In this episode, host Lisa Shatz, assistant dean of MBA programs at the Naveen Jindal School of Management, chats with Tristan Opie, MBA’19, an experienced consultant for the Healthcare and Life Sciences division of West Monroe Partners, a Chicago-based national consulting firm with offices throughout the U.S., including Dallas. Shatz and Opie discuss what life has been like in the year since he graduated from the Full-Time MBA program, during which he was in the consulting immersion program. Opie also explains why he selected UT Dallas from among other top MBA programs and recalls fond memories while he was getting his degree.
Transcript
[Jimmie] This is yet another MBA G.O.A.T. a podcast featuring conversations with a greatest of all time MBA alumni from the Naveen Jindal School of Management at the University of Texas at Dallas. We’re here to celebrate the outcomes of graduate management education and to identify remarkable examples of how the MBA program here at the Jindal School has transformed the lives of our alumni. Now, here’s Dr. Monica Powell senior associate dean and graduate dean at the Jindal School. Take it away, Monica.
[Lisa] Hey you guys, this is Lisa Shatz, Assistant Dean for MBA programs and I know you’re all used to hearing my predecessor, Monica Powell say, “Well, hello there,” but I’m not really the “Well, hello there” kind of person, so, I’m going with, “Hey, you guys” and grasping onto my New York roots. So, “Hey you guys.” I am so excited to introduce our guest today, Tristan Opie. Tristan is a graduate from the fulltime MBA program and he is currently an experienced consultant in the Healthcare and Life-Sciences Group at West Monroe Partners. Welcome, Tristan. Thanks for joining me today for the G.O.A.T. podcast. I’m excited to get a chance to chat with you. You’ve been, you graduated what a year and a half ago, something like that and I think I’ve seen you a couple of times since then, but we haven’t had a chance to really sit down and talk for a while. So, this is nice, nice for me to reconnect.
[Tristan] Yes, thank you, Lisa. Definitely an honor to be on the, ah on the podcast and excited to chat.
[Lisa] Good, well, jumping in just for a little bit of background, you are a one of our students that was in the fulltime MBA program, and as I recall um married when you were in the program, but no kids. Is that right?
[Tristan] Yes, that’s correct, mm hum
[Lisa] And your marriage made it through the program, so yay.
[Tristan] (Little laugh)Yep, yep, the marriage made it through the program, definitely a positive.
[Lisa] She stuck with you. I, I was one of those who put my spouse through an MBA program as well. So, um she will have that in her, in her entire life the opportunity to remind you that she ah helped you in that way. So Tristan, you been out of the program for a year and ah let’s just start by hearing what your years been like.
[Tristan] Yeah, so, um after ah graduating from the fulltime program in December um of last year, I went to work for West Monroe Partners um as a consult, management consultant and ah in their Healthcare and Life Sciences Practice. So, West Monroe Partners is a um mid-sized and consulting firm with um vision that serves a wide variety of industries, but specifically healthcare and one the main things that we focus on is um technology. So, everything from ah technology strategy to assessment implementations, pretty much anything you can think of when we do that for um every kind of aspect of the of the health care industry. So with, that was something I was targeting to do pretty much from when I entered into my MBA program um and so it was really great to kind of get and make that, that jump. But this year, you know it’s been a very interesting year and especially for the consulting industry. You know, I think in in May, um we were kind of batting, batting, ah securing some things out and making sure you know that we weren’t getting a lot of work and riding out that wave and then everyone was. During that time um just you know it’s on various client work and, and things like that. Um, in Ju, June kindof got locked into a long term implementation project um which has been, been really great. So um, as far as this year ah, just been you know getting into that first year of consulting, learning the business, um really being involved in a project and then also I can on the side trying to, trying to keep up with all my MBA um cohort, ah fellow, fellow alumni and things like that which has been definitely an interesting dynamic ah in the pandemic.
[Lisa] And they are, they are all over the country, all over the world, really. Um, so, you guys are still tight as, tight as can be?
