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Women sitting at a computer and stressed

Revisiting the E-Myth

Decades later, Michael Gerber's advice still holds true: small businesses owners tend to depend far too much on their own ability to produce results.

January 11, 2024 | By Stephen Caldwell

Women pondering a path the leads to her MBA

My Nontraditional MBA Path

MBA programs have changed in recent years. As current Walton MBA student Sydney Combs demonstrates, there are multiple paths applicants can take.

November 30, 2023 | By Sydney Combs

Yellow smiley face in a white frame on a blue background

Happiness Begets Engagement

Conversations about employee engagement often focus on many factors, but what roles does happiness play? Happipness can - and often does - beget happiness.

November 9, 2023 | By Stacey Mason

Dice with the letters

EQ is the Game Changer

If you only study one more thing in your life, please spend your energy developing greater EQ. EQ is a true game changer for those who foster it.

August 24, 2023 | By Stacey Mason

Woman looking off into distance, pondering; Article:

15 Questions to Ponder

Questioning everything might reveal what you need to succeed after graduation. These 15 questions from The Improv Lab's Stacey Mason can help get you started.

May 18, 2023 | By Stacey Mason

Scot Burton, Mary Lacity, Rajiv Sabherwal, Vernon Richardson, Matthew Waller, Remko van Hoek; Walton Insights

Researching the Researchers

Walton College research activities result in better teaching and the advancement of new ideas that create improvements across industries and throughout society.

March 10, 2023 | By Stephen Caldwell

Women Impacting Supply Chain Excellence (WISE) at the WISE Student Symposium

The ROI of Joining an RSO

Looking to boost your career while having fun? Students can network, socialize, and develop career skills by participating in registered student organizations.

January 17, 2023 | By Stephen Caldwell

Group of multi-ethnic people, people with differing abilities , volunteers planting tree in park

Why Volunteer?

Did you know that volunteering has physical, mental, and career benefits? Read on the top reasons why college students should start volunteering.

December 8, 2022 | By Stephen Caldwell

African American woman feels anxiety and emotional stress. Thunder clouds surround woman's head.

Sitting In the Tension

Tension isn't a bad thing, yet we often frame it that way. Could tension instead just be a part of our lives that we must learn to manage rather than avoid?

October 7, 2022 | By Stacey Mason

Young woman reading book in library

There's No Monopoly on Wisdom

Business books are bound to offer some profound insights, but what about more unlikely sources? Discover what children's books can teach us about leadership.

July 21, 2022 | By Stacey Mason

Woman teaching group of business professionals

Coaching for Perspective

What does coaching look like in a business setting? Find out how coaching can shape your perspective and why it should be a cornerstone of your office culture.

June 16, 2022 | By Stacey Mason

Phraseology

Phraseology

Words have meaning and we should choose them carefully. These phrases will help you develop richer connectivity, truer exploration, and a shifting mindset.

May 24, 2022 | By Stacey Mason

Woman writing in a book

Writing with Purpose

Given the flood of text in the Information Age, writing is more important--and more common--than ever before. Here are some tips on writing with purpose.

February 2, 2022 | By Liza Vammen

Man walking through airport with a suitcase

Repacking Your Bags

If life is the proverbial road trip, then it might serve us well to stop every now and then to check what we have packed in our bags.

January 31, 2022 | By Stacey Mason

Students on a stage

Put Your Whole Self In

When did we stop becoming fearless? Or stop believing in our own creativity? Or afraid to take center stage? Let's figure out how we can come back to ourselves!

December 13, 2021 | By Stacey Mason

Maps and Globes

Maps and Globes

Seth Godin's analogy of maps & globes reminds us to think broadly, with context rather than deeply/narrowly, to consider general relevance plus specialization.

November 22, 2021 | By Stacey Mason

The Value of a Walton MBA

The Value of a Walton MBA

Few words matter more to Walton's culture than "value." Our MBA program, as shown in a WSJ study of graduates' debt-to-income ratios, exemplify this commitment.

