Leland+ Content Library

Manage Your MBA Application Stress

As someone who works closely with dozens of MBA applicants every year, one of the biggest differentiators among successful candidates is their ability to manage anxiety from multiple angles. Recommender hasn't gotten back in two weeks? Not sure where to begin on essays? Have to take the GRE or GMAT again after a tough score? Read something on Reddit that made you feel you're destined for rejection? It's a lot. Tons of moving parts, some not entirely within your control. From start to finish, I've seen candidates struggle with everything from sleep to self-worth. But that doesn't have to be you. Taking on the part-time job of MBA applications doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your well-being. This is where functional research and getting a grip on our health can make a world of a difference. Partnering with Rachel—a Certified Health Coach and nutrition expert—to tackle my own health has given me a deeper understanding of how my body works, and how to make good choices. After we speak to the sources of our stress, Rachel will walk us through some key physical and behavioral signs we should be aware of, and targeted strategies to keeping you healthy during (and likely long after) your MBA apps are in. We're hoping to build this event into a long-term series, so this should be the first of many. Look forward to de-stressing with you, and hopefully having some fun too.

Managing MBA Application Stress (Deck)

Learn from the slides of a past event designed to help you think through the honest realities of the process and buckling down of it all, how to keep your health and life in the foreground even with a lot going on, and how to not think of your health like firewood in service of a work product.

Getting Into a Top MBA Program: Strategies for Success

An overview session covering key tactics for building a standout MBA application—from defining your story and choosing schools to optimizing each component for maximum impact.

Mock McKinsey Case Interview with Tips

A live case interview walkthrough paired with insider advice on recruiting for top consulting roles—covering prep strategies, resume tips, and interview best practices.

Build an Investor-Level Pitch Deck with Claude, Excel & PowerPoint [5/29/2026] (Recording)

Build Anything Series · Event 03 · Free · Live Investor decks are a specific genre. They aren't "presentations." They're a tight argument backed by a defensible model, told in 12 slides. This event walks through how to build one with Claude, Excel, and PowerPoint working together — the way real founders actually do it now. What we'll build live: - The financial model — TAM/SAM/SOM, unit economics, P&L forecast, sensitivities, all in Excel/Sheets with Claude generating and reviewing the formulas - The story — problem, market, solution, traction, team, ask. Each slide does one job. We'll write them tight. - The slides — clean figures, charts that read in 3 seconds, narrative continuity. Polished and ready to send. Who it's for: - Founders fundraising (or about to) - Operators building internal pitches for new initiatives - Anyone who's stared at a blank deck for two weeks waiting for inspiration Not a fit if: - You don't have a real business or initiative to pitch - You want me to make a deck for you — this is a workshop, you build alongside We'll be honest about what investors actually look at (versus what advisors say they look at), and where AI helps versus where it gets in the way. Bring your data — even rough — and we'll build live.

Design Beautiful Presentations with Claude [5/19/2026] (Recording)

Build Anything Series · Event 02 · Free · Live Most people use Claude as a writing assistant and stop there. Then they open PowerPoint, fight with templates for two hours, and ship something that looks like every other deck. There's a better way. In this hour, we'll build presentations end-to-end with Claude — from a one-line brief to polished, on-brand slides. No templates, no stock-photo aesthetic, no drag-the-text-box-three-pixels-left. What we'll build live: - Generate a deck from a one-line brief — outline, structure, narrative arc, all in one prompt loop - Iterate without leaving Claude — slide-by-slide refinement using structured prompts (not "make it better") - Export polished, on-brand presentations — color systems, type, layout, rendered cleanly Who it's for: - Coaches, consultants, founders, PMs who present often and hate the deck-building tax - People who've prompted Claude for design work and gotten generic results - Anyone who wants their slides to feel like theirs, not a SaaS template Not a fit if: - You're already a senior visual designer with a tight workflow - You want to learn pure Figma/Keynote craft — this is about directing AI to do most of the work We'll talk about where Claude excels (structure, narrative, copy, layout systems) and where it still needs you (taste, judgment, the final 10% of polish). Bring a real project you'd like to work on — fastest way to learn.

Job Search Operating System | Prompt Library

Build Your Own Job Search OS — Companion Guide — the underlying system from the May 13 Build Anything session, packaged so you can recreate it from scratch. Inside: - Step-by-step build for the 6 trackers in Notion or Excel: full property lists, view filters, exact column headers - The full prompt library, every prompt mapped to a specific moment in your search (spotting a role, auto-filling an application, weekly inbox sweep, interview prep, reference calls) - A 7-day runbook to get the whole system live inside a week - Scheduled-task templates for the morning brief, weekly sweep, and Sunday retro - A failure-modes table for when the prompts don't behave This is for anyone running a real job search who's tired of holding 50 active threads in their head, rewriting "why this company" for the 47th time, or losing track of which recruiter said "check back in a month." You walk away with working trackers, prompts you can actually run, and daily/weekly cadence prompts to keep you up to date so you can focus on networking, prep and the more important human components of a real-life job search.

M7 Interview Series: Stanford

Stanford interviews are a pivotal step in the M7 admissions process, and thoughtful preparation can set you apart. This interview series is designed to help you approach your Stanford interview with confidence and clarity. You’ll learn how to structure strong answers, communicate your goals and values effectively, and handle common behavioral and fit questions. Whether you’re preparing for your first interview or refining your approach, you’ll leave with practical strategies to stand out.

Writing a Holistic Set of Kellogg Essays (Deck)

Many applicants find a way to write at least one strong essay. But those that really maximize the essay-writing process find a way to make clear how their experiences inform their goals, and develop clear narrative through-lines that make their contributions to the school and program tangible. They have a “brand”. You know what they’re all about. This event will draw from example essays written by successful Northwestern Kellogg admits. These essays were particularly strong in how they spoke to one another—how they created a three-dimensional applicant who top Kellogg AdComs could envision contributing to their community. Their professional and judiciously placed personal experience offer evidence for why they’re the kind of person who will make their specific kind of difference in the world. During this session, we'll analyze these essays alongside you so you have a clear view into how you can apply what you've learned to your own writing, and put your best application forward for Kellogg's top-flight MBA program.

Live Mock MBA Interview

​In this workshop, you’ll experience what it’s really like to be in the MBA hot seat through a mock interview led by top Leland coaches Angela C. and Ben L. With years of experience coaching applicants into programs like Stanford GSB, HBS, and Wharton, they know exactly what admissions committees are looking for. ​You’ll practice tackling the toughest questions, get real-time feedback on your answers, and learn strategies to communicate with confidence and authenticity. Whether you’re preparing for your first interview or refining your approach for final rounds, this session will help you sharpen your skills and stand out in the competitive MBA admissions process.

Stanford GSB Impact Essays | Set of 3 | Healthcare

Wondering what to put for Stanford's "optional" short answer questions? Check out three 1200-character responses from a recent GSB admit

The 2026 MBA Recommender Prep Packet

Everything your recommenders need to write standout MBA letters — outreach scripts, a school-by-school breakdown of every recommender question, a worked example, and the full 2026–27 Round 1/2/3 deadline table so nothing slips. From the coach behind 300+ M7 admits.

Writing a Holistic Set of HBS Essays

Your first-draft essays for Harvard Business School probably aren't what you think they are. Listen to two of Leland's top coaches help you see why, and more importantly, know how you can elevate them to a point where you can "go to school in the Boston area".

Consulting Case Frameworks and Structuring

A tactical session on breaking down case interview problems using clear, MECE-aligned frameworks—covering profitability, market entry, M&A, and more.