Connecting with Brooke Baldwin

Brooke Baldwin is a TV host, award-winning journalist and bestselling author of Huddle: How Women Unlock Their Collective Power. This year, Brooke hosted The Trust, a social experiment show on Netflix . For more than a decade, Brooke anchored her own live daily news show on CNN ?and was renowned for her versatility, authenticity, and humanity. Prior to CNN, Brooke worked in local news for nearly a decade.?

How have relationships influenced your professional development and leadership style?

I believe leaders are?born. It’s in our DNA. Look around your circles, your communities — it’s pretty obvious who the leader is and isn’t. And what I really love is someone who may not “look” like a leader — but truly is one. I’d be willing to bet they’ve been leading since pre-school. That said, the way I lead is absolutely influenced by the company I keep. For so much of my career, as a TV anchor in a mostly male-dominated environment (it’s changing more and more, thank goodness), I leaned heavily on my inner masculine (leadership style), in terms of split second decisions I had to make, interviews I conducted, and just the way I walked through the world. I also wore a lot of armor. A certain level of toughness was expected of me — because of the leaders around me in the newsroom and the stories we needed to cover. But as I’ve left cable news and am leaning more into my writing, my deeper forms of expression, my own truths and the company I now keep, I am so totally embracing my femininity. And along with that comes another level of fierceness in my leadership style, one that is more vulnerable, authentic and me.

Do?you?have any tips for maintaining and building strong relationships?

I wrote an entire book about this and the importance of our relationships — it’s called HUDDLE: How Women Unlock Their Collective Power. My relationships, friendships, community are everything. I wouldn’t feel as safe taking the risks I take in my life without their support. I’m a big believer in what you put in is what you get out. If you half-ass a relationship, that’s what you’ll get in return. If you prioritize and nurture a relationship with everything you’ve got — then you will feel it right back. I’m a big believer in a rising tide lifts all ships. Look out for one another. We’re better together. If you’re in a leadership role and you see a job opening for someone you respect who’s less experienced than you — email them. If you’re feeling lonely (who isn’t?), find a group of people with like-minded passions either in person or online. Gather with them. Believe in yourself — and believe you’re worthy of finding your people. And make sure your circle doesn’t all look like / sound like / believe like you. Intersectionality is everything.

How have?you?intentionally built inclusiveness into your circles?

YES. It starts with awareness. Who am I not only surrounding myself with — but who’s filling my social media feed, who am I watching on TV or reading? It’s so easy (read: lazy) to be fed all the same views. Total echo chamber. I mean, look at our country. Election Day is upon us. You’re either on this side or that. Having refereed many a contentious conversation on live TV between two people with opposing viewpoints, I’m so aware of the polarization. To have inclusiveness, we need to listen, have open minds and hearts and a willingness to sit in discomfort.?

What community or communities are?you?proud to be a part of?

I’m proud to have just created a Substack community I absolutely cherish (https://unravelingwithbrooke.substack.com/ ) full of folks such as myself in the throes of major life change, our collective Unraveling. I’m also in a family...I lean on a spiritually-connected community...I’m a Hoffman Institute alum, a UNC Tar Heel, a journalist, and CAMP yogi (here in Venice), the Class, part of the BeyHive.

Who’s a Connector that's made a difference in your life??

I profoundly admire Oprah. I’ve met her twice, once very recently at a newly opened bookstore in Summerland, CA named Godmothers (photo below). And I'm going to say, even though Oprah and I are not besties (yet), I love how she’s “connected” me to so many phenomenal women I admire and learn so much from. Here are just a few: Martha Beck, Liz Gilbert, Brené Brown, Maria Shriver, Michelle Obama and of course, all of her conversations with the late Maya Angelou…

It's an honor to feature inspiring change-makers across industries who share their stories and words of wisdom about how to build meaningful relationships. Catch up on #CONNECTED with our previous guests, including Anisa Kamadoli Costa , Dalila Wilson-Scott , Jocelyn Wyatt , and more!

Susan McPherson is a serial connector, seasoned communicator and founder and CEO of McPherson Strategies , a communications consultancy focused on the intersection of brands and social impact. She is the author of The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Relationships.

Follow Susan on LinkedIn , Twitter and Instagram and order her new book, The Lost Art of Connecting , also available on Kindle and Audiobook.