Ohio University Leader Lounge

MSM Success Stories: The Paths of Jess Lorenz and Connor Thomas

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Jess and Connor discussed their experiences and motivations for pursuing an MSM degree at Ohio University. They shared their personal stories and highlighted the transferable skills they learned in the program. They discussed how the program helped him understand the behavior-person-environment connection and apply it to decision-making in the workplace. Later, the group discussed building connections and leadership in the business world, emphasizing the importance of networking, collaboration, and mutual support. They shared their experiences and insights on finding personal growth and navigating career paths.


For more information about the Ohio University MSM Program, click this link!

Check out the Robert D. Walter Center for Strategic Leadership program here.

OnBrand Podcast Studios produced this episode. Special thanks to Audio Engineer Alex Winnenberg, Producer Nick Winnenberg, and Marketing Specialist Cori Stokes.

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SPEAKER_00:

Welcome to the Leader Lounge. We're glad to have you back with us today. I'm here with Nick Winnenberg, MSM, co-host. And my name is Dr. Amy Taylor Bianco. And we're here with two phenomenal students getting close to graduating here from the Masters of Science and Management. So we have Jess Lorenz and Connor Thomas. Welcome. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04:

God, seeing that, I feel like the team's back together when I'm sitting around. I know, seeing the two of you together. We're back. We're back. Guess who's back. Oh, is that really where we're going to with this little? We can. Okay, cool. I'm down if you want to. Both of you have really interesting stories about how you got at the MSM. Can you start there? Ladies

SPEAKER_02:

first. Oh, I appreciate it. So I really just started with the MSM because I wanted to go back to graduate school. I was working here on campus undergraduate and I was like, I really want to go back to grad school. I was a communication studies major and although I learned a lot of like tools and everything like that that I needed to communicate effectively, but I felt like that I wasn't able to really do anything with maybe communications. And I was unsure, or if I did know that there was stuff out there, I didn't really know what that looked like. So I just worked for culinary services on OU's campus just casually and worked my way up. And when I found out that there was a tuition benefit, I was like, this is awesome. What OU has to offer is amazing. So I decided that I was going to apply full time. I ended up applying full time, and then I gave myself a whole year to just get acclimated and and the next thing you know I was like okay now now I want to go back um so really it started with looking at MBA um naturally I feel like a lot of people look at MBA courses and stuff like that and then I really pinpointed the MSM just because of the flexibility it gave me with the MBA I had to either work two years professionally or I had to not work at all um and I only in which I only had one year. So I was like, okay, what do I want to do now? So I looked into the program. I saw that there was different options, and I kind of really just enjoyed being able to be in control of my own degree and what I studied. So I looked and I saw human resources, and that really interests me. I knew very little about HR. Even

SPEAKER_04:

though you were the hiring manager for culinary

SPEAKER_02:

services? That happened later. Okay, gotcha. That's later in the story, Nick. But yeah, I really wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but human resources sounded really interesting to me. And then, honestly, I picked business analytics on a whim. I was like, that sounds difficult. And that was it. And then it stuck. And then I was like, well, this does help me with my full-time position. So by the time I actually got into analytics courses, I was like, great. I'm glad I did this. But ultimately, I only picked it because I was like, analytics, what does that even mean? I'm in. Let's go for it. I asked the support specialist at the time, and I was like, analytics, can you describe what all these mean? And I couldn't even decipher what the difference between business analytics leadership and business analytics was. But I was like, I'm already going out there by picking business analytics. Now I don't need to pick something that has three words.

SPEAKER_03:

Exactly. Let's start with the

SPEAKER_02:

two words. I'm like, business analytics leadership. Now, okay, now we're getting into some crazy stuff. So realistically, that's why I picked business analytics. But ever since then, I mean, it's been It's been wonderful. I've been able to meet people like all of you. So I'm really happy. So, all right, over to you.

SPEAKER_01:

My turn. Well, I didn't start in the College of Business. I was a political science pre-law major. That's so surprising. So such a different path when I realized halfway through junior year during stay at home during COVID, I was like, oh no, I don't want to be a lawyer. And I didn't know what to do. So So I went back to the drawing board and at first I thought, okay, well, maybe do public administration or something along those lines. And I've lived in Athens and I was working in Athens as a bartender and I somehow got connected to Natalie and I was, It was out of the blue on a walk. I was actually walking on the bike path, and she gave me a call. She was like, hey, are you available to talk for me? Natalie Cooper? Mm-hmm. Oh, yeah. She was the one that connected me to the MSN. Do you have permission for that, or I

SPEAKER_02:

don't know what that is? It's refer a friend.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, okay. And I think she led me down that path, and at first I wasn't really sure, because then I looked at the MBA like Jess did, and like she said, there wasn't there wasn't a lot of flexibility to do what I needed to do. I was living on my own, I was paying my own bills, and there were some requirements that made it harder to do that program specifically. But then, of course, Natalie said, oh no, for us, we don't have that. So I was like, yeah, I wanna learn more. So went into it, and of course, I got to select the human resources with Jess, which we started, we knew each other way before then.

