Why MBA Podcast
A podcast with an inside look into what business school is really like. Stories from current students and successful grads combine into a behind-the-scenes look at the UCLA Anderson MBA experience. Hosted by Class of 2017 graduate Alex Grodnik.
Recent Episodes
Mastering the Craft
Featuring: Melanie Auguste (MBA/J.D. ’13), VP of Global Brand Narrative, Purpose and Athlete Marketing, Nike
Melanie Auguste (MBA/J.D. ’13) harbors a deep-seated passion for sports and a gift for understanding people and trends. From aspiring pro athlete to influential leader in the sports marketing industry, she transformed her career goals into her dream job at Nike. Her secret? Shift from thinking about your work as a “job” to viewing it as mastering a craft. It also helped that she found, in UCLA Anderson, a graduate school that valued exactly what she wanted to do.
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Always at the Forefront of Storytelling and Technology
Featuring: Malik Ducard (’00), Chief Content Officer, Pinterest
Throughout his career, Malik Ducard (’00) has always stood at the forefront of storytelling and technology. He studied liberal arts in college and never thought he would warm to quantitative subjects. When he enrolled at UCLA Anderson, he put himself in the crosshairs of learning new things, fell in love with statistics and developed skills for his first job in entertainment.
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We Have to Think Macro, but We Have to Act Micro
Featuring: Featuring: Blair Taylor (’90), Managing Director of Talent & Organization, and North America Lead for Inclusion, Diversity & Equity, Accenture
Senior executive Blair Taylor (’90) has spent his career introducing principles of community engagement and inclusion into daily business practices — a professional journey that has put his service to others first. He discusses the three fundamental shifts in the market that have driven a new era for companies, and he describes an operating plan he wrote for his young self that guided the trajectory of his career.
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Run at the Barking Dog!
Featuring: John Carmichael (B.A. ’90, ’95), CEO and President, Nestlé Canada
John Carmichael (B.A. ’90, ’95) has enjoyed a 27-year career with Nestlé that is characterized by adventure and turning around struggling businesses. Working like an entrepreneur within a major corporation, Carmichael has found that attacking rather than avoiding the most daunting challenges leads to transformational opportunities. He implores executives trying to solve business problems to “run at the barking dog.”
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A Creative’s Career Pivot
Featuring: Ginny Chien (B.A. ’98, ’10), SVP of Global Brand Marketing, Unilever Prestige/Murad Skincare
Double Bruin Ginny Chien (B.A. ’98, ’10) began her career as a print journalist covering, among other topics, fashion, style and beauty. When she decided to earn her MBA at Anderson, she made the connections and gained the confidence and wherewithal to shift careers. Now she brings her interest in beauty full circle as SVP of brand, content and creative at Murad Skincare, a Unilever prestige brand.
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What Exploring Mars Can Teach Us about Business and Ourselves
Featuring: Allen Chen (’07), Systems Engineer, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
UCLA Anderson alumnus Allen “Al” Chen (’07) is the entry, descent and landing lead for the Mars 2020 project at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In describing his fascinating job, he explains how an MBA education fits into a deeply technical role.
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A Problem-Solver Finds Unexpected Purpose in a Corporate Setting
Featuring: Neesha Hathi (’00), Chief Digital Officer and Managing Director, Charles Schwab
Neesha Hathi (’00), chief digital officer and managing director at Charles Schwab, felt motivated to help people create better financial futures for themselves. But she never thought that would mean working in a large corporation, leading a team of 1,500 people focused on digital transformation.
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A Fitness Entrepreneur Strengthens Her Resolve
Featuring: Felicia Alexander (’05), Co-Founder and President, BoxUnion; Chief Revenue Officer, TITLE Boxing Club
Despite a “burning desire” to launch in the fitness space, Felicia Alexander (’05), co-founder and president of BoxUnion and chief revenue officer at TITLE Boxing Club, needed to overcome her risk aversion.
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Teamwork — in the Navy SEALs and Business School
Featuring: U.S. Navy Captain Gary Ryals (’08) and Retired U.S. Navy SEAL Officer Duncan Smith (’91)
Being Open to New Opportunities
Featuring: Deb Johnson (’99), Chief Learning Officer, Deloitte Consulting
Deb Johnson (’99), chief learning officer of Deloitte Consulting, tells us how a piece of advice her father gave her as a young girl has shaped her entire career and also the skills you should be developing for a career in consulting.
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The Path to CFO
Featuring: Katie Low Anderson (’09), CFO, Guess?
Katie Low Anderson (’09), CFO at Guess? Walks us through her up and down journey to becoming the CFO of a multi-billion dollar company. How believing in herself, constantly learning and keeping good relationships were the keys to her success.
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Don’t Be Afraid to Trust Your Gut
Featuring: Constance Knight (’98), Global Head of Video Curation, Instagram
Constance Knight (’98) talks about how not being afraid to make big changes in your career and trusting your gut can lead to life changing outcomes. Also, why it’s so important to have specific career goals and predictions for the future.
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Timing Is Everything
Featuring: Aaron Hirschhorn (’05), Founder and CEO, Gallant
Aaron Hirschhorn, founder, CEO and chairman of the disruptive startup DogVacay, tells us how timing was the crucial factor in growing his business from nothing to $100 million in revenue. Also, we discuss how to make the best decisions with the information you have.
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A Fortunate Coincidence to Change People’s Lives
Featuring: Hugh Chang (’90), Director of Strategy, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Hugh Chang walks us through his journey from a fast-paced tech job to the world of global health at the Gates Foundation. By focusing on innovation as a source of impact, Hugh was able to combine good luck and self-awareness to improve the lives of millions.
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Patience and Strategic Thinking for a Career in Analytics
Featuring: Reggie Panaligan (’10), Head of Analytics for Media and Entertainment, Google
Reggie Panaligan walks us through the strategy for how he got his dream job at Google. We also discuss the role data plays in entertainment and the dichotomy between new and old media companies.
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Impact in Business School
Featuring: Bhavna Sivanand (’14), Executive Director, Center for Impact. With Joe Roohan ('21) and Charles Moran ('21)
Hear how two current students teamed up to create UCLA Anderson’s Crisis Response Corps, which pairs MBA student consultants with nonprofits and businesses to help them strategically respond to the effects COVID-19 and social injustice. We explore the role an MBA plays in our new world of socially responsible businesses.
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