Isabell Briest
Hanover-born and raised, Isabell studied Economics and Business Administration before starting her career in strategy consulting. Later on, she joined a large American tech startup company.
After finishing her IE-SMU MBA in 2018, Isabell decided to leave corporate life behind to become an entrepreneur and make the world her home. As a digital nomad she’s successfully set up her own e-commerce business while living and traveling the globe, and has recently co-founded her second company, aimed at empowering real talk among women.
"The IE-SMU MBA pushed me to leave my comfort zone. It taught me so much about myself and my own boundaries, and I learned a lot about diversity as I met people from all walks of life."
DEFINE YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE IE-SMU MBA USING ONE WORD.
Growth-boosting.
It’s a year packed with many valuable lessons that boost professional and personal growth. The IE-SMU MBA pushed me to leave my comfort zone. It taught me so much about myself and my own boundaries, and I learned a lot about diversity as I met people from all walks of life. Getting to work and study with students from all kinds of backgrounds has truly opened my mind to the powerful synergies diversity can create.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO STUDY THE IE-SMU MBA?
When I started my MBA, I was still working at my corporate job at an American tech company. So for me, the blended format was the perfect combination of approaches—I could challenge myself academically while keeping my current job and therefore my financial independence. Also, having lived mainly in the Western hemisphere all my life, I thought the exposure to Asia would be a great opportunity to broaden my horizons.
Ultimately, IE puts a special focus on diversity and entrepreneurship—two things that have always caught my interest and have become an essential part of my current professional life.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO STUDENTS WHO ARE ABOUT TO BEGIN THE PROGRAM?
It’s all about managing your time! You will be extremely busy during the MBA, so make sure your employer is on board, since you won’t be able to fit in a lot of extra hours. On the other hand, be prepared to cut back on time with your family and friends, and learn to say no. It’ll be a rewarding, yet stressful period in your life, so it might not be the best time to make other drastic changes. But of course, nothing is impossible—you just have to do you!
WHAT IS NETWORKING LIKE IN THE IE-SMU MBA?
To be honest, I was a little unsure about this part in the beginning. However, the initial week in Madrid made it really easy to get to know everyone and become friends fairly quickly. The mix of lectures, late-night working sessions, as well as lots of group lunches, dinners, drinks and laughter, really allowed us students to bond.
Those personal connections were later solidified through project-related group calls and WhatsApp groups and of course, the residential periods in Singapore. Today, we still keep in touch with each other and meet up for weddings and other festive occasions. So, what started as university classmates turned into friends for life!
WHAT WAS THE CORPORATE CONSULTING PROJECT LIKE?
During the Corporate Consulting Project you’re faced with the challenge of solving a real problem for a real company that hasn’t been able to find a solution themselves. This for sure makes it a demanding task, but beyond that, it’s a great opportunity to get hands-on experience and broaden your professional mindset. Thanks to the project I was involved in, I learned how to think outside of the box and find innovative solutions to standard problems. This assignment definitely shaped my entrepreneurial spirit and inspired me to contemplate an entrepreneurial path for myself.
IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU THINK THE IE-SMU MBA HAS CHANGED YOUR LIFE PERSONALLY?
The MBA made me more aware of other cultures and their values. I also learned so much about group dynamics, group management and communication. As a German, I was used to communicating quite directly, which is not always the most polite way in other cultures. Especially after this MBA experience, I’m convinced that communication is key to finding solutions and broadening horizons. As a result, it’s no coincidence that “real talk” is the focus point of one of my companies—DAERE. Nowadays, our fast-moving lives are often filled with fleeting encounters, lacking meaningful connections that really make a difference. Therefore, DAERE aims to create a safe space and a platform for women to inspire and be inspired.
IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU THINK THE IE-SMU MBA HAS CHANGED YOUR LIFE PROFESSIONALLY?
I’ve always wanted to have my own company. Basically, the MBA experience was the ultimate push I needed to kickstart my entrepreneurial career. So, shortly after the MBA ended, I left my corporate job to co-found my first company, an e-commerce business that operates between Europe and (surprise!) Asia.
The IE-SMU MBA prepared me to successfully navigate the business environment in Asia, from negotiating best practices to business etiquette. It also equipped me with the right toolkit to build my own company from scratch, managing all disciplines of the business such as finance, operations and marketing.
