An Interview With Eden Gold
Seeking New Opportunities
One of the biggest shifts in how young adults approach success is their willingness to ask for help early and often. Platforms like LinkedIn have normalized reaching out to professionals, seeking mentorship, and leveraging networks — something that older generations often saw as a sign of weakness. I’ve had countless undergraduate and graduate students message me directly, not to ask for a job, but to ask for guidance and feedback long before they land their dream role. This shift shows that they see success not as a solo journey but as something built through connection and community.
In a world rapidly changing through technology, societal norms, and global challenges, a new generation of leaders is emerging. Ambitious young adults are not just aiming for traditional markers of success; they are redefining what it means to be successful. Beyond the corporate ladder and financial milestones, they prioritize impact, sustainability, and personal fulfillment. They are entrepreneurs, activists, scientists, and artists who are shaping the future with innovative ideas and actions. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Britt Hunter.
Brittany “Britt” Hunter is a dynamic speaker, leadership coach, and former top ranked athlete who empowers future leaders and changemakers through candid storytelling, engaging workshops, and executive coaching. After a devastating sports injury ended her basketball career at Duke and UConn, Britt pivoted to mentoring where she spent 7 years working in public education in Harlem as a Dean, Vice Principal, and 4th grade teacher. Before transitioning to the corporate world at Microsoft Britt earned an MBA from Vanderbilt. Now, she leverages her unique journey — marked by resilience, humor, and an unwavering commitment to leadership — to inspire others through Leadership Coaching.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about Future Leaders, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
My story is a unique one made up of pivots, setbacks, achievements, and a ton of introspection. I started playing basketball in middle school and by the time I was a Junior in High School I was the Number 1 player in the country, but as life would have it, 2 months into my college career I blew my knee out and hit the deepest low I had ever felt. When I came out of that dark place, I went out to pour into youth, as an administrator, coach and teacher. I taught others the lessons that playing basketball taught me. From a desire to see what else I was capable of, I went on to get my MBA at Vanderbilt, and work in Big Tech at Microsoft. Attempting to learn something new and stretch myself again, I have stepped into entrepreneurship. This time I’m going back to pouring into others because I was happiest when I was helping mold others and teaching them the lessons that I learned. Today I take my life journey and use it to give students and young adults the tools they need to coach themselves through challenging times while bein the best version of themselves.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
I’ve lived many professional lives, but the chapter that shaped me most was my time in education — specifically, when I was a fourth-grade teacher. I didn’t have a formal degree in education or traditional training, just a curious mind and a deep desire to give my students the best chance at a brighter future.
In my final year of teaching, I managed to help 100% of my students pass both the New York State ELA and Math exams — a critical milestone that would shape their access to opportunities in middle and high school. What makes this even more meaningful is that it happened while I was simultaneously studying for the GMAT, a test I was personally struggling to conquer on my own journey to business school.
That experience transformed how I taught. Because I knew what it felt like to wrestle with a standardized exam, I stopped teaching “to the test” and instead focused on building resilience and belief in themselves. That shift — from memorization to mindset — not only changed my students’ outcomes, but it also changed me as a leader. It taught me that competency isn’t about credentials; it’s about the courage to grow and the commitment to help others do the same.
You are a successful individual. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Trait 1: Resilience
After starting my athletic career at 11, reaching my peak at 16, and losing it all by 18, I experienced a level of identity loss I wasn’t prepared for. I knew what mental toughness meant on the court, how to push through adversity, dig deep, and make a comeback, but I had no idea what it looked like in life. Off the court, there’s no timeout to regroup and no next play to quickly fix things. The only thing that heals that kind of loss is time, and that was incredibly hard to accept for someone used to working their way out of a slump in minutes, not months.
That season taught me that resilience isn’t just about bouncing back. It’s about learning to live in the tension, trusting the process, and rebuilding piece by piece, even when the timeline isn’t in your control.
Trait 2: Agility
In my third year working in education and my first as a Vice Principal, I stepped into a new role at a turnaround school. Within the first three months, we lost 22 teachers. Among the many challenges that created, one stood out: a third-grade class that had cycled through five different teachers. The instability had shattered the classroom culture and damaged trust with parents.
I decided to step in and teach the class myself. I had no formal training, but I had a deep desire to create a stable, supportive experience for those students. The year didn’t go as I expected, but by the end, I had learned more about myself in those months than I had in years. I fell in love with teaching so much that I moved up with that same class to fourth grade. That decision, born out of necessity and adaptability, marked the beginning of my teaching career and taught me the power of staying agile in the face of uncertainty.
Trait 3: Humility
When you achieve a certain level of success, you often find yourself in the spotlight whether you asked for it or not. With that visibility comes responsibility and the need for deep self-awareness. As a teenager navigating that attention, there were plenty of moments when I could have leveraged my status as an All-American athlete to get special treatment or avoid consequences. But I made a conscious choice to listen to the people who cared about me, mentors, coaches, and elders who reminded me that character matters more than accolades.
