How to succeed in business; or, How a single Mom goes back to school, gets a Ph.D. and lands a great job

As a corporate research nutritionist, Connie Swenson Larson designs research studies and gives presentations in several U.S. beef-producing states as well as beef-producing countries like Australia, Japan, Brazil, and South Africa.

MSU News

But what others may find interesting is what that snapshot doesn’t say. It doesn’t say she was a single mom with three kids while employed at MSU. It doesn’t say that after working at MSU for 14 years, she uprooted herself and children to earn her doctorate in nutrition at New Mexico State University. It doesn’t explain how she acquired the extra qualities a large company like Zinpro Corporation would seek and hire.

"Connie is an example, especially to women, of what they need to do to achieve a highly visible and respected position," says John Paterson, MSU Extension beef specialist. "I want students, especially young women, to understand what was necessary to achieve this."

So, what leads to that sort of success? Larson describes elements of both confidence and necessity when she describes her state of mind when she made the major change from MSU to pursuing a doctorate in New Mexico.

"I knew I could achieve my goal . . . and I needed to support myself," says Larson. "I was 36 years old, a single parent with financial responsibilities to my children and myself . . . I realized that by earning a Ph.D. degree many more doors would open up for my career."

In hindsight, says Larson, she spends "very little time thinking of the struggles and tough times. As in any tough situation, it is important to focus on the positive and reflect that in your daily attitude."

Larson says her experiences while a nutrition research associate helped build her confidence as well as giving her the idea that would allow her to pay for her Ph.D.

The confidence developed as she accepted "opportunities that went beyond the job description," says Larson. Public speaking was among the most important skills she gained. "I had the opportunity to present my research at local, regional and national meetings, and that was key to meeting people in the industry. Even today, every time I meet with students, I tell them to take advantage of every speaking opportunity, no matter how much they might like to resist it. It is critical to network with as many people as you can, and always think in the back of your mind that a potential employer may be listening. You never know when a contact will pay off down the road."

The research idea, which involved evaluating how supplemental trace minerals influenced the immune status of pregnant cows, resulted in some of the most complete data to date for Montana, says Paterson. This research became the basis of a grant she wrote that funded her wages while she took course work toward her doctorate in New Mexico.

Industry nutritionists first advised her of the extra qualities she would need, says Larson. She said she remembers the advice of two in particular: Butch Whitman, who taught at MSU-Bozeman before working for MoorMan’s, a livestock nutrition company; and Bruce Johnson, now vice president of research and nutritional services for Ridley Feed Operations of North America.

"Dr. Butch Whitman summed it up by saying ‘It’s all about people skills,’" says Larson. "’You want to be knowledgeable in your field of study, but it is truly about your people skills and relationships.’"

She said Johnson’s advice put the challenges of graduate school into perspective. "When I was a grad student, Dr. Bruce Johnson said the course work is important, but the perseverance and character building that you gain through graduate school is even more important."

Initially, Larson’s perseverance took the form of fitting in job, parenting and masters degree work at MSU.

"I think my kids have seen the benefits. They’ve seen how I can make changes that are positive," says Larson. "They watched me go back to school to further my career and to support myself because of a divorce. I think it was important for them to see the value of education."

Larson says the education began even before MSU.

"My English and public speaking skills started even earlier than MSU. Public speaking began in FFA in high school and leadership projects in 4-H," said Larson, who grew up in southern Idaho near Twin Falls. She said her interest in agriculture grew from spending time on her grandparents 100 acre diversified farm near Jerome, Idaho. Her first two years of college were at the University of Idaho, when she was interested in becoming a veterinarian. Then she came to MSU as a junior and completed her undergraduate degree in Animal Sciences in 1982 and a master’s degree on beef cattle nutrition under advisor Dr. Mark Petersen in 1986. She completed a Ph. D. degree on trace minerals for beef cattle nutrition at New Mexico State University in 1999.

Her two sons, Beau and Joshua Clark are at MSU. Beau is a junior and a defensive end for the Bobcats. Josh is a freshman studying animal science. Her daughter Sara Kay starts this fall as a junior at Chaska High School in Minnesota.

Contact: Connie Swenson Larson (800) 445-6145, John Paterson (406) 994-5562

http://www.montana.edu/commserv/csnews/nwview.php?article=1340