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
Sebastian is a Purdue junior with Bain interviews coming up. He ran a full first-round Bain case live – and after every section, coach Mitali stopped and told him exactly what worked and what he missed.
Mitali spent 5 years in consulting, including as a senior consultant at Bain in London. She's coached 350+ people into MBB and used to interview candidates herself – so she knows what Bain is looking for.
You&apos...
He got McKinsey and Bain interviews and practiced 30 cases with friends – but didn't make it past round 1.
Overconfident Ollie is a target school student with every reason to be confident. He joined Black Belt, made a plan – then mostly went at it alone.
His KPI was cases completed and when MBB's first round came, his floor wasn't high enough.
Katie and Japheth break down what went wrong, what's at...
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.
This episode breaks down what worked – and what the standard MBA playbook gets wrong.
- Why 2 deep relationships beat 30 surface connections in consulting recruiting
- How to turn ...
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 down 3 mistakes that sink most incoming MBAs before they ever reach an interview:
- Starting too late (fall semester is already too late)
- Treating prep like a sprint instead of a ma...
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 is.
Experienced hires undervalue what they've built. They apply too low. Skip networking because it feels uncomfortable. Wait to start case prep because the timeline isn't obvious.
And ...
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 tactic. The real pressure comes later, when you have to cross from analytical work into managing.
In this episode of Consulting Unpacked, Jenny Rae breaks down why up o...
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.
This is a full McKinsey case in the restaurant industry, led by Mark Di Giorgio (ex-McKinsey Toronto). Kunal works through a New York pizza market entry question – modern ...
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.
In this episode of Consulting Unpacked, Jenny Rae breaks down the 4 real shifts she's tracked over 20 years inside and alongside the industry – and makes the case for what's...
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 – complex project management – and the 10 principles that separate average operators from the people who consistently deliver under pressure.
You'll learn:
- Why scope clarity (and what you&a...
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 each firm's test measures, where candidates go wrong, and how to prepare effectively.
- What McKinsey Solve, Bain Gorilla, and BCG CCA are actually testing
- Why time management is th...
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, including McKinsey, Bain, and PwC Strategy&.
In this episode, Yang breaks down exactly what changed – and how he stayed grounded when the pressure was highest, including a Halloween ni...
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, personality, and communication.
She breaks down the logic behind each answer, including a sneaky gotcha that often trips people up.
Resources:
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 this episode, you'll learn:
- Why waiting until you "feel ready" is the most common trap high achievers fall into
- What to do when you're behind on prep with only...
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 facing banks, asset managers, and investors today.
You’ll hear how firms are thinking about growth, where AI is actually delivering value, and what the future of financial services c...
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 them for decades.
You’ll learn:
- Why asking someone to be your “mentor” is the wrong move
- The low-pressure strategy that actually builds real relationships
- How to turn strong performance into l...
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 by former McKinsey consultant Aditya Ghosh, this walkthrough breaks down how top candidates approach interviewer-led cases – from asking the right clarifying questions to structuring, solvin...
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 that changed everything.
You’ll learn:
- Why consulting can feel removed from real decision-making
- The moment Jenny Rae realized she wanted to be on the “owner” side, not the advisor side
- How on...
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 technical background as a strength, got more comfortable networking, and built the case prep skills that actually moved the needle.
In this episode:
- How Jacob turned an engineering background...
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 networking and resume positioning to digital assessments and case prep.
Instead of guessing what to do next, learn how to sequence your preparation so you peak at the right time.
You’ll lear...
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 Rae shares the single best decision she made during her first year at Bain – why it felt counterintuitive at the time, and how it helped her develop faster than any “prestige” project could have.
You...
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