Last week at the Fast Company Innovation Festival, bestselling author, podcaster, research professor at the University of Houston and Brene Brown was asked about his inspiration.
“You have a trick to inspire people,” moderator John Glick said. “How are you going to do it?”
“I don’t really care if it’s inspiration or not, so I’m struggling with those words,” Brown replied.
Gluck followed the question, “How do you get people to tell you about you?”
And when it comes to ability to command audiences, Brown said he would prioritize two things.
“I will never be prepared.”
First, Brown focuses on preparation.
Working with business leaders, she spends her time doing extensive research into companies and learning about the context of their work. She told the story of a woman who asked how Brown could be so commanded at the meeting. When Brown asked how much time the woman had spent preparing for the meeting, she said for 30 minutes.
“It took about four hours,” Brown told the woman. She listened to investors’ calls, watched CEO videos, and read about the company.
It could be a symptom of being the only woman in the room for much of her career, she said. In any case, “I will never be prepared.”
“I’m just trying to be very true.”
Brown’s second priority in her work: Honesty.
“I’m honest,” she said. “I’m just trying to be very true.”
And Brown said she did this long enough, so if someone listens to her, it’s probably because they believe she will tell the truth. “I wouldn’t talk if I could,” she said.
Brown shared that the reason he took a break from podcasting when his deal with Spotify ended in 2023 was because he felt the “consequences of telling the truth” at the moment.
Back to Gluck’s first question about how Brown inspires so many people, she fed humility. “I’m like you,” she said.
“For three days out of the seven, I’m like, ‘Jesus Christ, I don’t want to get out of bed.’ ”
But Brown said working hard and sticking to guns helped her build the career she is now.
Do you want to be your own boss? Sign up for CNBC’s Smarter and start a new online course, how to start a business: For first-time founders. From testing ideas to increasing revenue, find step-by-step guidance for starting your first business. Sign up today with coupon code EarlyBird to receive a 30% introductory discount from the regular course price of $127 (plus tax). Valid provisions from September 16th to September 30th, 2025.
Additionally, we request that you sign up for CNBC to connect with experts and peers in our newsletter, money, and life to get tips and tricks for success in the workplace.
