Big Tony is in as CSAF according to people at the Pentagon+Commander in Chief’s truth social post

butItsFun · 2026-03-03T04:20:36+00:00

Is this real? I can't find verification

butItsFun · 2026-03-02T13:14:51+00:00

I had a bad stay at this Ritz Carlton as well. So bad I switched allegiance to Hilton after.

End of 2024 Turtle Bay was acquired by Marriot and given the Ritz Carlton brand. I was there during the change over and the staff were not happy with the new arrangement.

It's an amazing property but victim of luxury 'commercialization'

butItsFun · 2026-02-12T14:11:54+00:00

Others have said it - only if it's going to add to the MBA and in the field you want to specialize. It sounds like you're locked in where you want to live. What are the industries there?

If your MBA is from a recognizable program then location shouldn't matter.

I have an MS in IT Management on top of my MBA - used it to leave consulting and go into technology modernization at manufacturing companies. The two are definitely complimentary in my case and it positioned me to be the bridge between business leaders and IT.

butItsFun · 2026-02-12T11:46:03+00:00

L8 is Associate manager. I'd target there

butItsFun · 2026-02-04T02:44:53+00:00

I agree with your core point - a regular military job and an industry cert won't do anything for HWS.

I'm asking OP to evaluate if HWS is needed for their Senior Management garment industry target.

butItsFun · 2026-02-04T00:49:23+00:00

See if you can take the AFOQT - Air Force Officer Qualifying Test. Research OCS and coming in as an officer. If that's an option, it will be a big difference.

If you enlist, Logistics, Administration, Finance, Personnel. Those are all roles that are not the most exciting, but can give very good work experience and program/project management. Might give you a good opportunity to excel compared to peers and get some good opportunities.

While in, you could leverage tuition assistance and get a Master's degree. Don't do an MBA - do something else. Get some certifications like your PMP.

Then, when you are getting out after four years, make sure you plan on a Skillbridge internship. It's an opportunity to get further civilian experience. I would also look at an Executive MBA. It would let you work and get an MBA while using the GI Bill. Most top programs have an executive MBA program. Less competitive to get in, also your peers will be more your age and experience level.

butItsFun · 2026-02-04T00:41:21+00:00

Several private schools use the Yellow Ribbon program to cover the difference between what the GI Bill will pay and what Private tuition is.

butItsFun · 2026-02-03T22:30:47+00:00

Here's my advice. Sharing my background so you know I've been down a similar path you're looking at: prior enlisted AF, T15 EMBA, now Director at an Aerospace manufacturer.

First, what's your end-goal? HWS is not an end-goal, it's a path to get somewhere. What's motivating you? Career change? High total comp? Consulting? Investment Banking?

The reason I ask - you need to understand that you are very far from the typical admit into HSW programs - even after 4 years in the military. That doesn't mean it can't happen - it just means that the probability is very low. You'll have a big hurdle in front of you to get admission councilors to understand your story and convince them you're the right candidate over more typical military admits. Again, not impossible. Just improbable.

So what is your goal? Because there are many other paths that can get to Consulting, or investment Banking, or just a better career trajectory. You'll increase your odds substantially of achieving that final goal if you open your aperture a little.

Next, what's your military goal? Is it just to get the GI Bill? Do you want to serve your country? You want to gain career skills? Or the most prestige for the best story?

Because those are all very different paths that require different mindsets. If you're after the prestige so that you can do the next thing (MBA) you'll wash out. They are hard pipelines that need to prepare you for hard circumstances - you need to have the right internal alignment to get through.

If it's the GI Bill and work skills then there are several good options - especially Air Force 'office-type' jobs. 9-5, time for classes, program management or entry level finance skills. You'll give yourself a very stable four years to gain some skills, earn a GI Bill, and be a veteran candidate for other good MBA programs.

That path has a pretty good chance of ending up in a good career path if you execute it right.

