Eccles Business Buzz

Season Four of the Eccles Business Buzz podcast is almost here! And this season we are talking all about impact – the people and experiences that have impacted us, the impact our alums are having in their jobs and communities, and how programs here at the David Eccles School of Business are giving students and alums the confidence to know they can make a difference wherever they are. 

I’m your host, Frances Johnson. Join me to hear how new rules around Name, Image, and Likeness licensing for student athletes are making an impact on them–and helping them make an impact, too. We’ll talk with Utah’s only recipient of the Obama-Chesky Scholarship for Public Service about the people who impacted him and propelled him to such a great accomplishment, and we’ll chat with a mother-daughter donor duo who are carrying on the impact of their loved one through a scholarship at the Eccles School. And we’ll kick it all off with a conversation with Utah entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Eccles School supporter Jim Sorenson, the godfather of impact investing himself. 

The first episode of season four drops on March 30th, with new episodes coming every other Thursday. I know you won’t want to miss a single one, so make sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and invite a friend or fellow alum to listen with you, too.  

We can’t wait for you to join us again.

Eccles Business Buzz is a production of the David Eccles School of Business and is produced by University FM.

In today's episode, we'll be talking not just about curiosity but also about how pursuing our curiosity can help prepare us to make a positive and lasting impact on the people and the communities around us.

That’s just what Sadie Bowler has been doing. As a sophomore at the David Eccles School of Business and a resident at Lassonde Studios, Sadie is also running SadieB Personal Care, a personal care brand with a goal to empower Gen Z girls and change the health and beauty industry. 

She chats with Frances about creating a beauty brand that speaks to Gen Z girls like her, having an in-house mental health expert on her staff, SadieB’s partnership with Girls Up United Nations Foundation, and how she is growing her business at Lassonde. 

This is the final episode of season three! We are so grateful that you took the time to explore the topic of continuous curiosity with us. Mark your calendar for March 2023 when we’ll be back with season four, all about impact: the impact of the Eccles Experience, the impact alums are making, and more. 

Uplifting girls through their brand

[09:31]: Our focus is to uplift girls and their abilities and accomplishments and, in turn, educate girls on mental health through our messaging and take on this mental health crisis.

On the importance of navigating mental health

[12:17]: Education on mental health doesn't have an age limit; it's important for everybody. But I think in the developmental stage for me as a Gen Z girl, it's so important to know how to navigate mental health when so many messages from the beauty industry, social media, and celebrity culture are coming at us so fast.

Lasson Studios' supportive community

[25:21]: I have loved being able to be surrounded by this community of entrepreneurs and founders in their founders' program. And everyone in the program is so supportive, and it's such a good community, and the resources that they offer, like the office space, is huge for me. so that I can fulfill orders while I'm here at school, on campus.

• Sadie Bowler on LinkedIn
• SadieB Personal Care’s Website

This season, join host Frances Johnson as she explores the topic of continuous curiosity, asking: What is curiosity? Why is it important? And what roadblocks prevent us from being curious in our work, homes, and communities? Throughout this season, we’ll also hear from guests who have used curiosity to pursue something new – a degree, a profession, or a passion.

In this episode, Frances is joined by husband and wife team and U of U alums, Josh and Becca Hadley. After graduation, Josh and Becca started a custom wedding invitation business, which has pivoted and grown into a stationary empire with over 1300 products, called Hadley Designs. 

This dynamic duo share with us how using curiosity got them through the challenges of owning a business, how COVID “awakened” a new part of their work, how they balance work, life, raising a family and growing a business, and we’ll hear about what Josh calls a pivotal life experience at Lassonde. 

Taking on problems with curiosity

20:10: [Becca] Every problem is a learning experience. You have to look at it from that positivity, curiosity standpoint to overcome those problems, or they can overwhelm you. But I also think I always look at it as, you know, "When the going gets tough, that’s when people quit." And that's always been a motivator for me because I know we're the ones who will never give up when problems seem overwhelming. 

The pursuit of continuous improvement and learning

04: 14 [Josh] I think continuous education is one of the most important things, even as we've hired our team for the business now. One of the main core values that we have for the business is that we're never satisfied with the status quo. We are always seeking to learn and improve all of our processes.

