Claim OwnershipCareer Boosters: An MBA Podcast
Subscribed: 4Played: 2
Subscribe
© The Career Boosters
Description
Welcome to The Career Boosters: your companion for personal and professional growth. Embark on transformative self-discovery with our MBA Podcast. Unveil secrets to reach your career's peak. Learn self-awareness, grasp strengths, passions, and aspirations. Navigate modern careers confidently. Leverage cutting-edge tools to forge your dream path, from novice to career veteran. Tune in for expert interviews, trends, and skill insights. Subscribe to reshape your career journey. Your dream career is one listen away!
79 Episodes
Reverse
In this solo episode, host Paul Taylor sits down with MBA student Hajira Malik to explore how understanding your natural talents can transform your career trajectory. Hajira shares her unique journey from government work to nursing to pursuing her MBA, driven by a desire for new challenges and growth. Through the lens of the Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment, they dive deep into Hajira's top five talents—empathy, positivity, connectedness, futuristic, and harmony—and how these strengths show up in her daily MBA experience. The conversation reveals the power of leaning into what you're naturally good at rather than trying to be well-rounded, explores how positivity helps Hajira navigate the pressures of grades and deadlines, and discusses the importance of building genuine relationships in business school. With candid insights about the "groan moments" when strengths can work against us and practical advice for leveraging talents in group projects, this episode offers valuable lessons for anyone looking to maximize their impact by understanding and embracing their unique strengths.
MD/MBA student Muhammad Israr-Ul-Haq joins us to explore what happens when you slow down and define what truly matters. Through a class exercise that helped him narrow in on a few core values, he shares the unexpected mix of clarity and discomfort that comes with naming them—and how that awareness is shaping how he studies, leads, and prepares for the next stage of his medical journey. It’s a grounded, thoughtful conversation about self-knowledge, purpose, and the power of aligning what you do with what you believe.
Fast-track MBA student Jasmeen Dhah joins us to unpack an exercise where classmates reflect your brand while you stay silent. No justifying, no explaining, just listening. Jasmeen shares the nerves of going in, the surprise of how much peers could pick up from simple images, and the possible tensions it revealed between her career ambitions and her need for quiet space. She also reflects on feedback as a gift, learning to stretch into extroverted moments without abandoning her introverted strengths, and how those insights shape the way she thinks about her future
First-year MBA student Joshua Eszczuk joins us to unpack what it actually looks like to manage energy instead of time. He points out it’s not about how many hours you spend, but the quality of energy you bring. From recognizing his current “half tank” energy level, to noticing what “sharpens or dulls his shovel”, Josh shares how small shifts in awareness change the way you work, rest, and say no. Along the way, he reflects on why nobody really has their ducks in a row, how discomfort fuels growth, and why managing your own capacity might be the most important MBA lesson of all
We’re joined by MBA Alumni Suraj Wadhwani (‘25) to break down what case competitions really are and why they matter for more than just aspiring consultants. Picture a Shark Tank-style challenge with tight timelines, new teammates, and a real business problem to solve. Suraj shares how competing sharpened his problem-solving, teamwork, and storytelling skills, why clarity beats complexity every time, and how leaning into discomfort can be the biggest growth driver. If you’ve ever wondered whether case comps are worth it, this episode makes the case for saying yes.
We’re joined by returning guest Priyanka Singh, now a second-year International MBA student, to talk about BUS 501: a foundational course that, if approached with openness, can shift the entire MBA experience. From uncovering core values and strengths to exploring unspoken brand, empathy, and energy management, Priyanka shares how self-awareness has shaped her journey. She reflects on taking initiative in projects, leaning into improv, and why understanding yourself is the foundation for growth.
Meet first-year MBA student Majid Nikouee (PhD, Educational Psychology) as he walks us through orientation week: what surprised him, what settled the nerves, and what actually helps on day one. We talk about reviewing materials without overdoing it, owning your unique story, asking for help early, and finding small recharge habits that kept him steady. Majid explains why the personal branding session and the negotiation exercise stood out, and how staying curious with your cohort makes the week manageable. Great info and advice for anyone approaching a multi-day learning experience like orientation.
We’re kicking off Season 3 with two international 2nd year MBA students, Fabliha Mahmood and Arthur Benitez, who share what it was really like to land in Canada, face the nerves of orientation, and start building a brand-new life. From getting lost on the way to campus to assembling furniture and finding their people, they talk candidly about what helped, what they wish they’d done differently, and how new students can ease into the whirlwind. If you’re about to start your MBA (or any big new chapter), you’ll see yourself in their stories.
In our season finale, we sit down with Ange McCabe, CEO of Intuity Performance, certified coach, and fellow “recovering HR professional”—to explore what it really means to lead with your whole self. Ange shares why leadership transformation is often quieter than we expect, how coaching can bridge the gap between technical skill and human connection, and why we can't separate who we are at work from who we are everywhere else. A grounded take on leadership, coaching, and why the small shifts often matter most.
