A private podcast series for founders, operators, and leaders who know: the old way of doing business is crumbling—and the future won’t build itself.

RETHINKING LEADERSHIP, POWER, & ALIGNMENT IN THE AGE OF COLLAPSE

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RETHINKING LEADERSHIP, POWER, & ALIGNMENT IN THE AGE OF COLLAPSE |

COO-fessions is a private podcast series about the leadership we need now.

not someday. not after the rebrand. not when things “settle down.”

now.

In each episode, I sit down with a founder, operator, or systems thinker to talk about what it really takes to lead, build, and stay human inside structures shaped by supremacy, collapse, and extraction.

This is leadership that scales with integrity.
Not through control or performance—but through clarity, care, and alignment.

We’re not here to burn out or burn it all down.
We’re here to practice what comes next.
To prefigure the future—one decision, one team, one business at a time.

COO-fessions is for you if one (or more) of these resonates…

You’re a founder, a leader, a builder.

You want your business to reflect your values—not just in your marketing, but in your model.

You’re not just asking, “How do I make this work?”
You’re asking: “What kind of world is this business helping build?”

This series is for you if:

  • You sense that even with good intentions, your business may be replicating old harm

  • You want to lead with more alignment—but don’t know what that looks like day-to-day

  • You’re done with hollow DEI promises, vague values, and hustle rebrands

  • You believe leadership is a practice, not a persona

If any of this sounds like you, you’re in the right place.

why a private podcast?

Because these conversations weren’t made for the algorithm.
They’re not content. They’re practice.

A private feed means:

  • No noise, no ads, no public performance

  • Just real conversations, delivered directly to your favorite podcast player

  • Space to listen, reflect, and lead from a different place

The future of leadership is here, and these conversations guide us through.

We’re in the middle of a massive shift in how we work, lead, and build businesses. COO-fessions explores the key trends shaping the future of sustainable leadership—with nine episodes chock full of insights from the people leading this change.

  • Item deWhat if our businesses could be sites of resistance, repair, and reimagination?
    We kick off with a truth-telling call: the way we’ve been working isn’t working. This episode sets the stage for why leadership must shift—and how business can become a vehicle for prefiguring the future we actually want.

  • How do you lead when you’re still learning, still healing, still human?
    Rae and I talk about integrity, repair, and why leadership isn’t about being perfect—it’s about showing up. Especially when it’s hard.

  • Is your ambition serving your body—or exploiting it?
    Amina shares how chronic illness changed her relationship to work, and how we can reclaim ambition without betraying ourselves in the process.

  • What becomes possible when you actually live your values—especially when it’s inconvenient?
    Trudi and I dig into equity, power, and what it takes to build regenerative businesses for real—not just for show.

  • Are you building what you actually want—or just what you’ve seen before?
    Barrett and I explore conscious leadership, accountability, and the deeper personal work that drives truly intentional businesses.

  • What if the real problem isn’t productivity—but what your nervous system thinks it has to prove?
    We talk about rest, regulation, and redefining success in a way that starts in the body—not your calendar.

  • Are you leading… or emotionally managing people into compliance?
    Bob and I unpack how even “progressive” orgs quietly replicate harm through emotional labor and performative alignment—and what to do instead.

  • Still waiting for clarity? What if you practiced into it instead?
    Sarah and I talk about systems design, strategic leadership, and the role of ops folks as creative forces shaping the future—not just executing someone else’s vision.

  • If collapse is already here… what will you choose to build?
    In the final episode, I wrap the series with a reflection on what it means to lead inside broken systems—and why practicing new ways of being is our most powerful form of strategy.

the future belongs to leaders who align, not control—who build businesses that regenerate, not extract—and who communicate with presence, clarity, and vision.

the future belongs to those who adapt.

COO-fessions is your invitation to ask better questions, rethink leadership, and prepare for the future of work that’s already unfolding.

Here’s What You Get:

  1. Access to all 9 private episodes

  2. Optional access to the Field Notes for the Future—a 67-page companion guide to help you reflect, integrate, and act

  3. A conversation space—not a funnel

  4. A reason to believe that business can be something more than survival

These conversations wouldn’t be possible without the leaders shaping the future of work.

