In the second installment of our Paths Less Traveled series, Stacy Blackman interviews Terry Cumes and Tristen Langley, a married couple who share how the same Stanford GSB foundation led one to global wellness entrepreneurship and the other to top-tier technology investing — and what this says about career optionality, partnership, and long-term impact.

Here are the full bios for these amazing interviewees:

Tristen Langley has over twenty-three years of experience in venture capital, operations, M&A and equities research with leading international investment and technology companies. Langley sourced, led and was operationally involved with private investments that have returned over $5 billion to investors. Tristen Langley holds an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She completed her graduate studies in software engineering at the Fraunhofer IESE, Germany. She earned a Bachelor of Science (First Class Honors) from the University of New South Wales and was the recipient of the University Medal. Tristen is now the Executive Director and Cofounder of Amalfi Capital Management, Limited.

Terry Cumes is an international executive who has built, launched, and managed several global travel and education businesses. Terry is currently the CEO of Willka T'ika Essential Wellness, Peru's original luxury wellness center located in the Sacred Valley. Under Terry's leadership, Willka T'ika welcomes scores of groups each year from around the world. Each group is unique with programmatic themes ranging from yoga and mindfulness to transformative leadership in business. In 2022, Willka T'ika was included in "9 of the World's Best Wellness Retreats" by CNN and nominated "Best Digital Detox Retreat" by Vogue Magazine.

In this episode we discuss 4 things MBA candidates should consider when facing the "Bird in Hand" dilemma: meaning, when they have been admitted to at least one program, but are considering not claiming their spot, forgoing the sure thing and taking the risk of trying again in the future in the hopes of getting into a program they're even more interested in.

This episode discusses how accepted MBA candidates should go about asking for an increase in merit aid; the four situations a candidate might be in and their associated negotiating tactics; and detailed advice for approaching such an ask over the phone vs. email.

For years, MBA applicants have asked some version of the same question: "What job will I get after graduation?"

It's understandable. Recruiting is a visible and important part of the MBA experience. But after decades working with business school graduates, Stacy Blackman has noticed something more interesting: the most meaningful MBA outcomes rarely follow a straight line.

That's the premise behind Paths Less Traveled, a new B-Schooled podcast series launching this week. Each episode features conversations with MBA alumni whose careers evolved in unexpected directions over time. These aren't "first job after school" stories. They're about optionality, reinvention, and what happens when you treat the MBA as a long-term foundation rather than a short-term placement service.

The series kicks off with Paul Earle, a Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management alum and Stacy's former classmate, who went on to found one of the fastest-growing emerging consumer brands in the U.S. His company, GOODLES, reimagines mac and cheese as a better-for-you product, and his current obsession is the Thrilled Cheese variety.

But the conversation goes deeper than product launches. Paul reflects on what business school actually gave him:

"I barely remember the technical classroom frameworks and methods and models. I vividly remember the friends I made and perspectives I gained and world I discovered. One of the best things I have ever done."

It's a perspective that reframes what ROI on an MBA can actually look like, and one that applicants don't always encounter early in the process.

If you've been thinking about the MBA primarily in terms of your first post-graduation role, this series is worth your time.

In this episode, Erika explains how your social media behavior could affect your MBA candidacy — positively or negatively. She covers what admissions committees might be looking for on your online profiles and platforms that could be problematic, as well as what kinds of social media posts might actually end up strengthening your candidacy. She also explains how reviews of your social media accounts don't end once you're admitted.

In this replay of a past episode, Erika talks with Anthony Penna, a fellow SBC admissions consultant who spent 10 years with the Wharton School in Career Management and as Associate Director of Admissions for the full-time MBA program. As Anthony served on the implementation and design team for Wharton's Team Based Discussion (TBD) interview format, this episode focuses on his insight advice for MBA candidates who will be interviewing with Wharton.

In this episode, Alex Liff interviews Andrew Walker, GMAC's Director of Research Analysis and Communication about the latest MBA application trends survey that he just completed. Andrew offers interesting insights into the latest trends both on the applicant and corporate recruiter sides and talks about what to expect going forward.

Final Thoughts After 20 Years of MBA Advising: Part 3

B-Schooled Co-Host, Chandler, is preparing to step away from his co-hosting responsibilities in order to care for his aging parents and launch a new venture for philanthropists.

Chandler has decided to conclude his four years as co-host (and 20 years of advising MBA applicants) with a three-part series in which he gets very authentic and very bold in order to help you create a solid application plan.

In this final of three episodes, Chandler takes a no-holds barred look at the last stages of your MBA application. In this episode he shares his single biggest pieces of advice in each of the following categories:

• Confronting your MBA fears and insecurities,
• Managing worry and anxiety on your MBA journey,
• Knowing what to do when you get stuck,
• Surviving thriving on an MBA waitlist,
• Strategizing applications specifically focused on Stanford and Harvard, and
• Looking back at lessons learned in his 20 years since graduating from Stanford.

Listening to this three-episode series is a must for anyone wishing to benefit from a senior SBC advisor's more than 20 years of MBA applicant coaching experience.