Scott Detterman
- Head of Operations
- Windy City Mushroom
School Information
School: University of Colorado at Boulder
College Major: Engineering
Years at College Works: 2003
Career Information
Working For: Windy City Mushroom
Title: Head of Operations
Industry: Food and Beverages
Brief Description of Duties / Responsibilities:
Vertically integrated gourmet mushroom farm and producer of Fungitarian ready-to-eat meals
College Works Career Impact
In one sentence, what has CW meant to you?
College Works Painting gave me the confidence to lead and to speak publicly.
How did your CW experience impact your career? Immediately after graduation? Now?
It had little impact on my post undergrad career because I worked in engineering. However, it did prepare me for my transition into my MBA by providing leadership experience and public speaking practice.
What was the greatest lesson you learned from your CW experience?
Understanding the customer is key. They think differently than you likely expect, even if it’s in a really bad way – like don’t want to pay for painters who have insurance.
Advice
What advice do you have for potential CW participants? Current CW participants?
Don’t deceive yourself, it’s an eat what you kill job, but with tremendous rewards.
What’s your best advice for someone interested in entering your career field?
Understand the management consulting career progression, all the tiers of players in the industry (botique, big 4, top 3), and know what your exit path will look like before starting.
What’s your favorite memory from CW?
Eating at a Brazilian steakhouse (very new in 2003), then driving back to play an indoor roller hockey game when the A/C was broke. No clue how that didn’t make me sick!
Last words of wisdom?
Don’t become overconfident because you had some success, you cannot rest on your laurels because others will pass you by after they overcome their adversity.