Below, meet the experts who are bringing these insights to life inside COO-fessions.

COO-fessions brings together some of the most forward-thinking leaders, strategists, and operational experts to explore the future of sustainable leadership.

meet the guests

  • Tamu Thomas

    Author of Women Who Work Too Much, Somatic Coach, Founder of Live Three Sixty

    Tamu Thomas (she/her) is a somatic coach, speaker, and entrepreneur dedicated to helping high-achieving women break free from burnout and embrace sustainable success. As the author of Women Who Work Too Much, she unpacks how our obsession with efficiency and overwork is keeping us stuck—and how to redefine productivity in a way that actually supports us.

    Through her coaching practice, Live Three Sixty, Tamu blends neuroscience, somatic practices, and leadership development to help women reconnect with joy, rest, and a more human way of working. Her work has been featured in Psychologies Magazine, BBC Radio, and Red Magazine, and she has worked with brands like Sony Music, Amazon, and Soho House.

    With her signature blend of warmth and no-nonsense wisdom, Tamu is on a mission to help leaders work well, live well, and thrive—without toxic hustle.

  • Amina AlTai

    Executive Coach, Leadership Trainer, Author of The Ambition Trap

    Amina AlTai (she/her) is an executive coach, leadership trainer, and chronic illness advocate helping high-achieving leaders live and lead from a place of deep alignment. A proud immigrant and former marketing executive, Amina’s work sits at the intersection of ambition, wellness, and purpose.

    She is the author of The Ambition Trap: How to Stop Chasing and Start Living, published by Penguin/The Open Field—offering a bold reimagining of success for those burned out by hustle culture and striving.

    Amina has partnered with companies like Google, Roku, Deloitte, and Snap, and has been recognized as a Women of Influence by Success Magazine. Her insights have been featured in Forbes, goop, The New York Times, and Well+Good, and she currently serves as an expert-in-residence for Entrepreneur Magazine.

    Through coaching, writing, and speaking, Amina helps leaders reconnect to their brilliance—so they can lead with impact, integrity, and well-being.

  • Trudi Lebron

    Equity-Centered Business Coach, Leadership Consultant, Author of The Antiracist Business Book

    Trudi Lebron (she/her) is a business coach, speaker, and leadership strategist specializing in equity, inclusion, and sustainable business growth. As the author of The Antiracist Business Book, she helps leaders and organizations build businesses that are not only profitable but also ethical, inclusive, and rooted in social impact.

    As the CEO of The Institute for Equity-Centered Coaching, Trudi has worked with Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, and mission-driven brands to redefine leadership and create systems that prioritize people and profit. Her insights have been featured in Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and Fast Company.

    Through her coaching, consulting, and writing, Trudi challenges business leaders to think beyond traditional models and create companies that reflect the future we actually want to live in.

  • Rae McDaniel

    Speaker, Author, Therapist, Certified Sex Therapist, Coach, and Transgender Belonging and Inclusion Educator.

    Rae McDaniel (they/them) is a nationally recognized speaker, author, therapist, and coach who helps leaders, creatives, and entrepreneurs break free from rigid expectations and build lives that align with who they truly are—with joy and authenticity.

    They are the author of Gender Magic—a groundbreaking, practical guide to achieving gender freedom with curiosity and pleasure—and the founder of Audacity Ventures, where they lead powerful work at the intersection of identity, leadership, and liberation.

    Through their work with Practical Audacity, Rae’s Chicago-based Gender & Sex Therapy practice, they’ve helped thousands of people explore and embody their full selves. Their mission? To help people embrace the sheer audacity to be themselves—without apology.

    Rae’s work has been featured in The New York Times, Time, Women’s Health, and on stages like TEDx, Rutgers University, Soho House, and ROI: The Millionaires Summit.

  • Sarah Paikai

    Creative Strategist, Speaker, Founder of Aloha Management Center

    Sarah Paikai is a creative strategist, speaker, and operations expert who helps businesses and leaders bridge the gap between structure and storytelling. With a background in publishing, branding, and business operations, she specializes in turning complex ideas into clear, actionable strategies.