[Tristan] Yeah, yeah still keeping up. Um, I haven’t had any in, I haven’t had really any in-person events that have, you know, kind of kept up over text, and um I think the occasional all new game night and things like that. So, very similar to I know what people are probably doing other companies sell, but yep still looking up everyone.
[Lisa] Well let’s, so let’s talk about consulting because you are one of the few students that actually came into the program with consulting background and knowing that you wanted to go that route and then you join the consulting immersion program within the full time MBA. So, talk a little bit about kind of your journey through that and, and the difference of trying to transition from something into consulting as opposed to being in consulting already and just making yourself better or more prepared for the next level of consulting.
[Tristan] Right so. Um, Yes, so again I am trying to make kind of an introductory background in consulting in my, in my job prior to um my MBA. And I think one of the biggest things in making that jump was kind of the area of consulting in aspect of the industry that I was in before with the pretty niche area and really was trying to make a broader jump into I think a bigger area of healthcare, um bigger area of healthcare consulting, and it for me when I was talking with mentors before the program and, and um trying to make that decision that was one of the driving forces for kind of facilitating that jump into I would say broader consulting and I ended in the position where I’m at now. And the MBA program I think was really instrumental in that. Obviously, you know, you have the classes and the course work um involved, but then, I also was a part of the consulting immersion program which was really great. I don’t know, you know, if you want to go into that now um, but was really instrumental in not only making you know its connections and, and being able to connect with people who really like one consultants who have who know the industry backwards and forwards, but training myself and the other people in our program how do case interviewing and really have a better prepare for a role in that industry.
[Lisa] So when you were in consulting before, did you use case before you got into the MBA program or you were just one of the lucky ones that ended up to stumble into consulting without having to go through the case prep process?
[Tristan] It was pretty introductory role. So, I stumbled in and was lucky enough to kind of settle one without that case process. So, it was very important that I get that training the second time around, if you will, um through the MBA program.
[Lisa] And that’s, it’s interesting because case, case interviewing has really number one. It’s not just for consulting anymore. Um so, there are a lot of big companies now doing case, but it unlike regular kind of behavioral interviewing, learning how to be a good case interviewer is a challenge that’s not something you do it, you know, a two-hour session on and you walk away knowing how to do case interviews. So, you obviously learned case interview and how to be a good interviewee. Did it help you to learn how to interview other people in a case format as you’re interviewing people to come into your company now?
[Tristan] Yes, for sure and, and I guess the little prep is that, that you know outside of the consulting program. You know tons of my fellow cohort members were interviewing for positions and then, they, you know, outside consulting and you know, they were having to get prepped and I remember they were having to get prepped rather for those case interviews. And I remember our kind of consulting immersion program training several people kind of on the fly “All right, here’s how you, here’s how you try and tackle this.” But, but yes, as far as, you know, learning that, ah it’s been really helpful in interviewing people for the time where I am right now and then thinking through that and once that one of the things even within the consulting immersion program was that in addition to getting practice and getting interviewed by that mentors or cur, who were current consultants, we were also interviewing and training each other um which um was, was very helpful as well, providing a really great incubator for I think learning very quickly because you were not only going through the case interviews, but you’re learning what it looked like to sit on the other side. So, very helpful.
[Lisa] And you had a great group of students that went through that program with you. I, I seem to remember a couple of those sessions were just really fun.
[Tristan] Yes, they were, they were very fun. I think everyone kind of, once you can get over the hump of being, you know, kind of being intimidated by case I’m doing, you know, you can kind of see the road ahead and you can see the challenge and it does start to get kind of fun trying to put the puzzle pieces together, trying to figure out and once you start to kind of get and put the pieces together mastered, it does start to get for everyone, crazy as that sounds. (he laughs)
[Lisa] Certainly, the consulting emerge, I think you were in the second class, maybe of consulting immersion. The third class is now just graduating and we actually, we have people and in um Big-4, as well as we have one student who is going to MacKenzie this year. So, um so it’s been fun to see that grow and see our students go to such great firms. Everything from small boutique firms, Big-4 to the MacKenzie-ah type companies. So, that’s been really fun. So, let’s back-up a little bit um to the process where you are making a decision on which MBA program to go to because as, as I was reminded this morning, you really were torn. We have some students who come in and they’re just like, I know I want UT-Dallas, but you were, you had it narrowed down to 2 really good programs.
