This season felt different. In Season One, we mostly spoke with close friends, people who thought and worked in ways familiar to us. Season Two took us further afield… professors, entrepreneurs, classmates from other corners of the world. Conversations stretched from rugby pitches to boardrooms, from Kuwait to Singapore, from AI to empathy.
If Season One was about discipline, Season Two was about ideas. Instead of validating what we already knew, we explored what we didn’t. We asked questions about purpose, authenticity, chaos, and character. And we came away with lessons we’ll carry well beyond the MBA.
Key Takeaways and Highlights From Each Show
#11 Be an Outlier (Professor José Parra Moyano)
We began with Professor José Parra Moyano, who helped us make sense of the noise around AI. In a world of hype and fear, he reminded us that what truly sets us apart is not code or algorithms, but the human connections we build and our originality. “All my heroes are outliers… Be Bertrand Russell. Be different.”
#12 Passion Makes Work Feel Like Play (Auni Mirabrishami)
From there, Auni showed us the energy that comes when passion and purpose collide. Watching her speak about cricket (and how quickly she wove herself into Singapore’s sporting community) was a reminder that it is never too late to start something new, and that “nice guys don’t have to finish last.”
#13 Diplomacy With Edge (Abdulaziz Akbar)
Aziz brought a different kind of lesson: you can respect others deeply without backing down from your principles. In that hour together, we discovered more about him than in months of classes — a reminder that listening deeply creates bonds that last. “He was super prepared, super honest… a leader for the future.”
#14 From Judging to Exploring (Fang Yuan)
With Fang, the conversation turned both joyful and profound. During a goosebumps moment, he spoke of nearly dying, realizing in that moment that “humans deserve to be loved,” and of choosing to live by that truth. For us, it was a shift from judging others to exploring them. “Speaking to Fang changed me: listen first, judge second.”
#15 Purpose Over Titles (Professor Omar Toulan)
Our Dean, Professor Omar Toulan, reframed the MBA as a one-time pivot card: a chance to reinvent yourself and move beyond titles. His conviction that “leadership isn’t about titles” resonated especially as we began to test new roles and identities during our internships. “My purpose in life is to help people reach their full potential.”
#16 Ask Better Questions (Cliff Go)
In Singapore, we met Cliff, who demonstrated the power of asking better questions. Watching him persist with tough but kind follow-ups was a revelation. He reminded us that asking challenging questions isn’t about making someone uncomfortable; it’s about opening space for truth. “The quality of your questions determines the quality of the conversation.”
#17 Purpose Over Profit (Arthur Goldberg)
Arthur pushed us toward action. He spoke of empathy as a superpower in business, of knowing when your boat is “in the water,” and of the humility that keeps success grounded. His line “books don’t run the race” echoed long after — knowledge only matters when it’s applied.
#18 Control the controllables (Curtis Bradford)
Then came Curtis, who, as a rugby coach, lives the principles of leadership every day. His approach to “training the chaos” taught us to prepare for uncertainty by focusing on what we can influence.“Training the chaos prepares you for the game. Problem-solving, communication, resilience — that’s leadership.”
#19 Embrace Chaos and Tension (Professor Mark Greeven)
We closed the season with Professor Mark Greeven, who spoke calmly of chaos, tension, and growth. Once shy and timid, he turned weakness into strength, becoming a professor known for his words and ideas. He reminded us to welcome discomfort: “When you get nervous, it means something interesting is about to happen.”
Beyond the Guests: What’s On Our Minds
One thing we don’t often do is turn the mic on ourselves. In this recap, we asked each other what’s top of mind.
For Konsti, it’s about wrapping up the MBA year, carrying forward the lessons of connection and direction, and remembering to zoom in and out — from the balcony to the dance floor.
For John, it’s the career search and discovering joy in unexpected places (yes, even accounting). More philosophically, it’s wrestling with the idea of doing good work without needing recognition. A line from Marcus Aurelius — “Stop looking for the third thing” — stuck: if you’ve done something good and someone benefited, you don’t need the credit too.
Together we landed on a shared question: What do you do with your one wild and precious life? The podcast has been one way to explore that — by asking better questions, connecting with remarkable people, and reflecting on the journey as it unfolds.
Enjoy the show!
