In this episode, Darren Reinke chats with Brad Lee, former president and CEO of Breg. Brad discusses his interest in engineering from an early age, the “Aha” moment that led him on his journey to becoming a CEO, the most important lessons he learned from leaning into his fears, and so much more!

Show Notes:

• How taking apart household appliances as a little kid led Brad to engineering [1:06]
• Why Brad decided to pursue chemical engineering [2:27]
• What career Brad hoped to pursue after graduating college [5:15]
• How Brad learned to become a sales person [7:20]
• The evolution of Brad’s career from engineering to sales and to marketing [9:34]
• The moment Brad decided he wanted to be a CEO [12:38]
• What skills, behaviors, and experiences Brad sought out on his journey to becoming CEO [15:00]
• Why people are so afraid of saying “I Don’t Know” [19:25]
• Why leaning into a fear is smart and productive [22:16]
• Brad’s advice for those struggling to lean into their fears [25:09]
• The major differences between running a private and a public company [30:56]
• How Brad’s leadership style evolved between managing a private and public company [34:16]
• The benefits of humility within leadership [35:56]
• How Brad embraced delegating and learned to trust as a CEO [40:58]