[Tristan] Mm hmm.
[Lisa] And, I remember that it took you a lot of thinking. So, what was it that made you decide to come to UT Dallas when there is another school that was so close in the running?
[Tristan] Yeah, so, (small laugh) take me back to that time. That was definitely an interesting time, but I think that well, there are a lot of factors. Um, I think for me, personally, you know, it started to, you know I mean talking with family, talking with my wife and what we wanted to do. You know, it did kind of narrow down where my wife was at her job and how we like living in Dallas Fort Worth and how much opportunity there was here for her what she wanted to do as well as for myself. I think that, that was be a big factor in it, especially because the other school was outside of the Dallas Fort Worth. And um on that note, there is probably, a probably a big draw and a big factors was that the UT-Dallas MBA program is very well connected and has events regularly throughout the semester um that gets you connected and gets you informed um on, you know, potential career opportunities and you can do that without having to go travel you know an hour or however long to go, to go get there. It’s right, right in your backyard. That was probably a, a big factor and then another one was really just value. I mean, UT-Dallas is a very highly ranked MBA program um that, you know. Obviously, there’s a ton reflected in those rankings, but one of them is, is value and for, you know, kind of the scholarship opportunities that were presented and also just that, you know, the high academic rigor and the classmates who I know I would probably be going in with. Once it kind of boiled down to was kind of, kind of a no brainer for myself, my, and my wife as we were going along and thinking through it. So, that’s kind of how I arrived at that decision, even though I know during that time once I kind of got the acceptance and things like it was, there’s definitely a lot of questions.
[Lisa] Yeah, it is. I mean that is a big decision for anyone making that choice. Where you get your MBA kind of, you know, sets the foundation for everything else you’ll do after that and there’s a lot of good programs. So, we really try to push, you know, “What’s the right program for you?” But, I do um, you know, I go to these big conferences and I talk to people who have my job in different places and some of them are just in the middle of nowhere and I always am grateful that I get to, you know, run a program that’s in the middle of the metroplex, like Dallas-Fort Worth that never mind has, you know, so many headquarters and so many opportunities. But, it’s growing. I mean there’s so many new companies moving here all time and it’s become a real hub for almost, you know, all industries, um including healthcare and um obviously, oil and gas and real estate and so, there’s just so many industries and they just keep coming.
[Tristan] Yup
[Lisa] So, it’s nice to be in a booming place and it’s nice to be able to pick up the phone and call it a Fortune 500 company and say, “We’ve got MBA events coming up. Can you be part of it?” and they want to engage with us. So, that is definitely an advantage that we have.
[Tristan] Yeah,
[Lisa] I moved here, as well, from a big, you know, from East Coast and that was 25 years ago and ah, I wouldn’t do it any, if I had it to do over, I would not do it any differently. I’m all Texas.
[Tristan] Yeah, I really don’t think that that can be understa-. I mean really, there’s a lot of emphasis there with that. Because it’s not just that we’re in a big city, we’re in a big city and we’re in a state that has have a lot going on. And I mean I’ll speak from the healthcare perspective, I had to choose which networking events, both internal and external, ah internal program and external to go to on a weekly basis because there was so much opportunity and I knew that ah I have a cohort members um apple-making similar decisions. That, you know, I, I got a really pick from the top ones to go to and try to figure out what’s most beneficial for me and that just kind of speaks to how much where Dallas, where UT-Dallas sits and also who UT-Dallas connected with. So, definitely a lot of opportunity there. I think that’s a big, big factor
[Lisa] Yeah, and of course, you know, every student is only going to be as successful as the effort they put in. So, you can go to the best MBA program in the world and if you’re not gauged, you’re not doing the right things and you’re not developing yourself and you’re not thinking broadly, then it that is not gonna, it’s not gonna matter. But, in your case you were and I know your humble,
[Tristan] Small laugh
[Lisa] So, I’ll just say it, you had multiple offers when you got out. You did a lot of things right during the program, but when you got out you had multiple companies that were making offers and so that is where students who are successful want to be. So, what is it that you think you did during the program that made you so successful when you’re actually looking for a role?
