Dr. Ian Williamson, Dean of UC Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business, shares how he applies his assessment framework to both his leadership role and the organizations he advises. He explains that, whether leading an academic institution or consulting with companies, success depends on regularly understanding the external environment, evaluating operational health, and aligning strategy with future trends.

• He applies the same logic to organizational assessment: identify external shifts, sense them early through the right advisors, and translate insights into strategy, hiring, and service design
• His talent management philosophy includes building internal capabilities (“making”) alongside acquiring new talent (“buying”) to create sustainable performance

Williamson’s approach highlights that effective leadership requires continual reflection on where time is spent, awareness of the environment’s influence, and disciplined adjustments to remain relevant. – The Business of Creativity Podcast – Tai M. Brown

BOCreativity Question: When should an entrepreneur's role change within the company they founded?

Peak Sports MGMT executives, Ryan Holloway (President) and Wes Abercrombie (Vice President), talk about evolving roles within the company. Holloway, co-founder and president, has been the technician, the manager, and the entrepreneur throughout the company's existence. Abercrombie started in an entry-level position and has worked his way up to the #3 executive within the organization. The two hash out roles and responsibilities as Abercrombie's role and influence has grown along with the company.

Peak Sports MGMT is a 3rd Party Multi-Marketing company which operates primarily within the college athletics industry. - The Business of Creativity Podcast - Tai M. Brown

Urina Harrell started her company, Vox Pop Branding, while she was a student-athlete at Duke. At the time, college athletes couldn't make any extra income as it was before the Name-Image-Likeness movement we see today. Now, 11 years later, she is still focused on the purpose of the company which is to help people grow their businesses using positive impact messaging.

Key insights:

• Communication breakdowns often underlie organizational challenges
• Her background as a Walmart buyer informs her marketing expertise
• If the work you do is based on who you are, work-life balance can be elusive

With clients such as Jrue & Lauren Holiday, Harrell is very selective in the businesses she engages with. The primary filter is the focus on positive impact. - The Business of Creativity Podcast - Tai M. Brown

Matt Roberts created a newsletter that almost every NCAA Division I Director of Athletics reads everyday. The D1.ticker is one of the primary sources of information covering key business developments throughout the college athletics industry. His business, Drive & Company, exists to make the lives of decision makers in college athletics easier.

• Build trust through consistency
• Act on ideas that add value to customers
• Be realistic about who you are and what you are good at

In this episode, Roberts covers the thought process behind creating the business and how he views value creation around his company's purpose. - The Business of Creativity Podcast - Tai M. Brown

Kaity Iwashita, FT-MBA and Co-President of Graziadio Women's Business Association discusses how she got an internship with Nike, her goals with GWBA, and the importance of networking.

Dr. Michael Cusumano, Managing Director at Cusumano Real Estate and 2022 Doctor of Business Administration, discusses his research on the LEED and Cal-Green designations and whether or not they have a positive impact on the environment. Cusumano also covers his reason for pursuit of his doctorate.

Misty Anderson visits The Business of Creativity Podcast to talk about her role as VP of Operations for My Block Inc. and how her MS in Management and Leadership from Graziadio has helped her succeed in her role. She talks about her decision to pursue the MSML instead of an MBA. She also covers how her focus on communication is at the base of much of what she does. The conversation wraps on her involvement with Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and insight on how she defines success.

Ece Er Aydin, founder of Olizzi Olive Oil Company, talks about using the diverge-converge method to come up with her business idea while in the entrepreneurship class at Graziadio. Aydin also discusses her method for expanding into the Japanese market. The conversation wraps on the value of decision intelligence and the entrepreneurship mindset.

Atalie Oliva, FEMBA 2022, and President of the LatinX MBA Conexion at Graziadio, talks about what she expects from her new job, leading a new student organization, and her journey as a leader.

FEMBA student, Lauren Elsner, visits The Business of Creativity to talk about her journey to business school, running the Graziadio Women's Business Association, and her thoughts on leadership.