Trying something a little different this episode as we talk with (instead of ‘to’) part-time MBA student Curtis Middleton all about the fear that gets in each of our ways. Curtis with the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), Tiffany with the Fear of People’s Opinions (FOPO), and Paul with the Fear of Joining In (FOJI). We each share our own experiences with these fears, where they show up, how they can actually help us, and how we use others to help balance us. If you subscribe to any of these fears, know you’re not alone. We struggle with them too!
Talking with Katie O’Malley, owner of (en)Courage Coaching and self proclaimed “Career Nomad” about how her (really interesting and squiggly) career has been guided by both but, and yes-and. She gives us great advice on how to find your career non-negotiables while at the same time understanding that no experience is a waste. Katie is a true demonstration of the true alignment and fulfillment that can be found when you lean into self-awareness, intuition, and hard work. If you’re trying to figure out how to honor yourself in your career, and find what truly fits, this is a must listen.
Talking to Jenna Dahl, Manager, Student Wellness Services with MacEwan University - who also happens to be Paul’s previous colleague - about how she harmonizes her role, being a mom of 2, business owner, and competitive Pole dancer. Jenna quickly notes that it’s not about work/life balance, but rather it’s work/life harmony that adjusts through the ebbs and flows of life. Finding her own harmony hasn’t always been easy, and she offers some great tips and experience how to navigate life in a way that truly allows you to do it all.
Talking with recent MBA grad Guoxu Li about the mindset needed to truly find success. Known as someone highly skilled in the world of finance and economics, what makes Guoxu truly stand out isn’t (just) his technical skill, but more so his approach to mindset, relationships, and life in general. A conversation so powerful and inspiring, it sparked the first tears we’ve seen in 60 episodes (from Tiffany). He starts reminding us that ‘growth is more about mindset than academics’ and the wisdom continues the entire episode. Truly a must watch/listen.
Talking with Griffin Mumby, MD/MBA student as he wraps up his MBA journey and shares how impactful it has been, but how it was also born from a setback. If you had asked Griffin a few years ago, an MBA wasn’t his plan. But life sometimes has other plans, and it’s up to us to either lean in, embrace the suck, and focus on what we can control - or lean out. Griffin is a prime example of what can happen when you choose the former. Experiencing a set-back? Not sure what to do when life doesn’t go according to plan? Give this a listen.
Talking with Vivika Sharma, one of our team’s stellar interns, about how her year-long internship in CWIL has helped shape her and her personal brand. Vivika is very much ‘ahead of the curve’ when it comes to what she knows about herself, how she’s grown, and her confidence in her ability to thrive ‘wherever the wind takes her’. There are just some students that you know are going to make big differences, and Vivika is one!
Talking with 2nd year MBA student Shida Liu about what it is that has led to a truly successful MBA journey. As someone who is always authentic, and focused on treasuring every experience and building strong relationships, it’s easy to see why Shida is well respected AND why he’s had a successful MBA journey. He’s a brilliant demonstration of why you should never say never, and always be open to what possibilities might show up.
Talking with MBA alumni Marina Barbu (‘21) about how she successfully navigated a (rather significant) career pivot from hospitality management into pharmaceuticals and innovation. Marina skillfully navigated the (large) gap between these seemingly disparity industries because she know what was important to her: impact, adventure, and curiosity. And utilized an unwavering dedication to building strong relationships that continues to support her success today. Facing a pivot? No matter how big it is, Marina’s advice is a sure-fire recipe that anyone can use to find success.
Talking with 2nd year MBA student Michelle Ritchie about her ‘Yes Era’ where she’s saying yes to far more networking and relationship building than she ever thought she’d be comfortable with. As an experienced Registered Nurse, networking was a foreign (and uncomfortable) concept 1.5 years ago, but the shift in mindset, skillset, and impact to her career that relationship building is bringing is clear. So if you currently don’t think you could ever lean into networking, give this episode a listen. Michelle is proof that anything is possible!
We step FAR outside our usual ‘box’ and spend this entire episode talking with AI. Yup, that’s right - our friend ChatGPT. Considering we wanted to talk about all the ways you can use AI in career management, we thought who better to chat with than the chatbot itself? And what it came up with even surprised the two of us. Not only that, our key takeaways come from Google Illuminate - which if you haven’t heard of (we hadn’t until this week), go Google it now. Enjoy this unique episode!
Talking with a special guest, our boss, Amber Nicolson! As the Manager, Career & Work Integrated Learning at the Alberta School of Business, Amber has spend a lot of her career interviewing for many different roles and supporting students as they prepare. And unique to her, she’s the only person who has interviewed both of us in our careers. The entire episode is one big tip & trick, for anyone prepping for an interview!
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States