Business of Being Awesome

Planning your next vacation, #bizoba ballers? If not, by the end of this episode, we think you will be. In this summer special, we talk to CEO and Founder Gillian Morris about her remarkable journey toward building Hitlist, a travel company focused on helping you turn the trip of your dreams into an affordable reality by filtering cheap flights on flexible dates to droolworthy destinations. If the saying is true, that "traveling is the only thing you spend money on that makes you richer,” Hitlist is on track to make everyone a millionaire. Tune in to hear Gillian share about the high school choir trip that sparked her wanderlust, the post-college journalism gig that led to an odyssey around East and Central Asia, and the hackathon that took her from Istanbul back to the United States and onto her biggest trip: into entrepreneurship. Riding out the turbulence of startup life and flying higher every day toward making Hitlist the next travel-tech success story, Gillian Morris is very much in the business of being awesome. Ready for your next adventure? Download Hitlist on your iPhone, check out Wandertab on Chrome, or search hitlistapp.com/flights on your web browser to put the trip of your dreams at your fingertips. Until next episode, happy end of summer, keep calm, and travel on! #bizobabullets of wisdom from this episode: 1. Everyone experiences turbulence on the journey to finding and doing meaningful work. 2. “Seize the opportunity to travel” because it’ll make you a healthier, happier, more creative person 3. This one isn’t original, but J.R.R. Tolkien had it right: “Not all who wander are lost" Love what you hear on the podcast? Search and subscribe “Business of Being Awesome” on Soundcloud or iTunes and get connected with us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @bizobapodcast. Love notes, ideas for future episodes, and suggestions for improving #bizoba can be sent to us atbizobapodcast@gmail.com.

Making a podcast is far from easy and many of our friends and family have been wondering why we did it and how we did it. So today, we’re putting our brainpower toward going behind the scenes of the Business of Being Awesome while helping Erica graduate (disclaimer: this podcast about the podcast is her independent study project). In today’s episode, Erica gets a taste of her own medicine, answering the questions we tend to ask our guests and sharing more of her personal story. We hope you get a better sense of what goes on behind the scenes of #bizoba and are entertained by Erica’s reflections on her quest to make a difference in the business world, from her past in foreign languages to her future selling furniture. In other words, we hope you’ll enjoy this podcast about the podcast! #bizobabullets of wisdom from this episode (Erica’s so far. Lily’s to be added): • There’s a chance that doing what you love might mean you stop loving it--that might mean you’re not doing the thing you really love, just the thing you think you really love. Take the risk anyway. You’ll know it’s right or not right based on whether you run out of ideas to make it work against all odds. • “Don’t stop believing. Hold onto that feeling.” Even on the path of doing something you love, it’s likely you’ll meet with resistance: from parents, friends, and yourself--sometimes in the sneakiest ways. Push on through. It’s worth it • For both the thoughts you think and the people you spend time with—choose the good ones. They’ll define your life. For more on Erica, check out her blog, www.erica-zendell.com. Love what you hear on the podcast? Search and subscribe to “Business of Being Awesome” on Soundcloud or iTunes and get connected with us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @bizobapodcast. Love notes, ideas for future episodes, and suggestions for improving #bizoba can be sent to us at bizobapodcast@gmail.com.

Mother of four. MIT Professor. Groundbreaking business researcher. Zeynep Ton doesn't believe in keeping these identities separate--she embraces them all and integrates them in the full picture of who she is and what she does. In the conclusion of the second season of #bizoba, Zeynep tells her full story from growing up in Turkey, playing volleyball at Penn State, and picking up her Ph.D. at Harvard Business School. She shares the inflection points along her path that led to changing her view of success and reprioritizing her life in favor of more time with her family and more meaningful work. While most companies tend to focus just on satisfying investors or creating value for customers, in her courses at MIT and her book "Good Jobs Strategy," Zeynep's research supports that the most successful companies in the long-term are those committed to designing great jobs and investing in the training and development of great employees. In this interview, Zeynep shows just how much she, like the companies she studies, is 100% committed to her values of investing in people and doing work that matters. #bizoba bullets from this episode are: 1. Continuously improve--it’s far easier to be mediocre than it is to be excellent--in both your work and your personal life 2. Invest in your family--whether that means your direct relations or the people in your life that you would call your family 3. Enjoy your life, make it matter, and make it meaningful In Zeynep's world of operations management, awesome businesses are made by way of continuous improvement. We think the same is true of awesome lives. So whatever that continuous improvement looks like for you, #bizoba ballers, we look forward to being along for the ride with you on the journey to a happier and more fulfilled life, both on and off the clock. We can't wait to hear all the ways you've been #busybeingawesome when we return in Season 3. Until then, stay in touch with us on social media @bizobapodcast, share your thoughts with us by emailing bizobapodcast@gmail.com, and rock out to two seasons of power songs on our "Bizoba power songs" playlist on Spotify.

