What does it take to break into the world’s top consulting firms when the odds aren’t in your favor?

What does the consulting path actually entail for young people?

How do you balance other passions and an entrepreneurial fire when working a 9-9?

This episode, I sat down with Edward Collinson, an Associate Consultant at Bain & Company, who carved his own path to success—and in the process, made history as the first Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student to land a role at one of the MBB firms (McKinsey, Bain, BCG) straight out of undergrad.

Ed is sharp, funny, and refreshingly honest about his journey. We dig into:

💡 How to stand out and secure a consulting role—even without a “target school” background.

✍️ How his “Why Consulting” answer would be different after two years in the industry.

🧐 A candid look at what’s true (and false) about the consulting world and what it looks like for youngin at a firm.

🌱 How Ed balances the drive for success with building a meaningful, holistic life.

Ed’s thoughtful approach to life and career is one I’ve learned a lot from, and I think you’ll find it equally valuable. Whether you’re exploring consulting, looking for career strategies, or just love an inspiring story, you won’t want to miss this one.

🎧 Tune in to the episode and take away tools you can apply today.

TIME STAMPS

00:00 - Intro

02:10 How Ed would revise his "why consulting" answer

07:00 How to overcome the odds of entering MBB from a "non-target university" or non-traditional background

16:30 The 80-20 framework applied to consulting recruiting... what matters most in the process

21:30 Where do people go after consulting?...understanding the high attrition rate in the industry (people typically only spend 2 years at major consulting firms)

25:10 How does consulting work in terms of specialization and working in different industries

28:15 How to "horcrux your life" and keep your other identities alive when in a high-octane professional setting

32:10 Does flexibility exist in consulting...how much do you control your calendar?

34:50 Important things that dictate your sustainability and happiness as a young adult

38:00 Where Ed thinks he will be in 5 years and how he will reflect on his current self

41:30 What is the ultimate scarce resource?!

46:00 Ed flips the script and asks me what I think the ultimate scarce resource is

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At 21, Jake Santaniello has already built a 7-figure business empire with e-commerce brands like UCLA Vintage and Martino Milano, a real estate investment fund, and a protein gummy company, Thrive Candy. And he’s done it all without a single internship—proving that building can sometimes beat the traditional path.

In this episode, we uncover the strategies behind Jake’s rapid success, including:
⚡ The key business partnership that fueled his growth
🔄 How he’d restart his entrepreneurial journey if beginning tomorrow
🎯 Whether it’s possible to build businesses as a substitute for internships and still land elite jobs like his role at Boston Consulting Group

Jake’s story is a masterclass in balancing ambition, action, and innovation. Tune in to hear how he’s rewriting the rules—and how you can too.

02:15 - All the different ventures and projects Jake takes on
06:42 - Jake's views on building over planning
08:30 - Jake's first slime "business"
09:30 - Jake's powerful business partnership
11:40 - What Jake optimizes for
12:30 - Jake takes on consulting
15:00 - The power of optimism, radical self-belief, and bad things
22:00 - Mentors, inputs, and how success changes things
26:00 - Jake's best investment
29:00 - How Jake landed a consulting job with no internships
34:00 - How Jake would restart his entrepreneurial journey tomorrow
38:00 - What is the ultimate scarce resource

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Email me at colehume1@gmail.com for any feedback, ideas, or notes!

Welcome to the very first episode of Young, Smart, and Battling Broke! I’m your host, Cole Hume—young, beginning to be a little less broke, and as for smart...well, the jury’s still out on that one. But I hope to have a loving impact, with financial savviness and mindfulness as my guiding cornerstones.

For this inaugural episode, I sit down with Tejes Srivalsan, the dynamic CEO and Founder of Poppin, a social networking app that connects users to local parties, which has already raised $2.4M in funding. Tejes isn’t just building a business; he’s building a product that integrates his passions—all while finishing his studies in computer science and cognitive science at UCLA.

Tejes is a thinker and doer while being admirably honest and happy. From getting a job offer from Tik Tok through a single LinkedIn meme to almost manifesting a Trippie Redd performance at UCLA, Tejes brings an infectious energy and refreshing perspective to creating and running with opportunity.

Here’s some of what we dive into:
✨ How Tejes charted his own course.
📩 The power of unconventional cold messaging.
💡 Frameworks for navigating self-doubt & embracing delusion.
💭 New definitions for entrepreneurship
🙌 Practical advice for high-ambition individuals who are determined to chart their own course.

I absolutely loved recording this conversation. I am terrifyingly new to podcasting so any feedback means the world 💙

Time Stamps:

03:00 - Intro & how to battle doubt as a young entrepreneur

13:00 - Advice for high ambition young people

35:00 - How to take feedback and critically assess advice

41:00 - Tejes almost gets Trippie Redd to perform at UCLA

50:00 - Unconventional cold messaging strategies & having an online presence

01:22:00 - How to know yourself better & the double-edged sword of authenticity

01:32:00 - Tejes’ framework for when he meets someone who sucks at something

01:44:00 - What is the ultimate scarce resource?

• LinkedIn
• Young, Smart, & Battling Broke Substack
• Youtube
• Instagram
• X | Twitter

Email me at colehume1@gmail.com for any feedback, ideas, or notes!