Brendan shares three career-defining lessons that shaped everything: the power of equity, the art of storytelling, and that language matters in achieving outcomes. His journey from $30,000-a-year agency recruiting to leading talent at LinkedIn, Y Combinator, and as Chief People Officer shows how the right frameworks can accelerate your career.

You'll hear why he believes recruiters should "blow candidates' minds" with storytelling, his framework for handling difficult conversations, and the painful LinkedIn executive meeting that taught him to always have meetings before the meetings. Brendan shares why asking for help should be part of how you operate daily, his approach to building teams with people better than himself, and the goal-setting practice that gets him out of bed to update his plans.

An authentic conversation about learning from mentors, building recruiting excellence, and why preparation and relationships are the foundation of career success.

This episode is brought to you by caro — AI-powered workforce planning that becomes the single source of truth for headcount across your entire organization.