CougarTales: The Podcast

Heather Roberts

Today on the show we talk to Heather Roberts, president of the EMBA class of 2025. Heather currently works for DoTerra as Director of IT Customer Care and PMO. In this episode, we get to know Heather. She shares the story behind her middle name, her love of flying, and her work as an ASL interpreter. Heather also shares a significant life change she experienced just before starting the EMBA program and how she has navigated this transition with resilience and support from her cohort. She even talks about how ice cream making has helped tie generations of her family together. Without further ado, let's start the show!

Colton Lund

Today, we talk to Colton Lund, fellow student in the EMBA class of 2025. In this episode, we get to know Colton. He shares his experiences growing up in a small town in Utah, from working on his family's farm, to studying mechanical engineering and his current role at ACT Aerospace. Colton also talks about his mission in Mozambique, the challenges he faced, and the lessons he learned. We also get a glimpse into his personal life, including his love for his family, his passion for coding, and his thoughts on the transformative power of the MBA program. He even teaches us what the best toppings for a hotdog. Without further ado, let's start the show!

Halloween Special

Welcome to Cougar Tales: The Podcast, your spooky one-stop shop to learn about the students and faculty of the BYU Executive MBA Program. We're going to change up the pace a little bit tonight. With Halloween upon us, I thought it might be fun to share a couple of spooky stories. The first story is actually a poem. It's called The Cremation of Sam McGee by Robert W. Service. It was first published in 1907 as part of a book poetry called Songs of a Sourdough. It tells the story of the cremation of a gold prospector who freezes to death near Lake Lebarge in the Yukon. The second story is The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe. It is a short story told by an unnamed narrator who is trying to convince us of his sanity, while describing some not so sane actions. It was first published in 1843 and is one of Poe's better known works. I hope you enjoy tonight's episode. I apologize to anyone tuning in hoping to hear an interview with a classmate and gets this bait and switch of an episode. Thank you for humoring me. Link to Mike Rowe's reading of The Tell-Tale Heart: The Way I Heard It Episode 142 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/142-occasionally-halloween/id1087110764?i=1000455547798]

Ryan Hall

Today on the show, I talk with the one, the only Ryan Hall. Ryan is a fellow student in the EMBA class of 2025. He has worked in the construction industry for several years and recently started his own roofing business. In this episode, we get to know Ryan. He shares about how he tries to be a solution finder, how a New Years Eve trip to Las Vegas turned into a significant spiritual experience, and how his background in sociology has helped him in business and in life. He even shares about how his gym habit helped him find love. With no further ado, let's start the show!

Nora Ballantyne

I talk with Nora Ballantyne. Nora is a fellow student in the EMBA class of 2025 and recently accepted a new role as a finance and operations officer for the BYU ARTS Partnership. In her new role, she administers grant funds, manages team operations for eight projects and initiatives, including marketing & communication, research, HR policies, and leadership development for each arm of our organization. In this episode, we get to know Nora. She shares about her love of music and art, how she has something in common with Indiana Jones, and her connection with the hit show, the Office. She even shares about how a chance encounter at a Cricket Wireless store not only led to love, but a free cell phone too! With no further ado, let's start the show!