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Courtney Branson
VP of People | Culture Designer for Founder-Led Startups
Courtney Branson is a culture designer who has dedicated her career to bringing warmth, empathy, and inclusivity to businesses. She firmly believes that nurturing such values within an organization will result in trust, empowerment, and innovation. Her extensive and exceptional work throughout the years has been recognized and featured in notable publications such as Fortune, Fast Company, and Inc. With a BA in English and Philosophy from Texas A&M University, Branson has served in various roles, including HR Manager and Culture Specialist at Match.com and Director and VP of Culture and People at Square Root, Inc. Today, she runs her own culture design firm and coaching program, offering workshops, training, and consulting solutions, all of which focus on creating unique and inclusive work cultures that can catapult companies forward. As a culture advisor at CDK Global, Branson continues to empower businesses of all stripes to harness the power of individuality, creativity, empathy, and self-awareness in their workplaces.
Highlights
An ode on closing the pay gap: Throughout my career, I’ve fallen into the tradition of women being underpaid, paid based on a prior salary, and promoted once they’ve done the job.
Speaking about pay was taboo; companies shrouded the why behind salaries and promotions. I’m happy to be part of a company and group of people leaders who are throwing the curtain open.
Grocery TV is 100% transparent with benchmark data, salaries, levels, and promotions. Equitable access to information challenges us to be accountable to a fair system. It's harder to use arbitrary standards and biases with pay transparency; instead, it opens up the conversation around data + decisions.
Read more from me and others on how People teams can help close the pay gap.
#PayTransparency #GenderPayGap #PayEquity #Compensation #HumanResources #PeopleOps
For Valentine's Day, here's an anti-love letter to all the people who have given insults disguised as advice about my appearance, voice, and soft approach.
My recent favorite was being told I didn't look like an executive but rather a Midwestern homemaker. 🤷♀️
I collected these swipes over the years, and at first, they broke me. I cut myself in half and hid the pieces all to make others comfortable, and it still wasn't good enough.
Then, I wrote this article in 2021 and started reclaiming words like sensitive as my own. I’m currently writing its follow-up, but for now, enjoy my unfiltered take on advice to women.
XOXO, Court
#leadership #womenatwork #authenticity #authenticleadership
