MBA Ladies

This week, Emily and Nora talk about what they would tell their first-year selves. The two talk about how they'd handle the summer before b-school differently and how to navigate networking and the beginnings of school. Want more MBA Ladies? Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @MBA_Ladies or visit us at MBALadiesPodcast.com

This week Emily and Nora speak with Rachel Alden, a first-year MBA candidate at Owen concentrating in Strategy and Marketing. The three discuss Rachel's path from Capitol Hill to business school as well as her career in the consulting space.

This week Nora and Emily speak with fellow classmate and nurse practitioner, Ann. The three discuss Ann's transition from nursing to business school and the healthcare industry.

Emily and Nora speak with second-year MBA candidate Kristen. The three talk about Kristen's background in beer, her passion for sustainability, and the next steps in her career.

This week Emily and Nora are joined by their classmate, Caroline! The three discuss Caroline's past career in politics as well as her experience as president of the Owen student body.

This week, Nora and Emily are joined by second-year MBA candidate, Liza. The three discuss Liza's past experience, how she decided business school was the next step, and her experience as president of the Owen Women's Business Association (WBA).

What is executive presence and how do you get it? This week, Nora and Emily talk about executive presence and its importance in the business world. Read the first Forbes article here: https://tinyurl.com/MBALForbesExec1 Read the second Forbes article here: https://tinyurl.com/MBALForbesExec2

This week Emily and Nora speak with entrepreneur and fellow first-year MBA candidate, Allison. The three discuss Allison's journey to business school, what it was like running two different businesses, and the importance of delegation. Check out Allison's business The Warehouse Collective at www.thewarehousecollective.com or on Instagram @warehousecollective

Why is diversity in the workplace important? And how can companies make their workplaces more diverse? This week Nora and Emily are joined by Vanderbilt Professor Maria Triana, who studies the areas of diversity and inclusion, discrimination, human resources information systems, payroll, benefits, and expatriate management. In this episode, the three delve into Professor Triana's research and why having a diverse workplace is so important.

This week Emily and Nora sit down with second-year MBA candidate Kenzie. The three talk about Kenzie's internship recruitment process last year and how she pivoted once COVID hit the US last March. In addition, we also discuss Kenzie's role as Owen Student Government (OSGA) Vice President.

This week, Emily and Nora speak with first-year MBA candidate and career switcher, Kate. Before coming to business school, Kate worked as a science teacher in the US and overseas. She had always toyed with the idea of going to business school, but once the pandemic hit in March 2020 she realized that was her time to pivot. Listen as we discuss Kate's past career and why she decided to pursue her MBA.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of changes. In schools, the most notable change being the use of Zoom and other tools to broadcast classes online and sometimes simultaneously alongside in-person class (also known as a hybrid program). This week, Emily and Nora discuss what it's like doing a hybrid program at Vanderbilt and tips to make it through.

Women account for nearly half the workforce and earn the majority of college degrees, yet there aren't many women in c-suite positions. Why? This week Nora and Emily discuss women and the c-suite track, alongside some recent wins for women in the c-suite. Read the WSJ article here: https://tinyurl.com/MBALEp12WSJ Read the HBR article here: https://tinyurl.com/MBALEp12HBR Read the Biz Women article here: https://tinyurl.com/MBALEp12Biz

The recruitment process is hard, but sometimes differentiating how different functions recruit is even harder. This week, Emily and Nora dive into investment banking (IB) with the help of special guest Vedanti. The three discuss how Vedanti decided IB was the right path for her, how she got the internship, and what it's like being a woman in a male dominated field. Check out the Investopedia article, "Why Are So Few Women In Finance? It's Complicated," here: https://tinyurl.com/InvestopediaWomenInFinance

Have you ever felt that you don't deserve your accomplishments or that you're a fraud? Or that your success is due to luck rather than your qualifications? Chances are, you are among an estimated 70% of people who experience impostor syndrome at some point in their lives. This week, Nora and Emily discuss what impostor syndrome is, their experiences with it, and how to begin to overcome it. Read the Time article here: https://tinyurl.com/3zb3mkq9 Read the Forbes article here: https://tinyurl.com/5yewy11g Read the Penguin article here: https://tinyurl.com/1vxtgxzc

Would you call yourself a feminist? According to an MBA Ladies survey, only 69% of respondents said yes. Which begs the question: why is the word "feminist" such a dirty word? This week, Emily and Nora explore the history of feminism and the negative connotations surrounding the f word. Check out the APA article here: tinyurl.com/12c8l4bj Check out the Forbes article here: tinyurl.com/32jjo3o4 Check out the HBR article here: tinyurl.com/ynn5gjm5 Check out the NPR article here: tinyurl.com/1rrzw91g

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought us many hardships, but did you know that it's disproportionately effecting women in the workforce? This week Emily and Nora discuss how the pandemic has hurt women professionally. Check out the CNBC article here: https://tinyurl.com/MBALadiesCNBC Check out the HR Magazine article, "The Plight of the Working Mother" by Theresa Agovino

According to the Harvard Business Review, research suggests that up to 20% of women never negotiate, ultimately leading to an approximated $1 million salary loss over a 45-year career. This week Emily and Nora tackle how women can be better negotiators with Vanderbilt Professor Tim Vogus. Check out the HBR article, "How Women Can Get What They Want in a Negotiation" here: https://hbr.org/2018/08/how-women-can-get-what-they-want-in-a-negotiation

This week, Nora and Emily are joined by Owen international student, Ani Sanchez. The three discuss cultural differences, how to apply to an MBA program when you live abroad, and the importance of building a support system while in business school.

As finals season approaches and life gets more stressful, Emily and Nora discuss the harmful effects stress has on our physical and mental wellbeing, as well as how to manage it. Check out the article, "5 Surprising Ways That Stress Affects Your Brain" here: tinyurl.com/MBALadiesStressAffects and the study, "The Effect of Long Working Hours and Overtime on Occupational Health" here: tinyurl.com/MBALadiesStressLongHours

Nora and Emily talk to Vanderbilt's Men as Allies about gender inequality and what it means to be a good ally.

Emily and Nora discuss Harvard Business Review article, “Why Women Volunteer for Tasks That Don't Lead to Promotions” and the importance of ROI when determining what to say “yes” to. Check out the HBR article: tinyurl.com/MBALadiesHBR and Bright Blue Consulting's blog post: tinyurl.com/MBALadiesBrightBlue

This week Nora and Emily are joined by first-year MBA student Caroline Whelan as they discuss how women feel the pressure to create timelines in their personal lives and careers.

On the very first episode of MBA Ladies, Emily and Nora discuss how they started their MBA journey, from the application process, to business school interviews, to negotiating scholarships.

MBA Ladies, hosted by first-year MBA students Emily Brennan and Nora Sultan, explores what it means to be a woman in business and in business school. Join us as we discuss a variety of topics, ranging from how to apply to an MBA program to how to navigate the business world.