SPEAKER_02:

Spanish.

SPEAKER_01:

Spanish class freshman year. I think you

SPEAKER_04:

guys for three years. I thought you met them.

SPEAKER_02:

We were in like one of the beginner Spanish classes and then we kind of kept having classes. And so when I saw him in the MSM, I naturally gravitated towards him because I was like, Oh, I knew someone and I'm not, you know, the little, like I fresh out of college, there's someone else out there. And that was what was great was just seeing there was people as young as us. And there was other people that have all this experience. and just being able to collaborate was really awesome.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah and like we even had some of the course we started the semester in the same classes so we got to work together we took the human resource management classes together and just having that connection right there that was that was wonderful because of course you start off knowing somebody especially in an online course where it's not the special thing about the MSM is that everyone's pretty well connected even online but it's a step further when you get to have someone you known since your undergrad years. So we took the human resources class, which I had a particular keen to. And then funny enough, my supply chain operations classes was not supposed to happen. It was an accident, but it was a grateful accident because I started taking the Lean Six Sigma class. And I was like, I don't think this is sales. I was like, I don't know if this is sales. This is actually the opposite of sales. So I messaged and I was like, I don't know if this is the right class, but kind of like it I want to stay in it because it's something that I never thought that I would ever be interested in yeah and then it kind of drew me I'm like well I'm already getting sales experience so let's take a different route let's go down the supply chain operations route which now I just completed my last class and I absolutely loved every single class that I was in and I learned stuff that I never would have known had it been for that so not only do I have the human resources that I wanted and loved I also had supply chain operations that I didn't think I'd love, but ended up being happy to take. And I guess that leads us here.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, happy accidents, Bob Ross.

SPEAKER_04:

I love the fact you said about the community, the MSM program too. I think that a lot is on you guys, right? Like having that leadership board to go through and bring the students together and have those conversations, it really comes from the top. So can you talk about like how rare that is or coming from an area of students and kind of engaging in that Was that intentional as we developed that?

SPEAKER_01:

Intentional? I think the... Yes. The one thing that I try to do, especially if I'm on the board or anyone else is on the board, and I think this is not just a me thing, I think this is anyone that leads in the program, is that there's a certain... there's a certain level of intentionality when we try to connect with all the students. Because it is an online program, it's not the easiest to make those bridges and build them where you're on a camera or some people don't like being on a camera. Most people just communicate through text message or email. Going out, and you did this, Robin did this, I'm hopefully doing this as well, and even Mo and Macy and a few of the others that are working with us they do the same thing is that they go out they intentionally make an effort to connect to every student that we can and we make ourselves available to be able to help them if they ever need it because maybe we don't have the answers but that doesn't necessarily mean that we can't find someone that would you do the network game right how do you network those answers yeah

SPEAKER_02:

I mean going off of that I really just feel like the MSM leadership board really was a very good opportunity for me to actually feel no different than if we were in person you know what I mean so like it was really nice to be able to like put faces and names together it was nice to be the bridge between people um there's definitely some you know like really good times that we have on the MSM leadership board like just being able to like we already kind of established this connection and then being able to you know bring others in and then also just see how that helps others and then also let them leverage their careers just with each other. Because now we've introduced this person to this person and everything like that. It did totally happen on accident that I ended up getting into this leadership role and doing as much as I did for the MSM but I couldn't be more grateful just because I do like to be involved and I think it's really important that you know, everyone feels connected somehow. And we try our best because we are an online program, you know? But yeah, that's what I would have

SPEAKER_04:

to say. And you're both walking this weekend,

SPEAKER_02:

right? I am.

SPEAKER_04:

Oh, you're not walking? I am. He left.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm waiting. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_02:

You know, we had this plan. We had this plan. I'm like, all right. I applied to walk. And he goes, yeah, I'm not doing that anymore.

SPEAKER_01:

Dang, Connor. Well, it was a two-week event.

SPEAKER_02:

That's okay.

SPEAKER_01:

Oops. No. You got Mindy. What? You got Mindy, right?

