John N.
5.0
(29)
Kellogg MBA | 17+ Yrs Coaching | Top 7 MBA Admits | US & Intl Applicants
Studied at Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern)
Works at Illinois Tool Works
Successful clients at
Available tomorrow at 5:00 PM UTC
Available for R2 applicants. If the times available do not fit your schedule, please send me a message and we can coordinate a time that better fits your needs.
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
John's Coaching Offerings
Craft Powerful MBA Essays
Craft winning MBA essays through brainstorming, drafting, and editing
Starting at $1,187.505h+ of coaching
Comprehensive MBA Application Package — Land Your Dream Program
Expert help on your MBA essays, recommendations, resume, and more
Starting at $5,00020h+ of coaching
Nail the MBA Interview
Practice realistic mock MBA interviews with a trained expert
Starting at $727.503h+ of coaching
Custom hourly · $250/hr
Get help with Editing, Recommendations, and .
John’s MBA Qualifications
60+ people coached for MBA
John has helped clients get into these schools:
Welcome to my profile! I'm John, a seasoned MBA admissions coach with over 17 years of experience helping clients gain admission to top 7 business schools. With a rich background in global brand management at companies like Procter & Gamble, Brinker International and Yum! Brands, I bring strategic marketing insights to craft compelling and unique narratives for each applicant. My multicultural upbringing and fluency in English, Spanish, and Arabic allow me to connect deeply with clients from diverse backgrounds, ensuring a personalized coaching approach. Let's work together to differentiate your application and make your story stand out to admissions committees including, but not limited to the following MBA Programs: Kellogg Harvard Stanford Booth MIT Sloan Wharton INSEAD Fuqua Haas McCombs UNC Kenan-Flager UCLA Anderson I look forward to working together and crafting your story to get you in your dream MBA program!
John can help with:
Editing
Recommendations
Interviews
Cover Letters
Ding Analysis
Networking Strategy
Waitlist Strategy
School Selection
Secondary Review
Application Strategy
Essays
Resume
General Exploration
Supplementary Materials
About John
I am John Naoum, an established global brand management professional with almost two decades of MBA admissions coaching experience. My coaching expertise is informed by my extensive strategic marketing background to help you develop a narrative that is both compelling and differentiated. Born and raised in Ecuador to Lebanese parents, I was immersed in a multicultural environment that shaped my perspective. This upbringing, coupled with extensive international travel, resulted in fluency across English, Spanish, and Arabic. This unique background provides me with the ability to deeply understand and connect with clients from diverse cultural and professional settings, ensuring a personalized coaching approach. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Economics from Purdue University, and I received my MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. I have also been a Kellogg Alumni interviewer for 10 years. Professionally, I come from an extensive career in Global Brand Management, where I worked at Procter & Gamble, Dr Pepper Snapple Group (now Keurig Dr Pepper), Brinker International, Yum! Brands and most recently Illinois Tool Works, where I manage leading brands like Rain-X and Black Magic. I leverage my marketing and strategic acumen to help clients develop a compelling narrative and positioning. With over 17 years of MBA admissions coaching experience, I believe in the power of differentiation and helping clients tell their own unique stories to truly standout to admissions committees. I am very humbled and proud of my track record in coaching where I have successfully aided applicants in gaining admission to the world's top business schools. including but not limited to: Kellogg Harvard Stanford University of Chicago (Booth) MIT Sloan Wharton INSEAD Fuqua Haas McCombs UNC Kenan-Flager UCLA Anderson I look forward to working together and crafting your story.
Why do I coach?
