Leland+ Content Library

AMA: Buying a Business as a Serial Acquirer [8/15/2026] (Recording)

Buying a business sounds simple: find a great company, make an offer, close the deal, and become an owner. The reality is much more complicated. Join Mark Fleming, CFA, FRM, for an open AMA on what it actually takes to buy, operate, and grow small businesses. Since acquiring his first company in 2017, Mark has partnered with operators to buy 20+ businesses across multiple industries, exited two, and advised buyers through more than 100 additional acquisition processes. Bring your questions about finding deals, evaluating opportunities, financing acquisitions, negotiating with sellers, structuring partnerships, navigating diligence, and avoiding expensive mistakes. Whether you're actively searching, preparing for your first acquisition, or thinking about building a portfolio of businesses, this is your chance to ask questions and hear lessons learned from hundreds of real deals (including the ones he walked away from).

Get 10x More Out of Claude by Organizing Your Context [6/15/2026] (Recording)

Many people use AI tools like Claude every day without realizing how much output quality depends on the context they provide. This workshop is for professionals, students, and builders who want to use Claude more effectively by organizing information in a way that leads to stronger, more reliable results. You’ll learn how to structure context for better responses, avoid the common prompting mistakes that create weak outputs, and build workflows that make AI substantially more useful in real work. Join live to see how an experienced AI coach approaches context organization and the patterns they see across effective AI users. You’ll also have the chance to ask questions in real time and learn practical frameworks typically shared in hands-on coaching and workflow sessions.

From Idea to Product with AI Agents [6/11/2026] (Recording)

After this session, you will know how to move from a raw product idea to a working prototype using AI agents, without a traditional engineering team. We'll cover how to scope an agent-driven build, which tools actually hold up in production, and how to think about iteration when the system is doing the work for you. Attending live means you can describe your specific idea or constraint and hear how to approach it directly, which is context a recording cannot give you. The coach works on AI-powered product development daily, and this session is a chance to see how that thinking applies in real time.

Lessons Learned from 100+ Business Acquisitions [7/25/2026] (Recording)

What can 100+ acquisitions teach you that no textbook can? Join Mark Fleming, CFA, FRM, as he shares the hard-earned lessons from more than 100 small business acquisitions. Mark reveals 10 patterns he's seen across hundreds transactions, from successful acquisitions to opportunities abandoned before they became expensive mistakes. This session is designed for current and aspiring business buyers who want practical, experience-based advice they can use to find better businesses, negotiate with confidence, and close stronger deals.

Blank Page to Submitted: Step by Step Guide to Writing Your Personal Statement [8/20/2026] (Recording)

Writing an MBA personal statement can be challenging when you’re trying to turn your experiences and goals into a clear, compelling story. This session is designed for MBA applicants who want practical best practices for writing stronger essays and a better understanding of what makes a personal statement effective. Ben and Allie will walk through key principles for developing your story, structuring your essay, and strengthening your writing, with examples to show what these principles look like in practice. Attending live gives you the opportunity to bring your specific questions, whether you’re starting from a blank page or working through a particular school’s prompt, and get a direct response in the moment. Ben and Allie will share the advice and techniques they use when working with MBA applicants and, where helpful, walk through example essays to show how strong writing decisions come together. If you want practical guidance you can apply to your own essays, it’s worth joining live.

What Applicants Often Miss: Resumes and Letters of Recommendation [8/18/2026] (Recording)

After this session, you'll know how to frame your resume for an MBA application rather than a job application, and how to brief recommenders so their letters actually reinforce your narrative. Most applicants underestimate both: resumes that read like LinkedIn profiles, and recommendation letters that praise effort instead of demonstrating impact. These are two of the most common patterns I see across candidates who stall at the screening stage. Attending live means you can describe your specific background and get a direct answer about what I would flag or fix, which a recording cannot give you. I review MBA applications regularly, and this session reflects how I actually think through these materials when I'm evaluating a real candidate's profile.

Job Search Week Kickoff: Land Your Next Job in 2026 [7/27/2026] (Recording)

The job market is changing fast, and the candidates who land the best opportunities in 2026 will be the ones with a clear strategy. This kickoff session is for students and professionals who want to approach their job search with more confidence, clarity, and purpose. You'll learn the core principles that consistently help candidates land competitive roles, from positioning yourself effectively to networking, interviewing, and navigating today's hiring landscape. Join live to hear from a panel of job search experts who have helped candidates break into some of the most sought-after industries. The panelists will share the tactics, mindset shifts, and hiring trends that are shaping successful job searches in 2026, along with practical advice you can apply immediately. Whether you're beginning your search or looking to level up your approach, this session will give you a strong foundation for landing your next role.