That commitment to humility shaped how I move through the world. It allows people to connect with me beyond my achievements and has opened doors to opportunities built on authenticity, not just accomplishment.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview about how ambitious young adults are redefining success. How would you define success?
Success is all about balance. We often hear stories of people who are consultants or investment bankers making a ton of money, but they lack the downtime to spend it in a meaningful way. There are also people who constantly sacrifice their values in order to climb the corporate ladder, only to realize that over time the company is asking things of them that they don’t agree with.
To me, success is about knowing what matters most to you, pursuing it wholeheartedly, and protecting it against all odds. Many people believe success comes after reaching a certain dollar amount or title, but the truth is that success is often happening right now. When you take the time to recognize your current success, you’re giving yourself permission to fully experience and appreciate life beyond the paycheck and beyond the status.
How do you incorporate social responsibility and sustainability into your definition of success?
Incorporating social responsibility and sustainability into success starts with keeping your values intact. For me, that means making decisions that reflect what I stand for, even when those decisions might come at a cost.
For example, I have a peer who runs a sustainability company focused on helping organizations adopt eco-friendly practices for large events. Recently, she partnered with a company like SHEIN, which is widely criticized for its environmental impact and for encouraging overconsumption. While the partnership provided short-term financial gain, it also risks damaging her credibility and limiting future opportunities because of the association.
This is a choice many small business owners face: money versus mission. True success is being in a position where you can walk away from deals that don’t align with your values, even if it means turning down revenue. It’s about building something that reflects your principles and knowing that long-term impact matters more than short-term profit.
Can you describe a moment or decision that significantly redirected your path toward leadership?
When I was graduating from UConn with my master’s degree, I found myself at a crossroads that would completely reshape my path toward leadership. I had two offers on the table, both in leadership roles: one from Pepsi and another to become a Dean of Students at a charter school in Harlem. I had always said I would never live in New York City, but this opportunity was different. It challenged me to think deeply about what I wanted for myself in the long term.
I realized that if a company like Pepsi was willing to hire me for a leadership position with little to no work experience, they would likely be willing to hire me later in my career as well. The chance to bring my energy, perspective, and passion into an inner-city school, however, felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. At just 23, being considered for two leadership roles revealed something I hadn’t fully seen in myself before: potential.
I ultimately chose the Dean position, and stepping into that role was a pivotal moment in my leadership journey. It showed me that leadership isn’t about having years of experience — it’s about showing up with the capacity to learn, the courage to serve, and the belief that you can make a difference even when you’ve never done it before. And the fact that I had those options during a recession only reinforced that I had something valuable to offer.
What role do mentorship and community play in shaping your approach to leadership and success?
Mentorship and community are essential to how I lead and define success. I talk about their importance often, especially with high school and college students, through a concept I call The Power 5. It’s a simple but powerful framework I encourage people to use — and keep evolving — as they grow in their careers and lives.
The Power 5 is made up of five key relationships. First, you need one mentor — someone with more experience and knowledge who not only encourages you but also calls you in rather than out by helping you see and address your blind spots. Next, you need two peers who are walking alongside you. These should be people operating at a similar level but who are smarter, more connected, or have access to knowledge and resources that you don’t. Their presence keeps you sharp and pushes you to grow. Finally, you need two mentees — people who look up to you and seek your guidance.
Being a mentor reminds you to lead with consistency and integrity because you know others are watching and learning from your actions. Surrounding yourself with this Power 5 — mentors, peers, and mentees — ensures that you are always learning, always contributing, and always grounded in community as you grow into the next level of leadership.
In what ways do you think your generation’s view of success differs from previous generations?
I think every generation brings a new challenge to the workforce, and this generation brings something powerful: the audacity to dream. They have more access and visibility than ever before to people who look like them building sustainable businesses, creating agile solutions, and building brands that align more closely with their identities than with any single company.
This generation is full of dreamers who not only have ideas but also have access to the tools and resources to bring those ideas to life much faster than was possible 10 or 20 years ago. Success for them isn’t about fitting into an existing mold — it’s about being successful while being fully themselves. They’re unwilling to hide parts of who they are to meet someone else’s expectations.
Flexibility is also a huge part of how they define success. They want roles that allow them to bring their whole selves to work while also exploring the world and pursuing passions beyond the office. This concept often clashes with traditional workplace norms, especially for leaders who are used to having unlimited access to employees’ time and attention.
Unfortunately, without context, this generation can sometimes be perceived as entitled or difficult. But in reality, they’re challenging all of us to ask an important question: “Why can’t we do things differently?” My hope is that over time, companies will find ways to embrace this new perspective and create environments that benefit both the organization and the individuals within it.
Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Ways Ambitious Young Adults Are Redefining Success?”
