The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

Darren shares 3 design thinking exercises from Bill Burnett and Dave Evan's Designing Your Life that will help you build a joyful life - and find MBA programs you are excited about. Topics Introduction (0:00) Make Odyssey Plans - Imagining Life 1, 2 and 3 (3:45) Prototype - "Building is Thinking" (8:20) Wayfind - Following Energy and Engagement (13:30) Show Notes Designing Your Life - How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life The Fail-Safe Solopreneur - 6 Essential Practices to Manage Your Well-Being Working for Yourself #46 Steve Dalton’s The 2 Hour Job Search: The 80/20 Formula to Target Employers & Secure First Interviews #188 Steve Dalton’s The Job Closer – Giving Job Seekers Straightforward Frameworks that Work Fast and Work Well #192 MBA Coffee Chats: Thoughtful Advice on How to Get the Most Out of Your MBA with Adam Putterman, Kellogg MMM ’19 #194 Building a Professional MBA Network with Nicolle Lee, Wharton MBA ’22 #156 Three Questions to Ask Before You Make a Career Move with Gary Lo MBA Application Resources Get free school selection help at Touch MBA Get pre-assessed by top international MBA programs Get the Admissions Edge Course: Proven Techniques for Admission to Top Business Schools Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants)

Ann-Marie Stephenson and Colleen McLister, Senior Recruitment Manager and Admissions Manager of MBA Programmes at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, discuss the Frankfurt School MBA's admissions criteria, admissions process, scholarships and more. After listening to this episode, you will have a thorough and nuanced understanding of how to submit your strongest application to the Frankfurt School. Topics Introducing Ann-Marie Stephenson & Colleen McLister (0:00) What about the Frankfurt School MBA Surprises International Students? (4:00) How much German do Frankfurt MBA students need to thrive? (8:45) Frankfurt School MBA's Admissions Criteria & Process (11:30) Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? (24:30) Advice on Recommendations, Case-Study Essays, Career Goals (35:00) Final Tips for Applicants (46:15) Show Notes Frankfurt School of Finance & Management Full-time MBA Programme Contact the MBA Team at the Frankfurt School #227 Inside the Frankfurt School Full-Time MBA: Admissions & Recruitment Insights with Ann-Marie Stephenson & Colleen McLister #215 Frankfurt School of Finance & Management MBA Program & Admissions Interview with Prof. Adrian Buss MBA Application Resources Get free school selection help at Touch MBA Get pre-assessed by top international MBA programs Get the Admissions Edge Course: Proven Techniques for Admission to Top Business Schools Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants)

Sara Vanos, Executive Director of Marketing & Admissions for MBA Programs at HEC Paris, discusses what makes the HEC Paris MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more. Topics Introduction to HEC Paris MBA and Sara Vanos (0:00) Program Highlights - What Makes the HEC Paris MBA Unique? (3:20) HEC Paris MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? (29:15) Career Opportunities after HEC Paris - What to Know & How to Prepare (52:50) About Our Guest Sara Vanos is Executive Director of Marketing & Admissions for MBA Programs at HEC Paris, where she has been for over 10 years. Previously, Sara worked in the careers office for the University of Toronto Rotman. Sara got her EMBA from HEC Paris and her undergraduate degree from Ryerson University. Show Notes HEC Paris Full-time MBA HEC Paris MBA GMAT/GRE Requirements Touch MBA's Writeup & Highlights of HEC Paris MBA MBA Application Resources Get free school selection help at Touch MBA Get pre-assessed by top international MBA programs Get the Admissions Edge Course: Proven Techniques for Admission to Top Business Schools Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants)

Bridget Pujals is the Co-founder and CEO of Saelo, a skincare company, and a recent MBA graduate from Berkeley Haas. In this discussion, she shares how her entrepreneurial plans evolved during her studies and the invaluable resources she found at Haas. Bridget emphasizes the importance of 'co-founder dating' and strategic networking within the UC Berkeley community. She also tackles the question of whether an MBA is worth it for aspiring entrepreneurs, shedding light on vital tips to maximize this experience for startup success.

