PILOTing A New Career Direction with Ben Brooks

More Elephant

Welcome to the first episode of the More Elephant podcast, where we dive deep into inspiring topics and explore thought leadership for today's world. As we embark on this journey of meaningful conversations, we chose to start with a focus on the changing nature of work, as we reckon with the what, how, where and why of work in a post-pandemic world.
America is defined by workism,“the belief that work is not only necessary to economic production but also the centerpiece of one's identity and life's purpose.” However, what if work could be more than just a means to a paycheck? What if it could empower us to live better lives?

In the first More Elephant podcast, we are joined by Ben Brooks, who is the founder & CEO of PILOT, an award-winning employee career development software platform. Inspired by his successful CEO & executive coaching practice, Ben saw an opportunity to take the entrepreneurial leap of faith and begin to democratize executive coaching and empower employees at scale. Ben invested his life savings into founding the company whose mission is to ensure everyone “feels powerful at work.” What does it mean to feel powerful at work? How can we advocate for ourselves, prioritize our development, and navigate the unwritten rules of the workplace?
Join us for this inspiring conversation with Ben to kickstart the More Elephant podcast as he shares stories of experimentation, resilience, and the quest for impact, both in his career and in helping others achieve their goals.
PILOT was named #1 HR Tech Startup to Watch in 2020, and HR Executive Magazine named him one of the Top 100 Influencers in HR & Technology for 4 straight years. PILOT was named a Top HR Product of 2020 and DIAGEO named PILOT their Supplier of the Year in Diversity Excellence.
Talking points in this Episode:

• Ben Brooks shares his unique career journey, from climbing the corporate ladder to becoming an entrepreneur.
• Ben explains the mission of his company and falling in love with a problem: the fact that people are miserable at work and not managing their careers well
• We discuss the importance of advocating for oneself, seeking feedback, and building relationships in the context of the individual
• Ben asserts that we can powerfully command our lives by balancing work and life while building an individual configuration of what satisfaction and success look like
• …and, if you’re always hearing yes, you’re probably not advocating enough!