    As the founder of Aloha Management Center, Sarah has worked with companies across industries to streamline operations, amplify their message, and create business models that align with their values. She blends creativity with operational excellence to show that strategy isn’t just about efficiency—it’s an art form.

    Through her consulting, speaking, and writing, Sarah empowers leaders to bring more authenticity, clarity, and creativity into the way they run their businesses.

  • Barrett Brooks

    Leadership Coach, Former COO of ConvertKit, Host of The Good Work Podcast

    Barrett Brooks (he/him)  helps leaders build values-driven businesses, lead with courage, and create lasting impact. As the former COO of ConvertKit, he scaled the company from $3M to $30M ARR. He has worked alongside Seth Godin and coaches seven-figure creators across industries like sustainable living, non-profits, and entrepreneurship.

    As host of The Good Work Podcast, Barrett explores how we can navigate leadership, business, and personal growth while staying rooted in purpose. His work is for leaders who want to act with intention, inspire others, and build a better future.

  • Bob Gower

    Organizational Designer, Leadership Consultant, Author of Radical Alignment

    Bob Gower (he/him) is a consultant, speaker, and expert in organizational design, helping leaders build high-performing, trust-driven teams. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies, startups, and nonprofits to create collaborative, efficient, and human-centered workplaces.

    As the author of Radical Alignment and Agile Business: A Leader’s Guide to Harnessing Complexity, Bob specializes in alignment, decision-making, and reducing workplace drama. His insights have been featured in Forbes, The Guardian, and Inc., and he has advised organizations like GE, Ford, and the Wikimedia Foundation.

    Through his consulting, writing, and speaking, Bob helps leaders cut through dysfunction, align their teams, and create organizations where people and ideas thrive.

  • Your Host: Brittany Martin

    Leadership Strategist, Business Architect, Founder of COO-fessions

    Brittany Martin is a leadership strategist and business architect who helps visionary leaders build sustainable, values-driven businesses without burning themselves (or their teams) out. With over a decade of experience in operations, leadership, and business development, Brittany has worked behind the scenes to scale multimillion-dollar companies, align leadership teams, and design systems that actually work.

    As the founder of COO-fessions, Brittany brings together the next generation of business leaders to explore the future of leadership, cooperative business models, and what it takes to build businesses that support both people and profit.

    Through her consulting, speaking, and writing, Brittany challenges traditional leadership models and helps leaders build businesses that are sustainable, ethical, and built for the long haul.

a letter from your host, Brittany

Hi, I’m Brittany Martin.

I think a lot about how the way we work isn’t really working. Not for most of us. Maybe not for anyone. And yet, the way we work is part of a system we live in. That system? It’s capitalism. And it’s the container we’re all operating within, whether we like it or not.

I’m not here to shame anyone who’s trying to make their life work inside of it. Acquiring money isn’t just about ambition; it’s about survival. It’s about options. It’s about having control over where you live, what you eat, how safe you feel.

But at a certain point, many of us start feeling—deep in our bones—that something about this system is off.

And I don’t mean in an abstract, “late-stage capitalism” meme kind of way.

I mean the way work drains us instead of sustaining us.
The way leadership feels like control instead of collaboration.
The way we’re constantly told to optimize and scale and hustle—without ever asking to what end?

Leadership is changing. We don’t have all the answers yet—but the people shaping the future are already asking better questions. COO-fessions is about exploring those questions together.

That’s why I created COO-fessions—because I know I’m not the only one who has wrestled with these questions.

For those who’ve followed my work for a while, I want to be clear: COO-fessions isn’t about revisiting the past—it’s about exploring what’s next. Over the past decade, I’ve worked inside and alongside incredible businesses and leaders, learning firsthand what makes leadership and operations thrive. This project is a natural evolution of that work—continuing important conversations about building better ways to lead and work.

This is the conversation I wish existed years ago when I was deep in the work, questioning everything, and trying to figure out what came next.

