Brian Arao is the founder and president of Brave Space Leadership and a former higher education leader who has spent more than two decades creating powerful learning experiences for others. Guided by a deep commitment to service, authenticity, and justice, he supports leaders in unlocking their own and others’ potential—especially those navigating complex, diverse workplaces. Humans of Fuzia is featuring Brian because his journey from a “traditional” career path to purpose-driven leadership beautifully reflects our community’s mission of empowering women and allies worldwide through He-for-She and She-for-She support.
Q: What first set you on the path to the work you do today?
Brian: I didn’t have one single “aha” moment—it was more like a long unfolding. I went to college thinking I’d become a physician because that was the dream my family had for me, and I never really questioned it. Over time, I noticed I was competent at science, but I didn’t love it. What really lit me up were my student leadership roles and my social science courses.
With the support of patient mentors, I realized that what attracted me to medicine was the idea of helping people—but that wasn’t the only way to be of service. I discovered I had natural strengths in listening deeply, helping people see connections, and creating learning experiences in both intimate and large group settings. That led me into a 23-year career as a campus-based higher education leader, initially focused on students and eventually on faculty and staff who shape the learning environment.
As I got closer to top executive roles, I realized I could do them, but they weren’t actually the work I wanted. What I wanted was to be fully devoted to helping people have powerful learning experiences—especially leaders. So I created Brave Space Leadership as a platform to partner with leaders who are committed to building genuine connection, trust, and motivation across diverse teams, so they can unlock extraordinary potential in themselves, others, and their organizations.
Q: What challenges did you face as you stepped into entrepreneurship, especially around visibility and marketing?
Brian: My training is as an educator. I know how to design transformative learning experiences, but I’m learning how to run a business in real time. I had never studied marketing or sales—in fact, I was pretty intimidated by both and very self-critical about my perceived lack of skill.
At first, my network carried me. People who knew my work sent a lot of opportunities my way, which was wonderful. But I didn’t have a clear plan to reach people beyond that network. When that gap caught up with me, I felt stressed, uncertain, and started asking myself, “Maybe I’m not good at this. Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this.”
The turning point came when I turned my own coaching lens on myself. I asked: “If I were my own client, what would I be exploring?” The answer was obvious: I didn’t have a real system for sustainable marketing. I needed to learn how to share my work in a way that felt authentic, not pushy or “icky,” and still effective. That realization led me to seek structured support and education in marketing and sales. I’m still early in that journey, but I’m already seeing positive results.
For other entrepreneurs and rising leaders, I’d say: it’s normal to hit big bumps. There’s nothing wrong with not knowing something. The key is to act on that awareness—get support, learn the skills, and give yourself permission to grow.
Q: What is a milestone you’re especially proud of in your journey so far?
Brian: A big one for me was recently crossing 500 hours of professionally trained coaching. I literally have a spreadsheet where I track every session—and when it turned green at 500, I had to do a double take.
That number matters not just because it opens the door to pursuing an International Coaching Federation credential, but because it represents countless hours of deep conversations with leaders across higher education, nonprofit, and corporate spaces. When I reflect on those 500 hours, I see patterns—similar “aha” moments, common challenges around connection, influence, and courage. It’s incredibly gratifying to know I’ve played a meaningful role in those breakthroughs and that leaders trusted me to walk alongside them in that process.
Q: Do you work alone, or do you have a team supporting Brave Space Leadership?
Brian: I’m a solopreneur in the formal sense—it’s just me as the founder and president of Brave Space Leadership. That said, I definitely don’t do this work in isolation. I have collaborators and partners I work with, but they’re not official members of the business. Community and collaboration are still at the heart of how I operate.
Q: Our community is passionate about women’s leadership. What are your thoughts on women in leadership today?
Brian: I’ve long said I’m ready to live in a world primarily led by women. Women are the global majority, and I have profound trust and faith in women’s leadership. When I look back at the most powerful mentors and support systems in my life—the people who helped me understand who I am and become my best self—they’ve overwhelmingly been women.
It’s encouraging to see barriers to women’s leadership beginning to lessen, but we still have a long way to go. Real progress will look like women being representationally present in leadership across every sector. The problem has never been that women “don’t know how” to lead; they absolutely do—and often better than many men or other genders.
I also love coaching women leaders because my role is to help them recognize that what they need is already within them. Yes, structural sexism is real and unjust. I never pretend those conditions don’t exist. But even in unjust systems, people have agency. My work is to help women notice where they still have power and choice, and how to use that thoughtfully in service of their goals. Watching a woman leader say, “I unlocked something in myself—and it was mine all along” is one of the greatest joys of my work.
Q: How do you define success now—professionally and personally?
Brian: My definition of success has evolved a lot. Earlier in my career, it was all about climbing the ladder—reaching that top executive title. Now, I think about success in terms of the whole of my life.
Do I live where I want to live? Can I do the kind of work that feels aligned with my purpose? Am I spending meaningful time with the people I love and want to invest in? Does my body feel good? Am I getting enough rest?
Professionally, I distinguish between my job and my work. My job is being the president and founder of Brave Space Leadership. My work is being a catalyst for transformative learning. I feel successful when those two are aligned—and when I don’t feel like I have to sacrifice my health, relationships, or joy to maintain that alignment.
So success, for me, is feeling genuinely good about my life as a whole, instead of trading off one important part of myself to “win” in another.
“People already carry the tools they need to do extraordinary things. My role is simply to help them see what’s possible, clear the blocks, and trust that the leader they want to become is already within them.”
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