10 Must Haves for a Strong MBA Application [8/20/2026] (Recording)

After this session, you will know exactly what separates competitive MBA applications from the ones that fall short. We will cover how to frame your post-MBA goals in a way that feels coherent and specific, how to assess whether your recommenders are actually positioned to advocate for you, and how to evaluate your own candidacy the way an admissions committee would. Attending live means you can ask a direct question about your profile and hear how an experienced coach thinks through a case like yours in real time, context that a recording simply cannot replicate. This coach works with MBA applicants daily and will be sharing the patterns that consistently show up across strong applications, offering a genuine look into how this work gets done.

The MBA Story Sprint: Build a Compelling Admit-Ready Narrative [8/18/2026] (Recording)

This workshop will help MBA applicants move from a fragmented set of stories/experiences to a clear, compelling admissions narrative. We’ll break down how to craft a story that connects your career history, leadership moments, future goals, and “why MBA” into a narrative that feels distinctive, credible, linear, and harmonious. You’ll leave with a practical framework for identifying your strongest themes, avoiding generic essay traps, and building an application that shows not only what you’ve done, but also who you are, how you lead, and where you’re going. My objective for livestream attendees is simple: to equip MBA applicants with a framework to unlock the strongest version of their story, then communicate it with clarity, confidence, and proof. If you are a professional applying to MBA programs in Round 1 or Round 2 (especially if currently in or looking to switch to strategy, finance, consulting, corporate, or operations post-MBA), this event is for you! This is free. It's live. It's 1 hour that will transform your application. Reserve your spot now while seats are available. **** About your Host Jimmy is a Tuck MBA graduate, corporate strategy executive, and former Management Consultant with 13+ years of experience shaping high-stakes presentations and stories for senior executives and boards. As an MBA admissions coach, he helps applicants uncover what makes them distinctive and turn their experiences, goals, and values into a clear, authentic, and compelling application story.

The 30-Minute Narrative Framework Top Applicants Use [8/17/2026] (Recording)

In this session, you will learn how to structure your MBA narrative so that your career progression, pivot rationale, and post-MBA goals form a single coherent arc rather than three separate answers. That means building a 30-minute framework you can use to stress-test your story before it hits the essay or interview stage, and identifying the specific moments in your background that admissions committees actually weight when evaluating fit and readiness. Attending live means you can bring your specific background and get a direct read on whether your narrative holds together, which a recording cannot offer. The coach works with MBA applicants year-round and will share the patterns that separate the stories that land from the ones that read as generic, giving you a clear sense of how an experienced reader would evaluate your case.

Unlock Your Next Career Move: What Actually Gets You Hired [6/10/2026] (Recording)

Applying endlessly without getting interviews can make the job search feel frustrating and unpredictable. This session is designed for professionals who want a clearer understanding of what actually drives hiring decisions and how to position themselves more effectively in a competitive market. You’ll learn how to strengthen your resume narrative, communicate your value in interviews and networking conversations, and identify the signals hiring managers consistently look for across strong candidates. Attending live gives you the opportunity to ask questions about your own search and get real-time feedback on challenges you’re facing. The panelists work closely with candidates navigating career transitions and will share the patterns they see across successful job searches, along with what stands out during the hiring process. If you want a more focused and strategic approach to landing your next role, it’s worth joining live.

Word Problem tricks for the GRE [8/13/2026] (Recording)

After this session, you will know how to break down GRE word problems faster and with fewer errors. We will cover how to identify the hidden variable in rate and work problems, how to set up equations from dense word problems without losing track of what is being asked, and how to avoid the common misreads that cost test-takers points on problems they actually understand. Attending live means you can bring a specific problem type you keep getting wrong and hear how to think through it in real time, which a recording cannot replicate. The coach works with GRE students regularly and will share the patterns that separate high scorers from those who plateau, giving you a window into how an expert actually reads these problems.

Home for Ambition #19 — Weekly Live Show [8/12/2026] (Recording)

Home for Ambition is a weekly live show, hosted by Leland CEO, John Koelliker, for people trying to stay ahead as work, learning, and opportunity keep changing. Each episode tackles a handful of timely, high-signal topics across AI, careers, education, and the future of work. We expect thoughtful debate, unique perspectives, and practical takeaways you can actually use. It is not a typical interview show or a generic news recap. It is a live roundtable built to help ambitious people make sense of what is changing, understand what matters, and leave with a sharper point of view on how to navigate what comes next.