- Seeking New Opportunities
One of the biggest shifts in how young adults approach success is their willingness to ask for help early and often. Platforms like LinkedIn have normalized reaching out to professionals, seeking mentorship, and leveraging networks — something that older generations often saw as a sign of weakness. I’ve had countless undergraduate and graduate students message me directly, not to ask for a job, but to ask for guidance and feedback long before they land their dream role. This shift shows that they see success not as a solo journey but as something built through connection and community.
2. Sharing Their Story
For previous generations, “success” often meant waiting until you had a certain title or level of authority before sharing your perspective. Today’s young adults are flipping that script. They share their stories — their hobbies, “side quests,” failures, and lessons learned — right alongside their career achievements. This authenticity doesn’t just build their personal brand; it inspires their peers and those coming behind them. They’re showing that you don’t need to wait for permission to lead or influence others — your story itself is a powerful tool.
3. Side-quest Exploration
Since the rise of platforms like Twitch, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, young adults are exploring entrepreneurship earlier than ever before. According to a 2024 Gallup report, nearly 60% of Gen Z and Millennials say they plan to start a business at some point in their careers, and 1 in 3 are already running a side hustle. While many of these ventures may not lead to instant wealth or fame, they reflect a major mindset shift: success is not just about climbing the corporate ladder — it’s about creating opportunities on your own terms. Taking risks and experimenting with business ideas in their 20s is now seen as a normal, even expected, part of building a fulfilling career.
4. Standing Up For Themselves and Others
This generation is also reframing success to include emotional and mental well-being. They believe that mental health is just as important as salary, and they’re not afraid to say so. A 2023 Deloitte study found that 75% of Gen Z and 68% of Millennials have left or considered leaving a job for mental-health-related reasons. They actively seek out resources, strategies, and workplaces that help them combat burnout, imposter syndrome, and stress — proving that success is not defined by how much you can endure, but by how well you can thrive while doing meaningful work.
5. Saying NO to imbalance
Finally, ambitious young adults are rejecting the outdated notion of “work-life balance” and replacing it with work-life integration. They don’t want their careers and personal lives to compete — they want them to complement each other. Flexibility, remote work options, and time to travel or explore new passions are now major markers of success. A 2024 PwC survey found that 82% of Gen Z workers value flexibility in how and where they work over traditional job perks, and many are willing to turn down roles that don’t align with that priority. This shift shows that success is no longer just about titles and paychecks — it’s about building a life that supports their values, identity, and curiosity outside of work.
How do you navigate the challenges of innovation and change while staying true to your values and vision for success?
That’s a great question because, honestly, it’s one of the hardest things to do. Innovation and change are inevitable, but staying grounded in your values while you navigate them takes real intentionality. One exercise I often walk my audiences through is a “values audit.” I ask them to identify their top five core values, for example, humility, transparency, integrity, empathy, and accountability — and then look back at the last five major decisions they’ve made. The goal is to see whether those decisions align with the values they claim to hold.
Making value-based decisions is critical because your values become the only true litmus test when things get chaotic. They act as your anchor when everything around you is shifting. For example, I absolutely love reading, but I also believe in the importance of limiting my screen time. Because of that, reading on a Kindle isn’t something I choose for myself. I stick to hardcovers, paperbacks, or audiobooks — formats that align with my values and how I want to live.
Another example is my curiosity. While tools like ChatGPT are incredibly efficient, I intentionally limit how often I rely on them. I want to maintain my ability to find reliable publications, explore competing viewpoints, and draw my own informed conclusions. It’s not about rejecting innovation; it’s about ensuring that the tools I use support, rather than compromise, the way I want to think, learn, and lead.
In the end, staying true to your vision during times of change comes down to this: know your values, return to them often, and let them guide your decisions no matter how much the landscape evolves.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
If I could start a movement, it would be called “Do Something Hard Every 18 Months.”
There are plenty of hard things happening around us, from the economy and housing crisis to a challenging job market and the pressures of social media; but that’s not what I’m talking about. I mean choosing to do something hard. Something that stretches you, pushes your limits, and builds a new level of resilience.
Maybe that means training for and completing a race. Maybe it’s taking an 18-month hiatus from social media to reset your relationship with technology. Or maybe it’s enrolling in a course, pursuing a certification, or diving into a topic you’ve always been curious about but never made time for.
The point is that growth doesn’t happen in comfort. By committing to doing something hard every 18 months, you create a rhythm of personal evolution. It keeps you curious, builds confidence, and reminds you that you’re capable of more than you think. Over time, that kind of intentional challenge doesn’t just change individuals it changes communities, organizations, and the world around them.
How can our readers further follow you online?
- LinkedIn: Britt Hunter
- Instagram: @Thankyousomuchbutno
- Fanbase: @ThanksButNoOneAskedYou
- Spotify: @ThanksButNoOneAskedYou
- Amazon Podcasts: @ThanksButNoOneAskedYou
- YouTube: @ThanksButNoOneAskedYou
- Pintrest: @ThanksButNoOneAskedYou
Eventbrite: Eventbrite Events Page
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
Future Leaders: Britt Hunter On How Ambitious Young Adults Are Redefining Success was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.