Jackie Laine
Hello, I’m so excited to meet you.
I’m passionate about helping people see why they’re awesome, since we often take our most special and differentiating skills for granted.
Jackie Laine
Hello, I’m so excited to meet you.
I’m passionate about helping people see why they’re awesome, since we often take our most special and differentiating skills for granted.
Why are you passionate about helping people get into business school?
Because I remember how exciting and deeply vulnerable applying to business school was.
I was a reality TV producer, and applying to business school from a creative field felt VERY intimidating. I didn’t know how to explain my job in MBA speak, hadn’t used my math skills in over a decade, and didn’t have colleagues who could give me advice about applying.
So I did exactly what you’re doing – I searched high and low for resources and got a ton of advice from coaches (including Angela!) to lay out my story, draw out my strengths, and give me context about the process. I got into my dream school (with an 80% scholarship!), and my time there was truly transformative.
I want to help you achieve your b-school dreams too, regardless of how much you know about the process, what challenges you might have in your story, or how very many emotions you might feel during this journey (it can’t possibly be more than me!)
Mmhmm gotcha. Could you tell me a bit about your career and experience?
Sure thing! In short, it’s a juicy mix of creative and corporate:
- BA in Radio/TV/Film from Northwestern University, where I received departmental honors in film theory and critical writing
- 7 years of experience in reality TV, working as a producer on a dozen series for ABC, NBC, FOX, and other networks, including The Biggest Loser and Below Deck
- MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where I was a Siebel Scholar and the Top Student in Management & Organizations
- 3 years of consulting experience at Boston Consulting Group, as a Consultant and Project Leader
You might be interested to know that I was a student admissions reader at Kellogg for two years. I was trained by the admissions committee and read and evaluated dozens of applications. In a similar vein, I'm active in MBA recruiting at BCG and was my office’s Kellogg recruiting lead this year.
At BCG, I’ve discovered my love of coaching high-performing and high-potential people, especially the “insecure overachievers” that consulting is famous for. Helping people realize their strengths, improve their skills, and navigate their careers is the highlight of my work, which is why I made the move to Career Protocol as soon as possible.
And you also mentioned some kind of storytelling experience?
I did! I have a deep love of storytelling (especially true stories about real people) and over 15 years’ experience crafting all kinds of stories:
- In film school, I learned the fundamentals of story structure and sharpened my writing and editing skills in advanced writing and film theory courses
- As a TV producer, I built clear, focused stories for millions of viewers, using real people’s wants, actions, and words
- In consulting, I use data and business storytelling to drive decision making and change
- And I direct storytelling shows in my free time – it’s like Northwestern’s version of the Moth – where I coach others on telling their personal stories on stage by adding depth and resonance to them. I even get on stage myself from time to time!
I love nothing more than recognizing the potential in a story and seeing the path from that first draft to a stage-worthy or application-worthy end product. Just thinking about it gives me shivers (the good kind!). Together we’ll use story structure, character growth, conflict, and specificity to showcase the awesomeness that is you.
That's helpful to know! So how can I tell if we’d be a good fit working together?
If you want a perky story gladiator in your corner, reminding you of what makes you amazing and unique. (Especially if you’re a non-traditional candidate or making a huge career switch.)
If you know you’re awesome, but you sometimes doubt it and want to start your MBA without any of those doubts.
And if you like a good laugh! After working in high-pressure jobs for years, I know in my heart that hard things should also be fun (otherwise, what’s the point?). I’m a goofball by nature, famous (infamous?) at BCG for breaking into made-up songs in the team room. I believe in being silly, human, and high-achieving all at the same time.
What if I have more questions?
I thought you’d never ask! If you have any more questions or you want to consider working with me, sign up for a free MBA Strategy Session with our team! In the meantime, here are a few more facts about me!
You On Social?
Not really. But if I were, it would be all about my pandemic rescue cats, Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding:
What’s your Myers Briggs type?
INFJ with a lot of “T” survival skills (thanks, consulting!)
Top 5 Strengthsfinder strengths?
- Achiever
- Developer
- Discipline
- Individualization
- Restorative
Anything Else Interesting?
- I just read a great book about gut microbiome health (Fiber Fueled, if you’re into guts too). My favorite concept from it is that your gut microbes each digest a specific food, which makes me picture them as a bunch of tiny Cookie Monsters (and Celery Monsters and whatnot).
- I *love* musicals, and I have a rotation of musicals with ambitious female leads that I listen to as background music during work.
If you’re looking for a little pandemic pick-me-up, I super recommend Ted Lasso (a TV show!), Anxious People (a book!), and The Midnight Library (another book!) – they each warmed my heart.
If I were a kitchen utensil, I would be…
One of those spatulas you use when baking, to scrape the sides of the bowl and get all that delicious batter in the mix. Mmm baked goods…
(Actual footage of me during COVID)
Wanna know if working with Jackie or one of our other awesome instructors could be the right move for your MBA application?
Let's have a conversation
