Eric Pan shares his journey from an introverted child in Chicago to a successful UCLA graduate heading to Boston Consulting Group, offering insights on consulting, leadership, and finding balance along the way.

• Moving from Chicago to UCLA
• The distinction between being "nice" (surface-level politeness) and "kind" (genuinely helping others)
• Strategy consultants function as "doctors of business" diagnosing problems and prescribing solutions
• Success in consulting requires both structured thinking to analyze problems and communication skills to convey solutions
• Never self-disqualify from competitive fields—networking and persistence can overcome barriers
• The "duck syndrome" describes appearing calm while frantically working beneath the surface
• Leveraging your calendar helps manage multiple commitments and responsibilities
• Every friendship is a "leaky bucket" requiring constant maintenance—focus on depth over breadth
• Servant leadership means removing obstacles for team members rather than wielding authority
• Financial advice: invest in your Roth IRA as early as possible to benefit from compound interest

Guest bio:
Eric is a soon-to-be-graduated senior at UCLA. He's served on the executive board for both a consulting and investment banking organization and is an incoming associate at Boston Consulting Group. Outside of his professional life, he's a dancer on Koreos and ACA All Day!

• IG: @eric_p.an / https://www.instagram.com/eric_p.an/ 

Links/resources:

• Boston Consulting Group (Wikipedia page)
• John Oliver on McKinsley (YouTube video)
• Stanford Duck Syndrome / Floating Duck Syndrome
• Atomic Habits by James Clear (book summary website)
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (book - wikipedia page)
• Christopher Nolan (director - wikipedia page)
• Tenet (movie - wikipedia page)

One Thousand Gurus Podcast:
Everyone has a compelling story to tell with insights we can all be inspired by. J.R. Yonocruz is a self-improvement blogger, relationship coach, and serial hobbyist with a passion for learning. He interviews unique guests from various fields to distill the strategies, habits, and mindsets we can use in our own lives. Each “guru” has a chance to give the audience a peek into a new world.

www.onethousandgurus.com
Instagram: @OneThousandGurus
TikTok: @onethousandgurus
YouTube: One Thousand Gurus Podcast
Email: [email protected]