Making Waves in the AV Industry: Baylor MBA’s Focus Firm Class Partners With SoundPro to Learn About the Industry and Develop Actionable Insights

The power of active learning was evident for 26 Baylor MBA students who recently studied a live business challenge presented by Sound Productions, a major supplier of pro audio, lighting and video products, based in Dallas, TX. SoundPro opened itself to Baylor MBA students to help them develop an in-depth understanding of the company's primary business operations and industry challenges. 

This type of active learning is not new for Baylor MBA students. For more than 20 years, Baylor students have taken a required class called Focus Firm, which is a distinctive combination of theory and practice that provides multiple opportunities for students to experience true business environments. The advantage of the Focus Firm concept over simulation exercises or case study is that students practice multidisciplinary expertise, with expectations of real-time business delivery. 

As the Focus Firm partner for fall 2024, SoundPro leadership interacted with several teams of MBA students who conducted research, defined issues, and developed solutions before formally presenting their findings and recommendations to the executive leadership. Through the experience, students were able to practice and reflect on what they have learned in their MBA degree, specifically how to prioritize tasks, analyze data, juggle responsibilities, and make it all work as a team.  

“The Focus Firm course enabled me to apply a number of the skills I learned in the MBA program,” said Abby Lee, MBA/MDiv candidate. “The most significant of these skills was the ability to navigate all the moving parts and pieces of successfully growing a business.”

According to Danish Noorani, MBA candidate, his team used financial valuation concepts like time value of money, net present value, and discounted cash flow to evaluate revenue streams, estimate expenses, and calculate overall value. “Strategic analysis and budgeting skills supported our ability to align our recommendations with SoundPro’s goals, while lessons in team collaboration ensured a smooth and efficient workflow,” Noorani said. 

Noorani was pleasantly surprised by the impact of the teamwork from the Focus Firm class, which allowed him to view new ideas and solutions from new perspectives.

“I was surprised by how impactful teamwork was my Focus Firm class,” Noorani said. Delegating tasks made the process more efficient, but the real value came from the diversity of ideas. The controlled chaos of brainstorming allowed us to generate creative and well-rounded solutions, reinforcing that collaboration often outperforms individual effort.” 

Baylor connected with SoundPro through Dean Sandeep Mazumder, who knew Joshua Curtlett, SoundPro CEO and Baylor graduate.  “After speaking with the course instructor, I realized this was not just an exercise for students to regurgitate textbook ideas; rather, it was a value-driven live case study designed to benefit both students and SoundPro,” Curtlett said.  

“The unique perspectives that students provided, including an international student group, was very attractive,” Curtlett said. “I think they did a fantastic job with their strategic analysis. After the presentations, we took some of the student recommendations and created an action plan. Many of their recommendations were well thought out and provided immediate benefits to SoundPro and our team.”

The Focus Firm projects vary from year to year, depending on the company. However, the goal of the course is consistent: students work collaboratively in teams while engaging with company executives to study a live business challenge.

Ready to Learn More?

• Click here to learn more about Baylor's Full-Time MBA program
• Click here for more Full-Time MBA experiences