Unlocking Authenticity: Blair Broussard on Being Unapologetically Human, Radical Candor, and Leadership Growth

Discover the transformative power of authenticity with Blair Broussard, a communications strategist who turned "being unapologetically human" from a personal mantra into a core company value. In this illuminating conversation, Blair reveals how embracing your true self—mistakes, questions, and all—can become your greatest professional superpower.

 

Guest Bio:

Blair Broussard brings over 17 years of experience in communications, change management, and corporate storytelling across B2B tech, healthcare, and telecommunications. As the former Chief Operations and People Officer at Alloy Marketing, she scaled the agency from a two-person startup to a thriving team of 50. Currently serving as a Senior Consultant for Cox Communications, Blair applies her approachable style and sharp insights to tackle complex workplace dynamics with humor and humanity.

 

Content Sample:

- The Liberation of being "Unapologetically Human": Unlike the vague advice to "just be yourself," Blair shares how reframing authenticity as being "unapologetically human" gives you permission to make mistakes, ask questions, and bring your unique perspective to every challenge.

- Radical Candor for Leadership Growth: Discover how embracing both caring personally AND challenging directly transformed Blair's leadership style during her agency's highest growth phase.

- The Anxiety-to-Superpower Pipeline: Learn how Blair harnesses anxiety as fuel for growth and uses intentional body awareness to stay grounded during high-pressure situations.

 

Key Takeaways

- [00:02:00] Being "unapologetically human" means giving yourself permission to make mistakes, ask questions, and bring your authentic self to work—even when it feels vulnerable.

- [00:08:00] True leadership requires both empathy AND direct feedback. The book "Radical Candor" provides a framework for balancing "caring personally" with "challenging directly."

- [00:14:00] Regular one-on-one meetings are essential for building trust—they create space for both personal connection and honest feedback that can't happen in group settings.

- [00:25:00] Setting daily reminders to check in with your body helps prevent burnout and ensures you're speaking from authenticity rather than people-pleasing during important moments.

 

Memorable Quotes:

"When someone puts it in the 'unapologetically human' piece, it gives you permission to not just be yourself, but make mistakes... None of us know anything. And when I'm approaching a challenge, it just gives me that permission to be creative, and not maybe do things by the book."

 

"In order for praise to even mean anything, you have to be able to have the harder conversation."

 

"Once you get in your head and you start caring about what other people think, you're caring about them versus what you're saying. And then you screw up."

 

For more from Blair Broussard, you can connect with her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blair-broussard/

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Host Information:

This insightful session was hosted by Jolie Downs with Paradigm. For more in career evolution and growth, you can connect with Jolie here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joliedowns/

 

Ending Note:

What part of your authentic self are you holding back at work? Remember Blair's wisdom that "there's only one of you" and your authenticity is your unique gift to br