Brittany Vermeire, MBA

I attribute my success to resilience, adaptability, and finally learning to trust myself. Some of the biggest turning points in my life have come from moments I never would have chosen for myself. Choosing sobriety completely changed the way I see my life, my potential, and what I am capable of. Then, after nearly five years with Amazon, being laid off forced me to ask myself what I actually wanted the next chapter of my life to look like.

Instead of allowing that uncertainty to define me, I decided to build something of my own. I leaned into the things I genuinely love travel, storytelling, connecting with people, and helping others and began growing Highly Relatable into something much bigger than I originally imagined.

I also attribute so much of my success to my willingness to be vulnerable. Sharing my sobriety journey publicly wasn't always comfortable, but I quickly learned that when we are willing to talk honestly about the things people often keep hidden, we give other people permission to do the same. Some of the most meaningful moments for me have come from someone reaching out to say that something I shared made them feel seen, encouraged them to rethink their relationship with alcohol, or simply reminded them that they weren't alone.

I've learned that success isn't always about having the perfect plan. Sometimes it's about being willing to start over, say yes to something that scares you, keep showing up, and believe that the life you're imagining for yourself might actually be possible. I wouldn't be where I am today without the people who have supported and believed in me, but I've also learned how important it is to believe in myself.

The best career advice I’ve received is to stay curious, surround yourself with people you can learn from, and never be afraid to change direction when something no longer feels aligned with who you are becoming.

For a long time, I thought success meant following a traditional career path, working hard, moving up, and checking the next box. My career in recruiting taught me so much about people, communication, relationship-building, and the importance of recognizing potential in others. But being laid off from Amazon also taught me one of my greatest career lessons: a job title does not define your value, and sometimes an unexpected ending can give you the opportunity to create a beginning you never would have chosen for yourself.

I’ve also learned the importance of saying yes to conversations, opportunities, introductions, and even ideas that feel a little outside of your comfort zone. Some of the most meaningful opportunities in my life have started because I was willing to put myself out there and ask, “Why not me?”

Today, I try to build my career around the things that genuinely matter to me: connecting with people, travel, storytelling, sobriety advocacy, personal growth, and helping others believe there are more possibilities available to them than they may realize.

If I could pass along one piece of career advice, it would be this: don't be so committed to the version of success you once imagined that you miss the opportunity to create something even better. Keep learning, keep evolving, find people who challenge and inspire you, and don't underestimate what can happen when you are willing to bet on yourself.

My advice to young women would be to stop waiting until you feel completely ready or qualified before you go after what you want. Apply for the job. Start the business. Send the email. Ask for the meeting. Introduce yourself to the person you admire. Share your idea. Some of the best opportunities in my life have come from simply being willing to put myself out there before I knew exactly how everything was going to work out.

I would also encourage young women to build genuine relationships throughout their careers. Networking isn't just collecting contacts, it's being curious about people, supporting others, asking questions, finding mentors, and being willing to help someone even when there is nothing immediately in it for you. You never know which conversation or connection may come back into your life years later.

Most importantly, don't believe you have to fit into one professional box. Your interests, experiences, setbacks, and even the parts of your story that once felt unrelated can eventually become your greatest strengths. My own career has taken me from recruiting to entrepreneurship, travel, podcasting, storytelling, and sobriety advocacy. I couldn't have mapped that path out when I was younger, and that's part of what makes it so meaningful.

Give yourself permission to evolve. Stay curious, keep learning, advocate for yourself, and don't make yourself smaller because you're afraid of what someone else might think. There is room for your voice, your ideas, and the version of success that you choose to create for yourself.

One of the biggest challenges I see is learning that you don't have to, and really can't, do everything alone. As an entrepreneur, it can be easy to feel like you should be able to manage every idea, every responsibility, and every next step yourself. I've learned how important it is to surround yourself with people who believe in you, challenge you, and remind you of what you're capable of when you start questioning yourself. I'm incredibly grateful for the support of my mom, my sister, my partner, and the people who continue to encourage what I'm building.

At the same time, I see tremendous opportunity in the conversations happening around sobriety, wellness, travel, and what it means to live a fulfilling life. More people are questioning the idea that alcohol has to be at the center of every celebration, vacation, social event, or milestone. I want to be part of helping move that conversation forward... not by telling people how they should live, but by showing them that there are more options.

I also see an opportunity to continue growing Highly Relatable beyond a podcast or travel business and into a community centered around connection, storytelling, travel, personal growth, and honest conversations about the things we don't always talk about.

The challenge for me will be learning how to grow all of these ideas intentionally without losing the authenticity that made me start in the first place. But that's also what excites me most. I feel like I'm only beginning to understand what Highly Relatable can become, and I'm incredibly excited to see where it goes.

The values most important to me, both personally and professionally, are authenticity, compassion, connection, inclusivity, and integrity. I believe people connect most deeply when we are willing to show up as our real selves not just the polished version we think the world expects to see.

Authenticity has become especially important to me. Through sharing my own experiences with sobriety, career changes, relationships, personal growth, and starting over, I've learned that vulnerability can create connection. When we're willing to talk about the things that aren't always easy or comfortable, we often discover how many other people have been quietly experiencing the same things.

Compassion and inclusivity are equally important. Whether I'm working with a travel client, recording a podcast, sharing something personal, or simply having a conversation with someone who reaches out to me, I want people to feel welcomed, heard, and respected. I don't believe there is one right way to navigate life, sobriety, success, or personal growth.

Finally, I value integrity, doing what I say I'm going to do, treating people well, and making decisions I can feel good about even when no one else is watching. At the end of the day, success means very little to me if it isn't built around genuine relationships, helping others, and being someone people know they can trust.