A Year Later

On marriage, business school, podcasting, and finding my way back to writing

The last time I wrote here was more than a year ago (23 August 2024, to be exact).

Since then, a lot has happened.

The blog had started to feel like a big lift (see my last mega book review). At the same time, I was taking on more client work, Jess and I were deep into wedding planning, and I had just been accepted into business school.

There was a lot going on. I also put pressure on myself to produce something unique and interesting and BIG every week. So I hit pause, waiting for the “right time” to restart. That day never really came.

Fast forward a year, and a lot has changed. Jess and I got married (yes!). I started business school at IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland. And I even started a podcast with a classmate of mine.

Tying the Knot

“Marriage is like a gem tumbler.”

It was a beautiful late-summer day in Kronberg, Germany. With temperatures pushing 30°C, we were surrounded by family and close friends as we popped into the Standesamt (registry office) in Jess’s hometown to tie the knot – the same place her parents got married 31 years ago (and by the same official, what are the odds!).

Without gushing too much (and saving Jess and you from a full public display of affection), I’m very grateful to have found my person. I love that she’s warm and has a big heart, while at the same time challenging me, and occasionally even changing her mind when I make a good point.

In my speech, I quoted David Brooks’s The Second Mountain:

“Marriage is, as Lord Shaftesbury once put it, like a gem tumbler. It throws two people together and bumps them up against each other day after day, so they are constantly chipping away at one another, in a series of “amicable collisions,” until they are bright. It creates all the situations in which you are more or less compelled to be a less selfish person than you were before.”

I also love that Jess and I can be happy apart and even stronger together. My dad has a metaphor I like: love is like holding water in your hand – tilt it too much this way or that way, hold it too tight or too loose, and it spills out. Somewhere in the balance lies the trick.

Business School

“When I look back at my MBA, I often have these a-ha moments when I can say, this wouldn’t have happened in my life if it weren’t for my decision. New and amazing things you don’t know and can’t conceive of will come from your choice.”

Those were the words

James Bailey

, a writing buddy turned friend and mentor, shared before I joined IMD.

Before accepting, I had doubts. I was 33, recently married, and felt I already knew a lot (or so I thought) after studying actuarial science and working a decade in insurance and consulting. Taking a year off to go back to school felt like a disruption.

I’m happy to say my doubts, though well-founded, couldn’t have prepared me for the year and the many a-ha moments since.

From day one, the program stretched me. I’ve learned more about business, leadership, and myself than I imagined. I’m surrounded by fellow students who impress me daily with their ideas, intellect, and empathy. They’re ambitious (in a good way), which has pushed me to lift my game. The faculty know what they’re doing, bringing energy and perspective to every lecture.

Contrary to the nagging voice in my head, I still had plenty to learn (I guess the learning never ends). The MBA has been practical and hands-on. One day, you’re running a fictional hairdryer company in a business simulation (my team blew our whole budget on R&D and forgot marketing…), the next, your accounting prof is explaining how sustainability can be more than an overused buzzword and have a business case.

The student life has also been good. Cycling the 180km loop around Lac Léman twice (both times questioning my life choices halfway through), living in Singapore for the month of June with the entire class, and representing IMD at the inter-business school sports tournament (MBAT) in Paris.

It hasn’t all been easy – a one-year MBA isn’t for the faint-hearted. There have been late nights, tight deadlines, and long stretches away from Jess and our dog, Lily. But overall, I’m grateful I took this leap of faith and for the deep friendships I’ve formed.

From left to right: MBAT in Paris, a night out at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and High-Performance Leadership with Prof George Kohlrieser.

Podcasting

Around May, a classmate turned close friend, Konsti, messaged me:

“John, CVs are so boring and our classmates are the opposite. What if we interview them so they can share more about themselves than the few lines on their resumes? We can call it Unhinged!”

And so the wheels were set in motion for starting our own podcast called Careers & Character (though we’ve kept the unhinged vibe).

Since then, we’ve recorded over 20 shows, interviewing classmates, professors, and guest speakers. After pausing the writing for a while, this project gave me a new lease on creative life. It’s been incredible to connect with people I admire, learn from their wisdom, and give them a platform to share their stories. As one of our guests said (quoting his grandmother), “everyone is interesting when you look closely enough.”

