Case Interview Preparation & Management Consulting | Strategy | Critical Thinking

For this episode, let's revisit a Case Interview & Management Consulting classic where we share a networking success story with a McKinsey senior partner. We always ask our clients, especially those from weaker schools, to network with the most senior partners of consulting firms. This is a podcast about a PhD client, from a weaker school and no existing consulting relationships, who painfully followed this advice over several months to network with a member of McKinsey's worldwide leadership and obtain interviews for his office of choice. It is not easy, but can be done. It works. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

For this episode, let's revisit a Case Interview & Management Consulting classic where we discuss why you should bring energy to the interview. Lots of candidates leave it to the interviewer to determine the energy levels, tone and mood of the call. That is a bad idea. In our experience, the best candidates always bring a light mood to interviews. Seriousness can hurt you as it is confused for anxiousness. Delegating the mood to the interview is bad idea since it means the energy of the case will be largely out of your control. Moreover, unless you practice controlling the energy, it is unlikely you will have this skill to deploy in the case interview itself. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to an interview with the author of The Sound of the Future: The Coming Age of Voice Technology, Tobias Dengel. In his new book, Tobias answers why voice technology is the next big thing in technology, as big as mobile a decade ago and the internet in the late 90s, fundamentally altering the way companies do business. Tobias connects the dots about this emerging paradigm to vividly illustrate how business leaders can stay ahead of the game, rather than scrambling to catch up, as voice technology gradually reveals its power, creating a host of new winners and losers.  Tobias Dengel is president of WillowTree, a TELUS International Company, a global leader in digital product design and development, with 13 offices in North America, South America, and Europe, headquartered in Charlottesville VA. The company has been named by Inc. magazine to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies for 11 straight years. WillowTree, a TELUS International Company’s clients include some of the best-known br

For this episode, let's revisit a Case Interview & Management Consulting classic where we speak about candidates making sexist comments in interviews. Due to culture, tradition and even good intentions, candidates make sexist remarks. Sometimes, a very innocent remark may come across as sexist. This podcast examines some the incidences we have encountered which have hurt candidates in cases. It is wise to think about your own inadvertent sexist behavior. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

I recently had a great conversation with Sam Moses, which I think you will enjoy. We speak about how Sam managed to build a $500k in revenue per month business in just 4 years. We cover a lot of ground in this episode. Sam shares the most important points that anyone planning to start a business wishes to know. He discussed how to find the right manufacturer and supplier and how to build relationships with them. He generously shared the process of his business from manufacturing to delivery, how to manage SEO for an online business, how to find the right employees, and most importantly how to get customers and clients. As a bonus, Sam offered his advice to other entrepreneurs who are starting their own businesses. If you are thinking about starting your own business, or if you are already an entrepreneur, this episode is a must-listen. Samuel is the Founder and CEO of Sockrates Custom Socks, a company based in Boca Raton Florida which specializes in producing the highest quality custom socks at the fastest tu

For this episode, let's revisit a Case Interview & Management Consulting classic where we look at how to make estimations when calculating smaller values or working with enclosed spaces like restaurants, the importance of sensitivity analyses and a new limitation of demand-driven cases. This is a very important technique which can significantly improve accuracy and efficiency in case math. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to an interview with an experienced founder, leader, and thinker across a variety of domains, Rick Walker. In this episode, Rick walks us through his leadership journey, how he built his first company in his 20's, the lessons he learned across multiple domains, and how he was able to do multiple things successfully, simultaneously. He also shared his views about fear, pride, faith, religion, and ethics in relation to leadership and business. Rick Walker scaled his first company to 400 employees when he was 26, and simultaneously, as Chairman, scaled a 53-country international nonprofit from 800 to 2,100 team members, simultaneously while helping his hometown of Houston attract over $5 Billion in job-creation investments. Rick’s volunteer service also includes stints as a Director of a college in the middle east and Chairman of a $250 Million charitable foundation. His 3:30 AM wake-up call helps fit everything in.  Rick hosts a podcast to help multi-domain leaders learn well - and has interviewed frien

