"You can meet a lot of people in the HBS MBA program. What you want to do is identify people that have a similar set of values and interests because those are the individuals that you really have the most potential to build with. The sooner that you can start getting to know your classmates, the better. That also puts me at ease. It takes the nerves out because you start to realize that you and the other 929 people that are showing up on campus the same day have no idea what to expect. As I was talking to people that started, it normalized it for me and made me feel more comfortable." - Triston Francis
"Therapy is another resource that was tremendously helpful. It's an opportunity to really sit and spend a concentrated hour with somebody who is trained at helping you unpack the things that you're thinking through. It doesn't have to be focused around areas that are negative, which is oftentimes the perception of therapy. They usually think there's an issue that you need to fix. I view therapy as no different from going to the gym and working out to maintain a healthy body as opposed to fixing it when there's something wrong. That's another area that really helped me a tremendous amount." - Triston Francis
"I was a research associate of Organizational Behavior Professor Leslie Parlow. If it weren’t for that, I probably would've come out of HBS overly focused on the professional side of the equation. The reality is if you go to a place like HBS, things will work themselves out on the professional front for the most part. That doesn't mean that you're going to found the next unicorn company or be a billionaire. It means you'll be able to find good jobs that will allow you to provide for yourself and your family. The bigger variability I saw after interviewing 120 alumni was around how things shook out on the personal side of the equation. That's the bigger driver in people's satisfaction with how their life unfolded. When I started working, it allowed me to take a step back and not lose sight of investing in the relationship with my partner and building communities with friends that you feel supported and excited to be around. There's a lot of value and importance in there that unfortunately gets overshadowed by the professional component." - Triston Francis
In this episode, Jeremy Au speaks on advice for Harvard MBA admits, 120 alumni reflections, and crafting your life.
Keywords: Harvard MBA Admit Advice, 120 Alumni Reflections, Crafting Your Life, Harvard, USA, Mentorship, Founder Story
