Rafa Mazza thought the hard part was over.
She’d done what so many dream of: gotten into Harvard Business School, built a powerful network, interned in New York, and graduated with a job that aligned perfectly with her goals.
But then came the silence. The absence of structure. The crushing question: Now what?
In this episode of The MBA Golden Buzzer, Rafa returns to share what really happens after graduation. From rebuilding self-confidence and confronting guilt as an international student to rediscovering joy through CrossFit and community, she opens up about the emotional whiplash no one warns you about.
Because no one tells you what to do after the dream comes true.
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Watch the podcast below!
“I Thought I’d Go Back to Brazil. I Didn’t.”
When Rafa wrote her HBS application, the plan was clear: use the MBA to deepen her impact in Brazil’s ag tech space and then return home. But life had other plans. She ended up taking a job with a startup headquartered in Australia and settling in Miami, far from the life she imagined—but closer to the life she wanted.
At first, it was a “just for now” decision. A way to extend her time abroad for a year. But one year turned into a lifestyle: sunrises by the water, CrossFit at 6 a.m., a deeper sense of security, and more opportunity than she’d expected. “I realized I could do things differently than what I had planned,” she said. Sometimes, the most authentic decisions are the ones you don’t overthink—they’re the ones you live into, one choice at a time.
Relearning How to Work (Yes, Really)
One of the biggest surprises Rafa faced? She felt like she forgot how to work. After two years of deep reflection, global travel, and philosophical case discussions, the structure of full-time work felt alien.
She wasn’t alone. Many graduates experience what Rafa calls the “engine shift,” the challenge of turning off the student mindset and turning back on their professional one. “I felt like I was better at working before business school than I was after,” she admitted. It wasn’t about competence. It was about stamina, mindset, and navigating a totally new rhythm of life.
The Identity Shift No One Prepares You For
The decision to stay in the U.S. brought unexpected emotional complexity. Rafa spoke candidly about the guilt she felt, not just about leaving Brazil but also about not being closer to her parents, not directly working for a Brazilian company, and not giving back in the way she had once envisioned.
“I felt like I was starting over,” she said. “Not just in my career, but in who I was.” For many international students, post-MBA life is a layered experience: joy, freedom, and opportunity on one side; guilt, cultural dissonance, and homesickness on the other. Rafa’s honesty about this tension is a powerful reminder that post-MBA decisions are rarely black and white.
Tradeoffs Are Real—And They Matter More Than You Think
In a world where MBA students are trained to optimize everything—salary, title, prestige—Rafa’s story is a welcome dose of realism. “We want the best of everything,” she says, “but that’s just not real.”
She traded a high-paying consulting offer in Brazil for a role that gave her freedom, alignment with her values, and time to build a life she loves. It didn’t look as glamorous on LinkedIn, but it felt right. “You have to be okay with your tradeoffs,” she says. “I may not have the highest salary, but I have my mornings. I have peace. That matters more to me.”
From Burnout to Balance: How Fitness Changed Everything
One of Rafa’s proudest post-MBA shifts has nothing to do with work. It’s about health. During her time at HBS, she often ran on four hours of sleep, trying to do everything, be everywhere. After graduation, she committed to a different rhythm: CrossFit, running, yoga, rest.
That new structure didn’t just help her physically; it also helped her emotionally. It gave her routine, community, and a sense of momentum. “I used to hate working out. Now I organize my week around it,” she said. “It became a way of showing up for myself.”
What the MBA Doesn’t Teach You
Even with all the leadership training and reflection HBS encourages, Rafa still found herself unprepared for post-MBA life. There was no course for rediscovering your identity, coping with comparison on Instagram, or figuring out what joy looks like after you’ve achieved something.
She found support in an unexpected place: her HBS career coach. “She’s like my career therapist,” Rafa joked. “She reminds me who I am.” Through those conversations, she began rebuilding her confidence—not the pre-MBA kind that came from ambition and hustle, but a quieter, more grounded kind. The kind that says, “This is my path. And I trust it.”
Ready to Turn Advice Into Action?
Rafa didn’t just get into HBS. She owned her story, took bold risks, and built a post-MBA life on her terms. That kind of clarity doesn’t come from Googling essay tips or second-guessing yourself.
It comes from having the right strategy and the right support.
At Ellin Lolis Consulting, we helped Rafa get clear on what made her stand out and turn that into an admit at Harvard. We can do the same for you.
With a 98.9% success rate, we’ll walk with you through every part of the process, from choosing schools to final interview prep, so you’re never wondering what comes next.
Apply to work with us, and let’s build your story the smart, strategic way.
Real MBA Essays That Got People In
School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
