🎙️ Ambition, Resilience, and Leadership with Barrett Brooks

David speaks with Barrett Brooks, a writer and executive coach specialising in guiding mission-driven founders and creators through emotional and strategic barriers to business growth. His writing focuses on leaders and companies tackling critical societal issues such as climate change, biodiversity, education, food systems, healthcare, and circular products. Previously, he was the managing editor of The Carbon Almanac (a bestselling book on climate change led by Seth Godin), COO at Good Coffee, and COO at ConvertKit.

They talked about:
🧩 How past experiences cause startup misalignment
⚠️ The negative side of self-imposed challenges
⚖️ The tension between achievement and fulfilment
🥊 The inner battle behind our external pursuits
🧳 The burden of generational trauma
🌱 The transformative power of mentorship

This is just one part of a longer conversation, and it's the third part. You can listen to the earlier episode here:
Part 1: 🎙️ Purpose, Passion, and Perseverance with Barrett Brooks (Episode 109)
Part 2: 🎙️ The Diary of a $30M COO with Barrett Brooks (Episode 112)

📜 Full transcript:

📄 Show notes:
[00:00] Introduction
[02:10] Why job choices matter for startup collaboration
[05:32] When intentions align but outcomes don't
[07:00] Lessons in growth and resilience from ConvertKit
[10:13] The role of operations and data in a business success
[12:16] The challenge of over-responsibility
[14:10] How internal competition drives us
[17:12] Balancing ambition and the fear of missing out
[19:51] No achievement can replace self-love
[22:04] How writing became Barrett’s path to self-acceptance
[23:56] Work smarter, not harder
[25:37] Finding the courage to be who you are
[27:32] The hidden impact of generational trauma
[30:00] The strength in connection and acceptance
[31:26] What Barrett learned from his key relationships
[34:23] Lessons in love and leadership

🗣 Mentioned in the show:

👤 Connect with Barrett:

👨🏾‍💻 About David Elikwu:
David Elikwu FRSA is a serial entrepreneur, strategist, and writer. David is the founder of The Knowledge, a platform helping people think deeper and work smarter.
🐣 Twitter: @Delikwu / @itstheknowledge
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