Noodle Expert Don Osborne discusses the satisfaction of bringing his digital marketing skills into the classroom to help adults attain their professional goals.

Who would you pick, alive or dead, to be your teacher for a year? What would you want to learn?

Buddha for the spirit; Lincoln for his politics; Vonnegut for creative genius training.

What is one small piece of advice that has had a big impact on your life?

Steve Jobs said ... It's you.

Where would you send a student who hasn’t traveled before?

Start at the birthplace of Western civilization — visit Rome.

When was a time that you failed academically, and what did you learn from the experience?

My first attempt at earning a college degree was hugely eye-opening. While I regret leaving college, I learned a ton about how to overcome adversity and work within the parameters of a bureaucracy.

Why did you go into your field, and how is it different from what you expected?

My initial career plan was to become a college professor — my teachers inspired me, and I loved the idea of an idyllic life on a college campus, living an amazing existence deeply immersed in discovery. Later, I began to understand the gap between teachers and practitioners. So now, I bring what I do for my digital marketing clients to the classroom. My clients appreciate that I work in both camps — academic and professional — and when my MBA students describe my classes, I hear: "It gets sooo real in here!" It's my best life.