Introducing MBA PodTV!
On Saturday Aug 15th, I left humid NYC for sunny Los Angeles. Reason? I'm the host of a new web TV series, MBA PodTV, being launched by MBAPodcaster in October! Now anyone who knows me knows I love to keep busy, so it will go as no surprise that my week filming and interviewing MBA Admission Directors, Business School Deans, GMAT prep companies, and corporate recruiters was jam-packed with meetings across LA and film shoots. I thought it would be fun to give you a little insight in what goes into starting a new web TV show...ENJOY!
Sunday, August 16th
I arrive in LA, and like any classy, just-out-of-NYC-lady, I take the Super Shuttle straight to my hotel (I'm on the BSB--business student budget--give me a break!). From there, my friend from HBS shows me around Century City and The Grove. I didn't stay long enough to do any major retail therapy though because I had to get ready to meet the MBA Podcaster team...
In the evening I have dinner on Hollywood Blvd. to meet the team. My hotel is in K-Town, so I look up the directions on my BB. Perfect! Only 4.2 miles. I can walk it in 45 minutes or so (I guess I should tell you that I didn't bring a car, since MBA Podcaster was arranging for my transportation). As I am walking, I quickly realize that I am traversing mini freeways and chaotic intersections. Yup, it's clear...I am definitely not in NYC...where walking from place to place is a luxury. In any case, when I get to the restaurant I realize I got there way too early and had a nice time hanging out at the bar reading HBS Section C update emails on my BB. I'm about to start my 2nd year at HBS in a few weeks, and every day someone in my 90 person section sends out an update on their life and summer internship.
Soon afterwards, my party came in. The actors: Leila Pirnia (Founder of MBA Podcaster), Janet Nakano (Video Producer), and Vanessa Bronte (Marketing Director). Dinner was amazing, and the best part is we all clicked! It was so much fun meeting them and talking about the future of MBA Pod TV.
Monday
Today Janet and I kick off our shooting schedule with an interview with Linda Abraham (Founder of Accepted.com). We did the shoot at her home. It was our first video interview, and it took us longer than expected to set-up. Linda was great though! She gave us some great tips on which students would be great "fits" for B-Schools like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, etc.
Tuesday
Morning starts around 8 am with Janet and I heading straight for Malibu to interview Veritas Prep. I'm not sure, how these guys get work done?!?! Their background is the gorgeous, blue waters of Malibu Beach, but somehow they manage to run a great business! I interview Scott Shrum, Chad Troutwine, and Brian Galvin. Great guys who provide me with lots of information on what to look for when selecting a GMAT prep company and an MBA consulting service!
After the interview, and a few caffeine runs, Leila, Janet, and I finally have our "ah-hah" moment...we came up with the moniker, "MBA Pod TV" for the title of our show. It's very exciting because now I have an intro and tag when I do stand-ups.
Wednesday
I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but Janet and I have gotten really good about being efficient! We eat every meal in the car, because we are always on the run from one interview to the next so we can bring the MBA Podcaster community the best insight and advice on all things MBA related. I feel bad for Janet though, because she usually eats with one hand on the steering wheel and other other hand on her McDonald's Sandwich....which brings up another interesting point... Janet and I are living off the Golden Arch! We're talking breakfast, lunch, and caffeine (I'm a huge fan of their fat free sugar free vanilla iced lattes--better than Starbucks!).
Highlights from today include an informative meeting with Michael Raben, a Kaplan GMAT instructor, who is HILARIOUS and very engaging! I had a great time speaking with him and learning some tips on how to crack the GMAT (you'll have to tune in to see)!
Shooting lasts until about 10:30 pm. We spend the evening script writing, brainstorming interview questions, and b-roll filming.
Thursday
Today I have an amazing opportunity to speak to my first CEO as the host of MBA Pod TV! John Suh is the CEO of Legalzoom (check out the video to see what they do). I have a fabulous time interviewing John and asking him questions about what he looks for in MBA interns. John is an HBS alum who thinks what's most important in an MBA intern is someone who works hard and is technically proficient. He doesn't put that much weight on brand name B-schools....that said, Legalzoom's current MBA intern is a fellow HBS student, Brandon Molina. You'll have to tune into the program to see me interview both John and Brandon.
After Legalzoom, Janet and I head straight to the Fox Studios to interview Erik Moreno, SVP of Corporate Development. Erik provides insight on what Fox looks for in MBA interns and MBA graduates.
The night ends late and over lattes (of course!). We film shows until 11 pm. Wow, I'm exhausted but so pumped for the debut of these videos. We've accumulated countless of hours of footage and it'll be really fun to turn these into informative shows for MBA PodTV.
Friday
It's only appropriate that on the last day of my filming, my alarm doesn't go off! I was supposed to meet Janet at 8:45 am. Instinctively, I wake up at 8:45 (even though my alarm was supposed to go off at 8 am). I see that Janet sent me a text message that she is running late. Great! I have 15 minutes to look camera ready...HD camera ready that is! When Janet arrives, we head straight to McDonalds for breakfast (shocking, I know!). We have a full day at USC where I will be interviewing a member of the Admissions Staff and the Head of Career Services. USC holds a close place to my heart since I was born in the USC hospital.
The interviews go great! I am told that some interesting characters apply to the Marshall School (think reality superstars and actors and actresses).