[Tristan] Yeah, I think one of the things, probably this kind of went back to your early question which was or earlier comment which is just on, on family and, and I think level setting with your family the commitment that you’re making um to the program because it does, it’s the amount you get out of the program is how much you put in and it if you are able to and if your family is understanding and really you know work around and allow you to be able to, to give yourself to that program for a year and a half, I think that was one of the things that for me helped um me to be, you know, put me in a good place because my wife is understanding, you know. There were those late nights, there were those nights when I wasn’t, you know, home or things like that and it was just kind of understood at least for this period of our lives, you know. I think the other thing, too, that kind of helped me to be in that place where I was in good position coming out was diving into that networking emphasis that was placed in a program. MBA programs and this specifically UT-Dallas MBA program is a great incubator for practicing and learning networking, which for me is just a, um I found to be one of the biggest takeaway from the program, a lifelong skill and not what can I get from other people, but how can I mutually benefit, um how can we provide mutual benefits to, to each other and really from within the UT- Dallas program that introductory welcome week or two weeks program where you’re just kind of in-depth going in, getting that introductory kind of business training, that’s an emphasis from day one. And I think in my mind how I thought through it was that if one or 2 weeks went by and I hadn’t called someone or hadn’t gone to a networking event, it was kind of time for me to go check back in the contact list, see if I needed to try and keep reaching out to him, just always making sure I was talking to someone. Networking in a very nebulous process, but (Music begins) to try and put some structure around it like, like I did I think was something that did help me. That was ultimately how I got the position that I, I am at now. I was able to kind of talk with multiple people and actually get referred by that person to, to the position where I’m at.
[Jimmie] This episode is brought to you by the UT-Dallas MBA program, top-ranked nationally and in Texas. The UT-Dallas MBA combines a robust core with 13 concentrations. You have an option to add a second Master’s degree and your choices for that include five STEM designated programs. The MBA program has fulltime, part-time, online and other formats. They give you flexibility to fit your MBA education into your busy schedule. The skills and training you will receive are what top employers are looking for. For more information, visit us online at jindal.utdallas.edu/mba
[Lisa] So, Tristan, one of the things I think I remember you doing during the program was a case competition. Is that, am I remembering right?
[Tristan] Yes
[Lisa] That’s a really good example of putting yourself out there because, you know, you have to do net, you know, all the networking and all that kind of stuff (music has faded away). So, that’s a little bit more comfortable. When you sign up for a case competition that is really putting yourself in the hot seat. So, talk a little bit about what that experience was like.
[Tristan] Yeah, so one of the main ones I did was through a local um pretty active healthcare organization. Um, they put out a healthcare ah case competition. I did that was some of my ah MBA Cohorts. And um, you’re right. You’re definitely putting yourself out there. Ah, but it’s a great, it’s really is a great opportunity to learn. I think it has a lot of. I don’t think this is necessarily the intent, but it has a lot of applications to consulting. You are given a, a problem where you have very little details um and very little information and you need to ask the right question, gain all the right information from, from what’s available. And then go and present that in the best way that you can and really, really try and sell it to I mean in this case it was the kind of the local healthcare leaders who we were kind of pitching to. And, um and see, see how it goes. And I think especially because when you’re doing this case competition in the MBA program, you’re doing it alongside your course work, you’re doing it alongside the consulting immersion program. It adds kind of that extra level of stress, but also the actual level kind of coming together because you’re working with this team after hours. You’re all kind of sweating through it trying to get this out and then, you have to go and really just put your best foot forward. And so, I think there is, there’s case competitions, I know people have done right that’s pretty much the standard of the MBA program. Most people at least do one, if not multiple during that time when they are in the programs. Those are great opportunities.
[Lisa] Yeah, and I think um, you know, it’s one thing to do a project for class and, you know, to get named, feel like you did really well, but to stand in front of everyone and get, you know, that prize for being first or second and have those executives who are judging you watching that I, I know that such a thrill for our students.
