Tackling the Optionality Trap with Iann Karamali

Behind the The Path That Makes Us: Navigating Consulting, Business School, and Everything In Between

Co-hosts Will Holbrow and Ari Levine turn the mic on themselves and share their personal journeys through college, consulting, and business school, offering insights into career decision-making, academics, and the realities of life in consulting. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Podcast Journey 05:54 Navigating Career Choices in Business School 11:27 Reflections on College Applications and Decisions 16:29 The Role of Student Organizations in Career Development 21:40 Deciding on Consulting as a Career Path 28:01 Experiences in Consulting: The Reality vs. Expectations 35:05 Understanding the Staffing Model in Consulting 41:16 Navigating Career Transitions 49:01 Reflections on Career Intentions 54:43 The Decision to Pursue Business School 59:40 Exploring the One-Year MBA Experience

Investment Banking to Corporate Development: How Alden Sulger Built a Career in Finance

In this episode, Will and Ari sit down with Alden Sulger to trace his career path from college to investment banking and beyond. They cover what it was like to break into finance during a global pandemic, the reality of investment banking grind versus his expectations, and the skills that carry over transitioning to the buy side. Alden shares his experience in the energy industry, corporate development , and how AI is starting to reshape the apprenticeship model of finance. Alden dives into his experience with intentional networking, knowing when it's time to make a move, and how to maintain balance in a demanding career. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Alden Sulger 03:11 Navigating Investment Banking During a Pandemic 10:47 The Realities of Investment Banking Culture 17:39 Key Skills and Learnings in Banking 24:48 The Two-Year Analyst Experience 30:23 Transitioning to Corporate Development in Energy 35:38 Building an Operating Model for Synergies 37:11 Transitioning from DCC to Energy Exemplar 40:26 Team Dynamics in Corporate Development 41:51 The Impact of AI on Corporate Development 46:11 AI Disruption in Investment Banking 49:50 Networking Strategies for Career Advancement 57:26 Balancing Career and Personal Life

Tackling the Optionality Trap with Iann Karamali

In this episode, Iann Karamali traces an unlikely path: from helping his family get Monarch Liquor off the ground during undergrad to consulting at Deloitte to exploring the future of AI through entrepreneurship. He gets into what early reps as a small business owner taught him about operating a business, why growing up inside an entrepreneurial family gives you an instinct for opportunity that's hard to replicate in a classroom, and what it looks like to run something as a fresh college graduate. He also talks about what his time in consulting added to the way he thinks about business, how he used Kellogg as a launch pad rather than a safety net, and his candid take on where AI is headed and what it means for small business owners trying to keep up. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Ian Karamali 00:29 Background and the One-Year MBA Program 04:02 Growing Up First-Gen and the Optionality Trap 08:25 Navigating the Prestige Treadmill 12:11 Founding Monarch Liquor in East Austin 16:04 Betting on Delivery and Surviving COVID 21:22 What Entrepreneurship Actually Teaches You 27:44 Joining Deloitte and Early Client Lessons 35:22 Becoming an AI Lead at the Firm 37:22 Why Kellogg, Why Now 42:15 Entrepreneurship at Kellogg and the Levy AI Track 50:23 Being a Dad in Business School 58:51 The Future of AI: Two Frameworks 01:05:51 Lightning Round

Marine Corps Officer to Entrepreneur: Daniel Medina on Leadership and Building a Brand

In this episode, former Marine Corps officer Daniel Medina joins The Path That Makes Us to talk about one of the harder transitions a person can make: moving from the structure and clarity of military service to the uncertainty of building a business from the ground up. He shares what resilience actually looks like when the stakes are real, how the leadership lessons forged in the Corps shaped his approach to entrepreneurship, and what the path into founding Restless taught him about pivoting without losing sight of the mission. Daniel also weighs in on a question a lot of people in transition are sitting with right now: whether entrepreneurship, business school, or some combination of both is the right next move, and how to tell the difference before you commit. Restless Website: https://restlessco.co/ [https://restlessco.co/] Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Daniel Medina 03:13 Military Background and Leadership Lessons 06:22 Transitioning from Military to Business 09:13 Entrepreneurship Journey and Community Impact 12:22 Building Confidence and Credibility 15:19 Choosing Business School and Career Paths 18:11 Identifying Problems to Solve 21:01 Unexpected Challenges in Entrepreneurship 24:12 Formulation and Building Restless 25:39 The Journey of Restless: From Concept to Launch 28:22 Overcoming Challenges and Staying Motivated 31:05 Prioritization and Balancing Life at Kellogg 35:33 Strategic Vision for Restless: Future Goals 42:07 Navigating Life's Pressures and Finding Fulfillment 45:29 Rapid Fire Round: Insights and Favorites

Econ Consulting to Data Science: Shaping Your Career with Networking and Perseverance

Neil Meehan didn't take the obvious road into tech or legal consulting, and in this episode, he describes exactly how he got in anyway. He tells the story of how luck played a role in his journey, the networking moves that actually moved the needle, and what it really took for him to walk away from a stable job and start over. Neil also speaks on his relationship with AI, productivity, and the decision to prioritize a balanced life in the midst career pressures.