💼 You're capable of more than you think: Breene Murphy on Building a Career—and Life—with Purpose

How do you build a successful career and a meaningful life? This week on The Underswell, I sit down with Breene Murphy—former sports writer turned financial strategist—whose career journey took a major turn after delivering his grandmother’s eulogy. That emotional moment led to a powerful realization: he wanted his work to help others live better lives. Since then, Breene has built a path across personal brand strategy, climate action, and purpose-driven investing. Today, he’s focused on aligning capital with values—especially through climate-friendly 401(k)s—and helping others make smarter, more conscious financial decisions. If you’ve ever wondered how to reconcile career success with personal fulfillment, this conversation is for you. 🧭 Flashpoint Moment After giving his beloved grandmother’s eulogy, Breene realized he was craving deeper purpose in his work. That moment set him on a path to use his skills in writing, storytelling, and strategy to make finance—and life—more meaningful. 🧠 What We Talk About Starting out as a sports writer and making major career pivots The eulogy moment that led Breene to reimagine his career Why most people don’t realize what their 401(k) is actually investing in Finding your “through-line” and purpose in a nonlinear career How to build trust, ask better questions, and lead with integrity Designing a life, not just a LinkedIn profile What it takes to work in climate action today And more, of course... 🛠️ Breene offers a ton of career advice and a bunch of climate-related resources: Sustainability at UC Irvine Rev Hub OC for Entrepreneurs Sustain So Cal The Ecology Center Surfrider Foundation Keiki Capital - Climate Tech VC Airloom Energy Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability Citizens Climate Lobby Copper battery-powered induction ranges Music by Lidérc. 🔗 Connect with Breene: https://www.linkedin.com/in/breene-murphy-climate-friendly-401k/ ⚡ Explore Carbon Collective: https://www.carboncollective.co/ #careerjourney #entrepreneurship #meaningfulcareers #financestrategy #TheUnderswell #careeradvice #boldmoves #careerstories