Vicky Dallas

Graduation year : 2010 (PMBA 13)

Owns 9AM Media Labs

LinkedIn Profile here

Could you update us on your latest professional developments?

I guess I need to talk about growth, innovation and stuff like that? :) We have grown in terms of workforce. We were 2, now we are 5. We moved to a bigger office.  We are experiencing a weird increase in work load. I guess that organic growth is paying us a visit. It took her a few years to arrive but it is finally here. Right now we are working on organizing ourselves. I want us to be armed before the war. Organization & Efficiency are so important to me. I still do not feel ready to make a move of attack in the market. I could, anyone can, but I prefer to prepare an insanely efficient structure from inside and then make my attack. The way I see it, opportunity will always be there waiting for companies to hit. No need to rush. At the same time, I have prepared a new service that I am not sure yet how to make my move in the market. I like making things. We make a lot of “things” at 9AM. Unfortunately once the creativity (creation) is out of the way, you then need to actually WORK in order to succeed. Well, to me, that is a bit boring so maybe this is a reason why we have not yet made any big impact. However, I believe that at some point I need to grow up and do something until the end :). Not for any other reason, but only to know that I am actually capable of doing it!  

How did ALBA help you with your business?

ALBA helped me mostly in my life, and as a result in my business as well. While pursuing an MBA, you learn a little bit of everything. When you know a little bit of everything you can have a full perspective of things happening around you. Managing people and organizations helped me to re-consider the way I managed my friends and family, and when I reached a stage when I actually had real people in my organization, I believe I did a pretty good job managing them. Before ALBA (B.C.), I did not know whether my business was doing well or not. Now I know. After the first 3 months at ALBA, I knew I had to change things at 9AM. If I was serious about it, things needed to change! I still think I need to change things. I guess “knowing” is a good starting point. Last but not least, apart from the fact that my business could be seen as a tiny – non important business in the Greek environment, I can tell you, that we have procedures, concepts and strategies that big businesses never and will never have :) (I am being arrogant – but it’s OK). We are small but we are cool! Now whether we will succeed or not is something totally irrelevant from the above. I will not elaborate more on this though.

Share with us your fondest memory while studying at ALBA

My fondest memory?  I have many fond memories which as a whole bring together two horrifying but still really cool years. Memories always begin with fun parts. And that would be the two days in Sofiko that you made us dance and do silly things with strangers! Those strangers have become some of my best friends :). I remember how smart I thought I was that I did horrible (in terms of grades) in the first semester. So, PROBATION!!! Oh my God, DO YOU EVEN PUT EINSTEIN on Probation? What were you thinking! Anyway, I was arrogant, I still am :). Being on probation made my life at ALBA even better, because I like working under pressureJ. Makes life more fun! I enjoyed the presentations we did in various courses. I did not enjoy team work but I learnt a lot from my team mates :) and managed to do things with them that I would never be able to do on my own. I remember my arm in pain while I was in exams (I was never used to writing because I always typed) I remember so many moments of inspiration while I was in class. Finally, I will never forget all the help I got during various moments from professors and from ALBA employees. ALBA has helped me A LOT.

You’re pretty much a positive, smiley person…care to share some advice with your fellow alumni on how to remain so ‘chipper’ when everything around us is so grim?

Are you implying that I am some sort of clown? :) Anyway, it is only a mask, I am not THAT smiley! :) However I do care to share some advice because I always like αμπελοphilosophizing when I am given the chance. Problems (99.9%) come and GO. At least this is my experience up to now. When they come they bring us down. When they go we feel happy again. When time goes by and we think back of a problem we say to ourselves: “I was worrying about THAT????”. Anyway the point I am trying to make is that we need to stop worrying about things that go away. That is life, a game that the goal of the enemy is to mess our minds with things that do not matter after all. And unless we are animals, we need to learn from our past and make some sort of evolution in the way we think and act. OK that is all because if I continue I might harm my reputation :).

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE

• Your most marked characteristic? My Anger.
• The quality you most like in a man? I like all qualities that make a man.
• The quality you most like in a woman? Patience.
• What do you most value in your friends? When they are there for me.
• What is your favorite occupation? None.
• What is your dream of happiness? Not sure yet. Changes as years go by.
• What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes? I don’t even want to think about it.
• What would you like to be? Better and Better in whatever I do.
• In what country would you like to live? I would like to live for 1000 years and spent equal time in each country out there. Like vampires.
• What is your favorite color? Black and White equally.
• Who are your favorite poets? I don’t know. I don’t read much.
• Who is your favorite hero of fiction? Superman because he can fly.
• Who are your favorite composers? I don’t know. Never thought of it.
• Who are your favorite painters? I don’t know. Never thought of it.
• Who are your heroes in real life? Everyone I know, each for a different reason.
• What are your favorite names? All names are good – depends on who has them.
• What is it you most dislike? The more I grow up the more dislikes I have equally disturbing. So I have many.
• What historical figures do you most despise? I am not good in history.
• What natural gift would you most like to possess? I would like to have a nice voice in order to become a singer and have billions of people screaming for me J
• How would you like to die? I don’t.
• What is your motto? Assumption is the mother of all fuckups.