SPEAKER_02:

I don't think Mindy's walking either. So it's

SPEAKER_01:

just you and Terry. Now I feel really bad. I have

SPEAKER_02:

Terry. I've

SPEAKER_01:

got Terry. He

SPEAKER_02:

is. He was phenomenal with my business intelligence class. I could not have done it without

SPEAKER_00:

him. That's what I love about you. You all take advantage of the opportunities, right? You create that network, and then you reach out to other people. You have experience in this? Okay. Tell me about it. And both of you are people who came into the program eyes wide open, Like, how can I help? As servant leaders, you came in, I saw you both wanting to connect, wanting to help. And what's really cool is that you showed up, you kept showing up, you kept trying to do your part, and then you ended up in the leadership positions leading the program.

SPEAKER_01:

I remember the first time I actually met anybody in the program was at PassionWorks. And the first night, the first night meeting both of you in person, paint on the hands, hand prints on all the paint. It was like, nah, we're gonna do this. And I think we painted your bow tie, if I remember. So like, from the get-go, it was immediate kickstart to good connections and relationships. So, I mean... Yeah, and I have to thank Dr. B for this because she was the one that said, no, make sure you keep doing this. Keep going back, keep going back. Because I was, before I even bartended, before I even was a server, I was not a... connections type of person. I was very introverted in a lot of ways, and it kind of helped me get out of my shell. And she helped me just break the shell in half. It was kind of nice.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, I think what you put in is what you get out. We always say that, but I feel like that's very true. Just being present in a lot of the things that we do in the MSM has made this experience a lot better than had we not. Well, I

SPEAKER_04:

love the fact, I don't want to age Terry or anything, but you guys are traditional students, came out of college when in the graduate program. Terry's not, right? And the fact that you were able to collaborate and work together and build those relationships, even though you probably would have not had another chance to work with someone with that amount of diversity, right? In that different career stages,

SPEAKER_02:

right? Well, he was great. I can't even tell you. I'm so thankful for Terry. And just thankful that, you know, in a group... So usually, you know how it goes. Like, you start your class and everyone shows up to the first class. Everyone shows up. And then it kind of dwindles. Yeah. especially with like analytics because a lot of them are recorded and so you can go back and watch it which sometimes I prefer because my recommendation is if you're someone that you know if you miss something then you're like okay now the whole thing's kind of thrown off well I like the recordings because I can stop and I can kind of control where I am in the in the video but anyways Terry oh my gosh he was just like the person that I was like oh I know I recognize your name and he knew who I was and I was like this is perfect I think we were like the only two in the MSM program that I recognized that were in the MBA 63 something and I'm like oh my gosh okay so it was a little overwhelming but he definitely made me feel like he was the calm in the storm you know like just having him and having that connection was great and he was so helpful so that's just another reason that like having each other and just putting in that effort to get to know each other is super imperative I mean it'll just make all the difference. He

SPEAKER_04:

has that foundation piece.

SPEAKER_02:

He does. He does.

SPEAKER_04:

And he was very complimentary of you as well on this call. You talk about your energy and talk about the questions. You get engaged in the conversation. So you're both getting out of it. And without the MSM program, you probably wouldn't have that bridge to connect those different

SPEAKER_02:

lifestyles. So true.

SPEAKER_04:

So is that intentional when you design the program? We

SPEAKER_00:

wanted it to be like an online program with an in-person feel so We didn't want to give up anything, putting it online. We wanted to gain where maybe you feel comfortable because you're in your living room or in your space. Like maybe for some people, that's a more comfortable way to get to know people and then you can see them in person. But we wanted to make it sticky as good cultures are, right? When we learn about culture, just that stickiness where people want to help each other, want to stay together. So definitely intentional. And you guys live part of the intention, you know, every day. like reaching out to other students, connecting them, welcoming. You were just on the new student call, welcoming all the new students. You were just representing us to the president, asked to speak the night before, and you're like,

SPEAKER_03:

okay.

SPEAKER_00:

You each are doing the things to make that continue to happen. So how are you going to stay involved? Yeah, how are you going to stay involved

SPEAKER_01:

is a great question.

