This is Part 1 of our three-part series "Love and Logic."

Waverly Deutsch joins us as our special guest to share how the dynamic interplay of passion and reason has shaped her career and life choices. This episode dives into Waverly’s captivating journey, with future episodes delving into her influential tenure at Chicago Booth and her latest venture, WyseHeart Advisory, which operates under the mantra of “tough love for entrepreneurs.”

Why Waverly?

Known as “the Simon Cowell of the Chicago Booth New Venture Challenge,” Waverly is celebrated for her straightforward feedback. Yet, unlike Cowell’s often blunt critiques, Waverly’s tough love always comes with a constructive twist. After telling someone, “You just talked for ten minutes and we have no idea what you do,” she’ll add, “and I want to work with you because there are three things we can do to fix it.” That’s the kind of coach and professor she is—direct yet deeply supportive.

Episode Breakdown:

00:56 — Introduction to “Love & Logic” Series: What sparked this series? What can listeners expect from this episode and the ones to follow?

3:46 — Exploring Identities: “My twin passions for theatre and logic have always driven me,” Waverly shares. Discover how these seemingly disparate interests have shaped her approach to teaching and coaching.

7:45 — Breaking Ground in STEM: Journey back to the early ’80s as Waverly recounts her experience as one of the four women in her computer science class, finding her tribe among like-minded ‘nerds.’

10:31 — Defying Gender Norms: Waverly reflects on her upbringing as a tomboy and challenges the traditional gender associations with love and logic. “These are human traits, not bound by gender,” she asserts.

12:41 — From Tech to Theatre: Why the dramatic shift from a computer science major to a Theatre PhD? Waverly explains, “I realized teaching is my calling.”

15:27 — A Serendipitous Detour: Joining Forrester Research early on and experiencing its growth to a public company—was it luck, destiny, or something else?

21:43 — The Art of Decision-Making: Waverly discusses how she navigates through career choices. “It’s about blending analysis with going with the flow,” she explains.

26:54 — Debunking Business Myths: “It’s a myth that business isn’t personal. At the end of the day, it’s all about people,” Waverly talks about the interplay of emotions in business.

34:44 — Filtering Out the Noise: How to deal with peer pressure and societal judgments? Waverly offers advice on building a supportive community and developing resilience, “so you can stand strong even when the world isn’t quite ready for you.”

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Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Waverly Deutsch

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