[Tristan] Yes, It definitely is and you really, that’s the thing, you can’t, you can’t fake it. You know, um because these, these people out there doing the very thing that you’re trying to pitch them about. And so, you really ought to come prepared and um so, yeah, it’s a really, those are, case competitions are great opportunities.
[Lisa] Good, so, so, let’s talk about um just some of your recollection about just fun in general. If you, if you look back on your time in the MBA program, I know you can remember lots of stress and lots of studying and up late nights, but if you think about like a moment or a story that kind of exemplified the growth or the fun or the camaraderie of the program, do you, do you have something that comes to mind?
[Tristan] Yeah, you know, there wasn’t, isn’t actually one particular thing that comes to mind, but more just kind of the general atmosphere that we had and um with our MBA cohort, I mean you get to know people so, so well. And one of the big cool things about the UT-Dallas MBA program is because they have a, it’s a small cohort side. Ah, we all physically fit within one room and so that room’s the first semester, even the semesters after that is where you do all, almost all your classes. And so, everyone is coming in and going and there is just too much opportunity for hanging out. That’s why I say, you know, it’s hard to pin just one story because there are just countless images I can think of, of just funny conversations and things that went on because we’re all in that room. We are stayin’ up way too late, talkin, havin’ a great time and through that also getting to know and benefit and learn from, from one another. So, um, ord jus ordinarily I would just one and um one that would not be appropriate for an MBA podcast (Lisa laughing) but, um, but yah it’s a really I think it’s a unique layout with how the UT-Dallas program is set up.
[Lisa] Isn’t it funny, too, how people get attached to that room? Because,, I can’t tell you how many times we had the, you know, a, af, after the first year, the second years moved to second year room and that new fir, new class comes in and sits in that first class room. And during lead camp, which is the orienta., the two-week orientation you were talking about we have lots of second years and alums coming in to talk to the new class and so, you’ll remember that there was just a flow of people um coming into the teach or to, to talk about their experience or to try and start um putting those, that learning on the students and I bet 80 percent of the time that a second year student comes in to talk to the first years, the first thing they say is, “That was my chair” or, you know, “I can’t believe you guys took our room.” And it’s just interesting how attached a class can be to a physical room even though the second year class looks exactly the same.
[Tristan] Yep, yep, I agree, I agree. I mean I there’s just so much that goes on and so many late night conversations and fun things like that. So, there definitely is, definitely is a lot of attachment.
[Lisa] Was there any one um faculty member that really made a difference for you or exemplified what the faculty at UT Dallas are like?
[Tristan] Yah and, and truly, I am not just saying that there were. There were a lot. Um, but I, if I, if I was just going to kind of pick one I think um for me ah Doctor Hicks who was the organizational behavior professor really was a great example of kind of how UT-Dallas an example of a case how a UT-Dallas professor who was always very willing to meet um with us and to invest with us or invest time with us. The other thing, too, is that he was also exceptionally accomplished as a, as a professional. Um it was not something that was necessarily being put out there, but you know in kind of doing some of the thing just hearing here and there, I mean a very accomplished individual and it showed in the course work that he put forward and organizational behavior, not my favorite class. If I were to, especially in undergrad as a business student or coming out in my grad program, one of my favorite pro, one of my favorite classes and I one of the most essential classes. So again, there’s so many great professors at UT Dallas and really just very impressed overall with the academic rigor and what people bring to the table both from business experience and academic experience, but that’s, that’s just one example for me.
[Lisa] You know, it’s interesting about taking that class that you just kind of surprises you and you always think of undergrad as the place that you’re supposed to kind of take all these different things in your gonna just fall into the thing that you love and you know, I don’t know about you, but my undergrad I did not fall into the thing I love. I, I didn’t know any more about what I wanted to do when I got out then when I got in. And graduate school, you tend to think it’s so narrow. It’s all business that you have already made your choice and yet, when I got my MBA, I certainly had no idea, but I took an operations class it was our first op, you know core operations class and man I would never thought in a million years that operations would have been my thing. But, by the end of that class I knew that’s what I wanted to do.