SPEAKER_00:

Now he's grilling us.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Well, Amar, I believe after even my time as president of the leadership board, I plan on sticking around for the executive speaker role. Nice. For a little while. There's a few in the queue that I think the MSM and just the graduate college and college business as a whole, there's going to be quite a few good talks here in the future for fall, and I'm looking forward to it. But I've always planned on staying, sticking around. There's no, even after school and whatnot, it's not just going to become a hobby. Especially what this college has done for my area in Appalachia, Ohio, they're helping fund a lot of kids to go to college. And to me, that means something so extraordinary because the opportunity where I'm from is, it's not as great as you would get from where I may be now. But if they're willing to help out the kids that necessarily don't have the resources to access those opportunities, then heck yeah, I'm in for the long haul.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, that's cool. Well, I plan on going to any event that Dr. V attaches me to. I

SPEAKER_04:

love my council's a thing, just saying. Oh,

SPEAKER_02:

yes, that's also on my radar. But if I get an invite from Dr. V, if I can make it work, I will be there. She

SPEAKER_00:

will come all across campus, everywhere. Go meet some, like, oh, there's a prospective student on campus. And you're like, okay, just give me a minute.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, I'm already on campus, so I'm like, I can make the walk. Like, you know, these hills in Athens, Ohio don't bother me.

SPEAKER_04:

So coming back to campus now, I walk up Jeff Hill, I'm like, oh my God, I used

SPEAKER_01:

to be in shape. It's a very humbling experience, isn't it? I was the crazy kid in college during the lockdowns where if I could run up Jeff Hill, I knew I wasn't sick. And it was like, that was my test. I couldn't run up Jeff Hill. She fell down Jeff Hill once. It's just a part. During the winter, I did do that. So

SPEAKER_02:

you weren't like sledding. Not intentionally.

SPEAKER_04:

Anyway, what other final points, questions, concerns, or thoughts do you have about your experience at MSM program or your path in leadership? And any ideas on your next steps?

SPEAKER_01:

This program has afforded me a lot in terms of opportunities and in terms of benefits just by being a part of it. I definitely wouldn't be where I am now if I didn't have it. For example, I'm now one of the recruiters for my company. And it's not just my company, it's our sister company. And I've already been told in the future, like, hey, if the position opens up, which it will, HR is your future, not sales. And to me, the MSM was a part of that. Not only that, the MSM, Dr. B was the one that put me in touch with the man that made the connection to that opportunity. It was all about, when you go to this event, make sure you represent us right, dress up. To be fair, me and that individual were the only two dressed up at that event. So we kind

SPEAKER_00:

of like... But that individual, it was an older gentleman. It worked out. It worked out very, very

SPEAKER_01:

well. But even then, just the connections you make throughout the entire state, I mean... You don't have to be in proximity to somebody to make friends. And I've learned that, like me and Jess, even though she still lives here in Athens, I live in Cleveland area, we still have that connection. Same thing with Monique, same thing with Terry, same thing with Jennifer, same thing with any of those that started with us. And moving forward, I mean... I think really the only way is up. I mean, the sky's the limit in terms of what we can do with it. I love it. Love it.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah. I mean, I just want to say similar to Connor, like getting his recruiting job, I was recently offered a few offers for a logistics company and using analytics. So it kind of came full circle that I didn't expect me to go into a role, but looking back I'm like you know I'm applying for this job and it's like needs to know sequel needs to know tableau and I'm like yeah I'm like no way like what I cannot believe that this is exactly what I've been waiting for you know and then I applied I went through the interview process and was finally offered the position and I was like this is crazy like I never expected this to happen the way that it did and it happened so quick and I'm sure you felt the same way too because you actually I mean you now that we're closer to the end, it kind of makes a little more sense for me, but you getting it kind of in the middle was really awesome, and just a few classes.

SPEAKER_01:

As soon as I told my coworkers that, oh yeah, I'm going for my human resources management certificate that has talent acquisition, they said,

SPEAKER_04:

oh,

SPEAKER_01:

really?

SPEAKER_04:

That's interesting. You know there's a major need in the United States economy right

SPEAKER_01:

now? Yeah. So, and then during, right before Christmas, they said, We need a recruiter. I said, sign me up. And here we are.

SPEAKER_02:

There you go. Yeah. But that's just what's so great is just seeing how quickly everything that you learn can be applied and how it really truly influences your life. And I learned that very quickly recently, you know, at the very end. But, you know, and then it'll definitely absorb more as I step away from the MSM or no longer taking classes. and then I'm doing my own thing, having my own job, and living my own life, and I'll just see, oh, this reminds me of this class. This reminds me of this class. And I think that's what's really cool about education, higher education specifically, in general, but then even narrowing it down to the MSM, you're like, wow. Like, all of the transferable skills that I have and just seeing that in the real world is so cool. like seriously i'm just super excited to be able to do the next steps and and finally graduate and and and i'm just really really grateful

SPEAKER_01:

in the msm they gave me that push again like it was an executive coaching session that we have with kelly and renee where they said no take it go for it go go go don't think about it jump that's really Yeah,

SPEAKER_02:

because you have so much to fall back on. You have so much support, you know, and that's what's nice is taking these risks doesn't seem as scary because now you have the skills, you have the education, you have the support system.