Podcasting is easier than writing; the hardest part is clicking record. Konsti and I have come a long way since our pilot episode, where we didn’t even have mics, just riffed on a few ideas and said um and ah a lot. Twenty episodes later, we’ve come a long way. And in the process, I think we’ve both gotten better at listening and asking good questions — skills that have filtered through to the rest of our lives.

Season 1 of Careers & Character

2026 and Beyond

Over the summer, I completed a mini VP of Finance internship at VidLab7, a Munich-based AI startup. I worked on everything from setting up the P&L to helping with the pitch deck to improving the website. This was fun. I enjoyed the pace and the high degree of ownership. Previously, as an actuary, even when I was capable of broader work, I had to focus on a narrow scope. Now the team expected me to contribute across finance, product and sales.

As I shared with my coach last week (all the students at IMD work with a coach and psychoanalyst), it’s interesting how a label (whether you are an Actuary or an MBA) can either close or open up possibilities. It’s been refreshing to change that perception and fully step into what I’m capable of.

With the VidLab7 team over the summer

The startup bug has bitten. As my MBA year draws to a close, I’m setting my sights on finance-driven leadership roles in early-stage companies in Munich next year. When I shared this on LinkedIn, I was positively surprised by the support and inbound messages. It goes to show – people want to help, and by clearly stating your ambitions, you make it easier for them to do so.

As I mentioned earlier, I was also worried about the impact this year might have on my marriage. But Jess and I have managed the distance between Munich and Lausanne well. We’ve leaned more into our individuality while still making space for the relationship. I’m proud of us and grateful to her for fully backing me to take this opportunity.

That’s the update. It feels good to actually write again instead of saying, “I will write again.” Writing has always been more than a hobby for me. It’s a way to leave a kind of legacy, to capture my thoughts in public, to let my ideas escape the diary and see if they resonate with others. Even though I paused, I never intended to stop forever.

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P.S. Please check out our podcast Careers & Character. The guests share their life stories, the conversations have depth and breadth, and the thing has legs. There are many podcasts out there, sure, but this one feels genuine and focused – as the name suggests, it's about people with interesting careers and strong character. I especially like that second part. Favourite episode so far:

#04 - Professor George Kohlrieser - Never Live Without a Dream

P.P.S. You’ll notice I’ve changed the newsletter’s name from Creator’s Corner to John Nicholas. Back then, when I was trying to break out of corporate, calling myself a “creator” was my way of putting a stake in the ground, choosing sides between creator vs. corporate. But over time, I realised the lines are much blurrier than I thought. It’s not always us vs. them – I actually did a lot of work for corporates as a consultant over the past two years. Many people in corporate jobs form the backbone of society and keep the trains running on time. Not everyone needs to be an entrepreneur or a “creative.” So, John Nicholas feels like a better fit: a place to capture my ideas and observations, whether creative, corporate or anything in between.

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My Favourites

💬 Quote. On seeking recognition, Ryan Holiday writes about Marcus Aurelius and the “third thing”:

“Stop asking for the third thing. What’s the third thing? You’ve done something good, and someone benefited from it. The third thing is the recognition, the parade, the appreciation, the credit, the payback.”

This is a reminder I often need: to measure my work by its usefulness, rather than always seeking the applause that comes with it.

✍️ Essay. Her Divine Dividend by

James Bailey

on his late mother. A testament to a great lady with a big soul. I may never have known her, but it’s clear she raised a wonderful son. It made me think of my own parents, and how much of our character is shaped quietly by the people who raise us. The Muhammad Ali quote James shared will stay with me – let’s keep paying our rent.

📚 Book. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. What an epic. I picked up the extended version on Kindle in June and only finished it a couple of weeks ago. Watching Edmond Dantès survive years in a dungeon, escape against all odds, and patiently weave his revenge was a masterclass in playing the long game. Written 200 years ago, it still reads like it could have been published today (the movie isn’t bad either).

🎙️ Podcast. The Rest is History by Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland. Probably not new to many, but I’ve enjoyed going back to the very beginning. A break from my usual Sam Harris and Bari Weiss (and US politics). Highlights: #31 on the Prussians, #14 on Historical Fiction, and #13 with Stephen Fry on Troy. Listening to history told with humour and a sense of the big picture has been a refreshing counterbalance to the MBA case studies.

🎨 Sketch. As I look forward to 2026, I’m setting my sights on a career that nourishes my soul and rewards my work.

Until next time — stay curious.

— John

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