Suzanne Brown, BBA ’96 and MBA ’04, shares a career update and reflects on her time as a student in McCombs. Suzanne is a successful entrepreneur and work-life balance expert who has started two businesses, written two books, and been featured in a TED Talk. She was the first female chair of the MBA Advisory Board from 2005-2015 and a recent speaker for our Career Webinar Summer Series. Thank you for your continued engagement with the Texas McCombs Alumni Network, Suzanne!  

Tell us about your experience as a student here at McCombs.  

I really enjoyed my time at McCombs, both as an undergrad and an MBA. What most sticks out from my undergrad was the wealth of opportunities and the support I got for doing a year abroad. I noticed the teamwork and camaraderie of the MBAs while I was still a BBA.  

I remembered this when the time came to apply to programs to get my MBA. As an MBA I was involved with various groups, such as the GMN and MAC. My favorite classes were often the classes with a great mix of business and non-business students such as Dr. Cunningham’s Corporate Governance class. With a concentration in marketing, I really enjoyed the marketing classes as well. No question my favorite professor was Dr. Mackie, who taught Strategic Marketing, with Dr. Irwin, who teaches Consumer Behavior, a close second. I even had the opportunity to be Dr. Mackie’s TA, which I really enjoyed.  

How did your educational experience change you?  

People wonder if getting an MBA helped since I already had a business degree. I learned a lot in grad school. Sure, some of it was enhancing skills, but I got more holistic view of how things strategically work together. And, with those skills, I’m better able to explain how to get the results my clients are looking for, which is integral as a consultant. And a huge part of any MBA experience is your network. I have stayed in touch with classmates, both near and far, since grad school. 

Please provide a brief summary of your career path since graduating.  

After undergrad I worked in various marketing agencies in San Antonio, New York, Miami, and Chicago before heading back to UT to get my MBA. After my MBA, I was fortunate to stay in Austin. I worked for National Instruments, helping the Direct Marketing team create best practices and develop the team’s strategic skillset.  

I then went back to the marketing agency world, working at GSD&M, a large local agency that is part of one of the largest conglomerates in the world. My roles were very non-traditional there and I had the opportunity to build strategic relationships for the company as well as develop business plans for the agency and founders. And eventually finished up there as a financial strategist with my focus on helping the company make money. The financial skills from these roles at GSD&M have helped me develop an unusual expertise within the relationship between brands and their marketing agencies. This knowledge enabled me to create an in-person and recently launched online video series on helping manage marketing agency relationships as a brand manager.   

All the while, I was building my own strategic marketing business as a side gig, starting shortly after I graduated in 2004. In 2012 I shifted my focus to 100 percent entrepreneur. And in 2013, I started a second business as a work-life balance expert, while still doing the first. I don’t have to choose between my two businesses and don’t want to. 

What are you most proud of in your career so far? 

I have two very different sides of what I do in my career and I’m thrilled to be a trusted team member and resource in both businesses. I make a difference for my clients, often at the beginning of their journey. Whether it’s doing a market assessment before a client makes an investment or writing a business plan, I provide strategic leadership to my clients through my marketing business. And it’s exciting that in my work-life balance business I’m often helping companies figure out how to become more balance friendly from the initial steps. And for those working moms and now working dads who read my books or watch my TED talk, I help them start that work-life balance journey through practical tips.  

I’m thankful for having two successful businesses that allow me to still pick up my boys from school each day. It’s this involvement in their lives that keeps me going with juggling all the things in these two businesses. 

 Has your career played out the way you expected? 

If you would have asked me 25 years ago about working in the marketing world or writing books on work-life balance, I would have laughed. And 15 years ago, I never would have thought about writing a book, much less two award-winning books. Even 5 years ago, I wasn’t thinking about a TED talk, but the opportunity presented itself. I’m thankful for the opportunities, though. So much of your career success can be about knowing when and why to say, “Yes!” 

How have you stayed involved with the school as an alumna? 

From 2005 to 2015, I was part of the MBA Alumni Advisory Board, about 9 years of which I had some kind of leadership role. I was chair-elect for two and chair for three years. And I was the first female chair of the board, which I’m really proud of. We made a lot of changes during those years, which was exciting and scary, but I was thrilled with the foundation we created. Since 2015 I have done a few online and in-person workshops for students and alumni and continue to be a resource whenever I can.    

How have you personally benefited from being a part of the network? 

I am forever thankful for the network through McCombs. Some my classmates are very much part of my tribe. We support each other through career and personal opportunities and challenges. I’ll also add that I’m so inspired by the cool things that my classmates have done since graduation, whether as a strategic leader in a large company or how they’ve created and led a small business. It’s exciting to watch the many things the Class of 2004 has accomplished!   

What are your goals for the future, career wise and in relation to McCombs? 

I’m at a moment in my businesses where I’m pivoting a bit in both. I’ll be working on creating more workshops for large businesses wanting to become more balance friendly and doing more public speaking on the work-life balance side of things. I will eventually write the work-life balance book for working dads (let me know if you’re interested in sharing your story) and one for companies.  

As a marketing strategist, I’m looking to engage more in helping enable leadership teams in their strategic planning phase. I would like to continue those relationships that I start at the beginning of their journey to have more touch-points along the way. I’m also working to become more recognized as a leader in the client/agency management space, helping companies work better with their marketing agencies.    

After finishing up my roles on the MBA Alumni Advisory Board, I have had a chance to be active in other organizations. I am looking at other types of opportunities to engage the MBA community, especially from an entrepreneurship perspective. 

Any other community involvement, hobbies or tidbits you’d like to share? 

I recently joined the Pop-up Birthday board, which is an organization that helps provide personalized birthday experiences to children in foster care. These are kids who otherwise might not have a birthday. It was started by fellow alumna, Laila Peabody Scott (Class of 2003). I’m thrilled to be working with her. And I’m active at my boys’ elementary school, which I hope to continue to do.  

And I’ll add that my passion is international travel. I traveled to 40 countries before turning 40. We’ve definitely tapped into that sense of adventure in our young boys, so I’m excited to continue to travel as a family in the coming year.