Student Profile

Paige Peterson

Why did you decide to take Disruptive Strategy?

This course attracted me for a number of reasons; first and foremost I have been a regular follower of Harvard Business Review and have found so many of the articles and features relevant to my expanding career. I also work closely with a handful of Harvard Business School graduates and find their approach to problem-solving, colleague interactions, and value add to the company to be extremely valuable. Coravin Inc. is actively disrupting the wine world, and I am experiencing so many of these concepts from the case studies in real time. In the short time since this has started, I already feel more engaged and have brought much more clarity and insight into my immediate sales team and senior managers.

Knee-deep in a 60 plus hour a week job, going back to school full-time is not currently feasible, so the Disruptive Strategy course is perfect for me. Truthfully, I feel like it was custom-made for me and my lifestyle. The synergy was delightful, and I was quite disappointed when it all came to an end. 

What did you find most insightful about the course?

The case studies were the most rewarding. It was wonderful to hear first-hand from the actual participants in these events. It was remarkable to hear their thoughts about these events as they occurred. We all are so fortunate to have been able to learn directly from the companies themselves. This way of presenting the material makes the concepts resonate so much more, and then they can be easily applied and layered into the specifics of what we are experiencing in our daily lives out in the working world.

How do you plan to apply what you've learned in Disruptive Strategy to your career?

I have already applied so much of what I have learned. My strategy and message for my team and how we communicate with our customers has begun to shift. The biggest takeaway is looking at my product on the shelf and always trying to gauge "what is the job to be done here?" I have also started to pay a lot more attention to what the other vendors within my stores are doing. I can truthfully say this has already made me a much better listener. When we all have things to say, listening is one of the first things that can get lost, so I have not only found a stronger voice but a much better and tuned set of ears.