Steven DeKrey, Senior Advisor and Professor Emeritus at HKUST Business School, has over 40 years of experience in building and running top-ranked MBA programs worldwide, including at Northwestern Kellogg, the University of Florida, Asian Institute of Management and HKUST, where he was Founding Director of the Kellogg-HKUST EMBA program. Darren asks Professor DeKrey about the value of top MBA programs in Asia, how applicants can stand out in the admissions process, who should apply to Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA and Executive MBA (EMBA) programs, and whether leadership can be taught. Listen carefully to materially improve your chances of finding a great business school and getting in! Topics Introduction (0:00) What makes top MBA programs in Asia and Hong Kong different? (4:06) The quality of top Asian MBA programs vs. top US programs (10:30) How important are local language skills for MBA graduates outside the US? (14:10) What questions applicants should ask when researching MBA programs? (18:35) MBA rankings and other signals of quality (24:30) Who should apply to Full-time MBAs, Part-time MBAs and Executive MBAs (EMBA) (28:30) Understanding EMBA Admissions (34:50) Can leadership be taught? The importance of learning agility (38:45) How can MBAs demonstrate leadership skills to employers? (46:40) About Our Guest Steven DeKrey is Senior Advisor and Professor Emeritus at HKUST Business School. He has over 40 years of experience in building and running top-ranked MBA programs worldwide, including at Northwestern Kellogg, the University of Florida, Asian Institute of Management, and HKUST, where he was Founding Director of the Kellogg-HKUST EMBA program. He served on the EQUIS accreditation board and AACSB's Asia-Pacific board, and today, teaches graduate students and executive training programs in leadership, corporate governance and board member development. Steven has written over 15 cases for the Thompson Case Center, 9 of which have been published by Harvard Business School Publishing. Before starting his career in business education, Steven worked as a School & Sports Psychologist in Iowa. He got his PhD in School & Sports Psychology from the University of Iowa and his MBA from Northwestern Kellogg. Show Notes Follow Professor Steven DeKrey on LinkedIn HKUST MBA Kellogg-HKUST EMBA Tiger, Peacock, Owl, Koala - Which Kind of Leader Are You? MBA Application Resources Get free school selection help at Touch MBA Get pre-assessed by top international MBA programs Get the Admissions Edge Course: Proven Techniques for Admission to Top Business Schools Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants)

Melody Jones, Co-Founder of Vantage Point MBA Admissions Consulting, has been helping applicants get into top 10 MBA programs for over a decade. How does Vantage Point help applicants triple their chances compared to other applicants? Melody shares key learnings, examples and questions you can use right away to craft a compelling application. Topics Introduction (0:00) Melody's MBA Story, Career & Co-Founding of Vantage Point (2:45) Vantage Point's Philosophy for Serving Applicants (11:00) Vantage Point's 3x Success Factors (13:00) Factor 1: Who Are You? (17:00) Factors 2 & 3: What Do You Want? Why? (23:00) Rejected Application Analyses for Columbia, MIT, Harvard, Stanford (34:00) What if you have the same career goals as everyone else? (41:00) Melody's Last Two Tips for Applicants (43:00) About Our Guest Melody Jones is Co-Founder of Vantage Point MBA Admissions Consulting. Previously, Melody worked as a Marketing Manager for L'Oreal in New York City and prior to her MBA, Melody worked in finance at Wachovia and Wells Fargo. Melody got her MBA from the Columbia Business School and her Bachelors in Marketing & International Business from the University of Virginia. Show Notes Vantage Point MBA Admissions Consulting #221 Excellent Advice for Living (and MBA Applications!) MBA Application Resources Get free school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com Learn effective strategies to secure admission to top-ranked MBA programs with Touch MBA's Admissions Edge Course. Gain insights from successful resumes, essays, and case studies of admitted MBAs. Save thousands on consulting fees while optimizing every aspect of your application: https://go.touchmba.com/edge  Our favorite MBA application tools (after advising 4,000 applicants): https://touchmba.com/favorite-mba-application-tools/ 

