The Business of Creativity Podcast

BOCreativity Question: When should an entrepreneur's role change within the company they founded? Peak Sports MGMT executives, Ryan Holloway (President) and Wes Abercrombie (Vice President), talk about evolving roles within the company. Holloway, co-founder and president, has been the technician, the manager, and the entrepreneur throughout the company's existence. Abercrombie started in an entry-level position and has worked his way up to the #3 executive within the organization. The two hash out roles and responsibilities as Abercrombie's role and influence has grown along with the company. Peak Sports MGMT is a 3rd Party Multi-Marketing company which operates primarily within the college athletics industry. - The Business of Creativity Podcast - Tai M. Brown  

Urina Harrell started her company, Vox Pop Branding, while she was a student-athlete at Duke. At the time, college athletes couldn't make any extra income as it was before the Name-Image-Likeness movement we see today. Now, 11 years later, she is still focused on the purpose of the company which is to help people grow their businesses using positive impact messaging.   Key insights: Communication breakdowns often underlie organizational challenges Her background as a Walmart buyer informs her marketing expertise If the work you do is based on who you are, work-life balance can be elusive   With clients such as Jrue & Lauren Holiday, Harrell is very selective in the businesses she engages with. The primary filter is the focus on positive impact. - The Business of Creativity Podcast - Tai M. Brown

Matt Roberts created a newsletter that almost every NCAA Division I Director of Athletics reads everyday. The D1.ticker is one of the primary sources of information covering key business developments throughout the college athletics industry. His business, Drive & Company, exists to make the lives of decision makers in college athletics easier. Build trust through consistency Act on ideas that add value to customers Be realistic about who you are and what you are good at In this episode, Roberts covers the thought process behind creating the business and how he views value creation around his company's purpose. - The Business of Creativity Podcast - Tai M. Brown

Kaity Iwashita, FT-MBA and Co-President of Graziadio Women's Business Association discusses how she got an internship with Nike, her goals with GWBA, and the importance of networking.

Dr. Michael Cusumano, Managing Director at Cusumano Real Estate and 2022 Doctor of Business Administration, discusses his research on the LEED and Cal-Green designations and whether or not they have a positive impact on the environment. Cusumano also covers his reason for pursuit of his doctorate.

Misty Anderson visits The Business of Creativity Podcast to talk about her role as VP of Operations for My Block Inc. and how her MS in Management and Leadership from Graziadio has helped her succeed in her role. She talks about her decision to pursue the MSML instead of an MBA. She also covers how her focus on communication is at the base of much of what she does. The conversation wraps on her involvement with Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and insight on how she defines success.

Ece Er Aydin, founder of Olizzi Olive Oil Company, talks about using the diverge-converge method to come up with her business idea while in the entrepreneurship class at Graziadio. Aydin also discusses her method for expanding into the Japanese market. The conversation wraps on the value of decision intelligence and the entrepreneurship mindset.

Atalie Oliva, FEMBA 2022, and President of the LatinX MBA Conexion at Graziadio, talks about what she expects from her new job, leading a new student organization, and her journey as a leader.

FEMBA student, Lauren Elsner, visits The Business of Creativity to talk about her journey to business school, running the Graziadio Women's Business Association, and her thoughts on leadership.

Diane Singel, Execute Director of Career & Professional Development (CPD) office at Graziadio, talks about the three areas of emphasis they focus on to maximize the student experience while in graduate school. Those areas are academic, career, and student life.

2nd Year Graziadio FT-MBA student, Laura Ahn, visits The Business of Creativity podcast to discuss her MBA journey and how it led to her job at The Walt Disney Company. She also covers her passion for people, relationships, and mentorship. The conversation wraps with a story about asking to be considered for an open position even though she was new with the company.

Ignacio Rodriguez, 2nd Year FT-MBA, visits The Business of Creativity Podcast to talk about his pivot from education to the finance industry. He covers what aspects of the MBA journey he found challenging and why, specifically anxiety regarding giving presentations. He also covers his evolution during the journey.

Dr. Abraham Park, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, talks about his faith, service to students, and where he envisions Graziadio positioning itself in the future. The four specialized areas he considers value propositions for the school are Real Estate Finance, Luxury Brand Management, Sports & Entertainment, and Entrepreneurship. The conversation wraps with insight into his decision making process.

Lana Frazier is in her first year of the Fully Employed MBA program. She visits The Business of Creativity Podcast host @TaiMBrown to talk about the small business she has been running since high school. She also talks about what she hopes to accomplish during her MBA journey.

Tony June, MSRE student visits The Pepperdynamics Podcast to discuss his upbringing in Southern California, his time as a Student-Athlete, the Navy, and joining the Graziadio Real Estate program. Initially a college football player, June switched to become an award winning debate champion. In his words, "I switched from physical to mental competition."

Kenneth Murphy is a PhD candidate, professor, and 30 year executive consultant. Co-hosts @KiaJoon and @TaiMBrown had a conversation with him about leadership and purpose. Ken offers inspiring advice to current and upcoming graduate students in how to make the most of their education.

Julie Awopetu and Dela Atsu-Swanzy join us this week for a discussion about first-year expectations in the MBA program. Hosts @KiaJoon and @TaiMBrown contrast their expectations with the experiences they had in their first year at Pepperdine. Julie and Dela also elaborate on their experience representing Pepperdine for the national NBMBAA Chicago conference. Tune in for an in depth look into what matters most for the hosts and guests in regards to their MBA journeys.

Will Moseley, 2nd Year Graziadio Full-Time MBA student and 21-22 President of Net Impact sits down with Pepperdynamics to talk about his internship process, his passion for sustainability, and the balance of family, business school, and working for a company that falls right in line with his goals.

Second year Graziadio MBA students Frances Rodriguez and Shasha Kiattaweesup visit the Pepperdynamics podcast to talk about their first year experience being virtual and expectations for their second year on campus. The conversation wraps with advice to first year MBA's on how to maneuver through the new environment.

Kimber Wilson, 1st Year FT MBA student, visits @TaiMBrown as the two discus Wilson's marketing experience working at Disney and Marriott. Wilson gives her thoughts on selecting her concentration, speaking up in class, and deciding which direction to go with her career.

Katherine Harrison, 2nd year MBA student, President of the Graziadio Women's Business Association (GWBA), and CEO of her own company Back to Baseline, joins hosts @TaiMBrown and @TheKiaJoon to talk about her journey. As a leader with expertise in professional organization, Katherine breaks down her steps to succeed as an MBA student. She also shares valuable information about time management, academic success, and how to launch an impactful student-led organization.

Nadine Tapia, 2020 Graziadio MBA graduate and president of Tapia Beauty Group, joins us as a part of Pepperdynamic's collaboration with Net Impact to flesh out how to put into place sustainable business practices. She and co-host @TheKiaJoon discuss the transition from learning higher level concepts in school and applying them in the real world. The two also touch upon reasons for pursuing higher education, even when success is not the only metric for doing so.

Major Jay Weisbecker, 1st year full-time MBA student, visits @TaiMBrown on Pepperdynamics to discuss a wide range of topics. Weisbecker serves as the Lead Student Coordinator for the 9th Annual SEER Symposium. He gives an inside look on the keynote speaker agenda and the expected outcomes of the symposium as a whole. The conversation also takes a dive into leadership and the student experience.

Robert Bikel, Director of the SEER (Socially, Environmentally, and Ethically Responsible) Program, and Instructor at Pepperdine, joins host @TaiMBrown to explore sustainable business practices. Under the umbrella of Patagonia, Bikel demonstrates his vision in action by using a real world example of a SEER organization. The two discuss the direction of firms through current and future indices.