Why I Coach—Courtney Johnson
Courtney J., an expert Leland coach Stanford MBA, outlines why she chooses to coach and what it means to her.
By Courtney J.
Posted March 6, 2025
When I was preparing to apply to grad school, I remember a partner at Deloitte* suggesting not to waste my time applying to the #1 or #2 school. “There are just so many consultants who apply to those schools, many of them from Ivy League undergrads. Your state school degree isn't doing you any favors."
I should send this partner a thank you note. See, he didn’t know that the fastest way to motivate me to do something is to tell me I can’t. He didn’t know that the partners on my first project at the firm started calling me “Cujo” for the tenacious (dare I say, rabid) way I attacked problems. He didn’t know that my scrappy determination is what earned me a spot at Deloitte in the first place (Deloitte Consulting didn’t recruit from UGA at the time). In saying this, he lit a fire under me. Not only did I get into all of the top schools where I applied, but this also made me a fierce advocate for anyone applying to grad school from a non-traditional (or overly traditional?) path.
I coach to be the champion of the underdog. I coach because I love the unexpected power of the dark horse candidate. I coach to help Cujos like me prove that partner wrong. If you’re doubting yourself (or if others are doubting you), I can’t wait to meet you.
*Shout out to all the other amazing leadership and peers at Deloitte who were (and are) my champions, mentors and friends - Matt, Max, Kristin, Annie, Kevin, Vinod, Craig, Lauren, Chad, Fred, Joe, Lena and more 👋🏻
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Interested in working together on your MBA application? Click here for my Leland coaching profile.
Written by Courtney
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Hi! I'm Courtney Johnson - you can call me Cojo 👋🏻 I am a Stanford GSB alum. Over the last six years, I have helped 20+ prospective MBAs get into their top choice schools (Stanford, Harvard, Wharton, Booth, Kellogg, London Business School, MIT Sloane, and more). I’m from Atlanta, went to University of Georgia for undergrad, then started in Strategy & Operations at Deloitte Consulting. Despite having a “cookie-cutter” resume, I managed to get into every school where I applied. I think the secret to differentiating an “underdog” resume (non-target undergrad, ex-consultant) is by surprising the admissions committee. I love surprising people as they get to know me, and I tried to incorporate this juxtaposition into my application: I’m a southerner without an accent, a blonde who loves esports, a formerly state-ranked tennis player who is shockingly unathletic, and a (reasonably) put together individual who lived on the road without an apartment for two years. One of the Stanford application prompts was to describe yourself in 20 words or less. I wrote, “I’m simultaneously the starry-eyed idealist and the methodical realist, a straight-talker yet fiercely loyal, and despite common misconception, an introvert!” What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? What are aspects of your personality, background, or experience that would seem to contradict each other, but instead create a unique point of view that only you have? I love helping people uncover these differentiating traits - these elements of surprise - as the foundation for their application story. I am passionate about “mining” someone’s experience for that little something special, that contradiction. Just like in any good business, we will aim to “surprise and delight” your customer (the admissions committee) together. If you’re an underdog, reach out! I can’t wait to get to know you, help get you into the school of your dreams, and act as a mentor/friend/therapist both throughout this process and beyond.
Harvard Business School