November 4, 2021 | By Ryan Sheets

A Conversation on Perspective

A Conversation on Perspective

One of my favorite improv exercises is Fortunately/Unfortunately, which helps us focus on our own unique perspective, belief systems, and examine our intentions.

October 27, 2021 | By Stacey Mason

Future-Proof Skill Building

Future-Proof Skill Building

Want to become future-proof? Take Stacey's advice to stay curious, encounter new ideas often, and develop a higher level of intellectual adaptability.

August 18, 2021 | By Stacey Mason

opened book graphic

For the Love of Reading

Looking for thought-provoking, engaging reads this summer? Maybe something outside your wheelhouse? See what the Improv Lab's Stacey Mason recommends!

July 16, 2021 | By Stacey Mason

empty stage with mic image

More Improv Advice in Translation

I have found that most advice is worthy of thorough examination. Often advice pertaining to one discipline – with just a bit of translation – has meaning in other disciplines.

June 3, 2021 | By Stacey Mason

Concentrations Add Value to Accounting Master’s Program

Concentrations Add Value to Accounting Master’s Program

The IMAcc provides the smoothest path toward a seamless, five-year competition of both an undergraduate and master’s degree. And the restructured master’s program provides concentrated options for students no matter the next step in their academic or professional journeys.

April 1, 2021 | By Stephen Caldwell

Confessions of an Entrepreneur: Your Inner Entrepreneur

Confessions of an Entrepreneur: Your Inner Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs are kind of like artists. Every 7-year-old is an artist. But few 22-year-olds are. And most every 7-year-old is an entrepreneur too—selling lemonade or girl scout cookies. But few adults are. Somehow, along the path of life, we lose that entrepreneurial spirit.

March 23, 2021 | By Mark Zweig

frame around a sunset

The Power of Reframing

Getting unstuck – moving forward – involves reconsidering it from a different perspective, and usually with far more kindness than we afforded ourselves initially.

January 7, 2021 | By Stacey Mason

people in virtual call

15 People You Need on Speed Dial

I thought I would share the 15 people that I keep on speed dial. Not so much individuals but rather perspectives that I rely on as I navigate the journey that is called life.

November 18, 2020 | By Stacey Mason

desert

Why ‘The Force’ Is With Economics Students

Raja Kali, the chair of the Department of Economics at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas, likes to use the Star Wars analogy with students and prospective students who are considering economics as a major, because it makes the point that economics underlies almost every aspect of human interactions.

October 22, 2020 | By Stephen Caldwell

woman in a meeting

Confessions of an Entrepreneur: The Typical Entrepreneur

There may be some qualities these successful entrepreneurs have that bond them together — qualities not everyone possesses. Here are some I have observed in the preponderance of successful entrepreneurs I have met and/or worked with over the years.

September 29, 2020 | By Mark Zweig

employees discussing

The Art of Effective Communication

In a world that contains this many word choices, coupled with nuances in delivery method and tone (how I say what I say), perhaps it is no wonder that effective communication can be tricky. But to triumph over the tricky simply requires a few techniques.

September 10, 2020 | By Stacey Mason

group discussion

How To Better Prepare Young Professionals for Careers

Big data and analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning and blockchain influence how industries do business. With technology changing rapidly, students, faculty and industry professionals must collaborate to embrace the future.

September 4, 2020 | By Ryan Decker

stage

Improv Advice in Translation

I have found that most advice is worthy of thorough examination. Often advice pertaining to one discipline – with just a bit of translation – has meaning in other disciplines.

August 27, 2020 | By Stacey Mason

stephen caldwell

The Path to Customer Centric Leadership

Procter & Gamble’s decision to open an office in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in 1987 was a seminal moment in the history of corporate retail, but it also became a catalyst for changes that, among many other things, have helped shape and transform the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas.

August 20, 2020 | By Stephen Caldwell

white arrow marks

Replace Judgment with Curiosity

Replace judgment with curiosity. I don’t know if these words found me or if I found them, but they have transformed my life, my work, and my understanding of human-ness.

August 6, 2020 | By Stacey Mason

graphic image of women announcing

7 Ways the I3R Grant Will Help Transform the University of Arkansas

The announcement of a $194.7 million grant to the University of Arkansas from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation is notable for its amount, but far more significant because of its potential for making a positive, lasting impact on our campus, our state, and the future of higher education.

July 30, 2020 | By Matt Waller

house image

Confessions of an Entrepreneur: Real Estate Investing 101

We never had a huge operation compared to some, but for most of each of the last 10 years or so we probably sold $5-10 million worth of properties annually through our design/build/development/property management company, Mark Zweig, Inc., and were pretty well-known in the area for doing high quality projects.

July 29, 2020 | By Mark Zweig

graphic bulb

Boundary Spanning in Search of Something Useful

It turns out that I spend a fair amount of time each day doing something that I’d never heard of just a few years ago: boundary spanning. At least I think that’s what I’m doing. I was pretty sure until I looked this phrase up and came away unexpectedly confused.

July 23, 2020 | By Stephen Caldwell

girls discussing

An Internship Like No Other

Internships are a rite of passage for most college students, providing a bridge between what they learn on campus and what they will experience in the professional world.

July 8, 2020 | By Deb Williams

team casual meeting

Building the Right Culture

Building culture; that’s the tougher part of the equation because it feels like a paradox – contradicting pieces and parts merging to create an environment that ebbs and flows over the life of the organization. It’s a beautiful thing to watch when it’s done well.

May 28, 2020 | By Stacey Mason

pencil and bulb

Two-Word Lessons to My 20-Something Self

I never put myself in a state of anguish wondering what might have been … could have been … should have been. Rather, I think about the lessons I’ve learned that have shaped me and placed me exactly where I’m supposed to be.

May 28, 2020 | By Stacey Mason

hands and bulb

Where the Magic Happens

I am a big fan of the sciences. I’m an even bigger fan of the arts. And I’m fanatic about the intersection of the two because that’s where the magic happens.

April 23, 2020 | By Stacey Mason

graduation cap

Higher Education for Business is NOT Broken

It’s popular these days to bash higher education. All you hear about is the high cost of it and the excessive debt that students take on to get “useless” degrees. And then there is plenty of criticism for how we teach it. Some say the system is completely broken.

April 8, 2020 | By Mark Zweig

graphic image of laptop

A Time to Be Smart

As we navigate uncharted territory, I am thinking about my students - particularly my amazing, talented and caring seniors who have had their last semester so abruptly disrupted. I hope my students, and others, will find these five pieces of advice helpful during this transition to online learning in these uncertain times.

March 16, 2020 | By Molly Rapert

friends talking

A Journey Toward Empathy

The journey toward becoming a more innovative organization (or individual) requires opening yourself up to a deep understanding of the people you identify as users or customers.

March 13, 2020 | By Jessica Salmon

car, money, home toys

3 Proven Paths to Paying for Your MBA

MBA students who put in the work on the front end tend to spend less of their own money and creatively find ways to earn money that helps them avoid debt that sucks the “return” out of their ROI.

February 14, 2020 | By Stephen Caldwell

casual discussion

From Popcorn to Pop-ups

As a land-grant and flagship institution, the University of Arkansas and the Walton College are committed to engaging with all of Arkansas. Business challenges, ideas and concepts aren’t limited to publicly traded entities or even small for-profit businesses.

January 10, 2020 | By Blythe Eggleston

walton conference

How to Build a Plane While Flying

Graham Cobb, president and chief executive officer at the Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce, isn’t concerned with creating new experiences. He’s taking advantage of what already exists in Northwest Arkansas.

December 17, 2019 | By Alexandra Goforth

Matt Waller

Six Ways Hosting a Podcast Strengthens Your Leadership

I have plenty of demands on my time, and I am careful not to intentionally add anything to my plate that doesn’t clearly add value to the people I serve, so launching the Be EPIC podcast about a year ago was a strategic decision. I’m happy to report that the results have exceeded my expectations – not just because of the benefits to the Walton College but also because of how it has helped my growth as a leader.

October 24, 2019 | By Matt Waller