This week on The Process, we're joined by Brittany Claybrooks, a Detroit native whose journey is a powerful exploration of leadership, identity, and the often-unseen cost of carrying the weight of others.
Growing up in Detroit and neighboring communities throughout Wayne County, Brittany experienced both the grit the city is known for and the beauty of being surrounded by Black excellence. Those early experiences shaped her belief in service, community, and the responsibility to leave every place better than she found it. As her career led her from Michigan to Florida, Washington, D.C., Maryland, and New Jersey, she found herself at the center of civic engagement, public service, and transformational leadership, helping build systems designed to expand opportunity and strengthen democracy.
Throughout our conversation, Brittany reflects on something many high achievers quietly wrestle with: the belief that our value comes from what we produce rather than who we are. We discuss the pressure of constantly performing, the temptation to pour into everyone else while neglecting yourself, and the difficult lesson that worthiness cannot be earned through achievement alone. She shares how faith, self-awareness, and intentional restoration have become essential to sustaining both her purpose and her humanity.
One of the most moving moments in our conversation comes as Brittany speaks candidly about the burden many Black women carry in leadership roles—the expectation to continually show up, solve problems, and save institutions while often postponing their own healing. She reminds us that serving others should never require abandoning ourselves, and that restoration is not a reward for finishing the work; it is part of the work itself.
If you've ever measured your worth by your productivity, your title, or the number of people depending on you, this conversation offers a different perspective. Your value isn't determined by how much you carry. You were worthy before you accomplished anything, and you'll remain worthy long after the work is done.
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