Brianna Doe

I share tips & stories about job hunting, leadership, and marketing yourself | Demand Gen @ Aion | Creator of This Could've Been an Email

According to my mom, I started writing stories at age 3. Picked up a pencil and never put it down, which explains the book, the business, and my obsession with Google Docs.

Today, I’m the founder of Verbatim, a boutique agency helping brands grow through high-impact influencer marketing, fractional operations, and speaker scouting. We’re also ranked the #1 influencer agency in Phoenix by Influencer Marketing Hub — which is exciting and now lives proudly in my email signature.

I help brands stop blending in, and I help creative professionals &amp; entrepreneurs build careers that align with the life they actually want.

The tl;dr:
↳ Bestselling author of The Unapologetic Professional
↳ Keynote speaker, advisor, and marketer
↳ Helping people rethink work without burning it all down
↳ Host of Stop the Scroll, co-creator of Let Her Cook 🌮👀 

As seen in/at: HubSpot, Harvard, Fast Company, Stanford, CNBC, American Marketing Association, and more.

Outside of work: Big fan of tattoos, cookie-scented candles, and the Oxford comma.

Want to collab or bring me in as a speaker? Send me a note: https://www.briannadoe.com/contact

Director of Demand Generation

Aion is revolutionizing the way businesses manage their finances and fuel growth with our all-in-one modern finance platform. 🚀

People love to say “don't bring politics into work!” As if I could leave my Black womanhood in the parking lot and pick it up after 5 PM. 

I didn't choose to bring politics into my work. Politics showed up in my rates, my resume, my dress code, and my safety. For many of us, our entire careers have been political. 🤷🏽‍♀️ Not by choice, but by design. 

As someone who’s spent years code-switching, trying to blend in, and making myself more palatable, I don’t always get to separate the personal from the professional. Many of us don't get to be “just” entrepreneurs or “just” leaders. We're constantly navigating systems that demand we prove we belong. 

So when someone says “Keep politics out of it,” all I hear is: “Stop making me uncomfortable by reminding me that the system isn’t neutral.”

My work is political because my existence is political. And pretending otherwise isn't professionalism. It's erasure.

Founder @ Verbatim | In my influencer marketing era and you should be too | Bestselling Author, The Unapologetic Professional | Writer & Host, Stop the Scroll

Everything corporate tried to "fix" about me is now how I make money.

I spent years trying to change the things my managers flagged in performance reviews. I was too quiet. Then I was too direct. I couldn't pick a lane. I didn't speak up enough about my goals. Or I was (gasp!) too bold. 🫠

Honestly, some of the feedback was helpful. I did need to get better at articulating my impact and advocating for myself. But some of it had nothing to do with me. My personality just didn't match the template, or my working style made someone uncomfortable.

The hardest skill I've had to learn is how to tell the difference between "I need to grow" and "I need to go." Those are two very different problems. And confusing them can cost you years and a lot of joy.

But now:

• Too direct → "refreshingly honest"
• Couldn't pick a lane → multipassionate, with multiple income streams
• Too quiet → I listen, observe, and hear what people aren't saying

These weren't flaws. I just hadn't found the right environment yet.

Certified Executive Coach (ICF) | I help women leaders amplify their performance + presence to become Executives | Wife & Mom of 3 | Exec Group Coaching Program launching in Aug 2024 | Book a call today ⬇️

Apply to work with me for Executive Coaching: https://linktr.ee/executivematerial For Brand Partnerships (brands only) please email me at team@aprillittle.co 

April Little

In my 20's, I was a human doormat, staying silent when I should have spoken. Then, I overcorrected and spoke up about everything until I learned which battles deserved my voice. 

Perhaps that is why LinkedIn serves two purposes for me: to generate leads and as an outlet to help others. 

When I did pipe up, I was told I was "piping up" too much. 

I think that happens to many of us.

We trade one extreme for another as we seek to establish balance and boundaries. 

Emotional reactions are human, but so is learning discernment.

I do think it's human to suffer an emotional reaction to disrespect. 

I also think we have a responsibility to use our discernment to know when to respond and when not to. 

The real skill is in finding a middle ground.

Because it's not a good idea to give someone the impression they can say anything they want to you. 

What I've learned:
Not every perceived slight needs a response
Setting boundaries ≠ being a doormat
Choose your moments wisely

"The need to comment on everything is the definition of busy work. There is great peace in reserving your perspectives for the right time and people rather than always talking just because you have something to say." - Anonymous 

True power isn't in speaking up about everything - it's in knowing which battles are worth your voice.

credit: herleader on IG
—-

Hi, I’m April Little. I help current women leaders (Sr. Mgr, Director +) prepare for executive roles in 8 weeks or less. I am accepting 2 new clients this month. https://lnkd.in/gc-hbQBd 

 ✨ Recent Client Wins ✨
Director --> Vice President Promotion (on page)

✨✨Building EXCLUSIVELY on Instagram & TikTok @iamaprillittle✨✨ | Ex-HR Exec Helping Women Leaders Break the Mid-Level Ceiling Into Executive Leadership ($200k+) | 2025 Time 100 Creator

If I send this to you, it means 2 things: I’m EXCITED, and I’m recruiting for a Director of Strategic Partnerships ($350k OTE).

This is with Bond.

If you apply, you will receive an email update from me.

If you advance to the hiring manager stage, you will receive a call.

I do not ghost candidates, and I do not disappear after interviews.

This is a first-time Director opportunity with a clear path to VP.

Base salary ranges from 180K to 200K, with 350K on-target earnings and significant upside tied to deal performance and equity.

You will own global enterprise partnerships across home security, fintech, travel, and other technology sectors, while building the function from the ground up.

The role is onsite in the tristate area (NY, NJ, CT), requires up to 30 percent travel, and demands strong enterprise deal experience in SaaS, cybersecurity, fintech, insurtech, or enterprise software. 

(this is a non-negotiable.)

The CEO is requiring that this person is currently working in this role. 

I will be screening candidates this week and next week, and this is one of the only roles I recruit for each year in my fractional VP of HR capacity.

I am not recruiting for any other roles and will not review resumes sent by direct message.

Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gFg3mGQY

If you have been waiting for your first Director title with real upside including moving to VP in the next 12-24 months. Apply!

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Thank you for reading Executive Material. Every Monday, break down how power, positioning, and executive communication actually work at senior levels,

Open article: Why "Just Find a Sponsor" Falls Flat and How to Borrow POWER and PRIVILEGE Instead  by April Little • 6 min read

Why "Just Find a Sponsor" Falls Flat and How to Borrow POWER and PRIVILEGE Instead

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The Battle

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Brianna Doe's LinkedIn Performance

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