My personal brand is teamwork. Once the mindset takes hold where a teammate care’s – not just about their team’s success – but that they are passionate about helping each of their teammates achieve success before their own? That is when special things happen.
Teamwork is crucial in every aspect of our lives whether it is within the daily coordination of supporting and caring for our family members at home, a local/state/national government working together to solve the problem’s of the day, a school’s faculty working together to prepare young leaders of the future, a sports team working together to overcome the rigors of a long season, or even a company working together to maximize success for today and tomorrow. If you can get a team to funnel their energy, ego, talents and daily focus onto each other instead of themselves, then you have a foundation for sustained growth and success. You also have a special environment that everyone wants to work within – and no one wants to leave.
I like helping to build special places, wherever they may be.”
Brian first joined The Kaleidoscope Group in 1994 in the midst of his rookie season in Major League Baseball and the worst labor impasse in, at that time, professional sports history. Brian was a member of the Executive Board of the Major League Baseball Player’s Association and heavily involved in the player’s union negotiations with the owner’s and he knew there was a chance the work stoppage could last a long time.
In need of a job and new to Chicago, Brian turned to his best friend and college football teammate, Charles Young, who was a native of Chicago. Brian ended up working for Young’s mother, in the living room of her home, transcribing flip-charts on the computer for a fledgling diversity firm called, Bea Young Associates, Inc. These were the early days of what would later become, the international, full-service diversity firm, The Kaleidoscope Group.
Right away, Brian fell in love with diversity work. It spoke to him like nothing else, as it matched up completely with the childhood he had in the heavily diverse city of Oakland, California. So many different cultures, so many fascinatingly interesting people. So many shades of brown, black and white from all over the world, along with a huge LGBTQIA community, all wrapped into a thriving metropolis.
Baseball eventually resumed, but Brian’s passion for diversity work only grew. In every off-season, for twelve years, Brian would return to The Kaleidoscope Group to train under Bea Young, to learn how the hard work of diversity can be executed and to, eventually, work with a wide variety of schools, businesses, and teams including The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Caterpillar, Northrop Grumman, Novartis, Office Max, Sara Lee, The Northern Trust Bank, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, DHL, Fed Ex, National Louis University, CVS Pharmacy, Walgreen’s, Stanford University, Nationwide Insurance, Owens Corning, and Duracell.
At the end of his professional sports career, Brian continued to work with The Kaleidoscope Group on a project basis, but also spent nine years in the financial industry working for American Home Loans and Chase Bank. As a loan officer, team leader, and account manager Brian worked with companies such as the National Labor Relations Board, United Auto Workers Union, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, American Country Music Association, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Washington Football Team, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL Commissioner’s Office, NBA Player’s Association, NFL Alumni Association, WNBA and the Phoenix Mercury.
Brian would eventually work for The Kaleidoscope Group as a full-time Facilitator and Regional Director, helping to both train and grow the business throughout Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
In time, baseball would come for Brian a second time, and he would revert back to working on special projects for The Kaleidoscope Group, as he joined the San Francisco Giants front office staff, as a Pro Personnel and Advance Scout, helping the organization to win three World Series Championship.
Brian rejoined The Kaleidoscope Group in 2019 helping with design, curriculum, and delivery structure on a project for Major League Baseball. Then, in 2020, he came back full-time as an Executive Consultant, Facilitator, and Client Leader.
Brian graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science, from Stanford University while playing two sports (baseball & football). He was a part of two NCAA College World Series Championship teams and one bowl (Gator Bowl) team. Brian was originally drafted out of high school by the Montreal Expos, then a second time after his junior year in college by the New York Yankees. Brian spent 22 years in Major League Baseball, 12 as a player and 10 in the front office.
Brian and his wife have two children, have been married for twenty-five years, and currently live in Michigan.