What should you do if you have 10+ years of working experience but are looking for an MBA-type experience to build your skills and network? Richard Campbell, Founder and CEO of 10Adventures, joins the show to discuss his experience with three mid-career MBA alternatives: Harvard Business School's Program for Leadership Development (HBS PLD), London Business School's Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy (LBS Sloan Masters), and 500 Global's Accelerator program. Listen on to learn more about the learning experience, alumni networks and benefits of attending each of these programs! Topics Introduction (0:00) Richard's career arc before business school (4:40) Harvard Business School Program for Leadership Development (8:40) The London Business School Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy (22:45) 10 Adventures and the 500 Global Accelerator Program (48:00) Richard' advice for entrepreneurs considering mid-career MBA alternatives (59:00) About Our Guest Richard Campbell is Founder and CEO of 10Adventures, which helps people book personalized, active vacations worldwide. Before 10Adventures, Richard worked as COO of Vista Projects, an industrial engineering firm that helps clients navigate the digital transformation of their operations. Richard got his Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary; after ten years growing Vista Projects, he took Harvard Business School's Program for Leadership Development and then completed London Business School's Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy. In 2023, he joined 500 Global's Accelerator program in Calgary, where he currently resides. Richard also hosts the 10Adventures Podcast and serves on the Board of Directors for The Alpine Club of Canada. Show Notes Richard Campbell on LinkedIn 10Adventures Harvard Business School Program for Leadership Development The LBS Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy 500 Global Richard's Review of HBS LDP program Richard's Review of the LBS Sloan Masters program Richard's Review of 500 Global's Alberta Accelerator John Kotter's 8-Step Change Model from Leading Change Verne Harnish's Scaling Up Platform How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton Christenson Dan Cable Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It by April Dunford Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick Entrepreneur's Organization (EO) Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com Learn proven strategies to get into top-ranked MBA programs and optimize every part of your application through Touch MBA's Admissions Edge Course. See resumes, essays and case-studies of admitted MBAs. Save thousands of dollars on consulting fees: https://go.touchmba.com/edge 

Inspired by Kevin Kelly's Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I Knew Earlier, Darren shares 10 bits of wisdom that could materially improve your chances of getting into business school and building a successful career. Topics Introduction (0:00) School Selection (3:00) Support Network (8:20) Positioning (10:30) Resumes (15:45) Essays (20:05) Interviews (22:00) Communication (26:10) Show Notes Touch MBA's Admissions Edge Course Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I Knew Earlier by Kevin Kelly Kevin Kelly Outsight #93 Which Extracurriculars? #190 3 Timeless Application Strategies from MBA Admissions Strategy (2005) by Avi Gordon #131 The Quick & Easy Way to Effective MBA Interviewing #113 Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t #51 Stalking the Story for Your MBA Essays #4 Four Ways to Get and Keep the Adcom’s Attention #3 Six Ways to Make Your MBA Application Stick Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com Don't want to pay thousands for admissions consulting? Take our online MBA admissions course w/ our best application tips and strategies. Members have gotten into ALL top 25 MBA programs: https://go.touchmba.com/edge 