Last week, an associate we placed at BCG emailed with a dilemma. A senior partner and managing director of the firm was visiting her office and she wanted to meet him. Her colleagues told her to forget about it as she was too junior to warrant his attention. Her peers who gave her this advice may have a few years at BCG but they clearly do not understand the culture of the firm at all. Senior partners always make time for consultants and are always looking to meet young and enthusiastic new employees. Giving the strict vetting process, when you join you are merely a young leader, never a young person. This podcast explains my views on this as a former partner. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Going into interviews, aspiring consultants will be relying an a huge number of people for help: peers, classmates, consulting alumni, consultants, career counselors, etc. For this episode, let's revisit a Case Interview & Management Consulting classic where we speak about simple suggestions on how to seek and use help without hurting your relationships in the long-term. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

For this episode, let's revisit a Case Interview & Management Consulting classic where we speak about a way for candidates to ask information in a case interview. A steep hurdle for many candidates is knowing how and when to ask for information / advice from an interviewer. To help our candidates, we developed the barter system / concept to fix this problem using a very simple technique. As explained in the podcast, the concept requires the candidate to first offer the interviewer their thoughts/ideas before asking for anything more. This ensures the candidate does not fall into the trap of asking for information without offering anything in return. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

For this episode, let's revisit a Case Interview & Management Consulting classic where we speak about resume cliches across firms. Editing out cliches from Deloitte and Accenture resumes tends to take up the majority of time when we work with candidates from these firms, and the other accounting firms like PWC, E&Y and KPMG. Typically, when we start the editing sessions, it is very difficult for the client to see how vague and misleading their resume really is. This podcast explains this concept and can be used to edit your own resume. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo

Welcome to an interview with the author of Autonomous Transformation: Creating a More Human Future in the Era of Artificial Intelligence, Brian Evergreen. Autonomous Transformation provides a blueprint for leaders and managers who have aspired or attempted to harness artificial intelligence and its adjacent technologies for the betterment of their organization and the world, weaving strategy, management thinking, economics, systemic design, and philosophy into actionable steps with accompanying frameworks to create and sustain Profitable Good. Brian Evergreen is best known for his work advising FORTUNE 500 executives on artificial intelligence strategy. Building on his experiences working at Accenture, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft, Brian guest lectures at Purdue University and the Kellogg School of Management and is a Senior Fellow in the Economy, Strategy, and Finance Center of The Conference Board, sharing the unconventional and innovative methods and frameworks he developed leading and advising Digit

Welcome to an interview with the director of the Advanced Management and Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School, Dr. Andrew White. In this episode with Dr. Andrew White, we delved deeply into the changes and challenges of leadership, as well as the reason behind the negative tone of discussions around leadership. Dr. White also discussed how to know if you are approaching leadership in the right way, the indicators of healthy leadership, and how leaders can assess themselves to be better leaders. Dr. Andrew White is the host of the Leadership 2050 podcast, on which he has interviewed the likes of former Unilever CEO Alan Jope and Mercedes F1 team CEO Toto Wolff. He is also the CEO of Transcend.Space, a leadership coaching company. Dr White's work focuses on the type of leadership needed to transcend 21st-century challenges. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey &a

Welcome to an interview with the author of How to Lead Your Family Business: Excelling Through Unexpected Crises, Choices, and Challenges, Julie Charlestein. In this book, Julie gets vulnerable about her experience as an emerging leader and ultimately CEO, who has worked to earn her colleagues’ respect while navigating the succession to her father’s company. Through stories full of candor and humor, Julie shares her leadership adventure, offering actionable strategies for those leading and working within their own family businesses. Julie Charlestein is a Philadelphia-based business leader and healthcare innovator who serves as the fourth-generation CEO of Premier Dental, just named a 2023 Top Ten Most Innovative Company in Wellness by Fast Company.  Premier Dental is a global provider of innovative dental products used by dentists in 75 countries. Products range from hygienist instruments to teeth polishers to prosthetic mouth devices. As Charlestein likes to say: “You may not know our name, but we’ve probab

