College Experiences That Helped A Co-Founder And Managing Partner At Auxo Partners Succeed
Connor's success stems from actively engaging in the university community, developing strong relationships, and pushing their comfort zone by taking on challenging roles like "TAing" and leading the business fraternity. This experience built valuable skills such as public speaking—crucial for their current career in finance—and fostered "grit," demonstrating the importance of proactive engagement and embracing discomfort in undergraduate studies.
Networking, Public Speaking, Leadership, Overcoming Challenges, Resilience
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Connor Frischmeyer
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Auxo Partners
University of Iowa 2016
N/A
Finance
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Entrepreneurship and Business Owner
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Get involved in your university community and business school to build strong relationships with classmates and faculty.
2. Step outside of your comfort zone by taking on challenging opportunities, such as public speaking or leadership roles in student organizations.
3. Develop grit and resilience by tackling difficult tasks; these skills are highly valuable in a career in finance and private equity
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set yourself up for success in your career?
In my particular case, it was definitely the Hawkinton Institute, which is a unique thing at Iowa and at some other Midwestern universities. But in a broader sense, I got involved in the business school or the university community. I put myself out there in a way that was sometimes uncomfortable, but I developed really strong relationships with my classmates, which are valuable.
These relationships are also valuable with faculty and some of the senior university administration. This is important when you apply for jobs and can list them as references. I also did things that were hard and scary, and I got used to doing that.
For example, I used to be, and still am in many ways, really bad at public speaking. I'd get nervous and all that. This is a big part of what I do now. I'll be in board meetings and need to present, or I need to go to a conference and explain finance or what OXO is.
Much of that was developed in college through TAing. I was also the president of my business fraternity and gave a lot of speeches for that. Other things around the business school gave me opportunities to do things I wasn't comfortable with. These hard experiences helped develop my skill set and some grit.