[Tristan] Mm hmm.
[Lisa] So, I think an MBA is so much broader than people think. So that, you know, well there’s no decision to be made. I’m getting into business, but with all the different areas the breadth of an MBA, you know, where you are doing accounting and finance and marketing and operations and statistics and all these different things and that’s before you even get to your electives. I think ah people are sometimes surprised by how much um they fall into that thing that they love.
[Tristan] Yep yep, I I would agree. There’s some example I can think of, of people in the program having that thing same exact thought of “I was not numbers person.” or “I was not a, you know, I was not an organizational behavior type person in the area I’m enjoying this class more than I thought I was going to enjoy, enjoy all the classes I thought when I’m coming in the program that looked interesting.” So. I’ll agree to that.
[Lisa] Yes, if I had a dollar for every student that came in and said, “I’ve never even taken a quantitative class. I’m a musician or I’m this or I’m that and, and I’m really worried about it,” and then, wouldn’t you know, they’re the ones that jump into those data analytics classes or there’s really heavily quantitative classes and just, you know, blow everybody away. There are surprises down the road, even when you’ve already picked your graduate degree. So, let’s talk about your giving back. You’ve been out for only a year, but there’s multiple occasions you’ve already come back and talk with incoming students. I think you were at info session recently. I think the story, the way I heard it is ah, Andrea was took a little bit to figure out who you were because you left clean shaven and you came back fully bearded.
[Tristan] Yep (both laughed)
[Lisa] And it took her a minute. But, talk a little bit about just kind of your relationship with UT Dallas and the MBA program specifically, now that you’re out.
[Tristan] Well, I think most students who go through the MBA program really because of how much alumni are pouring in and how much that enriches their experience, really are very aware of, you know, the impact and wanting really to give back once they go out because they know that as they build the program and as they go and give back that, you know, their, the alumni network is going to grow. It’s overall going to be a win, win for everyone. For me, as far as that’s concerned, I mean I just appreciated the program so much and, and um knew that the people who came and talked or even were just wanting to, hey, have that 30-minute phone call about consulting about healthcare. Those people were some of the biggest game changers and that is a very active part. I don’t think anyone in our program went through the program without contacting alumni or having, without having a conversation and alumni are always willing to, to talk and speak. So, I know since I’ve been out, I’ve, I think I did, I did that in both sessions, you’re right, um ant that also just have random conversations with people mainly centered on, “Are you interested in healthcare?” “Are you interested in healthcare consulting?”, you know. “How can we tell your story and, and what would that look like if you are wanting to make that jump?” So, that’s kind of been my, my perspective on that as they, as an alumni, I thinks that’s a lot of people’s perspective as an alumni coming out of the program.
[Lisa] So, Tristan given that you came into the program and you were, you were really torn between multiple MBA programs and, and I’m a real believer that there isn’t one MBA program out there that’s right for everyone. So, for a student who’s starting to look at MBA programs, what would your advice be on what exactly to look for? Because it’s really easy to just say, oh you know, UT Dallas is ranked higher than the other schools in Dallas, so I’m gonna pick that or they have the program I want. But, we know, there’s a lot more to that decision so what advice would you give a student who is starting to look at MBA programs and consider ours as one of them?
