Strategy Simplified
Strategy Simplified is here to demystify the consulting industry and help you land your dream job in management consulting. Hosted by the expert team at Management Consulted - the world's largest resource for consulting news and interview prep - each episode covers topics related to the consulting world, from interview preparation and case study techniques to networking strategies and industry trends. Whether you're just starting your career or looking to make a transition, Strategy Simplified is the go-to resource for anyone looking to break into the consulting industry. With actionable advice, insider tips, and real-life success stories, this podcast is the ultimate guide to simplifying your career strategy and landing your dream consulting job.
Episodes
687 episodes
S23E6: Steel Industry to McKinsey: What Most MBAs Get Wrong
Daniel went from steel and automotive to McKinsey. His path wasn't conventional – and neither was his networking strategy.Instead of casting a wide net, he built 2 deep relationships at the firm – mentors who helped him at every stage.&n...
S23E5: The Summer Prep Window MBAs Miss – And How to Use It
Only 19% of McKinsey's new hires today are MBAs. In the mid-90s, that number was over 80%.The # of spots available for MBAs is shrinking – the competition isn't.MC coach Catherine Lee – ex-Deloitte, ex-BCG, Harvard MBA – breaks do...
S23E4: How Experienced Hires Break Into MBB: A Proven 4-Step System
Laura Ackermann once worked with a hospital executive in his 50s – years of running a mid-sized US hospital – who wanted to apply for McKinsey's Associate position.She was outraged.Not at him – at how common the pattern i...
S23E3: Bain's Up or Out Culture – What They Tell You (And What They Don't) | Consulting Unpacked
Bain told Jenny Rae on day 1 she'd be pushed out if she didn't perform. What they conveniently left out: almost everybody meets the bar.Up or out isn't the brutal filter most people fear. In the early years, it's a deliberate scare tacti...
S23E2: McKinsey Market Entry Case: Why the Right Answer Wasn't Enough
Kunal ran the numbers. Modern pizza wins on absolute profit and payback period.Then he flagged it: you're projecting nearly 200 pizzas a day for a restaurant that hasn't opened yet. That's the instinct that separates good from great....
S23E1: Consulting Has Changed in 20 Years – But Not in the Ways You Think | Consulting Unpacked
Jenny Rae joined Bain in 2005. At McKinsey that year, consultants were home 3 nights a week – Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. That was considered acceptable.Today, consulting looks different. But maybe not in the ways you'd assume.
S22E30: The Real Skill Consulting Actually Teaches You | Consulting Unpacked
Most people think consulting trains you in industries or analytics.That's not the real advantage.In this episode of Consulting Unpacked, Jenny Rae breaks down the skill consultants master at the world's top firms – compl...
S22E29: How to Pass McKinsey Solve, Bain Gorilla, & BCG CCA in 2026
Digital assessments are now the first filter at the top consulting firms – McKinsey, Bain, BCG, and more – and they're nothing you've seen before. Coach Kabreya (ex-PwC, ex-Bridgespan, ex-McKinsey) breaks down exactly what ea...
S22E28: The Evening MBA Who Landed McKinsey & Bain – And What He Did Differently the Second Time
Yang Yu spent 8 years in healthcare and life sciences before pursuing an evening MBA at Chicago Booth with his sights set on consulting. His first recruiting attempt ended without the offer he wanted. His second? 3 top-tier offers, ...
BONUS: Inside the Bain Gorilla Test: 4 Example Questions (Walkthrough)
Not sure what to expect on the Bain Gorilla Test? You're not alone. Most candidates go in underprepared – and it costs them.In this bonus episode, Katie Neff walks through 4 example questions covering problem solving, time management, pe...
S22E27: Procrastinator Annie + The "I'll Start When I'm Ready" Trap | Recruiting Reality Check
In this Recruiting Reality Check, Katie Neff and Japheth Mast break down "Procrastinator Annie" – an impressive sophomore at a target school who bought 24 coaching sessions, built a full prep plan… and then didn't start.In ...
S22E26: Inside Financial Services Consulting: M&A, AI, and the Future of Banking (PwC & L.E.K.)
