Leland+ Content Library

How I Founded, Scaled and Exited my Brand Last Year

Cashmere is the Founder and CEO of Beauty Bakerie, a cosmetics company she built into a globally distributed brand before being acquired by West Lane Capital Partners. Sold in nearly 2000 locations worldwide and backed by more than $15M in venture capital, Beauty Bakerie grew into San Diego’s fastest-growing private company from 2015 to 2017 and developed a strong, multi-platform social media presence with over 1M followers. The brand earned recognition from publications including Allure, Cosmopolitan, Forbes, Good Morning America, Teen Vogue, Essence, Elle, Oprah, and BuzzFeed. As a founder who led vision, branding, product development, and overall strategy, Cashmere has firsthand experience navigating fundraising, hyper-growth, market expansion, and the acquisition process. In this session, she will share key lessons from scaling a consumer brand, building a team, developing products, working with retailers, and preparing for exit. Attendees will gain insight into what drives brand value, how to manage rapid growth, and the strategic decisions that shaped Beauty Bakerie’s trajectory from inception to acquisition.

The 5 Toughest Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

Some interview questions trip up even the strongest candidates—not because they’re impossible, but because they’re designed to test judgment, self-awareness, and communication under pressure. In this session, you’ll break down the five hardest interview questions candidates consistently struggle with and learn proven frameworks to answer them clearly, confidently, and authentically. We’ll cover what interviewers are actually listening for, how to structure strong responses, and how to avoid common pitfalls that weaken otherwise solid answers. Whether you’re interviewing for consulting, finance, tech, or grad school, this workshop will give you practical tools to handle high-stakes questions with ease.

AI Automation Tools 101: Zapier, Make, and n8n for Beginners

Automation tools are making it possible for anyone to connect apps, streamline workflows, and use AI to handle repetitive tasks. In this beginner-friendly workshop, you’ll get a practical introduction to three of the most widely used automation platforms: Zapier, Make, and n8n. In this workshop, you’ll learn how these tools work, when to use each one, and how they enable AI-powered workflows that connect your everyday apps. The session will include quick demos of real automations so you can see how triggers, actions, and AI steps come together to automate tasks like notifications, summaries, and data updates. This workshop is designed for beginners—no coding or prior automation experience required. By the end, you’ll understand the basic landscape of AI automation tools and how to start building simple workflows to save time in your work.

Case Walkthrough with a Former Bain Interviewer: Mergers and Acquisitions

M&A cases are a core part of consulting interviews, but many candidates struggle to structure them clearly and communicate their thinking under pressure. This session is for candidates preparing for consulting interviews who want a better approach to tackling mergers and acquisitions cases. You’ll learn how to break down an M&A prompt, structure your analysis across synergies and risks, and walk through a case the way interviewers expect to see it.

The STEM Master’s Application Timeline: What to Do and When

Applying to STEM master’s programs is as much about timing as it is about qualifications, and knowing what to do when can give you a major advantage. This session breaks down the full application timeline, from early preparation and test planning to essays, recommendations, school selection, and final submission. You’ll learn how to prioritize tasks, avoid last-minute stress, and align your experiences and materials with competitive STEM programs. Whether you’re just starting to plan or already mid-cycle, this workshop will help you stay organized, proactive, and on track.

Breaking Into Growth Equity: How Funds Think, Hire, and Invest

Growth equity is where high-growth companies scale—and breaking in starts with understanding how funds operate. This session offers an inside look at how growth equity firms think, hire, and invest. You’ll learn how funds evaluate opportunities, what they look for in candidates, and how recruiting differs from PE or VC. Whether you’re exploring the space or preparing to recruit, you’ll leave with clear insight and momentum to pursue growth equity with confidence.

Headhunters and Resumes: How to Get Noticed in PE Recruiting

Private equity recruiting is highly selective, and your resume and cover letter need to communicate impact, rigor, and investment judgment quickly. This session is designed for candidates targeting PE roles who want to understand how top applicants position their experience and stand out on paper. You’ll learn how to structure a results-driven resume, highlight deal and transaction experience effectively, and craft a cover letter that clearly signals fit and interest in the firm.

