Why I Waited to Get My MBA (and Why I’m So Glad I Finally Did!)
I used to be the kind of student who thrived on straight A’s. In high school, I loaded up on AP and Honors classes and genuinely loved learning. So when I got into Pepperdine for undergrad, it felt like the next natural step. What I didn’t expect was how difficult it would be to become fully independent and put myself through school.
To make it work, I had to hustle. I worked nearly 30 hours a week, juggling five different jobs over the course of my college years. Retail, babysitting, admin work—you name it. All while carrying a full course load. The burnout was real. I struggled to keep up. I even failed some courses. When I finally graduated, it wasn’t with honors or fanfare. It was a quiet sigh of relief.
That experience left a mark. For years, it made me doubt myself. The fear of failure lingered. And it kept me from pursuing my MBA for years. I told myself I wasn’t cut out for it. That I’d barely made it through undergrad—how could I possibly survive grad school?
But something shifted. As I grew in my career—especially in my work with estate planning attorneys and business owner clients—I started to see how valuable a deeper understanding of business operations, marketing, and leadership could be. I was helping these attorneys grow companies, build teams, and transform their practices. And ultimately, I was helping transform their lives—along with the lives of their team members and the clients they served. I wanted to do that better.
With the much-needed push from some friends, I went back. And this time, I brought everything I’d learned the hard way—about discipline, about resilience, about juggling real life and ambition—with me.
Earning my MBA wasn’t easy, but it was transformative. It gave me tools and insight that I now use every single day—not just for our company, The Ultimate Estate Planner, but in the way I guide and support our clients. I can speak to the operational challenges of running a law practice, the importance of developing teams, and the strategic decisions that make or break a business—because I’ve studied them, lived them, and now help others navigate them.
And maybe most importantly, the experience gave me back the confidence I lost somewhere between that AP student and the exhausted undergrad. I took one class at a time and took twice as long (4 years!) to get through the Part-Time MBA Program at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. I went on to earn straight A’s in my MBA program, graduating summa cum laude, and was honored with the prestigious George Award for Outstanding Part-Time MBA Student—an award given to students nominated by faculty for their performance both in and outside the classroom. This journey has been a personal redemption story for me, reminding me that growth isn’t just about academic achievements but about embracing challenges, overcoming doubts, and continuing to evolve. It has deepened my belief that true success is measured not by perfection, but by resilience, experience, and the unwavering commitment to keep moving forward.
To anyone carrying doubts from the past: you are not alone. Whatever it is you’ve been thinking about doing—but have been too scared to start—you can do it. It’s never too late to invest in yourself. In fact, the very thing you’re afraid of might be exactly what the Universe is nudging you toward. The discomfort, the fear, the hesitation—that’s often where the real growth begins. That’s where life gets fuller, richer, and more meaningful.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kristina Schneider is a Practice Success Coach at The Ultimate Estate Planner, Inc. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Pepperdine University in 2004 and was hired right out of college to work for the Law Firm of Kavesh, Minor & Otis, coordinating and facilitating Philip Kavesh’s “Missing Link” Boot Camps while also providing administrative support to Mr. Kavesh as his Executive Assistant for over seven years. Through her direct hands-on experience in Mr. Kavesh’s law firm, Kristina has assited numerous estate planning professionals through The Ultimate Estate Planner and, equally as important, many of their staff members, in the successful implementation of Ultimate Estate Planner’s products and systems. In April 2025, Kristina graduated with her MBA with honors from Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.