On experiences and support that help fuel creativity 

08:48: [Becca] I had some really great professors who just supported creativity in general. What drew me toward early childhood education was the opportunity to create activities and lesson plans. That's what I loved about it—the creation process. And I think the head of the department there and the various professors there were so supportive of trying new ideas and exploring different opportunities and providing you with the resources to do so and to thrive in the creativity aspect of everything.

On how the Eccles Community helped spark curiosity and creativity 

07:38: [Josh] Whatever you dream up, if you find the market for it, you can go and make your dreams come true. And so, for me, it did give me that inspiration to pursue my dreams and passions. And it opened my mind to the world of possibilities with entrepreneurship.

• Hadley Designs
• Beca Hadley on LinkedIn
• Josh Hadley on LinkedIn
• Instagram

This season, join host Frances Johnson as she explores the topic of continuous curiosity, asking: What is curiosity? Why is it important? And what roadblocks prevent us from being curious in our work, homes, and communities? Throughout this season, we’ll also hear from guests who have used curiosity to pursue something new – a degree, a profession, or a passion.

In this episode, Frances sits down with Dean Rachel Hayes to discuss how she brings curiosity into her leadership role. They discuss curiosity as a value at the David Eccles School of Business, the pivots her college journey and career took before landing her in Utah, and the importance of getting involved on campus

Dean Rachel Hayes received an MBA from the University of Colorado, and a Ph.D. from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. She came to the University of Utah as a member of the accounting faculty in 2005, and has served in numerous roles in her department and college. She is currently the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Presidential Chair in Financial Reporting and previously served as the Associate Dean of Faculty and Research.  

On cultivating a culture of curiosity among the Eccles community

[09:20] I think fundamentally, we have an attitude of how can we better serve our students, and as corollaries to that, our staff and faculty, we want to be sure we're serving them as well. But a lot of what we do is try to create opportunities and experiences that will benefit the students that come to the Eccles School.

On the importance of developing curiosity in faculty members

[09:20] Faculty are curious by nature because they've gotten into this profession typically by being interested enough to do a lot of research into their topic. So I think curiosity is a fundamental characteristic of our faculty. Students get to benefit from this because our faculty are actually out there learning about current trends, what's going on in the markets, and the newest types of, say, financial instruments, and students benefit from this. Students benefit from having experts who are learning and teaching the most current topics out there.

How curiosity helped Dean Hayes to adopt to change

[18:16] My perspective as a professor of accounting is quite different from my perspective now. It turns out that, in the same way that I encourage students to get involved, I'm finding from my own experience that I have to get involved because we have so much going on at the school. So I'm learning and asking questions all the time as I discover the different sorts of activities and advantages we're providing our students.

• Dean Rachel Hayes’ bio

This season, join host Frances Johnson as she explores the topic of continuous curiosity, asking: What is curiosity? Why is it important? And what roadblocks prevent us from being curious in our work, homes and communities? Throughout this season, we’ll also hear from guests who have used curiosity to pursue something new – a degree, a profession, or a passion.

In this episode, Frances speaks with Ryan and Melissa Park, who lost their daughter Kylie to a car accident in 2019. The Parks have established two gifts at the Eccles School of Business in Kylie’s name, and are joined this episode by current student Cynthia Wang, the 2021 recipient of the “Launch Your Imagination Kylie B. Park Memorial Scholarship.”

Together, the Parks and Cynthia share how Kylie’s memory and legacy has inspired curiosity and exploration in their own lives.

On Kylie’s curiosity and adventurous spirit…

Ryan Park (4:30): “Kylie for the longest time wasn't a huge outdoorsy person, but at some point that became part of who she was. She was continually curious about where to go next and what to do, and what to experience. We were in Page, Arizona and she had the wild idea, ‘Hey, let's go to the Grand Canyon for sunrise.’”

Melissa Park (5:25): “So we grabbed blankets out of our trailer and… that is one of the best memories we have. We have seen the sunrise at the Grand Canyon with both of our girls, and it was beautiful.”

On the impact of a memorial scholarship…

Cynthia Wang (13:40): “The lovely thing about being able to have financial support is that it doesn't just open up the door for, like, your college degree. It definitely allows you to pursue all your other passions.”

Ryan Park (): “It means that she still has a continuing impact. And that's hugely important for a parent. Because we miss her all the time.”

On how Kylie’s memory or legacy influences them today…

Cynthia Wang (22:39): “I think a lot of times people come to college thinking, ‘Oh, I need to choose something that I'm gonna do for the rest of my life.’ I definitely came into college thinking that. But I think it really makes me realize, you can really change your path at any time, any moment.”