Investment Banking 101: Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis [7/13/2026] (Recording)

This session is designed for rising college sophomores. We will walk through a DCF from first principles, using a simple business example to understand how investors estimate future cash flows and convert them into a present-day valuation. Students will learn the intuition behind each component of a DCF. The goal is not to memorize formulas, but to understand why a DCF works and how finance professionals use it to determine what a business is worth. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to: Understand the key components of a DCF model. Explain the concept of discounting future cash flows. Understand how assumptions impact valuation. Calculate a basic DCF valuation. Interpret the results of a DCF analysis. Prerequisite: Familiarity with basic income statement concepts is recommended, but no prior modeling experience is required.

Home for Ambition #20 — Weekly Live Show [8/19/2026] (Recording)

Home for Ambition is a weekly live show, hosted by Leland CEO, John Koelliker, for people trying to stay ahead as work, learning, and opportunity keep changing. Each episode tackles a handful of timely, high-signal topics across AI, careers, education, and the future of work. We expect thoughtful debate, unique perspectives, and practical takeaways you can actually use. It is not a typical interview show or a generic news recap. It is a live roundtable built to help ambitious people make sense of what is changing, understand what matters, and leave with a sharper point of view on how to navigate what comes next.

How to Make IB Technicals Stick [8/11/2026] (Recording)

Many candidates spend hours reading technical guides but struggle to answer questions when the wording changes or the pressure increases. The problem is often not effort. It is the way they are studying. In this session, we'll cover how to begin preparing for investment banking technical interviews in a way that builds real understanding and recall. We'll discuss what to study first, how the major topics fit together, and how to move from passively reading answers to delivering them clearly out loud. You'll leave with a practical technical-preparation system that you can continue using throughout recruiting. You'll learn how to: - Study technical concepts in the right order - Build a foundation in accounting, valuation, M&A, and LBOs - Replace passive memorization with active recall - Practice answering questions clearly and under pressure - Diagnose gaps instead of repeatedly rereading guides - Create a realistic technical study plan for recruiting

LinkedIn Launchpad: Profile to Profit [8/11/2026] (Recording)

You're invisible to recruiters. Not because of your skills, but because of your discoverability. Recruiters don't browse profiles. They query them, filtering by skill, title, and location through Recruiter Seats. If your profile isn't a high-density match for their search, you don't exist in their results. Join me for LinkedIn Launchpad: Profile to Profit, a live workshop built around the 3 pillars that turn a passive profile into an authoritative brand: Discoverability The LinkedIn Skills Graph and how to hit the 50 targeted skills threshold that gets you ranked in recruiter searches. Positioning Why your profile is a landing page, not an obituary. The formula for headlines and how to transform it into magnetic search real estate. Networking The mindset shift from "favor" to "value" that turns cold outreach into real connections, and gets actual replies. We'll close with a profile audit, applying all three pillars in real time, plus your personalized 2026 roadmap for what comes next. Come ready to work. You'll leave with a rewritten headline, a strategically dense Skills section, and a clear plan for your profile.

AMA/Office Hours with Former Stanford GSB Admissions Director [7/15/2026] (Recording)

I spent more than 16 years working at Stanford GSB, including five years as Executive Director of the school's Center for Leadership, where I helped revamp the MBA leadership curriculum, and more than a decade as Director of the Stanford MSx Program and Director of Admissions. I taught electives, advised students, strategized with the deans, and read thousands of applications. If business school is your objective, I'm happy to offer any insight I have to the admission process and how to maximize its value proposition.

How to Walk Through Your Deal Experience in Private Equity Interviews

A practical guide to walking through investment banking deal experience in private equity interviews. Learn a 5 step framework for discussing transaction responsibilities, business models, valuation, investment merits and risks, and your investment perspective, along with common follow up questions and interview preparation tips.

How to Write a Successful Cover Letter: A Practical Guide

A strong cover letter connects your experience, skills, and achievements to the specific position you are applying for. This guide explains how to structure a professional cover letter, what to include, how to use your resume effectively, and how to highlight relevant accomplishments with clear evidence. It also provides a practical template and sample to help you create a personalized cover letter for different job applications.