Financial services is entering a new era – shaped by M&A activity, AI adoption, regulatory pressure, and the rise of digital assets.In this fireside chat, leaders from PwC and L.E.K. Consulting break down the real strategic questions...
S22E25: The Simple Way to Build Powerful Mentors in Consulting | Consulting Unpacked
If you want great mentors in consulting, don’t ask for mentorship.In this episode of Consulting Unpacked, Jenny Rae breaks down the simple, repeatable approach she used at Bain to build powerful mentor relationships – and keep the...
S22E24: McKinsey Interviewer-Led Case Interview – Luxury Hotel Expansion
What does a real McKinsey interviewer-led case actually look like?In this episode, you’ll step into a live McKinsey-style case interview focused on a luxury hotel expansion in Dubai targeting high-net-worth “whale” customers.Led b...
S22E23: The Bain Project That Made Me Question Consulting | Consulting Unpacked
This was the project that made me seriously question consulting.In this episode of Consulting Unpacked, Jenny Rae shares the Bain project she liked the least — not because the work was bad, but because it sparked a realization tha...
S22E22: Engineer to Consultant: The Playbook That Led to a PwC Offer
Jacob Broadbent didn’t come from the typical consulting pipeline.He came from engineering – and still landed a PwC offer.In this episode, Jacob breaks down the exact moves that helped him make the pivot: how he positioned his tech...
S22E21: MBB Internship Recruiting Is Accelerating – Here’s How to Prepare
Internship recruiting for consulting is 3 months earlier than ever. March 29 is the first deadline (McKinsey, Bain, Oliver Wyman).In this episode, former Bain consultant Maile Dyer breaks down the exact preparation strategy – from...
S22E20: The Best Decision I Made in My First Year at Bain | Consulting Unpacked
In your first year in consulting, it’s easy to chase the projects that sound the most impressive.But the work that actually accelerates your career often looks very different.In this episode of Consulting Unpacked, Jenny Ra...
S22E19: Sophomore Stan + When Deadlines Move Up 3 Months | Recruiting Reality Check
In this episode of Recruiting Reality Check, Katie Neff and Japheth Mast break down the real story of “Sophomore Stan” – a strong candidate at a target school who has done everything right with networking… but hasn’t started case prep ye...
S22E18: Life Sciences Consulting in 2026: Impact at Scale
AI is accelerating drug development. Precision medicine is going mainstream. Rare disease innovation is reshaping pipelines.So what’s really happening inside life sciences consulting right now?In this panel, leaders from Guidehous...
S22E17: Advanced Degree to Consulting – The 2026 Bridge Program Playbook
If you're a non-MBA advanced degree (PhD, MD, JD, PharmD, etc.), this is your roadmap into consulting.Bridge Programs are one of the fastest – and most misunderstood – paths into firms like McKinsey, BCG, Bain, L.E.K., ClearView, ...
S22E16: Top Consulting Firms 2026 – New Ranking & Industry Trends
The 2026 Top Consulting Firms Ranking is officially live.After months of research, surveys, and industry analysis, we’ve narrowed the global consulting landscape down to the top 40 firms based on prestige, market positio...
S22E15: The Worst Mistake In My First Month at Bain | Consulting Unpacked
I went to the beach (literally) during my first month at Bain.Technically, I was allowed to. Strategically, it quietly hurt my early trajectory.In this episode of Consulting Unpacked, Jenny Rae breaks down the biggest mista...
S22E14: Build-A-Bear Should Be Dead. So Why Is It Thriving?
In this episode of Market Outsiders, Jenny Rae and Namaan unpack one of retail’s most unexpected survivors: Build-A-Bear. Build-A-Bear is a mall-based stuffed animal retailer in an AI-driven world – and yet it’s a profitable p...
S22E13: Waymo Growth Strategy Showdown – World Cup Finals 2026
Watch the top undergraduate and master’s teams in the 2026 Case Competition World Cup Finals go head-to-head in a live, high-pressure strategy showdown.5 finalist teams take on The Waymo Challenge, presented by Grant Tho...