While many professionals struggle to balance their career demands, coursework, and personal commitments, Jose “EZ” Gonzalez of Southern California treats them as interconnected pillars of one mission: enabling growth, purpose, and transformation.
As an associate vice president at Best Buy, a doctor of education student, and founder of a coaching and consulting practice, Gonzalez weaves each role into a cohesive journey.
“I believe that continuous learning is not only a key to unlocking human potential, but also the key to unlocking purpose in life,” he explains. “And you can’t do that without a commitment to learning.”
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Motivated by what he calls “the intersection of industry, academia, and ancient wisdom,” Gonzalez consistently aims to create environments where customers, employees, and organizations can thrive.
His approach to time management reflects this philosophy. Instead of viewing his roles as competing priorities, each reinforces his mission. His weekly rhythm blends team meetings, outcome reviews, one-on-ones with leaders, stakeholder collaboration, and field visits. Each task offers a distinct perspective, from frontline employee experiences to customer insights.
Even with his corporate role, he makes time for his doctoral coursework, volunteerism, and growing his coaching and consulting business. In Gonzalez’s world, these aren’t separate boxes to check—they’re fuel for everything he builds.
Journey to HBS Online
After switching majors several times and studying at multiple institutions, Gonzalez set his sights on graduate school. But full-time corporate responsibilities made traditional programs difficult to pursue.
Rather than abandon the goal, he built his own learning ecosystem: podcasts during commutes, strategic reading between meetings, and online courses that captured his interest.
Still, one dream remained just out of reach: gaining access to a renowned Harvard Business School education.
“I’d always dreamed of experiencing the Harvard Business School education, but as a working professional, a traditional program wasn’t feasible,” he says. “Then I came across Harvard Business School Online, which offered what I like to call the perfect solution, because it’s a world-class education designed for people in the midst of their careers.”
The accessible online learning model provided the ideal balance. For Gonzalez, HBS Online wasn’t just convenient; it was strategic alignment. He dove in completely, ready for what would become a transformative experience.
Expanding His Strategy, One Course at a Time
After exploring his options, Gonzalez decided to strengthen his strategic thinking with Sustainable Business Strategy in 2022. The course’s immediate impact inspired him to continue with:
Earning a Certificate of Specialization in Strategy, Gonzalez quickly applied insights to his leadership role.
“I loved the Business Strategy course because it helped simplify, with frameworks, principles, and case studies, how you actually create value for customers and employees and sustain financial results,” he says.
One framework he carries with him is the value stick, which visualizes value-based pricing factors, such as customer willingness to pay, pricing, and production costs—considerations highly relevant to Gonzalez’s position.
Strategy Execution proved particularly valuable across multiple projects. When Gonzalez led a significant transformation in his corporate work, he drew heavily on four critical spans outlined by HBS Professor Robert Simons for designing high-performing jobs:
- Span of control: The resources a manager oversees and is responsible for, including people, balance sheet assets, and intangible resources.
- Span of accountability: The measures, financial and non-financial, used to evaluate a manager’s results, often requiring trade-offs between competing goals.
- Span of influence: The reach an individual has in gathering information, building connections, and shaping others’ work.
- Span of support: The level of support and collaboration a manager can expect from colleagues in other organizational units, often rooted in trust and shared purpose.
“I use all of this constantly to make sure that when we design a new initiative, we check all of those boxes,” Gonzalez says. “Because if we don’t, you can have the perfect strategy and still fall short in execution and implementation.”
Leading with Finance rounded out his toolkit, helping him evaluate financial decisions from multiple angles and revitalize mature businesses.
Reflecting on all four courses, Gonzalez concludes: “Success ultimately comes down to either growing the business or leveraging your cost structure. If you’re able to do both, then you’re in a really good place, but you must prioritize people and culture first.”
Turning Insights into Impact
Gonzalez wasted no time applying HBS Online lessons to real-world challenges.
In his current role, he was tasked with transforming and repositioning part of the business to ensure it remained agile and attracted new customers.
“By applying insights from Strategy Execution and Leading with Finance, I created a strategy aligned with corporate priorities while solving the unique needs of our business, customers, and employees, and addressed the four spans,” Gonzalez explains. “As a result, the portfolio has consistently outperformed year after year, setting new records in customer experience, employee engagement, and financial performance.”
Gonzalez also extended these principles into entrepreneurship. That entrepreneurial mindset eventually led him to launch his company, EZ Meta Quantum, which focuses on resilience training for high-stress environments where team dynamics are critical.
“Although my company is still in its early stages, my corporate background, professional experience, and the insights I gained from HBS Online have given me the tools to deliver lasting transformation,” Gonzalez underscores. “By using proven strategy frameworks, execution discipline, and financial acumen I learned in the courses, I can help clients create measurable, sustainable change.”
Gonzalez’s Advice for Future HBS Online Learners
Work-life balance challenges many professionals, and finding the energy to sharpen skills while advancing one’s career can feel daunting. Gonzalez knows the struggle, but emphasizes that professional development is achievable and transformative with HBS Online.
“This program will exceed your expectations. It’s impactful and flexible enough for any working professional—even those with the most demanding schedules,” he shares. “The combination of quality content, practical frameworks, and global networking. It’s not just theory—it’s tools you can use immediately.”
For Gonzalez, HBS Online shifted how he approaches strategy and leadership: “I lead today with more confidence, agility, strategic clarity, and self-awareness. I’m also more willing to challenge assumptions, innovate boldly, and act decisively.”
His advice for other professionals? Don’t wait for the perfect moment—start building the leader you want to become today.
Are you ready to sharpen your strategic thinking and elevate your organization with courses designed for busy professionals? Explore HBS Online’s certificate and credential programs, and download our online learning success guide to learn how to prepare for your next HBS Online course.