Sometimes, it's hard to differentiate MBA programs. That is not the case with GLOBIS University, Japan's number 1 MBA, which prizes entrepreneurial skills, societal impact, and helping its students find their kokorozashi (personal mission).   Professor Tomoya Nakamura, President of GLOBIS USA, discusses what makes the GLOBIS MBA unique, the school's admissions process, career opportunities and more. Started by Harvard Business School MBA graduate and entrepreneur Yoshito Hori in 1992 as a single marketing course in Tokyo, GLOBIS has grown to become Japan's largest MBA program, consulting with 60-70% of public Japanese companies with learning hubs in 5 countries. Listen on to learn what makes getting an MBA at GLOBIS - and in Tokyo - unique. Topics Introduction to GLOBIS and Tomoya Nakamura (0:00) Program Highlights - What Makes the GLOBIS MBA Unique? (6:30) GLOBIS MBA Admissions & Scholarships - How to Improve Your Chances? (33:30) Career Opportunities after GLOBIS - What to Know & How to Prepare (55:00) About Our Guest Tomoya Nakamura is President of GLOBIS USA. Tomoya started his professional career at Marubeni Corporation, reorganized an investment company at Advantage Partners (a buyout VC firm), and was the Senior Managing Director of Sun-Life Corporation. He served as Dean of the English MBA Programs at GLOBIS University while also starting the GLOBIS global training business and continues to serve as the main facilitator for various corporate clients. He primarily lectures on leadership, kokorozashi, and globalization. Tomoya graduated from the Hitotsubashi University with a Bachelors in Social Studies before getting his MBA from Harvard Business School. Show Notes GLOBIS Full-time MBA Free Online President's Seminar: Leveraging Japan’s No.1 MBA to the World’s No.1 MBA with AI & Technovate, Mr. Yoshito Hori, March 12, 2024 (6:30pm-7:30pm PST) Schedule a personal consultation with GLOBIS MBA admissions advisors Touch MBA's Summary of the GLOBIS Full-time MBA:  https://touchmba.com/globis-mba-program-admissions-interview-tomoya-nakamura/ Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

Beau Gresham, Director of Strategic Initiatives at Mastercard and NYU Stern MBA '20, shares his journey as an applicant, student, and alumni of NYU Stern. How did Beau transition from the military to consulting through the MBA? How was the NYU Stern Full-time MBA experience? How did Beau break into mergers & acquisitions consulting at Deloitte, and then land his current job at Mastercard? And how does Beau view the MBA three years after graduating? Topics Introduction (0:00) Beau's Background (4:00) Beau's MBA Application Journey & Lessons: School Selection, GMAT, Career Goals (6:30) MBA Application Resources for Military Veterans (20:30) Beau's #1 Tip: Finding "Champions" (23:30) Beau's NYU Stern MBA Experience (33:30) Breaking into Consulting- How Beau Landed his Internship & Job with Deloitte (39:00)  The NYU Stern Network in NYC & Study Abroad Trips (53:00) Beau's Post-MBA Career with Amazon & Deloitte (1:00:00) Advancing at Deloitte & Transitioning to Mastercard (1:07:00) Beau's Last Tips for Applicants (1:21:00) About Our Guest Beau Gresham is Director of Strategic Initiatives in Cybersecurity at Mastercard. Previously, Beau worked as a Senior Consultant & Manager in M&A Strategy for Deloitte. Prior to his MBA, Beau served in the US Army in a variety of leadership, operational and combat roles, including as a Company Commander in Afghanistan. Beau got his MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business with specializations in Finance, Strategy & Management, his Masters in Management and Leadership from Webster University and his Bachelors in Political Science & Government from the University of South Florida. He currently serves on the Stern Alumni Council. Show Notes Beau Gresham on LinkedIn Avanti Prep Admissions Consulting Team (mention Touch MBA + Beau Gresham) NYU Stern MBA Programs Hiring Our Heroes - Connecting Military to American Business Service to School - Helping Veterans Apply to Best College or Graduate School What's Next? A Military Veteran's Guide to Maximizing Your MBA by Matthew Cowsert Deloitte's CORE Leadership Program American Corporate Partners (ACP) Mentorship MBA Veterans Career Conference & Expo GMAT Club Panel on Breaking into Consulting, featuring Beau Gresham #136 Military to MBA to Management Consulting with Alex Tuininga, Harvard MBA ’18 Touch MBA's Admissions Edge Online Course Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com