So if you’re here, if you’re feeling frustrated, misaligned, or just deeply curious about what’s possible outside of the way things have always been done—this series is for you.

Let’s ask better questions. Let’s build something better.

See you inside COO-fessions.

xo

What People Are Saying

  • "Running a company is hard—especially if you have a virtual team with people living and working across multiple time zones. It's not easy to rally everyone around the same unified vision, get aligned, and get the right things done. You need a powerful leader who can make this happen and that person is Brittany Martin. She's extraordinary at getting a team in formation (as Beyoncé would say!) so that people hit KPIs while thriving at work. Whether you want to launch a new offer into the marketplace, scale your business to eight figures, or make history, Brittany is the person you want leading your team to victory."

    Alexandra Franzen, best-selling author, award-winning editor, co-founder of One Idea Books and Gifts

  • "My highly analytical approach often keeps me from seeing the bigger picture in terms of creative planning - Brittany could not have been a better partner for me. Her can-do attitude, resourcefulness, & knockout business acumen makes her the kind of superwoman you want in your inner circle!"

    Emily Jackson, Easton Porter Group

  • “Working with Brittany has been such a meaningful and transformative experience for me. She has been a listening ear, a motivational coach, a compassionate guide, and an amazing leader who truly cares about her team. Her support and insight have been so impactful. Brittany’s brilliance is unmatched—she has this incredible ability to think strategically while also creating systems and structures that actually work. Her coaching has pushed me to grow and develop skills I never thought I’d master.”

    Hayley Hart, Director of Operations at Hello Seven

ALL NINE EPISODES ARE LIVE

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ALL NINE EPISODES ARE LIVE |

the future of leadership is a practice. and it starts now.

This Isn’t Another Business Podcast. Here’s Why.

Leadership advice is everywhere. But real, behind-the-scenes conversations about what’s broken—and what we’re actually doing about it—are much harder to find. This is about building leadership for a future that actually works.

It’s real, unfiltered conversations with leaders who’ve actually been in the trenches—making things work, questioning the system, and figuring out what’s next.

It’s bingeable and actionable.
No six-week commitment. No homework.
Just listen, reflect, and implement.

Because your time is valuable—just like the time of the people in this series (who don’t usually sit down for tell-all conversations like this).

If you’ve ever thought:

Leadership shouldn’t be this hard.

Business should be done differently.

There has to be a better way.

Then you’re in the right place.

you already know leadership is evolving. the question is—are you evolving with it?

join COO-fessions to explore the ideas shaping the future of work, leadership, and sustainable business—on your own terms.

FAQs

  • COO-fessions is a limited-series private podcast exploring the future of leadership and business. It features deep, unfiltered conversations with experts on what’s broken, what’s possible, and what comes next. It’s not a traditional leadership course—it’s a space for real, thought-provoking discussions about the systems we work in and how we can build something better.

  • It’s live now! As soon as you give me your email address, I’ll send a direct link to you to start listening.

  • You’ll receive a private podcast feed link that you can add to your favorite podcast app. You’ll be able to listen just like a regular podcast—but it’s exclusive to those who sign up.

  • COO-fessions is a bingeable, on-demand experience. You’ll get access to all episodes at once—so you can listen at your own pace.

  • You can! ‘Cause it’s free.99! You can also join This Isn’t Working, my weekly newsletter for people who feel stuck, frustrated, or misaligned in their work, leadership, or life—and are ready to rethink the rules.

  • Honestly? I don’t know yet. COO-fessions is an experiment—one I’m really excited about—but I’m taking this one step at a time. If it doesn’t make sense for you to commit right now, no worries. I’m sure I’ll have some way for you to access it down the road.

    For now, this is the form it’s taking. And if you feel pulled to be part of it, I’d love to have you. If not? That’s okay too. I encourage you to take this one day at a time—just like I am.

  • COO-fessions is for leaders, operators, and business owners who are questioning how business should work and want to explore what’s next. Whether you’re a founder, CEO, COO, a Director of Ops, member of a leadership team, or just someone who holds a lot of responsibility—this is for you.