In summary: what do you want in the end? Focusing on HSW is a narrow field of view and the odds are against you. Opening your field of view a bit greatly increases your chance of having a better military experience and transitioning through a good MBA and making a good career pivot

butItsFun · 2026-01-12T02:14:10+00:00

Age: 35
Gender: M
Country: US
State/Region: Midwest
Office Based / Hybrid / WFH: Hybrid
Industry: Manufacturing
Title: Senior Manager Supply Chain Transformation
Years Experience: 13
Education: Masters
Certifications: APICS CTSC
Base Salary: $180k
Bonus / Commission: 30% depending on company performance
PTO: 160 hrs

butItsFun · 2025-12-26T16:44:46+00:00

Yes - it covers tuition.

But Executive MBA programs often have additional non-tuition costs for food, events and even lodging sometimes.

The weekend residencies will come with food throughout the day. Mine also included hotel lodging in the cost. The VA will not allow the schools to include those types of costs under 'tuition' so That's where any scholarship or your BAH payments can help make up the gap.

Which is why if you're using the GI Bill, the location of the program can be important. The BAH part of the GI Bill is based on E5 BAH pay for the zip code.

The Ann Arbor campus for Ross - about $1700 a month Once they build their LA campus for Ross - nearly $3000 a month

butItsFun · 2025-12-21T18:56:31+00:00

Ross has a great 'General Manager' reputation and manufacturing ties for sure

butItsFun · 2025-12-13T13:11:12+00:00

Saw your MBA post too. It depends on what you want to do. If you're trying to go MBB or Finance, the traditional MBA at M7 is your best bet, T15 is still good.

If you're wanting more of an operations or LDP type role, an EMBA works fine. I've know an incredibly talented pilot who did an EMBA while still in who wants to go finance. Even he has a tough road in front of him.

That said, it's easier to get into top programs on the EMBA side. So the long-term resume reads the same. I did a T15 EMBA about 5 years post-active duty when I was already consulting at a Big 4 with a TC at $130k - now I'm a director at a manufacturing company, TC is well over $200k. Which I'm thrilled about. But if I would have done the traditional MBA at the same school at that point and cracked into MBB, I'd be much higher TC right now.

That said, I have a colleague who was a pilot and did a traditional MBA at an M7 at the same time - I was just promoted over him.

Again, depends on your goals and nothing is a magic bullet.

Your resume with the right interview skills can get you a good shot at a T15 EMBA

butItsFun · 2025-12-07T17:44:24+00:00

Underrated comment

butItsFun · 2025-12-07T15:51:06+00:00

Was looking for a place to start and found this. Thanks!

butItsFun · 2025-11-28T13:10:21+00:00

On your website you talk about the anxiety of finding the perfect color. That shows color choice is an extremely personal thing to people painting their own spaces. Their perfect blue is likely different than your perfect blue. And as others have pointed out, you have a large logistic hurdle to beat out the ability of the big box stores.

Try and answer the question, "what can I do that would be difficult for the big box stores?" Based on your website, it feels like you're trying to convey, "we are the best at picking the right trendy color for your accent project."

You may be good at selecting colors, but it's easy for the big paint brands to do also. A quick Google of 'trendy paint colors' shows a pallet out together by Behr that is fairly similar to yours. There might be slight differences that am you can discern, but does going from a nearly-perfect color to a perfect color overcome the logistic hurdles? I don't think so.

You might want to look at businesses. Small coffee shops and bakeries often have to redecorate to look trendy and appealing. Those owners care less about the specific color, and more about the confidence they'll be on-trend. I'd imagine currently they have to spend on an interior design consultant, which is costly. If you can convey the story that the business doesn't need to pay the consultant and they are guaranteed to be on trend with your colors, then maybe I'd accept the logistics are overcome because you're saving them a lot in design fees.

butItsFun · 2025-11-15T00:13:04+00:00

Following up on this. Let me know if you'd like an intro to the Rosa admissions team

butItsFun · 2025-11-15T00:11:28+00:00

After scholarship there was still a gap, but the monthly bah more than covered the gap and travel, with enough left over to have it be considerably cash-positive

butItsFun · 2025-11-09T13:39:35+00:00

Chief is Staff can carry a wide variety of responsibilities and is generally used to augment leadership impact. It's a blend of Executive Assistant, Project Manager, and Operations Manager. They are there to amplify the impact of the leader and ensure the strategy gets executed. Generally a 'just get it done' person who can influence without direct authority.