After my last interview with Stuart Hemphill, a SVP at Southern California Edison, I head straight to the airport to go home to San Fran. Wow! This week has flown by. I think I have worked harder this week than I have on my MBA application! That is why I am so excited to share all the information I learned with you through the videos. I help many of my friends and my own little sister get into business school, and now I want to help you. I hope you tune into the videos, and if you have any questions, please feel free to email me at mia@mbapodcaster.com. I would love to hear from you. :-)
Sunday, August 16th
I arrive in LA, and like any classy, just-out-of-NYC-lady, I take the Super Shuttle straight to my hotel (I'm on the BSB--business student budget--give me a break!). From there, my friend from HBS shows me around Century City and The Grove. I didn't stay long enough to do any major retail therapy though because I had to get ready to meet the MBA Podcaster team...
In the evening I have dinner on Hollywood Blvd. to meet the team. My hotel is in K-Town, so I look up the directions on my BB. Perfect! Only 4.2 miles. I can walk it in 45 minutes or so (I guess I should tell you that I didn't bring a car, since MBA Podcaster was arranging for my transportation). As I am walking, I quickly realize that I am traversing mini freeways and chaotic intersections. Yup, it's clear...I am definitely not in NYC...where walking from place to place is a luxury. In any case, when I get to the restaurant I realize I got there way too early and had a nice time hanging out at the bar reading HBS Section C update emails on my BB. I'm about to start my 2nd year at HBS in a few weeks, and every day someone in my 90 person section sends out an update on their life and summer internship.
Soon afterwards, my party came in. The actors: Leila Pirnia (Founder of MBA Podcaster), Janet Nakano (Video Producer), and Vanessa Bronte (Marketing Director). Dinner was amazing, and the best part is we all clicked! It was so much fun meeting them and talking about the future of MBA Pod TV.
Monday
Today Janet and I kick off our shooting schedule with an interview with Linda Abraham (Founder of Accepted.com). We did the shoot at her home. It was our first video interview, and it took us longer than expected to set-up. Linda was great though! She gave us some great tips on which students would be great "fits" for B-Schools like Harvard, MIT, Stanford, etc.
Tuesday
Morning starts around 8 am with Janet and I heading straight for Malibu to interview Veritas Prep. I'm not sure, how these guys get work done?!?! Their background is the gorgeous, blue waters of Malibu Beach, but somehow they manage to run a great business! I interview Scott Shrum, Chad Troutwine, and Brian Galvin. Great guys who provide me with lots of information on what to look for when selecting a GMAT prep company and an MBA consulting service!
After the interview, and a few caffeine runs, Leila, Janet, and I finally have our "ah-hah" moment...we came up with the moniker, "MBA Pod TV" for the title of our show. It's very exciting because now I have an intro and tag when I do stand-ups.
Wednesday
I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but Janet and I have gotten really good about being efficient! We eat every meal in the car, because we are always on the run from one interview to the next so we can bring the MBA Podcaster community the best insight and advice on all things MBA related. I feel bad for Janet though, because she usually eats with one hand on the steering wheel and other other hand on her McDonald's Sandwich....which brings up another interesting point... Janet and I are living off the Golden Arch! We're talking breakfast, lunch, and caffeine (I'm a huge fan of their fat free sugar free vanilla iced lattes--better than Starbucks!).
Highlights from today include an informative meeting with Michael Raben, a Kaplan GMAT instructor, who is HILARIOUS and very engaging! I had a great time speaking with him and learning some tips on how to crack the GMAT (you'll have to tune in to see)!
Shooting lasts until about 10:30 pm. We spend the evening script writing, brainstorming interview questions, and b-roll filming.
Thursday
Today I have an amazing opportunity to speak to my first CEO as the host of MBA Pod TV! John Suh is the CEO of Legalzoom (check out the video to see what they do). I have a fabulous time interviewing John and asking him questions about what he looks for in MBA interns. John is an HBS alum who thinks what's most important in an MBA intern is someone who works hard and is technically proficient. He doesn't put that much weight on brand name B-schools....that said, Legalzoom's current MBA intern is a fellow HBS student, Brandon Molina. You'll have to tune into the program to see me interview both John and Brandon.
After Legalzoom, Janet and I head straight to the Fox Studios to interview Erik Moreno, SVP of Corporate Development. Erik provides insight on what Fox looks for in MBA interns and MBA graduates.
The night ends late and over lattes (of course!). We film shows until 11 pm. Wow, I'm exhausted but so pumped for the debut of these videos. We've accumulated countless of hours of footage and it'll be really fun to turn these into informative shows for MBA PodTV.
Friday
It's only appropriate that on the last day of my filming, my alarm doesn't go off! I was supposed to meet Janet at 8:45 am. Instinctively, I wake up at 8:45 (even though my alarm was supposed to go off at 8 am). I see that Janet sent me a text message that she is running late. Great! I have 15 minutes to look camera ready...HD camera ready that is! When Janet arrives, we head straight to McDonalds for breakfast (shocking, I know!). We have a full day at USC where I will be interviewing a member of the Admissions Staff and the Head of Career Services. USC holds a close place to my heart since I was born in the USC hospital.
The interviews go great! I am told that some interesting characters apply to the Marshall School (think reality superstars and actors and actresses).
After my last interview with Stuart Hemphill, a SVP at Southern California Edison, I head straight to the airport to go home to San Fran. Wow! This week has flown by. I think I have worked harder this week than I have on my MBA application! That is why I am so excited to share all the information I learned with you through the videos. I help many of my friends and my own little sister get into business school, and now I want to help you. I hope you tune into the videos, and if you have any questions, please feel free to email me at mia@mbapodcaster.com. I would love to hear from you. :-)
Labels: MBA Videocast, MBA Videos, Mia Saini
posted by emoneyhoney @ 12:13 PM
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