At 22, Miki Agrawal decided to stop putting her biggest dreams on hold. Within four years, she went after all three of them, playing soccer for the New York Magic, filming commercials for the likes of Justin Timberlake and Victoria’s Secret, and opening a chain of locally-sourced, organic, wholesome pizza restaurants in New York City. She didn’t stop there: soon after, she published a bestselling book and co-founded THINX, a company tackling period leaks in America while empowering women in the developing world through tech-infused underwear. In #bizoba episode 5, we talk to Miki about her incredible story and her newest ventures toward tackling the 3P’s of civilized society--poop, pee, and periods--and turning them from taboo into talked-about topics. After listening to Miki, we think you’ll agree: her most awesome work is only just beginning and nothing can stop her except her own imagination. The same goes for you, too, #bizoba ballers. #bizobabullets of wisdom from this episode: • Doing cool stuff requires doing. Not just talking about doing • Be sure to surround yourself with people that support you in reaching your wildest dreams--they’ll keep you grounded and sane along the way • When starting a business, it’s cool to build something to help yourself--but it’s really awesome to build is something that also helps others. That’s where you can change the world. For more on Miki, check out her website www.mikiagrawal.com and book “Do Cool Sh*t”. For more on THINX, check out www.shethinx.com and follow on Twitter and Instagram @shethinx. You can also learn about Miki’s other product lines (pee-proof underwear and a bidet attachment for your toilet) at www.iconundies.com and www.tushy.me. Love what you hear on the podcast? Search and subscribe to “Business of Being Awesome” on Soundcloud or iTunes and get connected with us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @bizobapodcast. Be sure to check out our Spotify "#bizoba power songs" playlist and follow us. Love notes, ideas for future episodes, and suggestions for improving #bizoba can be sent to us at bizobapodcast@gmail.com.

Doing what you love means going after it with all you’ve got--blood, sweat, and tears. Kiran Gandhi can speak to all of this-and better yet, sing to it. You may already know Kiran from the press: she ran the 2015 London Marathon on her period without a tampon or sanitary pad to spread awareness about women’s health issues. Today on #bizoba, Kiran shares the rest of her story from studying math and management (Georgetown 2011, HBS 2015) to drumming on tour with M.I.A, to striking out on her own musical dreams as Madame Gandhi. Erica and Lily talk to Kiran on finding her voice, following through with her career and life vision, and singing out her message loudly and proudly: “The Future is Female.” For more on Kiran, check out https://kirangandhi.com/and and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @MadamGandhi. And, of course, tune into her music on SoundCloud @MadameGandhi and see future show dates at http://www.madamegandhi.com/ #bizobabullets of wisdom from this episode: 1. The more you're consistent in doing your own thing, the more people will trust you. 2. Find what you’re good at naturally and find a way to use it to make the world a better place 3. Be the best version of yourself, not a second-rate version of somebody else Love what you hear on the podcast? Search and subscribe to “Business of Being Awesome” on Soundcloud or iTunes and get connected with us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @bizobapodcast. Love notes, ideas for future episodes, and suggestions for improving #bizoba can be sent to us at bizobapodcast@gmail.com.

