set for myself---but it is only easy because I have loved every second of aiming to achieve it.

With the amount of training, readings, “homework-but-not-homework” assignments, and serious, caffeine driven group work, I would be completely oblivious (and completely unqualified to be in this program) if I didn’t learn AT LEAST three to five new things a day. Which leads me to my week one lessons...

Day 1: It is ok to ask for help.

On Monday, I was up super early and had rented this parking space from a woman who lived probably two miles away from campus. I drove over there, parked my car, called the woman to make sure everything was set, heard nothing, realized that I'd be late if I didn't go back to the dorm, and headed back to get ready for training camp. After our training for the day ended, I decided to call the woman because I had a gut feeling that something might be weird about this parking situation. Sure enough she tells me on the phone that 1. she doesn't know who I am, 2. she is about to have my car towed, and 3. she never rented her spot to me. So obviously I freaked.

My reaction in this situation on any other day would have been to get an Uber to get me to my car as soon as possible. But for whatever reason, even though I didn't know them well, I reached out to two of my fellow fellows who I knew drove here. And I was surprised that both of them didn't mind dropping everything to help me out. I know it seems like a small thing, but for me it meant the world.

I have grown accustomed to doing things on my own, or figuring things out for myself. In this moment, where someone who hardly had two conversations with me prior to my car meltdown helped me so willingly, I realized the value of the strong community feel that VFA strives to achieve. You can ask help from everyone at any level of this organization; whether it is the CEO Andrew Yang, or the fellow you just met, Julian.

Day 2: Struggle is necessary for self-identity

On Tuesday, Andrew Yang sat us down to talk about struggle and achievement. During the conversation he talked about struggling with being in the right job for him at first, struggling with women because of that job, struggling financially when he quit that job, etc. He said that struggles change as you get older, as things wane in importance, as you develop as a person.

I believe something similar to what Andrew believes; without struggling you miss the opportunity to learn about who you truly are. Struggle, and failure, are necessary for really knowing what you are made of.

President Theodore Roosevelt said, "There is little use for the being whose tepid soul knows nothing of great and generous emotion, of the high pride, the stern belief, the lofty enthusiasm, of the men who quell the storm and ride the thunder. Well for these men if they succeed; well also, though not so well, if they fail, given only that they have nobly ventured, and have put forth all their heart and strength."

What does this mean to me exactly? Don't be afraid of failing. Failing has such a stigma now of being "bad,” but I believe that we give failure a bad rep. This week I have failed...so many times. During our website challenge when I couldn't change a stupid little icon. During the lego challenge when switching the color of two pieces which altered the way our design looked. During one of our group assignments when I failed to meet a deadline. After one of our work days when I failed to remember I made dinner plans that I shouldn't have made in the first place. It's only been a week, and I am 100% sure that I've failed more times than I can list, but that is ok because I've accomplished so much more because of these failures. I am able to bounce back over staying down for too long. I am resilient because of my willingness to fail and get back up. Training camp will kick your ass, and get you comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable.

Day 3: Create a common ground

Team work makes the dream work...right?

Team dynamics are HUGELY important at training camp. And if you don't know how each individual functions, then there is bound to be miscommunication in the future. Even with understanding each other, there is still the opportunity to encounter conflict.

I've been blessed with being paired with some of the most amazing people I have ever met. My group is incredible and I feel that I've learned something from each and every one of them over the course of this week. Niki taught me to question the norm and never settle for mediocrity. Rafael taught me to use all of my available resources; if you know someone that is better at something than you, ask them for their opinion. Chris taught me to never take things too seriously, laughter is the best medicine in stressful situations. Sophie taught me to process information before taking action, preparedness is necessary to achieve ideal results. And Dutch taught me to seek out the internal motivators and passions of others; to get to know people past a surface level before making any real judgment of them.

After asking everyone questions throughout the week, I believe we created a common ground with one another. We understand each other on a base level right now, and that has helped us achieve great things in the first week. Our level of understanding will continue to grow from here, and I can't wait to see what else I learn about my peers.

Day 4: Validate others...but validate yourself as well.

You know that look that people get when they hear that they did something well? Or when something they learn clicks, they put it to action, and surprisingly enough...it worked? Or that air of achievement, and pride in someone shows when they are proud of their work? If you haven't experienced this, or haven't seen someone else experience it, then you're truly missing out. It’s like walking on water or floating in air. It is a swelling balloon of pride in your chest or the euphoria of winning a big game. And I love encouraging that feeling.

People work best when they work to their strengths, and receive validation for it. That has been one of my "not so smart" goals this week; to give praise to my excellent teammates. They did amazing work under a crazy time crunch, and I can't help but say that I am extremely proud of them for all they accomplished this week.

On the flip side, I am terrible at saying the same of myself. I feel that we were taught at a young age to question ourselves and to be hypercritical of who we are. I recognize it in myself, and in others...which is probably why I like to tell people just how amazing they are.

So, self, you did well this week. You battled sleep deprivation, lack of nourishment, and time sensitive projects...and you won. You encouraged others to be the best version of themselves, and by doing that you strived to do the same.

Moral of the story, give credit where credit is due. But don't forget to validate yourself in the process.

Day 5: Sleep is a necessary evil.

I'm not going to lie, I really wanted to celebrate and grab a drink with friends at the end of the day on Friday. But after being up for close to 48 hours straight, I ended up falling into a small coma instead of a nap. After waking up at 3:30am on a Saturday and realizing I missed any fun things that people had done that night, I initially was upset. But then I realized I needed to do what was best for me and sleep. So as small of a lesson that is, make sure you're rested through this process so you can be your best self...and so you can drink after you've achieved something.

All in all, this has been a crazy, exhausting, gritty, fulfilling week at training camp, and I'm sure next week will continue along this trend. I'm excited for the challenges ahead, and I cant wait to “quell the storms and ride the thunder” with the rest of the 2015 Fellows and the VFA team.

Until next week,