prestige of the title and glamorous side of
Life You Want Tour in 2014. The tour was
making money. What led you to such an
about helping people find purpose. It was a
extraordinary decision?
two and a half day session with Oprah and
Marion Brooks: I was born in Fort Worth some other people. One of the questions we
and live in LA now. I
were asked, “If money
lived 14 years in NY
didn’t matter (and I
and have turned down a
added, If failure was not
My
grandmother
said,
‘You
number of high profile
an option), what would
know, people will put their you do? Without limita-
positions. I was a Head
of Marketing, making
tions, what would you
limitations on you, but it
more money than I
do? My answer was, “I
only
matters
if
you
accept
had ever imagined and
would be living my life
them.’ She told me, ‘There
climbing up the corpo-
full-time investing in
rate ladder until I real-
people and I would be
are no limits on anything
ized the ladder was up
a best-selling author.’
you
want
to
be.
The
only
against the wrong wall.
It was the first time I
limits are the ones you
I was the first African
had ever given myself
American man to be in
permission to think
accept."
the role, but I decided
about ‘what do I really
that I wanted to get
want to do—not need
back to broader people investment in people to do.’ At the end, they said, “Now, go do
so I turned down some great opportuni-
one thing that can help you get there, and I
ties and took a role more aligned with my
googled how to become an executive coach.
people purpose. I thought I had derailed
I was working on my international certifi-
myself but it came back around. Now, I’m a cation and a young woman in major media
VP investing in people.
came to me for coaching. She had a new
HimPower: What led you to write the
boss and he was trying to get rid of her. I
book, What You Don’t Know is Hurting You?
worked with her for six months. She got two
Marion Brooks: The book came from my
promotions and her boss got fired. I had
focus on people. As I said, I was doing well
nothing to do with her boss getting fired.
in my career, but I was not happy. I would
She said, ”You have to write a book, you’re
do what I call the ‘salmon flop’ (roll out of
going to help so many people. I didn’t know
bed like a dead salmon and flop over). I was what I didn’t know and it was hurting me. I
trying to find purpose, I just knew there had had no idea because no one told me.”
to be more than just making money. I did a
HimPower: Once you committed to
lot of volunteer work, but I could feel there
writing the book, did you ever have second
was more than that. I participated in the
thoughts?
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