Conquering the Odds: My Journey to Coaching In 2006, I was told that my relatively low GMAT score would not get me into a top school, let alone Kellogg, which was my dream. This wasn't the first time someone had tried to discourage me from a goal I desperately wanted to achieve. In doing my research, I discovered that although standardized test scores are an important part of an application, schools look for a holistic candidate to join their program. I had faith that the rest of my background was strong, and if I put my story together, I had a shot. I had solid work experience at a reputable company like Dell, a strong GPA from a challenging engineering program at Purdue, I had started my own company with my brother, I was involved in my church and community, and I was helping ordinary people build their livelihoods in the USA. I couldn't let a single test score stop me from achieving my dreams. So, I started writing. The first line in my Kellogg essays was: "In the face of a challenge, passion and motivation arise to conquer obstacles and achieve goals." That was, and continues to be, my motivation. Long story short, I got into every single MBA program I applied to. At that moment, I realized I had the gift of connecting the dots and conveying an authentic and powerful story—one that could open the doors to achieving any goal. The next year, colleagues and friends with similar educational goals reached out, and I helped them with their application strategy, essays, and developing their own unique stories.. I helped them gain admission to programs like HBS, Stanford, INSEAD, Kellogg, and McCombs, to name just a few. I was in it with them. The joy I felt when they got in was personal—as if I were the applicant myself—as was the sting of rejection. For the next two years, I continued helping colleagues, friends, and their friends gain admission to top schools. By 2010, a Kellogg classmate told me about an Admissions Consulting firm founded by a fellow grad. I reached out and got the opportunity to join them as an independent consultant. Fifteen years later, I'm proud to say every single client has gained admission to at least one school of their choice, and I intend to keep that record going. Although I cannot guarantee admission, I can guarantee that I am all in with my clients, from start to finish. Together, we will craft YOUR story—one that is authentic, compelling, and unique— and work on eliminating limiting beliefs and self-doubt. Ultimately, our work together will position you in the best way possible to get a fair shot in the competitive world of admissions. Coaching is a passion of mine.. Every single person has a unique story to tell and my goal is for each individual to show up as their best self, confident about who you are and the story you tell about yourself. One that will carry through and elevate you beyond a just an application.
Work Experience
Group Brand Manager
Illinois Tool Works
September 2021 - Present
Responsible for Rain-X and Black Magic Car Care/Appearance P&L, Brand/Digital/Product/Pricing Strategy, Innovation and Execution. Optimization, Product Placement and +82 skills
Admissions Consultant
Stacy Blackman Consulting
January 2010 - October 2025
Over 17 years of Admissions Consulting experience, including 2 years as an independent consultant. I have had the privilege of coaching and helping over 70 clients get into top tier MBA programs such as Harvard, INSEAD, Kellogg, Booth, Wharton, Berkeley etc...
Sr Brand Manager - Latin America
Yum! Brands
December 2020 - September 2021
Responsible for Pizza Hut’s Brand, Innovation and Digital strategy/execution across 30 countries in Latin America. Regional Marketing, Budget Management and +53 skills
Sr Marketing Manager
Brinker International
January 2014 - October 2020
Led Global Marketing Strategy, Positioning, Innovation, E-Commerce, CRM and Media Mix across Latin America, Middle East, North Africa, India and East/South East Asia for Chili's Grill & Bar
Portfolio Manager & Portfolio Strategist
Keurig Dr Pepper
August 2008 - January 2014
Re-launched 7UP in the USA, earned design patents for new bottle innovation, managed portfolio strategy of carbonated soft-drinks and expanded innovation and distribution of hispanic focused brands into mainstream channels and accounts such as Walmart, Target & Kroger
Assistant Brand Manager
Procter & Gamble
June 2007 - August 2007
Development & Failure Analysis Engineer
Dell
August 2002 - June 2006
Education
Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern)
MBA, Marketing, Management & Strategy, Management & Organizations, International Business
2006 - 2008
Activities and societies: HBSA, LAHIMA, General Management Club, Marketing Co-Chair for Leadership Conference Arithmetic, Builds Relationships and +4 skills
Purdue University
Bachelor of Science, Electrical Engineering, Minor in Economics
1998 - 2002
Activities and societies: Eta, Kappa, Nu (HKN), Phi Eta Sigma, Alpha Lambda Delta. IEEE, SHPE Arithmetic, Builds Relationships and +2 skills
29 Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
John has helped clients get into these schools: