Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Working Knowledge
Business Research for Business Leaders
  • Browse All Articles
  • Popular Articles
  • Cold Call Podcast
  • Managing the Future of Work Podcast
  • About Us
  • Book
  • Leadership
  • Marketing
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Entrepreneurship
  • All Topics...
  • Topics
    • COVID-19
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Finance
    • Gender
    • Globalization
    • Leadership
    • Management
    • Negotiation
    • Social Enterprise
    • Strategy
  • Sections
    • Book
    • Podcasts
    • HBS Case
    • In Practice
    • Lessons from the Classroom
    • Op-Ed
    • Research & Ideas
    • Research Event
    • Sharpening Your Skills
    • What Do You Think?
    • Working Paper Summaries
  • Browse All
    The 10 Most Popular 'Cold Call' Podcasts
    20 Dec 2016Research & Ideas

    The 10 Most Popular 'Cold Call' Podcasts

    As the year comes to a close, we revisit the Cold Call podcasts that attracted the most listeners in 2016.
    LinkedIn
    Email

    What do Stella McCartney, Apple, Netflix, and Wal-Mart have in common? They were all subjects of the most popular episodes of Harvard Business School's Cold Call podcast in the last year.

    Twice monthly, host and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Brian Kenny invites an HBS professor to take listeners behind the scenes of a case he or she has written, probing what inspired the case, exploring how it relates to management practice, and delving into interesting anecdotes that come from researching the case and teaching it in the classroom. The podcast has featured a wide variety of cases covering world-class brands, innovative start-ups, and social enterprises, and the most popular of the more than 30 episodes produced in the past year are listed below.

     
    The Amazing Life of One of America’s Earliest Black, Female Entrepreneurs
    Nancy Koehn
    Though not everyone may know her name, Madam C.J. Walker helped invent what have become staples of our modern country and economy: national sales forces, corporate social responsibility, and, yes, even basic haircare. Orphaned at age 8, married at 14, and widowed at 20 with a daughter to raise, Walker went on to become a millionaire entrepreneur in the Deep South at the turn of the century, against all odds. Professor Nancy Koehn describes Walker’s inspiring real life story of making good on her own unique American dream.

     


     
    Cold Calling Stella McCartney
    Anat Keinan
    With her unique leadership style and innovative approach to green fashion, Stella McCartney shows that a luxury brand can be sustainable. Professor Anat Keinan discusses her case on the fashion icon.

     


     
    Behind Apple's Tax Situation, an Unprecedented Financial Policy
    Mihir Desai
    The European Union recently hit Apple with a $14.5 billion tax bill, but that’s hardly the first or worst financial challenge the technology giant has faced. In 1997, the company suffered a near-death experience that caused it to completely reimagine itself. The result was a new line of products and an unprecedented financial model. Mihir Desai explains the financial wiring behind the inventors of the iPhone.

     


     
    The Power of Presence at the Podium
    Amy Cuddy
    Running for office requires a lot of public speaking. But often, it’s what candidates aren’t saying that can make or break their campaigns. Take the case of Dan Silver, an experienced congressional candidate that leaves voters cold despite his eminent qualifications. With the help of KNP Communications, Silver is forced to watch himself at the podium and makes some profound discoveries. Professor Amy Cuddy delves into this fascinating case and the importance of body language, believing in your own story, and how to put your best self forward.

     


     
    The Key to Keeping Resolutions? Betting Against Yourself
    Leslie John
    It’s been a few months since many of us made New Year’s resolutions. Have you stuck with yours? Professor Leslie John studies how to help people change bad habits (and reinforce good ones) by looking at what makes them tick. Here, she discusses stickK, an application that motivates people by forcing them to put skin in the game of self-improvement.

     


     
    Netflix Wins Big by Betting on "House of Cards"
    Anita Elberse
    The TV drama "House of Cards" not only made Netflix a major entertainment player, but it changed the viewing habits of millions of watchers. In this Cold Call Podcast, Anita Elberse discusses her case study on the impact of this pioneering series and the small production company behind it.

     


     
    Hold Onto Your Complexity: Bringing Multiple Identities to Work
    Lakshmi Ramarajan
    Striking a careful balance between professional image and personal passion is difficult, as a case study on high-profile banker and gospel singer Carla Ann Harris underscores. Professor Lakshmi Ramarajan discusses the case in this Cold Call podcast.

     


     
    Why College Rankings Keep Deans Awake at Night
    Bill Kirby
    Can parents and prospective students trust college rankings? Bill Kirby unpacks this complex system, including what “world-class” actually means, what rankings don’t take into account, and how schools are learning to game an imperfect system.

     


     
    A Better World Through Brewing
    Forest Reinhardt
    Since brewing is a marketing-driven business, finding ways to differentiate a beverage from its competition is crucial. Heineken’s chief marketing officer took a novel approach: take the complicated processes of production and distribution and make them interesting and important to the consumer. Professor Forest Reinhardt explains how a big, sophisticated company used small details, from trucking routes to the color of refrigerators, to put its commitment to the environment to work on its behalf.

     


     
    Wal-Mart: Changing the World for Better or Worse?
    Rebecca Henderson
    Can big companies fix big problems? Are they responsible for doing so? As the third-largest employer in the world, any move Wal-mart makes reverberates around the globe. Yet despite its many successes and innovations, particularly in terms of sustainability, the company often faces criticism for its business practices. Professor Rebecca Henderson discusses what she calls the paradigmatic case: how Wal-mart takes huge risks, makes great strides, and demonstrates how companies are one of the few instruments humanity has for changing the world at scale, for better or for worse.

     


    Post A Comment
    In order to be published, comments must be on-topic and civil in tone, with no name calling or personal attacks. Your comment may be edited for clarity and length.
      Trending
        • 17 Jan 2023
        • In Practice

        8 Trends to Watch in 2023

        • 25 Jan 2022
        • Research & Ideas

        More Proof That Money Can Buy Happiness (or a Life with Less Stress)

        • 25 Feb 2019
        • Research & Ideas

        How Gender Stereotypes Kill a Woman’s Self-Confidence

        • 02 Feb 2023
        • Research & Ideas

        Why We Still Need Twitter: How Social Media Holds Companies Accountable

        • 24 Jan 2023
        • Research & Ideas

        Passion at Work Is a Good Thing—But Only If Bosses Know How to Manage It

    Mihir A. Desai
    Mihir A. Desai
    Mizuho Financial Group Professor of Finance
    Contact
    Send an email
    → More Articles
    Anita Elberse
    Anita Elberse
    Lincoln Filene Professor of Business Administration
    Contact
    Send an email
    → More Articles
    Rebecca M. Henderson
    Rebecca M. Henderson
    John and Natty McArthur University Professor (Leave of Absence)
    Contact
    Send an email
    → More Articles
    Leslie K. John
    Leslie K. John
    James E. Burke Professor of Business Administration
    Contact
    Send an email
    → More Articles
    William C. Kirby
    William C. Kirby
    T. M. Chang Professor of China Studies
    Spangler Family Professor of Business Administration
    Contact
    Send an email
    → More Articles
    Nancy F. Koehn
    Nancy F. Koehn
    James E. Robison Professor of Business Administration
    Contact
    Send an email
    → More Articles
    Lakshmi Ramarajan
    Lakshmi Ramarajan
    Anna Spangler Nelson and Thomas C. Nelson Associate Professor of Business Administration
    Contact
    Send an email
    → More Articles
    Forest L. Reinhardt
    Forest L. Reinhardt
    John D. Black Professor
    Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Promotions and Tenure
    Contact
    Send an email
    → More Articles

    Sign up for our weekly newsletter

    Interested in improving your business? Learn about fresh research and ideas from Harvard Business School faculty.
    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    ǁ
    Campus Map
    Harvard Business School Working Knowledge
    Baker Library | Bloomberg Center
    Soldiers Field
    Boston, MA 02163
    Email: Editor-in-Chief
    →Map & Directions
    →More Contact Information
    • Make a Gift
    • Site Map
    • Jobs
    • Harvard University
    • Trademarks
    • Policies
    • Accessibility
    • Digital Accessibility
    Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College