Welcome to an interview with the author of The Experience Mindset: Changing the Way You Think About Growth, Tiffani Bova. This book details exactly how your company can adopt an Experience Mindset, at scale. It’s not enough to know that happy employees equals happy customers. You must have an intentional, balanced approach to company strategy that involves all stakeholders – IT, Marketing, Sales, Operations, and HR – with KPIs and ownership over outcomes. Tiffani Bova is the global customer growth and innovation evangelist at Salesforce, and the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Growth IQ. Over the past two decades, she has led large revenue-producing divisions at businesses ranging from start-ups to the Fortune 500. As a Research Fellow at Gartner, her cutting-edge insights helped Microsoft, Cisco, Salesforce, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Oracle, SAP, AT&T, Dell, Amazon-AWS, and other prominent companies expand their market share and grow their revenues. She has been named one of the Top 50 business thi

Welcome to an interview with the author of The Perennials: The Megatrends Creating a Postgenerational Society, Mauro F. Guillén. In this book, Mauro unpacks a sweeping societal shift triggered by demographic and technological transformation. Guillén argues that outmoded terms like Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z have long been used to pigeonhole us into rigid categories and life stages, artificially preventing people from reaching their full potential. Mauro F. Guillén is one of the most original thinkers at the Wharton School, where he is Professor of Management and Vice Dean for the MBA for Executives Program. An expert on global market trends, he is a sought-after speaker and consultant. He combines his training as a sociologist at Yale and as a business economist in his native Spain to methodically identify and quantify the most promising opportunities at the intersection of demographic, economic, and technological developments. His online classes on Coursera and other platforms have attracted over

Welcome to an interview with the author of Decision Sprint: The New Way to Innovate into the Unknown and Move from Strategy to Action, Atif Rafiq. In this book, Atif shares the breakthrough methods to put your company on the path to innovation, creativity, and growth. Atif has written Decision Sprint to pull the curtain back on the hidden management systems within your organization that impact how people think, collaborate, and make decisions. Atif Rafiq has blazed trails in Silicon Valley and the Fortune 500 for over 25 years. After rising through digital native companies like Amazon, Yahoo!, and AOL, Atif held C-suite roles at McDonald’s, Volvo, and MGM Resorts. He oversaw thousands of employees as a global P&L, transformation, and innovation leader.  Atif was the first Chief Digital Officer in the history of the Fortune 500, a pioneering role he held at McDonalds, and he rose to the president level in the Fortune 300. While leading business units, teams, and growth for companies, Atif has built a large

Welcome to an interview with the author of All Pride, No Ego: A Queer Executive's Journey to Living and Leading Authentically, Jim Fielding, where he delivers an inspirational leadership story told from the perspective of an out and proud LGBTQ+ executive. In the book, you’ll explore a call-to-action for authentic servant leadership that encourages people to own their truth and bring out the best in themselves and their communities. Jim Fielding is a respected retail and media industry veteran whose expertise combines storytelling, product innovation, merchandising, and consumer experiences. Jim currently serves as a partner at Archer Gray, an independent media company, and president of its Co-Lab Division. Having led consumer products groups at the world’s largest media companies, including Disney, Dreamworks, and Twentieth Century Fox, Jim has built diverse cultures and visionary teams that excelled in competitive global markets. He served as president of Disney Stores Worldwide for four years, transformin

Welcome to an interview with the author of Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work, Emily Field. In this book, McKinsey thought leaders Bill Schaninger, Bryan Hancock, and Emily Field call for a profound reimagining of managers and their roles. They explain how middle managers are uniquely positioned close to the ground but with a crucial connection to company strategy, enabling them to guide their organizations through periods of rapid and complex change, as well as to help shape the new world of work. Emily Field is a partner in McKinsey's Seattle office. She helps organizations with distributed workforces deliver on their performance goals, with the role of the manager front and center. Emily holds a BA in government from Georgetown University. Get Emily’s book here: https://rb.gy/q4qmv Power to the Middle: Why Managers Hold the Keys to the Future of Work Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting

Welcome to an interview with the author of The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough, Thomas Curran. In his book, Thomas calls for both introspection and broader, societal change. He shows what we can do as individuals to resist the modern-day pressure to be perfect, and in so doing, win for ourselves a more purposeful and contented life. Thomas Curran is a professor of psychology at the London School of Economics and the author of a landmark study that the BBC hailed as “the first to compare perfectionism across generations.” His TED talk on perfectionism has received more than three million views. His research has been featured in media ranging from the Harvard Business Review to New Scientist to CNN and he has appeared on numerous television and radio programs.  Get Thomas’ book here: https://rb.gy/6m35h  The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough, Thomas Curran. Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsu