Tim Duffy (MBA ’24)
Professor John Neeson’s Entrepreneurial Marketing Strategy class in the BC MBA program has proven to be a transformative experience for students seeking to navigate the complex world of business, marketing, and entrepreneurship.
Three students—Tim Duffy (MBA ’24), Meghan Boyer (MBA/MSW ’24), and Brian Fitzgerald (MBA ’24)—delve into the unique insights, day-to-day experiences, and practical applications that make this course a standout of the BC MBA.
Tim Duffy: A Well-Rounded Approach to Marketing Mastery
Tim highlights the wealth of Professor Neeson’s personal experiences in both large corporations and entrepreneurial settings, spanning over 20 years. The course provides a unique blend of theoretical knowledge and practical application, emphasizing digital tools, forecasting, persona development, and integrated marketing communications.
For Tim, the course serves as a capstone, offering tools applicable to consulting, HR, entrepreneurship, and management. The classroom environment encourages creativity and flexibility, setting the stage for in-depth customer and market research. Tim found the creation of customer personas particularly insightful, incorporating human-centric design and enhancing the ability to articulate and remedy pain points.
The second half of the semester, where students collaborate with real companies on marketing problems, mirrors the realities of client-facing business roles. The course structure, including lectures, guest speakers, breakout sessions, and project-focused team time, ensures a well-rounded understanding of entrepreneurial marketing strategy.
Meghan Boyer (MBA/MSW ’24)
Meghan Boyer: Dynamic Engagement and Entrepreneurial Empowerment
Meghan describes the day-to-day experience as dynamic and engaging, with Professor Neeson fostering an interactive environment that goes beyond traditional lectures. The course is not just about absorbing information; it’s about actively participating in discussions, sharing insights, and collaborating on real-world applications of marketing principles.
This course becomes a cornerstone for Meghan’s MBA journey, aligning with her career goals in entrepreneurship. The opportunity to work directly with her startup, Friendate, provides a transformative learning experience. Crafting a comprehensive marketing strategy not only brings Meghan’s entrepreneurial aspirations closer to fruition, but also opens doors to valuable networking opportunities with industry mentors and potential investors.
Brian Fitzgerald (MBA ’24)
Brian Fitzgerald: From Idea to Effective Marketing
Brian underscores the course’s ability to guide students in positioning an idea to a specified audience and communicating competitive advantages. He appreciates the laid-back nature of the course, facilitated by Professor Neeson’s approachability, making it easy to ask questions and seek advice.
For Brian, this course lays the foundation for launching his own company, providing a framework and process for understanding effective marketing strategies. The emphasis on the customer’s buyer journey and the flexible, on-your-own-schedule structure of the course align with the realities of the business world.