Articles by Brian
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5K followers
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisYou know you want to be a Mentor or a Mentee. So what are you waiting for? Applications are now OPEN for the 2026/2027 Project Violet mentorship season. It's the industry's only organized mentorship program for LGBTQ+ talent. Apply today by clicking the appropriate link below. The application deadline is Friday, September 11th and the program starts October 12th! To apply to be a Mentor, click: https://lnkd.in/gPYX8QVB To apply to be a Mentee, click: https://lnkd.in/gshdiV2y Do the WeRQ Association of National Advertisers 4As DNA&STONE Graham Nolan🏳️🌈
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisWell, it finally happened - after 15 years at The Walt Disney Company, I've been impacted by layoffs. I'm a Data & Solutions Analyst who builds automations and streamlines processes — Smartsheet, AirTable, Power BI, Power Automate, Excel. I also have extensive experience in project/program management. I like fixing things that are inefficient, including, apparently, how people handle bad news. (I made my former colleagues a choose-your-own-adventure webpage instead of asking them to individually help me. It's here if you want to see it: https://lnkd.in/erdKgMyW) If you know of a role in data/solutions, process improvement, or HR operations — or just know someone who does — I'd appreciate the connection! (Link to my resume is in the comments 👇) #HireDisney
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisHappy International Non-Binary People’s Day! 💛🤍🖤💜 “Non-binary” is a term used to describe a person who does not identify exclusively within the gender binary, as a man or a woman. A non-binary person may identify as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between, or completely outside these categories. While many non-binary people also identify as transgender, not all do. There is no “right” time to be open with yourself about your own gender. Some come to question or recognize their gender identities and expressions suddenly, while others take more time. Many non-binary people have long wrestled with the conflict of living instead of living the life they know they were meant to live. Whether you’re out as non-binary or not, you are seen, heard, and loved — and you will ALWAYS have a place in our community. Explore our resources on coming out as non-binary: https://lnkd.in/gGUf-A-Z
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisYou are not alone. If you've been laid off, submitted hundreds of applications, been referred by trusted colleagues only to hear nothing, you've endured 10... 15... even 17 interviews without an offer, and --- you've started questioning whether you're somehow no longer "good enough". You are not alone. Over the past year, I've had the privilege of speaking with dozens of accomplished executives and subject matter experts—leaders in HR, legal, technology, finance, marketing, healthcare, operations, and countless other fields. Many are experiencing unemployment for the very first time in extraordinary careers. What strikes me isn't a lack of talent. It's how many have begun questioning themselves. The job market they once understood has become almost unrecognizable. Resumes disappear into black holes. Outstanding candidates are ghosted—even after warm referrals. Interview processes now stretch across months. AI suddenly feels like one more hurdle to clear. And somewhere along the way, confidence begins to erode. Please don't let it. This hiring market is challenging and is not a reflection of your intelligence, your capability, or your value. Your experience still matters. Your leadership still matters. The lives you've impacted, the teams you've built, the problems you've solved, and the results you've delivered did not disappear because the hiring process became more difficult. This season simply requires a different approach. <> Elevate your visibility <> Share your expertise <> Invest in learning AI—not because it defines your worth, but because it expands your toolkit. <> Reconnect with your network. <> Ask for introductions, for advice, for help. The strongest professionals I've met aren't the ones who never needed support, they're the ones who had the courage to ask for it. And to everyone fortunate enough to be employed today... please remember that one introduction, one recommendation, one conversation, or one act of encouragement can completely change someone's life. Someone in your network may be carrying far more than they let on. Remind them that they are seen. Remind them that they matter. Remind them that they are not alone. #YouAreNotAlone #UnrecognizableJobSearch #LossOfConfidence #AskForHelp #ControlTheNarrative
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisOne trait of highly ambitious people. Tends to be a lack of gratitude. As soon as you reach a goal, you jump to the next. The next milestone. The next challenge. The next level. There's nothing wrong with wanting more. But it’s easy to overlook how far you've already come. The business you run today might be the one you once dreamed of building. The opportunities you have now may have once felt out of reach. The problems you solve today might be the ones you once wished you solve. Ambition and gratitude work best together. Ambition gives you purpose. Gratitude gives you perspective. Recognising your progress doesn't make you complacent. In fact, it helps you grow. You gain momentum when you reflect on progress. So before you lock onto the next target, take a moment to ground yourself. Enjoy the journey. Not just the destination. Keep building. Keep growing. ♻️ Repost if this was a god reminder. 👋 Follow Dan Mianfor more.