Cynthia Wang (21:52): “I feel like I'm the type of person who in the past would really stick to the stuff that I know cuz I get really anxious and it’s easy to stay comfortable. For instance, I never thought I would be into rock climbing. I really hate heights and like it still terrifies me, but I really enjoy rock climbing now. That's definitely one of the things I feel like I would never have had the time or energy to pursue otherwise.”

Ryan Park (19:25): “The two of us have tried to continue to find ways to be adventurous, to experience new things, take advantage of the time that we have together. This year we traveled more than we have ever traveled, and we discovered we enjoy traveling. We've experienced some great new places and… we continue to be curious as to what is around us.”

• Artist Scholarship & Award Established In Memory Of Kylie Park
• Kylie Park Obituary
• @Kynd_like_kylie Instagram

This season, join host Frances Johnson as she explores the topic of continuous curiosity, asking: What is curiosity? Why is it important? And what roadblocks prevent us from being curious in our work, homes, and communities? Throughout this season, we’ll also hear from guests who have used curiosity to pursue something new – a degree, a profession, or a passion.

In this episode, Frances speaks with Michelle King, a graduate of the full-time MBA program at the Eccles School. Michelle talks about her non-traditional experience as a student and how it shaped her current role as a consultant with Kalypso. She’s joined by career coach Melissa Young, who shares how she works to foster curiosity in others and the role that a mentor can play in helping someone succeed on an unexpected path.

On barriers to curiosity…

Melissa: (10:24) “Fear is really what shuts things down. And I think when the stakes feel so high - in this case, you have unplugged from your career and you're in that unknown - it's easy to attach to an archetype of what it should look like… scarcity is another thing that can really start to shut down curiosity, feeling like there's lack or not enough.”

On embracing the freedom to be found in uncertainty…

Michelle: (9:39) “It took a little while, but I found that it is so valuable to be curious and truly just learn and talk to other people without the intention of ‘what can I get from them?’ Going in with genuine curiosity, not expecting that they're gonna offer you something after, but just saying: I wanna learn about what they're doing, and maybe that's something I might be interested in.”

On the value of a coaching relationship…

Melissa: (17:09) “I think that my personal way of coaching someone is to really look at where they want to create impact in an organization, and how they want to do that with both their soft skills and their hard skills that they're developing, rather than looking for the [job] title in the very beginning.”

Michelle: (24:53) “Having a coach or a mentor…that person may see things or be able to have evidence that you may not have locked in. [To say] ‘I've seen you do these five things. What are you saying that you're not good at that? I've witnessed this.’ It’s really helpful in that identity-making and shift.”

Michelle: (13:52) “Just giving me that permission to be myself. I don't think I would've been able to unlock that if it wasn't for Melissa telling me that it was okay.”

• Michelle King LinkedIn
• Melissa Young LinkedIn

This season, join host Frances Johnson as she explores the topic of continuous curiosity, asking: What is curiosity? Why is it important? And what roadblocks prevent us from being curious in our work, homes and communities? Throughout this season, we’ll also hear from guests who have used curiosity to pursue something new – a degree, a profession, or a passion.

In this episode, Frances speaks with Jeff Olsen, president and CEO of Boart Longyear – the world's leading provider of drilling services, drilling equipment, and performance tooling for mining and drilling companies. Jeff talks about the role curiosity plays in the corporate culture at Boart Longyear and what he and his team do to make sure they are hiring and nurturing curious employees.

On the challenges of managing a global business…

(4:23) “Because we work in so many different parts of the world, we have the danger [of solving] the same problem in different parts of the world in a different way. And sharing those solutions is a really hard thing to do.”

On the value of curiosity across operations…

(5:38) “Finding new ways to do things is about sharing good ideas, and sharing good ideas is often about curiosity.”

(12:46) “I don't think there's too many industries out there that don't need to keep reinventing themselves to stay relevant.”

On how Boart Longyear fosters a culture of curiosity… 

(15:01) “Personally, I like to ask how people solve problems. You know, tell me a problem and how you approached it. And the reason why I do that is because it gives a good sense of are they curious? Did they explore different options? How much do their previous biases come to bear?

Or are they very open minded about how they approach a problem? I think that mindset is actually very important.”