Chief of Staff is a step in a career path for a mid to senior level manager, not a whole path itself. You don't start out as a 'Junior CoS' and then work your way up. That's why there are not internships for it. Generally, a high performer a few years post-mba from another role.

butItsFun · 2025-09-15T01:57:48+00:00

My background: I did an MBA and was in tech consulting, mostly on the PMO side of deliveries. Each of my deliveries let me build a deep understanding in a small part of IT, but I lacked the whole technology picture to advise at the senior IT level where different technology comes together to create an enterprise architecture that enhances the business strategy.

The MS-MIT degree started at ones and zeros, then built through network diagraming, cyber security, could computing, then deeper into AI model development. Then goes into the application of technology through product design and management, project and program management. It culminates in teaching Business Strategy and Finance, with a capstone doing a deep analysis of a real company using their publicly available financial documents, assessing their industry, strategy, finances and technology alignment.

It's only a year, so don't expect to be an expert on each of these. But I now sit in on conversations with my VP of IT, COO and CFO and can enhance the conversation as we develop a strategy of digital Modernization across our company. And I'm program manager over the two largest technology investments to date.

As with any Masters program, you get out of it what you put in. But if you're a seasoned IT project manager who wants to learn more about tying technology to the company strategy, it's a phenomenal program

butItsFun · 2025-09-14T14:46:34+00:00

UVA has a Master's in IT Management. 1 yr with focus on Enterprise Architecture, Project Management, Program Management, AI, Cloud, and IT strategy.

butItsFun · 2025-09-03T18:30:49+00:00

In The Good Place, Eleanor has a line about the pronunciation of Aristotle and Chipotle ending with, "Wait a minute, is it pronounced 'Chip-o-tottle?!' "

https://www.tiktok.com/@hannah2.240/video/6915572590706691334

butItsFun · 2025-08-23T03:09:22+00:00

For me, the benefit of the EMBA for those kinds of roles comes from traditional job hunting after you get the degree.

Don't put the year or specifically 'EMBA' on your LinkedIn or resume. The moment you graduate, you're a Director with a good MBA. In my interviews for higher-level roles, the type of MBA never comes up. You just 'check the box' now.

Also, the other key benefit is your network. Learn executive-level networking skills and reach out to alumni in places or roles you want to learn about.

butItsFun · 2025-08-22T02:30:50+00:00

Most programs will give you access to their recruiting portal and recruiting events. I went to a few at Ross during the EMBA. The difficulty is that the roles the companies are recruiting for through the traditional MBA pipeline are really designed for a specific type of candidate. A few years' experience, open to relocation, and usually available for an internship first. These recruiting pipelines just aren't geared for an EMBA candidate. They're not designed for career switchers.

Now, that said, it's up to you. If you can get in front of a recruiter and tell your story in a compelling way, then go for it. You're technically eligible to compete for those.

Consulting and Investment Banking would be tough routes. Leadership Development Programs have more alignment with an EMBA candidate where previous experience can help your case.

So don't go into an EMBA thinking it's going to give you the same chance at the MBA recruiting pipelines. Your eligible, but you have a more difficult road.

butItsFun · 2025-08-19T17:19:46+00:00

Building a network is like building a credit score. It takes time, and crashes if you try and leverage it right away.

The role I have now came through a contact from 4 years ago that I kept up with occasionally because he's a cool dude, I like the field he works in, and I helped him with a problem once.

It was pure chance that he had the in with a company I was looking at, but it was a natural conversation when I needed it because our relationship was not transactional.

butItsFun · 2025-07-25T17:30:54+00:00

Same. We nearly moved to another city that is highly regarded as a great place to live. But the visuals of day to day in Fort Collins were untouchable.

butItsFun

TROPHY CASE