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisOne of the hardest things to accept in life is that not everything comes with a clear plan. Most people want certainty. They want to know they're making the right decision. They want guarantees before they take the risk. They want the whole picture before they take the first step. But life rarely works that way. Many of the things that shape us most happen in seasons of uncertainty. A new opportunity. A career change. A relationship. A dream we've been afraid to pursue. Very often, we don't know exactly where the path will lead. We only know the next step. And sometimes, that's enough. Because clarity doesn't always come before action. Confidence doesn't always come before courage. And purpose doesn't always arrive with a detailed roadmap. Sometimes life asks us to trust the process. To keep moving forward. To learn as we go. The truth is, very few people have everything figured out. Most of us are simply taking one step at a time, hoping, learning, growing, and trusting that we're becoming who we're meant to be along the way. Maybe the goal isn't to always know where you're going. Maybe the goal is to keep moving forward with faith, curiosity, and an open heart. And trust that, in time, you'll end up exactly where you belong. Love, Lan Phan community of SEVEN If you like this post, you’ll love my book Do This Daily: Secrets to Finding Success, Happiness, and Purpose in Work and Life: https://lnkd.in/eK5ghJd8
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisToday, we celebrate Black freedom. Juneteenth reminds us of the strength, resilience, and determination of those who came before us and the responsibility we share to continue building a more just future. May we honor the legacy of our ancestors not only through reflection, but through action — in our work, in our communities, at the polls and beyond. Happy #Juneteenth!
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisIt does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. 👍🏾🙂 Most people quit because they compare their Chapter 1 to someone else's Chapter 20. Success is rarely overnight. It is usually years of learning, failing, adapting and growing. 🖐🏾 Great achievements take longer than most people expect and require unwavering consistency. 🖐🏾 Comparing your timeline to others creates pressure and unnecessary self doubt. 🖐🏾 Meaningful careers are built through thousands of ordinary disciplined days. 🖐🏾 Long term success belongs to those who stay committed when progress feels invisible. 🖐🏾 Patience is not waiting passively. It is continuing despite delayed results. You are not behind. You are simply in the middle of your journey. What achievement in your life took far longer than expected but was worth every moment? #Success #Leadership #GrowthMindset #CareerGrowth #Resilience #Patience #Consistency #LeadershipDevelopment #SuccessMindset
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) reposted thisThe chapter you hate now becomes the story you’re proud to tell. You're in the silent chapter. Where you've done the work, stayed consistent. And still, nothing is moving. It's a quiet pain - doing everything right and still feeling like a failure. Because no one's watching. No one's clapping. Envy slips in. Then comparison. Then you feel invisible. That's when the voice comes: "Maybe I'm fooling myself. Why bother?" That's the moment most people quit. It's also the moment that matters most. I was in the quiet chapter for most of last year. I needed an anchor that didn't depend on applause. There's an ancient concept that got me through: Humble pride. The humility to know you don't have it all figured out. And the pride to know you will. Because I always have. And so have you. Humble pride isn't a mindset. It's a daily practice. These 3 habits kept me in it: 1/ Keep showing up → One thing for mind, work, and body. Every day. 2/ Celebrate 3 wins daily → Big or small. You have more than you think. 3/ Clap for 3 people in your circle → Cheer for others. It comes back to you. Six months ago, I couldn't see past the silence. Now, I'm having conversations I only imagined. This quiet chapter? It's turning into one of my best years yet. Your breakthrough is closer than it feels. Keep clapping for yourself until the world joins in. ♻️ Repost to remind someone to be their biggest fan ➕ Follow me (Susan Chen) for more
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked thisNYC Pride invites you to join us for our Fall 2026 Corporate Summit on Thursday, October 22nd, 2026 from 1:00 – 6:00 p.m. at 1 Columbus Circle in New York City. Join LGBTQIA+ leaders from a wide range of sectors for an afternoon of engaging panel discussions, networking, and promoting LGBTQIA+ inclusivity – both in our workplaces and in our communities. Hosted by Deutsche Bank, this biannual, in-person event is a great opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals, hear from LGBTQ+ change-makers, and learn how you can enhance support for the LGBTQIA+ community in your workplace. For the first time, attendance is free! Suggested donations are welcomed and appreciated to support NYC Pride’s year-round programs for local LGBTQ+ communities. Stay tuned for the full program & speaker lineup. We can’t wait to see you there! FREE Registration Here: https://lnkd.in/g2jqagCd
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked thisI pass by this mural of Dollyparton DollyParton near my condo almost daily. I stopped to take a picture on my way home as I feel a profound loss today. The media was there taking pictures and interviewed me and asked why I felt the way I did. I was reminded of Dolly’s leadership quote, "If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader." Dolly wasn’t only an excellent leader and entrainer; she was a remarkable human being. I can’t think of anyone else like her. She’s a significant loss to the world. May her memory be a blessing.
