Episode #23: How my Time at Wharton Taught Me To Embrace Uncertainty and Risk

During her time at Wharton, Ashley Wells (WG, ‘16) took on stretch opportunities, and built confidence that allowed her to thrive in her post-MBA career. In this episode, Wells talks about how her MBA experience at Wharton helped her embrace risk and appreciate uncertainty, and shared her advice on how to remain confident during ambiguous times, and embrace the unexpected twists and turns of careers and life. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts today!

Show Notes

  • 2:30 –  Ashley talks about her background and growing up
  • 6:50 – Ashley talks about the lessons she learned working on the Obama campaign
  • 10:41 – Ashley shares what it was like to graduate from Wharton and move across the country to California, and the transition and adjustments she made
  • 17:18 – Ashley talks about managing ambiguity and new experiences and using the B-school toolkit to work through those situations
  • 21:00 – Ashley talks about how sometimes it makes sense to push yourself, but also when it makes sense to scale back
  • 24:50 –  Ashley outlines how she managed her work and personal life in her post-MBA consulting job
  • 28:20 – Ashley talks about some of the differences between consulting and industry-jobs
  • 32:17 – Ashley shares how her mindset toward uncertainty has changed as she has grown in her career
  • 41:33 – Ashley shares how she made the choice to make a career transition, and how she gauges when it’s time to take a leap, versus passing on an opportunity
  • 45:08 – Ashley talks about the importance of risk-taking, and how to take risks, and learn from them