Cornell (thank) U

If you’ve been on Cornell’s campus lately, chances are you’ve seen—or heard about—Anmo Li ’28, aka the pogo stick guy.
Anmo is a world-ranked extreme pogo stick athlete and founder of the Cornell Pogo Club. He joins us to talk about Pogopalooza, going viral on campus, why getting good at pogo sticking means getting comfortable with failure, and his plans to help reinvent the modern pogo stick.
We also talk about his path to Cornell as a transfer student, his passion for nutrition and the gut microbiome, his research experience in China, and why the friends he’s made at Cornell mean the most to him.

Since being introduced to Jon Gordon ’93 just a few weeks ago, Michelle has read seven of his books—and genuinely feels changed by them. Then we talked with Jon, and Steph felt it too. There is something about the way Jon thinks, teaches and tells a story that stays with you.
Jon is the bestselling author of more than 30 books, including The Energy Bus, The Carpenter, The Hard Hat and The Power of Positive Habits. He is also one of the world’s most sought-after speakers and works with CEOs, business leaders, coaches and some of the most successful teams in college and professional sports.
We talk about his Cornell lacrosse years, the extraordinary story of George Boiardi ’04, and Jon gets remarkably candid about his own struggles with negativity, fear, failure, forgiveness and marriage. He shares why we should talk to ourselves instead of listening to ourselves, what it means to “forgive fast,” and how small changes in the way we think can change our lives.
And beyond all the wisdom, we just really like Jon. He is warm, funny, generous and completely genuine—and we left this conversation understanding why so many people respond so deeply to him.
A huge thank you our Vino (episode 242) for introducing us. We’re very grateful you did. This one is special.
Find Jon Gordon here: https://jongordon.com
His podcast: The Jon Gordon Podcast

Not sponsored by or affiliated with Cornell University

If you’re a college student getting ready for recruiting season—or the parent of one—this episode could not come at a better time.
Deborah Klein Glasser knows the job search from both sides. After Cornell, she built a career in marketing and consulting at companies including Pepsi, Colgate, PwC and Starwood Hotels, earned her MBA from Wharton, and today, as the founder of Pathfinder Consulting, helps college students and young professionals figure out what they want, tell their story and stand out in a very competitive job market.
We talk about what actually makes a candidate memorable, how to use the Cornell alumni network without sounding transactional, why networking can feel a lot like dating, and how to answer that dreaded interview question: “What’s your biggest weakness?”
Deborah also tells us whether an Ivy League degree really gives you an advantage, what to do after an interview, how persistent is too persistent, and why parents need to know when to help—and when to step away.
And somehow a serious conversation about interviewing leads to Michelle’s disastrous typing test, Deb’s cheap green interview suit and Steph nearly losing circulation in her leg during a law school interview.
Whether you’re looking for an internship, preparing for on-campus recruiting, starting your first job search—or trying to help someone who is—Deborah’s advice makes the whole process feel a little less intimidating and a lot more manageable. She's warm, smart and FUN!
You can find out more about her company here: https://www.pathfindercareerconsulting.com/
And you can reach out to her on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahglasser/

Not sponsored by or affiliated with Cornell University

Ayotunde Ejiko is only 20 years old, but somehow he has already fit an extraordinary amount into those 20 years.
He grew up in Nigeria, moved to the United States at 11, became one of the top high school sprinters in Washington, D.C., and learned early that when something isn’t working, you don’t just complain about it—you figure out how to make it better.
Today, Ayotunde is a Division I sprinter at Cornell studying Information Science and Sociology, while also fitting in internships, campus organizations, community work, friends and everything else that comes with being a college student.
We talk about what it was like moving to America as a kid with an accent, why he started speaking up for other students during COVID, and how those experiences shaped the way he thinks about leadership and creating change.
Ayotunde also takes us inside the intense world of sprinting, where you can train for months for a race that lasts about 10 seconds. He tells us how he ended up at Cornell, why he initially couldn’t believe an Ivy League school wanted him, and why one of the most important things he has learned at Cornell is that sometimes you simply can’t do everything at once.
We also talk about his interest in the intersection of people, technology and data, what he’s learning from his internships, and how he thinks about a future that is still very much taking shape.
Despite everything he’s already accomplished, when we ask what he ultimately wants, his answer is refreshingly simple: to be happy, keep learning and leave the world better than he found it.
And of course, we had to find out exactly what a Cornell sprinter is—and isn’t—willing to sprint for.
Ayotunde is smart, funny, thoughtful, curious and incredibly driven. We have a feeling he’s just getting started.
Special thanks to Tony Chen for introducing us to Ayotunde, thank you!

Instagram: ayoitstunde
Cornell Track and Field profile: https://cornellbigred.com/sports/mens-track-and-field/roster/ayotunde-ejiko/85711

Not sponsored by or affiliated with Cornell University

When we first met Ruthie Jones, we knew she had an incredible story. A Division I soccer goalie at Duke. A first-year student at Weill Cornell Medicine. But what surprised us most wasn't her resume—it was the way she thinks.
Ruthie shares how growing up in a family of athletes taught her confidence, resilience, and teamwork, why one decision at age 11 changed the course of her life, and how the mindset she developed as a goalkeeper has prepared her for the challenges of becoming a doctor.
We also talk about what life is really like as a first-year medical student, balancing athletics with academics, anatomy lab and cadavers (yeesh), moving to New York City after Duke, and the friendships she's found at Weill Cornell. Plus, we couldn't resist talking about our medical pet peeves.
It's a great story of how remarkable people find their paths. We loved her!
Shout out to her whole family and especially to her brother, Daniel Jones for bringing us all together. And a thank you too to Jack Gitlin - the Jones friendship started with him.

Not sponsored by or affiliated with Cornell University