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked thisI had built a life that looked great from the outside, and I felt like it was crushing me. Over my 20+ year career, I reached a senior leadership level, earned a six-figure salary, and became our family breadwinner. And I was miserable. Instead of enjoying my success, I felt trapped and wanted a way out. The path I’d followed was set by someone else, based on what they thought I should want. I didn’t ask questions, I just did it. One day, in a conversation about the year ahead, someone asked me what I wanted, and I couldn’t answer. Then it hit me. I had no idea what I wanted because I had never thought to ask. I didn’t know I was allowed to. Instead, I kept my head down, building a life that didn’t include me. I didn’t need to blow up my life. I just needed to include myself in it.
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked thisIn 2010 I got my green card. If I were doing it today, I wouldn't be here. Two DHS (Department of Homeland Security) moves this month. Separately, they're policy. Together, they're a door closing. One: a proposed $103,265 fee on every cap-subject H-1B petition. Per petition. Per lottery ticket you might not win. Stacked on last year's $100,000 fee, which is tied up in court but not dead. Two, quieter: DHS has moved to eliminate the 60-day grace period visa holders get to find a new employer after a layoff. It's early — still under White House review and current rules in effect. But it wouldn't only hit H-1B. L-1, O-1, TN, E-visas too. I spent years here on a visa. My ability to stay was never really mine. It belonged to an employer, a filing date, and a piece of paper I checked more than I'd like to admit. Sponsoring me today would cost $203,265. For a guy with a confusing accent and potential. You can justify that number for a proven senior hire. You can't justify it for someone who might become one. Which means this doesn't filter out the wrong people — it filters out the unfinished ones. You don't have to ban a program to end it. Price the front door out of reach and shut the back door. Same result. No announcement. No vote. And yes — the program has been abused to undercut wages. That's a real argument. But the companies doing it at volume are the ones for whom $203,265 is a rounding error. Price doesn't screen for abuse. It screens for who can afford the filing fee. The 200-person firm trying to hire one great engineer is the only one this actually stops. I don't know what anyone intends. I know what a visa holder hears. And what they hear is: don't build a life here. If you're living this right now — I see you. I don't know your version of it. I know the feeling of your whole life sitting in someone else's inbox. Image: New York 2009, still on a visa
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked this“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” — Dolly Parton I can’t tell you how many times I’ve quoted those words. I’ve used them in classrooms, conversations, and in front of audiences around around the globe. But until this week, I’m not sure I ever really stopped to consider what Dolly was telling us. Find out who you are. I’ve always been proud to say I’m from Tennessee. But if I’m being truthful, there have been times when I’ve tried to hide some of what came with it. I’ve made the poor attempts to soften my accent. Avoided Appalachian words and phrases. I’ve even caught myself saying “my grandmother” or “my grandfather” instead of what I actually called them: Granny and Pa. Somewhere along the way, I think I convinced myself that sounding a little less like where I came from might make me sound a little more educated. A little more professional. Dolly never did that. She became one of the most recognizable people in the world and never stopped sounding like the mountains that raised her. She didn’t run from where she came from. She carried it with her. The accent. The stories. The humor. The family. The people. The mountains. Some of the very things that made her an extraordinary human, and she was never seen as “less than.” Dolly made me proud to be from Tennessee. But more than that, she made me proud to be from Appalachia, from the top of the mountains to way down in the holler. She showed us that you don’t have to erase where you came from to become who you’re meant to be. Maybe that’s the part of her quote I’ve missed all these years. Find out who you are. Then do it on purpose. Dolly certainly did just that. As we mourn the loss of an exceptional artist, storyteller, and philanthropist- I think the world would be a little better if we all lived a little more like Dolly did, with more kindness, generosity, laughter, authenticity, and a little less judgment. Thank you, Dolly. From one Tennessee mountain kid to another - we will always love you. ❤️🦋
