DIRECTION, MOMENTUM, CONTROL: LESSONS FROM MY LEADERSHIP JOURNEY

Abstract The author describes his leadership journey from growing up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; the son of two salespeople, to playing college football and ultimately becoming the CEO and founder of Brevity. He describes the latter as an “AI‐powered role‐play (simulating real‐world interactions) and coaching platform designed to help sales teams better communicate with customers.” He gives credits to mentors and colleagues along the way. “The biggest throughline in my journey,” he writes, “is the relentless, insatiable quest for knowledge.” He realized after one year of experience that a career in accounting was not how he wanted to spend his life. He became an early employee of a Denver‐based tech startup, ThrivePass, where he became Vice President of Sales and Operations. He eventually cofounded his company by determining a market need for entrepreneurs trying to get and keep an investor’s attention. Thus came software called BrevityPitch, which is “designed to help entrepreneurs distill their ideas, build self‐conviction, and deliver a pitch in under three minutes.” He relates the importance of feedback and constructive criticism at all levels of an organization. His highest goal is to “seek knowledge, build understanding, earn wisdom, and pass it on to those around me.”