I get a version of this question regularly: “What are the 3-4 coaching questions or exercises most likely to produce breakthroughs?” I get where it comes from. What if you could boil coaching down to powerful questions anyone can ask themselves anytime they’re looking for a breakthrough? Coaching doesn’t work like that. Coaching is a […]
How to Reinvent Yourself: Lessons Learned from My Career Transition and How to Find Your Next Great Thing
In August 2021, I resigned from my role as COO at ConvertKit. I sold most of my stock and set aside funds for a sabbatical of undetermined length. In the 18 months following my departure, I transitioned industries; pursued three six-month career experiments; experienced deep anxiety and depression; and came out the other side, more […]
Advice for My 10-Year-Old Self
A friend asked me to compile advice for my 10-year old self. I came up with 10 things I’d want to tell myself at age 10. If you enjoy them, please feel free to add or subtract as you see fit and share them with anyone you think would benefit. If you’re reading this, you’re […]
Carbon Direct: The $160 Trillion Opportunity Hiding in Plain Sight
There’s an untapped $160 trillion market teeming with potential and on the verge of surging with economic activity — and one company in particular is building a carbon science dream team to take advantage. That market: carbon dioxide. Carbon Direct’s mission is to “combine science, technology, and capital to deliver quality CO2 management at scale.” […]
Let’s work together to solve the climate crisis: A request for opportunities
My name is Barrett Brooks. I live in Portland, OR. I’m an experienced startup operator. After growing ConvertKit to $28M in ARR over five years, I retired from my role as COO in August 2021. I spent the rest of 2021 decompressing, getting my energy back, and serving as volunteer managing editor on The Carbon […]
I am nothing: On the loss of identity in times of transition
1,868 days. That’s the number of days I spent on the ConvertKit team. 12,408 days. That’s the number of days since I was born. I’ve spent 15% of my life at one company. 32% of my adult life. Nearly 47% of my working life. 10,000 hours of deliberate practice is the mark of an expert. […]
The End of the Year is a Time for Rest, Recovery, and Reflection
If you spend any amount of time reading career advice, following founders of companies you admire, or scrolling Twitter, you’ll inevitably run into some version of: l f***ing love the end of the year. All of the lazy people take the last week of the year off. Meanwhile, here I am in the office for […]
The Five Essential Skills for Managing Up at Work
In interviews when I ask people what leadership qualities they look for in a manager or leader (and what they don’t), want to know the number one thing they say? “Well, I know for sure the number one thing I don’t want in a manager is a micro-manager.” No kidding. While micro management is without […]
Why Knowing Your Worth is the First Step to Grow Your Salary
One of the unfortunately broken aspects of organizations (Even the best-intentioned ones!) is that the most loyal people are often under-valued. If you stay in the same organization for long enough, you’ll almost certainly be paid less than you’re worth. This isn’t done with intention. An organization has to work harder to pull someone away […]
How to Acquire High Value Skills at Work
Passion is the fuel for early careers. When you’re young, just out of school, you don’t have expertise and proven skills — you have education and ambition. Turning that raw energy into concrete skills that create value is crucial — like a wind turbine converting wind into electricity. These skills become chips you can trade […]