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked thisThis past weekend, I had the honor, and a whole lot of fun, of taking the TEDx Raleigh stage. The title of my talk was “You Are Not Your Job.” It’s a talk about what can happen when we allow what we do for work to become too much of who we are, and why it matters to build a life and an identity that are bigger than our job titles. I’ll share the official video once it becomes available through TED. But before I get to the talk itself, I just want to say thank you to the people who showed up for me. When I found out I had been selected for TEDx Raleigh, a former coworker turned mentee and friend immediately told me she was coming. She lives in Los Angeles. The talk was in North Carolina. 😊 I truly had no expectation that anyone would travel to see me speak for eight minutes. And yet friends came from LA, Atlanta, Ohio, and Charlotte to be there. Rebecca, Dr. Shavaun, Jewel, Tenelle, and Michael - thank you for showing up for me in such a big way. I felt extremely loved this past weekend. Giving the talk was incredibly special, but spending time with everyone afterward may have been my favorite part. I also had the chance to reconnect in person with my very first mentor in sports, DeLores Dee Todd, which made the weekend even more meaningful. I’m grateful to the TEDx Raleigh organizers for giving me the opportunity, to my amazing fellow speakers for sharing the experience, and to everyone in the audience who listened, laughed, reflected, and reached out afterward. And especially to my crew for making sure I felt supported every step of the way, including the friends who wanted to be there but couldn’t. I also know I didn’t arrive at this moment alone. Last year, I had the opportunity to give a five-minute DisruptHR NYC talk, a mini-version of a TEDx, and I don’t think I would have been ready for this stage without that experience. To PJ, Jim, and my speaker coach Brittany, thank you for creating that opportunity, pushing me, and helping me grow as a speaker. I truly believe that experience helped open the door to this one. Jesse Itzler, a mentor who doesn’t know he’s a mentor 😂, often talks about having a misogi each year: one big challenge that pushes you outside of your comfort zone and gives you something meaningful to work toward. This TEDx talk was my misogi for 2026. And I’m very happy, and very grateful, to check this one off the list. ❤️ Stay tuned for the video! P.S. If you’re curious about the misogi framework and Jesse Itzler’s The Big A## Calendar, I’m an affiliate. You can check it out here: https://lnkd.in/ezmWsCc9 #TEDxRaleigh #YouAreNotYourJob
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked thisAll of us at the Human Rights Campaign are heartbroken by Dolly Parton’s passing. She showed the world what it looks like to lead with love and stood with our community long before it was easy, using her voice and platform to create a world where LGBTQ+ people feel seen and celebrated. Her music and her spirit touched millions. We will miss her dearly, and we will carry forward the light she shared with all of us.
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked this11 Grammys. Over 100 million records sold. A theme park, a film career and a song Whitney Houston turned into the best-selling single ever released by a woman. But above all else, an amazing humanitarian. Her Dad spent his life not knowing how to read, so she spent 30 years quietly mailing books to other people's children- more than 270 million of them now, across multiple countries, no announcement, no campaign. Before he died, her father told her it was probably the most important thing she'd ever done. She never needed anyone else to know. She just wanted the kids to have the books. Somewhere a child is getting a book in the mail this week with her name on it. That'll go on. Rest easy, Dolly
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Brian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked thisBrian Vaught (He/Him/His) liked thisI’m excited to share that I’ve joined Saint-Gobain North America as Manager of User Experience & Digital Design. In this role, I’ll be helping shape the end-to-end user experience across Saint-Gobain’s North American digital ecosystem—connecting customer needs, business goals, research, analytics, and design to create experiences that are useful, intuitive, and impactful. It feels like a natural next chapter for me: an opportunity to bring together the things I’ve enjoyed most throughout my career—turning complexity into clarity, building strong cross-functional partnerships, and creating digital experiences that deliver meaningful value for both customers and the business. I’m grateful to everyone who supported and encouraged me along the way, and I’m looking forward to helping Saint-Gobain continue to mature its digital experiences. #UserExperience #UXDesign #DigitalDesign #DesignStrategy #SaintGobain
Experience & Education
Licenses & Certifications
Volunteer Experience
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Event Volunteer
The Ali Forney Center
- 9 years 2 months
Human Rights
Member of an Employee Resource Group that partnered with The Ali Forney Center to assist with their annual Halloween Party.
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Diversity, Inclusion, Equity Task Force
The Miss America Organization
- 2 years 5 months
Human Rights
Projects
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Dynata - Mindfulness @ Work
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Created a 30-minute program including theory and practice exercises around mindfulness and holistic wellness.
Honors & Awards
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The Leadership Excellence Award
Tri-State Diversity Council
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Above & Beyond
ZenithOptimedia
Organizations
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T Howard Foundation
Board Member
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American Association of Advertising Agencies
Board Member - Diversity & Inclusion Steering Committee
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Egalite - Publicis Group LGBTQ Employee Resource Group
Board Member
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Publicis Group Talent Engagement & Inclusion Council
Board Member
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