[Tristan] When you’re in that kind of discovery phase, looking through different MBA programs, would definitely advise talking with as many people as possible because many different perspectives, that includes mentors, people who, you know, with the career path you want to take, talking to the people saying, “Hey, how is this, is the MBA really gonna help me in?” and certainly, the school which one, you know, fits right for what I want to do. I know that’s something that I did a, a little, a little bit, but I would always highly recommend not just having the traditional, the traditional points of, of feedback. But, the other thing when you’re actually started get into making the decision process, I think, discerning from ranking is, is kind of tough, but one of the things I would look at especially, especially in today’s tough job market is making sure that your MBA program is a really great value on, you know, you can pay, you know, a lot of money um and, and I know that it’s, you know, you, you once you pay, pay a lot of money and go to certain schools, but not necessarily get that ROI and I know most people who come to UT Dallas have a really great ROI on their, their program and their experience and ah really it’s just a really great, you know, bang for your buck if you are um and it’s right up there with all the other programs um in the country. So, really focusing in on, “Am I actually going to get my return out of this year and a half of, of my time that I’m gonna give?” Ah, another thing to keep in mind is the fact that um UT-Dallas MBA program is a year and a half as opposed to two full years just kind of gives you a head start on other people ah in addition to the fact that um you do have the opportunity to add on kind of an additional, you know, degrees and, and things like that to your MBA by having that extra semester. And then lastly, I think you know it’s really just trying to get to know the program staff, um the ah MBA um faculty, if you possibly can just to get a flavor for you know what type of, of people am I gonna be interacting with on this, is this the really the type of fit, just like you’d look for in a job, you know, “Is this really for me?” and that can be tough, you know obviously the UT-Dallas program people are very willing to talk with you and have those conversations, but just trying to in making that decision talk to you and get the best possible understanding as you can for what the program’s going to be and how you, how you. So that would, there’s a ton of things to think about when you’re going in to um decide in that initial process, but that’s, that’s a couple of things I would take into account.
[Lisa] Okay Tristan, so, I have a couple questions for you and I’m gonna ask them quickly and you need to just say the first thing to come to mind. You ready?
[Tristan] Ha, ok, sounds good. Ready.
[Lisa] Okay in the UT Dallas MBA program how many cups of coffee did you drink?
[Tristan] Oh, way too many, ah, 1500 probably. (laughing) Do I have to put a number to it?
[Lisa] What was your favorite class?
[Tristan] Um, global strategy with Howard and Redlinger
[Lisa] What did you do for a break?
[Tristan] Ah, went mountain biking.
[Lisa] Mountain biking, we’re in Dallas. It’s flat.
[Tristan] Ah, I know, I know. And there’s some good spots. It takes more trail biking questions, but yep.
[Lisa] Okay who did you sit with next to the most?
[Tristan] Ah, Jeffrey Golden
[Lisa] How many high fives?
[Tristan] Oh, countless
[Lisa] How many hugs?
[Tristan] Not that many (Laughing)
[Lisa] Describe your faculty in 3 words.
[Tristan] Experienced, intentional, hate that word, but it’s a good word, and oh things like you can’t, you can’t do it, I’ll do experienced, um experienced and intentional.
[Lisa] And if you could do one thing again that you did in the MBA program, you could relive one event or one class or one moment, what would it be?
[Tristan] Ah, going to the, ah MBA conference with everyone during my ah second year. So that was a blast!
[Lisa] Awesome. Hey, that’s a, that’s a good one, to um re-, repeat when we’re trying to convince the next class to go to the MBA conference. (music begins softly and continues through the rest of the interview.) That you actually said that was your favorite moment.
[Tristan] Yep, yep so much fun.
[Lisa] Well, thank you so much Tristan. It was good catching up with you. We haven’t talked for a while. We’ve a got to get together as a, the next semester of events come up and ah we’re looking forward to having you back both in the spring semester and then, of course, when lead camp starts again and we do the whole thing all over again in August.
[Tristan] Yeah, absolutely it was great to, great to catch up, Lisa. And um, thanks for having me on. Definitely, an honor to be on the podcast.
[Lisa] Thanks!! We are so glad you could join us today and hear about the journey of yet another MBA G.O.A.T. For me, my MBA was truly transitional, as it is for so many of our students. If you’re wondering where an MBA can take you, reach out to us and let’s talk about you. Email us at mba@utdallas.edu and feel free to ask for me.
[Jimmie] Thanks for listening to this episode of yet another MBA G.O.A.T. podcast. Join us online at mbagoat.com to find episode notes, links and more. Be sure to subscribe to yet another MBA G.O.A.T. podcast on Apple podcast or your favorite podcasting app. If you like what you hear, please leave us a five-star review. That will help spread the word about the podcast and Jindal School’s MBA programs. To learn more about the Jindal School’s MBA program, go to jindal.utdallas.edu/mba. (Music continues.)