Making the first move in online dating or toward finding work you love isn't easy, but the research shows--it's worth it. In the third episode of #bizoba Season 2 , Jimena Almendares (MIT MBA 2011) tells us the 'telenovela' of her life from champion ice skating in Mexico to helping people find their perfect life partners as the Chief Product Officer of Okcupid. In this episode, #bizoba talks to Jimena on managing the intersection between personal and professional life, reminding us that your worth extends beyond your work: it's the stuff that happens off the clock that makes us interesting and there's no shame in sharing your awesome in the workplace. We're 99% sure this episode will be a great match for you, but in case you weren't convinced, Jimena also shares a few insights on how to create a great dating profile (Hint: gluten-free cookies and cream and Mexican chocolate beat plain vanilla any day). #bizobabullets of wisdom from this episode: 1. Have the courage to take the first step/leap in chasing what you want because chances are you’ll get a 'yes.' Even if you get a 'no,' you tried and found the courage, and that’s just as awesome. 2. There's a lot of fear around changing jobs, but you’re more employable than you think! 3. There’s a difference between bringing your self to work and bringing work into yourself. We’re believers in loving what you do, but know that work isn’t the only thing you do. Love what you hear on the podcast? Search and subscribe “Business of Being Awesome” on Soundcloud or iTunes and get connected with us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @bizobapodcast. Love notes, ideas for future episodes, and suggestions for improving #bizoba can be sent to us at bizobapodcast@gmail.com.

Confidence is key--and Tess Brooks knows it. In fact, she founded a business around it. In the second episode of #bizoba Season 2 , Tess (HBS MBA 2016) tells the story of how she went from consulting in Latin America to founding Confi, a technology platform focused on empowering women to be confident in their bodies and relationships by providing information on sensitive health topics in an accessible and non-judgmental way. In #bizoba fashion of embracing the whole journey towards doing what you love, Tess shares the ups and downs from her first year with Confi and important lessons learned about building teams and staying true to your dreams as a full-time graduate student and founder. (Hint: dancing always helps). #bizobabullets of wisdom from this episode: 1. Remember the greater purpose of why you’re doing what you’re doing--that’s what keep you going when the going gets tough. 2. You can’t do everything yourself--that’s where building a trusted team comes in and empowering them to make decisions. 3. Surround yourself with people who support what you’re doing and will reaffirm your ambitions to be in the business of being awesome. (AKA keep listening to this podcast). Love what you hear on the podcast? Search and subscribe “Business of Being Awesome” on Soundcloud or iTunes and get connected with us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @bizobapodcast. Love notes, ideas for future episodes, and suggestions for improving #bizoba can be sent to us at bizobapodcast@gmail.com.

Technology has big implications for humanity--and few people know the numbers behind it like Professor Sinan Aral. In the #bizoba Season 2 Premiere, Sinan shares with us some of his projects where “Big Data” is more than just a b-school buzzword--it’s a means to positively influence society. His work with companies from Fortune 500 companies in the United States to social enterprises in Africa is on the “bleeding edge” of using data on human behavior to support healthier, happier living around the world. In #bizoba fashion of embracing the journey towards doing what you love, Sinan also shares some of the twists and turns of his career path, from taking the LSAT to taking a seat in Kanye West’s apartment to talk “breaking the internet.” #bizobabullets of wisdom from this episode: 1. It's cool to try things out! You don't have to know what you want to do--it's totally ok--and just because you’re good at something, doesn’t mean you have to or should do it. 2. You need to be able to crunch data in this century, but more importantly, you need to be able to *understand* it. But remember--data for data’s sake is useless. 3. Sometimes you just need to hang out with Kanye. Love what you hear on the podcast? Search and subscribe “Business of Being Awesome” on Soundcloud or iTunes and get connected with us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @bizobapodcast. Love notes, ideas for future episodes, and suggestions for improving #bizoba can be sent to us at bizobapodcast@gmail.com.

Happy new year, #bizoba boys and girls! We’re still a few weeks away from season 2. But in the meantime, tune into our January special featuring Amol Mepani and Clint Marchese, the co-leads of one of the coolest conference in the MBA world - the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. We go behind the scenes of the sport industry's premier analytics event, diving into this year's "Decade of Data" theme and exploring what its like to organize such a massive conference. And what's more impressive? It's entirely student-run. This year's 10th Annual Sloan Sports Analytics Conference will be held on March 11-12, 2016: learn more or purchase tickets at http://www.sloansportsconference.com/.

Erica and Lily have come so far since starting #bizoba and they’re far from the “end of the road.” Tune in for the season finale where our girls get sentimental about season one, set the bar high for what to expect in season 2. It’s “hard to say goodbye to yesterday,” but there’s plenty of bloopers and random bursts of Boyz II Men that will put a smile on your face that’ll make them think #bizoba spiked your eggnog.