SPEAKER_00:

You kind of take them together, right? You talk about the coaching session, like having that twice a semester, you're kind of bringing it up, right? And you're taking them together. You've got the coaches behind you, you've got your classmates, teammates. It's crazy.

UNKNOWN:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, it makes you feel really secure in whatever decision you're going to make next. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

100%. And she always, she thinks I'm kidding about this, but the day is actually June 2nd. I'm getting the tattoo that's B equals PE, which is the behavior equals personal environment. I mean, it's just the small things that you get from that, right? That next time you're a manager perspective. I can't do what he wants with his money. That's right. You're in here

SPEAKER_02:

first. That is so valid. I really respect that.

SPEAKER_04:

But realistically, it's like the small things that like... And when you're in a management conversation and someone's acting out with bad behaviors, you think to yourself, okay, is it them? Is it them or is it the environment, right? But just having that double think. It happens all the time. So it's just you can put words to the themes that are going to occur so often in your careers.

SPEAKER_02:

Right. And I fall into traps all the time. Like, you know, decision-making, that class was really super impactful for me because I'll be like, oh, I'm seeing this again for a second time. I'm like, am I falling into a trap? I'm like, am I

SPEAKER_01:

the problem? That was the first class when I was working and I had multiple situations where I came back to Dr. B and I thought, Dr. B, is this really happening? We're learning about this at this very moment and I'm encountering this. And it was like, okay, this is, um, this should be common sense, but somehow it's not common sense. The

SPEAKER_02:

first class with Dr. V, I remember like transformational or transactional. And I was really, I was so nervous because it was my first grad class. And I was like, I'm not going to make it through. I was like, I can't figure out the difference of what is going on or like how it applied to my current role. I guess I didn't really like delve in, like I never had gone that deep into my role. I was just like, I'm just here to do a job. And then, you know, I was asking, you know, my parents, I'm like, what does this mean? What does this mean? I'm like Googling, like, you know, kind of like just nervous because it was the very beginning of the grad program. And I was like, if I can't get through this one thing, how am I going to get through all the rest of it? And then really just the support and just asking like questions and having that like welcoming environment. was so awesome and then really just like letting it like I said digest and then seeing how that did apply to my current role and then once I figured out what those words meant I took it and I ran with it you know and then when you think of the words trans like transactional it's like wow in my day-to-day life is this interaction transactional or is it transformational and how do I make it more transformational and just seeing that that's difference that you can make in the world is like really what was awesome for the first class and that resonated with me.

SPEAKER_04:

Then you hit data. I remember like the text was you hit the data courses too for, right? Yeah. At first, I mean, but the same thing you got really good at it, obviously.

SPEAKER_02:

I mean, I was asking Nick, I said, what is VDI? I remember I was like, what

SPEAKER_03:

do you mean VDI?

SPEAKER_02:

And I'm not much of an acronym person as it is. Like, you know, my students that I oversee, they're always saying like, oh, you're so old. you don't know acronyms, and then VDI comes around, and I'm like, Nick, and I'm asking someone even older than me. I'm

SPEAKER_04:

like, LOL.

SPEAKER_02:

And I'm like, what does that mean? Lots of

SPEAKER_04:

love?

SPEAKER_00:

What's so cool is to see you become this transformational leader because we get to see the students that you work with and that you support and help, and many of them are in the leadership center, and to see, like, before they worked in culinary.

SPEAKER_03:

Now

SPEAKER_00:

they have, like, we work for Jess. They tell you about Jess and about what you do and the impact that you have on them. I think it changed probably for you and your job and it helped everyone. It's

SPEAKER_02:

mutual. It's so mutual. The feeling of just they've been so helpful for me and I'm glad that I can reciprocate and do the same for them. Just that relationship, that bond that I have with my students all because of the things that I'm learning along the way and just really applying them, you know, and practicing them in everyday life. And that's what I really love about MSM and my role and my job and just being involved here on OU's campus.

SPEAKER_04:

That's a mic drop moment. No one's allowed to say anything else. I think that's the end of the episode.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, cool. Do you have

SPEAKER_04:

any other? I mean, that was perfect. Yeah, just drop the mic, knock it over. Is there any other comments you're missing that you guys want to hit on?

SPEAKER_02:

I feel

SPEAKER_04:

good. I feel good. Are you investing in MSM? This is like therapy.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah.