Sometimes, the most meaningful lessons in an MBA program don’t come from textbooks—they come from the people you meet along the way. For Efraín, a chance introduction led him to Professor Robert McCann’s legendary communications class, where a shared love of music turned an academic experience into a lasting friendship.

Disclaimer

• All characters and events in this chapter —even those based on real people—are entirely fictional.
• The following chapters contain coarse language and situations and due to its content it should not be read by anyone.

Chapter 29 “Making Friends with Professors”

Providence often plays a larger role in life than we realize at the moment. During my MBA journey, that serendipity came in the form of my classmate Ryan. He was the teaching assistant for a communications professor named Robert McCann, and he couldn’t stop raving about how transformative the class was.

"You have to take it," Ryan urged one afternoon over lunch.

I was intrigued, but there was a catch. The class wasn’t part of the standard curriculum for full-time MBA students until the class after us. I couldn´t attend a first-year core class. But there was another option. It was tailored for executive MBA candidates—professionals with years more experience under their belts. I wasn’t sure if I could get in, but I figured it was worth a shot.

Ryan must have sensed my hesitation because the next thing I knew, he was offering to pull some strings with Professor McCann. A few days later, I found myself with a spot in the class. I had no idea then that this would turn out to be one of the most transformative courses of my MBA experience. The class was rife with late 30`s early 40`s classmates, most of them with VP roles in companies like Live Nation, and there I was a 29 jobless kid.

Public speaking and presentations had always come naturally to me, a byproduct of my consulting background. But this class wasn’t just about the mechanics of communication—it was about finding your authentic voice, crafting narratives that resonated, and engaging with audiences on a deeper level.

For my final presentation, I decided to weave together two of my favorite things: storytelling and U2. I promoted the concert the band was playing a few months later in Anaheim (Maybe the Live Nation lady would pity my fandom and get me backstage?). By the time I wrapped up, I casually dropped the fact that I had seen the band play live thirty or forty times.

I could see a few raised eyebrows and impressed nods from the audience.

Then, during the Q&A, Professor McCann hit me with a curveball.

"Do you really think watching U2 forty times is a lot?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Without missing a beat, I replied, "Yes. I doubt many people have seen their favorite band that many times."

Professor McCann smirked. "Well," he said, pausing for effect, "I’ve seen the Grateful Dead over eighty times."

The room erupted in laughter.

At that moment, it felt less like a classroom and more like a bar after a concert—just a bunch of music fans trading stories.

When it came time for grades to be revealed, I noticed something curious. Professor McCann had saved me for last. My mind raced with questions—Was this a good sign or a bad one? Did I bomb the presentation?

As it turned out, being last wasn’t a punishment. It was a privilege.

"I saved you for last because I wanted to keep talking music," he admitted with a grin.

We spent the next half-hour discussing bands, concerts, and the evolution of live performances. The conversation drifted far beyond coursework, and by the end of it, I felt like I had made a new friend as much as I had impressed a professor.

That connection endured long after graduation. Whenever Professor McCann was in LA, we’d meet up for concerts or just to catch up. Over time, our relationship evolved from student-professor to two friends who happened to share a passion for music.

Looking back, I realize how rare it is to form those kinds of bonds. All it took was one class, a little bit of fortuity, and the universal language of good music.