There's a big wide world outside of MIT Sloan and Cambridge, Massachusetts: in Episode 9, Erica and Lily get to talking with Mike Koranda and Aaron May, USC Marshall MBAs(Class of 2015), who share their founding story and secrets to the stylish success of their startup bespoke men's shirt company, Pacific Issue. This week girls meet boys, east coast meets west coast, MIT meets USC, and awesome meets more awesome. Listen closely at the end of the episode for an exclusive 25% discount code for #bizoba listeners!

Many businesspeople like to schmooze but many business school students hate to network. In this episode, Kate Agnew, MBA 2016, talks about how she broke into entertainment over the summer by seizing opportunities online and offline and shaking off the slip-ups to get to an internship in her dream industry. SoundCloud image from Antonio Miranda, "The Importance of Networking," Neolive Marketing, August 28, 2015 http://neolivemarketing.com/the-importance-of-networking/

We know a whole lot about social media and digital marketing but definitely don't know it all--that's where our professors come in. In this episode, we sit down for "Office Hours" with Professor Ben Shields, former ESPN marketing director, leading social media scholar, and tireless teacher who talks about the past, present, and future of digital media and the place for MBAs in the rapidly-evolving industry. Photo source: David Frankk, "The Future of Social Media Marketing," The Examiner, March 6, 2013, http://www.examiner.com/article/the-future-of-social-media-marketing.

In this episode, Erica and Lily are joined by one of Erica's old coworkers, Sydney Ribot, an energetic HBS casewriter-turned-filmmaker currently producing her second short film in Istanbul, Turkey. Sydney shares on a life spent at the cultural crossroads of East and West and finding the time, money, and inspiration to succeed in the business of entertainment. Interested in supporting Sydney's next film, "Bazaar Protocol"? Here's the link to donate to her campaign! https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bazaar-protocol-a-short-film-in-istanbul#/

Episode 5, "Express Yourself," is dives into the confounding topic of cultural leadership in organizations. We talk how culture is a two-way street, stemming as much from the leaders at the top as from the the people within the organization. Shaping and co-creating the culture--and future--of your organization comes from being able to bring your whole self to work. Because this is a podcast coming from two MBAs and aspiring women business leaders in media, the season wouldn't be complete without mentioning Sheryl Sandberg and Ann-Marie Slaughter and their books, the notorious "Lean In" and the new "Unfinished Business."

Time flies when you're having fun. We're almost halfway through our first season and are excited to launch Episode 4 of #bizoba, "Creativity with a Side of Code," talking about the value of the MBA at the crossroads of the creative and technical industries. We feature classmate Natalie Pitcher, MBA 2016, a former freelance television producer who spent her summer flying drones. She shares on"being different" within a greater discussion of the importance of a creative perspective in business school. not only when it comes to making interesting contributions to the MBA community but also for shaping the business world beyond classroom doors. Naturally, the music continues, featuring the stylings of Florence + The Machine, Lil' Jon, and the dangerously popular Drake.

Trick or treat! The #bizoba action continues in this Halloween episode, where Erica and Lily interview Gavin Cotter (MBA 2016) about the truth about pursuing an entrepreneurial path within business school. Will Gavin's 3D printed ski boot venture take off? Who will Lily be on Halloween? What is Erica's favorite Halloween song? Take a listen, find out, and let us put a spell on you.

In Episode 2, Erica and Lily grapple with one of the most-feared questions among millennial MBAs and non-MBAs alike: "Am I on the 'right' path to success in my personal and professional life?" Featuring special guest, Samantha Burke, MIT Sloan Class of 2016, former consultant and finance femme, who shares her story and personal strategy for finding fit, fulfillment, and fun at work in her post-MBA life.

Erica and Lily kick off the podcast season of The Business of Being Awesome with the age old "Tell Me About Yourself" interview question...but it's not like your typical interview. Get to know your hostesses and their MBA process through frank conversation about past experiences and the path to business school.

Erica and Lily here, welcoming you to the business of being awesome. This will be the touchpoint for all things we do with our inaugural season of podcasting. We're two MBAs for anyone in the business of wanting to follow their dreams. Hostesses Erica and Lily offer real talk about life in business school and the journey beyond into the “real” world. Prepare for #nofilter conversations and stories from unconventional MBAs and friends with unconventional ambitions. Championing creativity and challenging a culture that tells you you’re only as good as your last paycheck: welcome to the Business of Being Awesome.