• Jeff Olsen’s bio
• Boart Longyear’s website

This season, join host Frances Johnson as she explores the topic of continuous curiosity, asking: What is curiosity? Why is it important? And what roadblocks prevent us from being curious in our work, homes, and communities? Throughout this season, we’ll also hear from guests who have used curiosity to pursue something new – a degree, a profession, or a passion.

In this episode, Frances chats with Jason Sloan and Brooke Lenzen, who lead the Executive Education department at the David Eccles School of Business. Jason and Brooke share their tips for growing – or pivoting – your career through continuing education and go in-depth about the resources offered through the Exec Ed program.

On who can benefit from executive education

Brooke Lenzen (3:59): “We never stop learning in our lifetime. Learning is not a destination. It's really a journey. And what executive education provides is the opportunity for people to be lifetime learners. So what I love to see in all of our classes is individuals that not only receive promotions or additional compensation in their careers but gain so much personally as well. We have our MBA programs that are offered underneath executive education for those seeking a degree, but we also have the non-degree certificate-based programs that allow someone to up-skill in certain areas that provide them that next step in their educational journey and the opportunity to really increase their curiosity and grow as leaders, both personally and professionally.”

Jason Sloan (21:30): “What we're seeing from organizations that encourage that curiosity is that they build a little bit of loyalty. And that the investment that they're putting into individuals, they are getting retention from those individuals because they know that they're continuing to grow.”

On finding a work-life integration, not “work-life balance”

Brook Lenzen (20:16): “Change is constant. And so preparing yourself for change means that there's not a balance. And that's okay, it's about finding rhythm. And that rhythm doesn't end when you walk into the office, right? That rhythm is still there. It's there 24/7, and it's going to change as individuals change and as their lives change and their priorities change as well.”

On the long-term benefits to employers and organizations

Jason Sloan (21:49) “When people look to change, they're seeking something different, right? Something in that organization is not working. Are they growing? I think that's what a lot of people are looking for. They feel that the organization is not allowing them to explore a new space, encouraging them to grow. And … by offering an opportunity for them to seek out ways to engage that curiosity, I think that is potentially an antidote for some of the quiet quitting and great resignation that we've seen.”

• Brooke Lenzen’s bio
• Jason Sloan’s bio
• Executive Education page

Welcome back to a third season of the Eccles Business Buzz podcast! 

This season, join host Frances Johnson as she explores the topic of continuous curiosity, asking: What is curiosity? Why is it important? And what roadblocks prevent us from being curious in our work, homes and communities? Throughout this season, we’ll also hear from guests who have used curiosity to pursue something new – a degree, a profession, or a passion.

In this episode, Frances chats with Glen Kreiner, Chair of the Department of Management at the David Eccles School of Business. Glen is also the L.S. Skaggs Presidential Chair in Business Ethics Management. His award-winning research focuses on our identities at work, mindfulness, work/life dynamics, and ethics. 

Glen talks about the relationship between mindfulness and curiosity, and how we can all work to develop what he calls a “beginner's mind.”

On practicing mindfulness

Glen (4:14) - “One of the things we talked about in a paper we had published recently is the idea of mindfulness capacity. That's something that can be built, kind of like putting water into a reservoir. If the reservoir is dry, you don't have any water left. So we try to think about how we build a mindfulness capacity so that in those stressful moments, we can call upon our mindfulness skills. If we want to be creative or curious or think about ourselves or our relationships, we can draw upon those mind practices.”

On the benefits of a beginner’s mind

Glen (16:19) “In the eyes of a beginner, there’s lots of possibilities. But iIf you think you're an expert, there aren't many possibilities. You think you've already figured it out. So that beginner's mind is a really wonderful tool for curiosity and creativity, because it helps you throw assumptions out the window.”

On using mindfulness to understand our identities and the perceptions of others

Glen (29:09) “My perception of myself is not the same as these people's perception of me, or maybe they're seeing something that I can cultivate so that I can feel that way about myself. / (25:47) Whether the label came from me or someone else, what does that word mean? Do I want it, or do I not want it? Do I want to change the meaning of it? Cause maybe I keep the word. Change the meaning of it. And that's what mindfulness and curiosity can allow us to do with these identity labels that either we or others put on ourselves.”

• Glen Kreiner’s bio

Eccles Business Buzz is a podcast created by the Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah. This podcast features alumni and tackles different topics and issues around the globe and within our community. Stay connected with the school and other alumni through updates on what's happening at Eccles and what's happening in the business world.