Ep 1: Brooks Miller - Direction, Not Destination, Building a Career and a Life at the Same Time

Ep 1: Brooks Miller, EVP, Creators @ Edelman & UEGDirection, Not Destination: Building a Career and a Life at the Same TimeDirection Over Perfection with Kate Crane · 45–60 minABOUT THIS EPISODEBrooks Miller has one of the most interesting careers in the creator economy — and it started with a child acting agent in Dallas, Texas.From local commercials to the University of Texas, from an advertising internship in LA to a front-row seat as influencer marketing was invented in real time at Twitter, Brooks' path was never obvious. It was curious, intentional, and guided far more by instinct than by plan.Then Elon Musk bought Twitter. Five months postpartum, back at work for three weeks, Brooks got the axe along with thousands of colleagues. And she landed somewhere better.Today she's EVP of Creators at Edelman & UEG, leading creator strategy for some of the world's most recognized brands across a team of nearly 200 people globally.In this conversation, Kate and Brooks talk about what it really means to build a career in a field that didn't exist when you were in college, how geography and love shaped every major move, what it's actually like to be laid off and come back stronger, and why the best advice she's ever received is: nobody thinks about you as much as you think about you.IN THIS EPISODE00:00 — The child actor origin story and how it shaped everything that came after08:20 — UT Austin, an advertising degree, and the agency tour that launched her career16:29 — Moving to San Francisco for love — and falling obsessed with tech19:47 — The Instagram moment that made her realize everything was about to change22:11 — Joining Twitter to invent a job that didn't have a name yet25:33 — The layoff — and two practical tips for being layoff-proof nobody tells you38:53 — Parenting, partnership, and building a village that makes it all work45:59 — What she'd tell her 2010 self — and why the best careers don't make sense until they doQUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE"No career is a permanent sentence." — Brooks Miller"Nobody thinks about you as much as you think about you. And in some circumstances, that is so freeing — it allows you to take bigger risks and listen to your gut a little more." — Brooks Miller"Everything is data. Even taking a coffee with someone is data. That's so much more valuable than being right — whatever right means." — Brooks MillerRESOURCES + LINKS MENTIONEDBook: The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership — Jim DethmerCannes Lions: Brooks and the Edelman Creator team will be at Cannes — reach them at [email protected] WITH BROOKSLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brooksdennardmillerTikTok: tiktok.com/@brooksiedmLISTENER REFLECTIONWhere in your career are you waiting for permission to make a move you already know you want to make?FOLLOW THE SHOWIf this conversation resonated with you, follow Direction Over Perfection wherever you listen to podcasts — it helps more people like you find the show. New episodes drop every other Tuesday. And if you're a parent helping a young adult find their footing, share this episode with them. Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is show someone a path they didn't know was possible.