Every experience is an opportunity for continuous improvement!
Brittany Cole lives by this motto as a TEDx speaker, coach, inclusive leadership consultant, and author of her new best-selling book, Thrive Through It: A Guide for Redefining Resilience in Life and Business.
As a former commercial leader in the healthcare industry, Brittany has experienced how inclusive leadership increases colleague engagement, accelerates innovation, and catapults business results. Brittany is a graduate of The University of TN, Knoxville and studied Strategies for Building and Leading Diverse Organizations at The Harvard Kennedy School.
Her passion for leadership development and experiences in corporate America inspired Brittany to found Career Thrivers, which is an inclusive leadership development firm that partners with organizations to cultivate an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive. Career Thrivers provides DEI strategic planning, targeted learning and development solutions, content consulting, and coaching.
Brittany is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., SheEO, and the National Association of Women Business Owners. She also serves on the board of the Arts and Business Council of Greater Nashville, as a mentor with Pathway Women’s Business Center, Marketing Director for NSN Nashville and speaker coach for TEDxNashville.
Beyond her career and service work, Brittany and her husband Joseph enjoy hiking and exploring their hometown of Nashville, TN. Let’s thrive, together!
What attracted you to NAWBO and what’s been your experience so far?
As a Nashville native that spent about 6 years away living in Chattanooga, TN and New York City, when I moved back home at the end of 2018 in many ways I felt like Nashville and my network was under new construction! During that time many of the women I connected with and was inspired by had two things in common: One, they were business owners; and two, they were members of NAWBO! I was hearing about NAWBO everywhere and was invited to join an event in early 2020. I can remember from the front door and throughout the entire luncheon, feeling genuinely welcomed and really inspired by this sense of connection and kindness. My experience with NAWBO has been that our members aren’t only women business owners that are looking to build our own tables. We’re also women business owners pulling up chairs to make room for other women to sit down. Some women give back once they reach the top. Women connected to NAWBO look for opportunities to lift as we are climbing.
We talk a lot about the “NAWBO community.” As a member, what does the NAWBO community mean to you?
The NAWBO community means a space with brilliant, iron-sharpening women that aren’t only ambitious but are also actively looking for opportunities to elevate other women. This community also means that as a business owner, I’m connected to a national network of women with a rich history and present-day commitment of transforming policy, culture, and economic development for women business owners of all walks of life.
What are some things you’ve learned about yourself and/or your business during this COVID pandemic?
There have been so many lessons this year! Overall, I’ve learned the power of vision, belief, and personal wellness for growing your business. I believe that loss often creates the clearest vision. The clearest I’ve been on my purpose, my priorities, and even the plan for Career Thrivers have come on the other side of a change, transition, or loss. So I’ve leaned into the discomfort 2020 has brought – in many ways, it’s actually grief. Even though we’ve been rerouted and reached some dead ends at times, I’ve worked to stay focused on the vision of who I’m meant to serve and who I want to become. This shift helped me learn that yes, there are new ways to add value to clients even if it looks different than the way we’ve done it. So as the leader, I’ve had to add depth to my personal wellness routine to focus on the destination (the vision) despite changing the route. As a leader, I encourage myself and the leaders I work with to BE WELL:
B – Believe beyond where you are
E – Encourage yourself daily
W – Write down the vision you have for where you want to be
E – Exercise your body
L – Look for the lesson
L – Let your guard down and lose the cape because vulnerability is strength.
What kind of goals are you setting as we come out of a bumpy 2020 into a hopefully more upbeat 2021?
Career Thrivers is an inclusive leadership development firm, so for us, the bumps in 2020 were due to expansive growth. We partner with organizations to provide DEI strategic planning, learning and development (which includes workshops, speaking, curriculum development, etc.), coaching, and event partnerships. I also provide private coaching services where I help leaders with personal branding. For 2021, I have revenue, impact, professional development, and team member growth goals to double the impact we made this year! In addition to these goals, I have a goal that my new book Thrive Through It will get picked up by a major publishing house in 2021.
What are the biggest challenges you face as a woman business owner?
Creating systems that make growing more seamless and building a team that can work in and on the business are my current challenges. Lastly, I would say that information overload can also become a challenge. With so many resources, programs, etc. that are helping for women business owners, it can sometimes be overwhelming to decide what I need now, what’s nice to have, and what can wait. Growing has required me to increase my focus which has meant saying no to good opportunities that aren’t best to take on right now.
Having worked to develop leaders in the corporate environment, what are some lessons that might be effectively adapted for small business owners and entrepreneurs?
Be intentional about the culture you are cultivating within your organization by developing your leaders. This is important whether you’re a team of 2 or 2,000. Your organizational culture isn’t the purpose, vision, and mission statements on your website. In addition to those visual elements, your culture is developed in the small, daily moments of how you and your team interact with one another and with your clients and customers. Leaders establish the culture. So it becomes critical for both executives and entrepreneurs to make leadership development a priority. How do you encourage and equip your people to live your values every day?
The issues around Diversity, Equity & Inclusion have come to the forefront and the mainstream. How has this changed your approach and your focus?
For Career Thrivers, we approach leadership development through the lens of inclusion and equity. What we’ve learned this year is that despite DEI training beginning in 1964, there are many organizations that are just beginning to equip their teams with the DEI resources and tools to grow their business. Due to so many organizations needing training and curriculum development support, our focus shifted this year to provide OnDemand virtual courses and content. I’ve also been able to partner as a speaker and moderator for organizations to help with starting these conversations with their colleagues. In 2021, we’re looking to focus in on small businesses with teams less than 400 to continue to provide DEI strategic planning to help business owners take a comprehensive approach to equity in the workplace.
In conclusion, tell us something surprising about yourself that we might never guess about you.
I’ve been sky-diving, and I’m an introvert! So I like to think of myself as an outgoing introvert! This doesn’t mean I’m shy (I was as a little girl), however it does mean I need daily time alone to reflect and recharge. Once I’ve had that time, you can pretty much count me in for a new adventure!