Duke MBA Essay 2 Example: The Fuqua Community and You

This is an example of the Duke Fuqua MBA Essay #2 which has the following essay prompt: "Fuqua prides itself on cultivating a culture of engagement. Our students enjoy a wide range of student-led organizations that provide opportunities for leadership development and personal fulfillment, as well as an outlet for contributing to society. Our student-led government, clubs, centers, and events are an integral part of the student culture and to the development of leaders. Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, what are 3 ways you expect to contribute at Fuqua? Your response will be limited to 1 page (500 words maximum)."

Your Master’s Application Roadmap: Where to Start and What Matters

Starting a master's application can feel overwhelming when you're unsure where to focus your time and energy. This session is for prospective applicants who want a clear, structured approach to the process from the very beginning. You'll leave with a practical understanding of how to prioritize your application components, what admissions committees actually weigh when evaluating candidates, and how to build a timeline that keeps you on track without second-guessing every decision.

The Military-to-MBA Timeline: What to Do and When

After this session, you will know exactly how to sequence your MBA application efforts as a military candidate, from when to start building your school list to how to time your GMAT prep around separation or transition milestones. You will also leave with a clear picture of how to frame your service record for civilian admissions committees and which application components military candidates most often underinvest in.

What Admissions Committees Look For—And How to Prepare Strategically

Admissions decisions rarely come down to just grades or test scores. Committees are evaluating patterns—how your experiences, goals, and character come together to signal future impact. In What Admissions Committees Look For, you’ll learn how strong applicants position themselves across the entire application. Melissa works 1:1 with candidates navigating competitive admissions and will share the same frameworks used in coaching sessions to evaluate and strengthen an application. Who This Is For - Applicants preparing for competitive graduate or professional programs - Candidates planning to apply in the next 1–2 cycles - Students unsure how to position their experiences strategically - Re-applicants looking to strengthen their overall profile What You’ll Walk Away With - The key signals admissions committees look for across applications - How evaluators connect your academics, experience, and goals - The patterns I see across successful candidates - The common positioning mistakes I fix in 1:1 sessions - How to build a stronger application strategy months before applying

Pivoting to Product Management

Thinking about making the move into product management but not sure where to start? Join Nina S. as she leads this workshop designed for career switchers looking to break into PM roles, whether you’re coming from consulting, engineering, design, operations, or something else entirely. ​She'll cover topics such as what hiring managers look for, how to translate your past experience into product-ready language, and smart ways to build relevant skills before you apply. You’ll leave with a clearer sense of what it takes to pivot—and how to position yourself for success in the PM job market.

How to Answer "Why this Company"

One of the most common interview questions is "Why do you want to work here?" In this video we will discuss what your approach and strategy should be as you answer this question in your behavioral interviews.

Skills for Campaign Feedback & Improvement

The "Skills for Campaign Feedback & Improvement" bundle is the final step in an operating stack which includes "Skills for Finding the Right Clients" and "Skills for Client Outreach" bundles. This bundle runs after campaigns are in motion, diagnoses what's breaking in the funnel, extracts patterns from what's working, and closes the loop back into the foundation and outreach bundles. To install, run this in your terminal after downloading the file: unzip ~/Downloads/performance-bundle.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/

The Dual-Lens Approach to MBA Interview Prep

A strategic approach to interviews that trains you to think like both the candidate and the interviewer.

Chicago Booth: Essay Breakdown & Tips

Discover expert tips for aceing your Chicago Booth essays—uncover what makes responses distinctive, strategic, and authentic.

5 Month Countdown to AMCAS Submission

With less than 6 months to go until AMCAS opening dates, come hear from a seasoned coach on how to maximize the next few months. We'll cover application strategy, timeline, and tips from someone with multiple school acceptances and 10+ program interviews.

Sales Force Structure (Unconventional)

A unique case study on how to design and optimize a sales force structure to improve performance and meet strategic goals.

10 Common Mistakes Applicants Make in Private Equity Recruiting - And How to Avoid Them

Private Equity (PE) recruiting is one of the most competitive processes in finance. Whether you're an investment banking analyst, a management consultant, or coming from corporate development, breaking into PE takes more than just technical know-how. It’s about strategy, preparation, and self-awareness.