Harbert Podcast

Hosted by The Harbert College of Business at Auburn University

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Latest episode

Jul 2026

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EN-US

About the show

The Harbert College of Business Podcast offers insights for advancing careers and lives. The podcasts feature Harbert’s alumni, faculty, industry experts and proven thought leaders who bring perspectives from a broad base of business experience. You’ll hear from entrepreneurs and high-level executives who share what they have learned while building successful careers.

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54 recent

July 14, 202628 min

The Sooner, The Better; Don Bravaldo

Don Bravaldo didn't exactly apply for his current position, he created it. After three years of work in acquisitions valued $100 million or less, he noticed that the market was missing high quality advisors working on that level of transaction. Fast forward a few years (and the start of a Recession) and Don had founded Bravaldo Capital Advisors. For Don, it's all about timing. He shares how to step back and look at the larger timeline of the business: don't wait until you're ready to retire to start planning how to sell your business, don't wait to explore new trends in your field until the natural bubble has burst or moved on without you, and don't submit yourself to a career stand-still right after graduation at a major firm if you can help it by going to work for a firm like his that allows you to work directly with clients. For a CEO; selling your business can be an awfully emotional decision, Don's perspective is that he is there to help make it a strategic one.

June 17, 202632 min

Comfortable with Uncomfortable; Olga Chaikouskaya

When Olga Chaikouskaya arrived in the United States at the beginning of her career, there were several obstacles standing in her way. She spoke no English, had no money, and faced perhaps her biggest career barrier: she didn’t know how much she didn’t know. Now, after twenty years of financial experience across an array of industries, Olga reflects on that transition as a lesson in becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable. Two of the most powerful lessons she learned along the way were: breaking free from the boundaries we place on ourselves and recognizing that mistakes are a necessary part of growth and learning.

May 15, 202631 min

Reaching Out: Jennifer Tarazon

Jennifer Tarazon knows how to reach her clients; not just because she comes from a Spanish-speaking community similar to the ones she now develops programs to reach, but because her area of expertise is in providing ways for her company to establish relationships. As Director of Multicultural Engagement at Mountain America Credit Union, Jennifer explains that outreach is a lot more than 'good politics', it is integrating everything from which dialects are spoken for one base of clients to which kind of cars the sixteen-year-olds starting their first accounts are saving up for. She speaks on the importance of collaboration between entrepreneurial institutions and small businesses, why it is so important to learn about the community from which your employees come, and how to look outside of your own diaspora for mentorship opportunities. She reminds us to ditch the scarcity mindset, and that when you give someone else a seat at the table, it doesn't mean losing a seat for yourself.

April 20, 202636 min

Know Your Rights; Randi Leath

Randi Leath wants your budding entrepreneurship idea to be safe; and that starts with having copyright law on your side. She knows that young business leaders might see their idea as 'too small' to warrant registration, and she wants you to avoid that pitfall. Randi shares how to properly document the generation of your entrepreneurial idea at each phase, when it's time to get an intellectual property lawyer involved, and why any business (from money-generating-hobby to start-up company with hopes of acquisition) should keep track of their creations. She draws on a background in complex litigation and her practical, business-minded approach to IP to her work with the Chartwell Law Firm, and from her experience she speaks on the importance of copyright and licensing to the burgeoning field of content creation, and she warns listeners about the authorship problems associated with attempting to copyright work that is fundamentally derived from AI as the law adapts to understand it.

March 17, 202633 min

Building the Tool Kit: Phil Fraher

Phil Fraher knows his way around the C-Suite, having held various offices from President to CFO to COO of companies across the software and technology world. But now, continuing his 30+ year career, you won't find him behind the wheel as often as he navigates from the 'number two' position. As a consultant and advisor, Phil prefers the analytical side of entrepreneurial success. He discusses building your 'tool kit', knowing when you don't know something, and getting unique experiences that set you apart from other students and professionals. He also discusses business 'forensics' fundamentals, from how to assess your product idea in the marketplace to how to gauge the egos and attitudes in a board room for the overall health of the company.

February 19, 202629 min

Having An Edge: Eric Finch

Today you'll find Eric Finch on video thumbnails and blog posts across the web through his insightful YouTube channel Higher Levels. But it's been a long journey from his time at Auburn as an engineering student and goalie for the USA Team Handball residency. How'd it happen? Eric shares why leading with your particular background is an important part of reaching your full potential in a career change. He discusses the competitive drive to race against yourself in your results, and how he turned his job as an engineer into a career which allowed for that drive. He also discusses his pivot into content creation, how to cultivate and maintain an audience, and the specifics of publishing answers to the questions that people on the web are already asking. Perhaps his best advice to the aspiring content creator: don't quit the day-job before you've established revenue in the other.

January 15, 202639 min

From Army Squad leader to Business leader: Elliot Quinones

Elliot Quinones is a former US Army Squad Leader and the current owner of the Grout Medic of Chattahoochee Valley. As a former Army squad leader who mentored over 300 soldiers, he now helps salespeople and entrepreneurs develop their leadership skills and sales technique.

November 24, 202531 min

What to Know About Cash Flow: Denise Grove

Denise Groves, CPA is a financial consultant and strategist, and the founder of CFO Support Inc. With a background that includes positions at KPMG and Fortune 500 companies, Denise is an Advanced Certified Profit First professional. Her engaging style helps clients implement the cash flow philosophy of Mike Michalowicz’ book, Profit First . She is an Auburn College of Business alumnus and a member of Auburn's Women's Philanthropy Board Executive Committee.

October 14, 202539 min

On Your Mark, Get Set, Go: Michael Giles

Twenty years ago, Michael Giles wondered if his experience and education would be what employers were looking for. It was. Now Giles encourages Harbert students today to open their minds to career paths they previously thought were 'off limits.' He also suggests setting boundaries at work to make time for life at home.

September 17, 202536 min

Your Own Spokesperson: Stephanie Todd

Stephanie Todd knows that the value of hard work (see also: true grit) helped propel her into her role as an executive manager with Bank of America, a job that keeps her more than busy. But in this episode she also helps us understand the importance of interceding on your own behalf, learning it's okay to say no, and voicing your goals to the leaders above you-- even if you're just starting out. The 2004 Harbert Operations Management grad reminds us that a career is a journey, and it demands some faith.