From Mentorship to Taking Action: Keys to Personal & Professional Success with Brian Haney

Amber Stitt
Feb 3
3 min read

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBSI4a0sAV8

Embracing Authenticity and Action: Lessons in Professional Growth from Brian Haney

On the latest episode of "The Amber Stitt Show," Amber sits down with Brian Haney for a refreshingly honest conversation about career journeys, family businesses, and why being yourself is often the ultimate professional advantage. If you’re looking for inspiration on how to navigate shifting career paths and find success by leaning into your unique strengths, this episode is a must-listen. Here’s a recap of the key ideas and advice from the conversation.

Blue Oceans, Not Battlegrounds

Brian opens with a powerful mindset: in his financial services world, colleagues shouldn’t see each other as competitors, but as comrades. The industry, he says, is “a blue ocean...we have the wonderful privilege of helping people. It’s a privilege, but it’s also a responsibility.”

This abundance mindset isn’t just about good vibes; it’s a strategic approach that helps professionals build collaborative networks and create greater impact. When your focus is on elevating others and rising together, opportunities multiply.

A Family Affair—on Their Terms

Many people imagine working with family means drama, but both Brian Haney and Amber Stitt highlight the joys and strengths that come from family businesses. The Haney Company, led by Brian Haney, his brother, and their father, wasn’t a meticulously planned succession. Instead, it came together organically: “[We] came together as peers...not as junior-senior,” Brian Haney explains.

The Haneys found success by respecting each other’s strengths, staying in their own lanes, and creating an environment where everyone could thrive. For anyone considering working with family—or bringing in a spouse from another industry—the key is honesty, openness to different skillsets, and clear roles.

There Are Many Pathways In

A recurring theme was the nonlinear journey to career fulfillment. Both Brian and Amber shared that they didn’t start in financial services, and neither were “A+ math students.” Brian Haney wanted to be an actor, then a journalist, before stumbling into banking. Amber Stitt’s husband came from entrepreneurship into insurance. Their message: “There’s different pathways to get where you’re going, and there could be a pivot, an enhancement.”

It’s never too late to switch directions, and sometimes, the best opportunities arise when you say yes to a new challenge.

Invest in Yourself—It Pays Dividends

Both guests are big believers in personal growth. Amber encourages spending on your own development, whether that’s through YouTube learning, executive coaching, or workshops—even if it seems like a distraction. As Brian puts it, “Investing in yourself as you navigate whatever path...is so critically important because it pays the biggest dividends for you, for your family, for your work, in every dimension of your life.”

Don’t discount so-called “soft skills,” either; emotional intelligence, adaptability, and resilience are just as important—if not more so—than technical certificates or industry knowledge.

Technology: Highlight Your Uniqueness

With AI and automation on the rise, some fear jobs will disappear. Amber and Brian choose to see the opportunity. Brian uses digital tools not to hide but to amplify who he really is—injecting humor into email out-of-office replies, for example. The point, he says, is to “anchor myself as who I am and be true to myself. Any tool that I use, I want it to reflect me.”

In a digital world of sameness, your personal brand—your real voice—is a strategic asset.

Take Action and Look Inward

The conversation wraps with practical advice: Don’t wait for a perfect plan or get bogged down comparing yourself to others. If you’re not comfortable in your own skin, seek out mentors, friends, or even therapists. “Humanity needs the best version of us to be showing up on a daily basis,” Brian Haney encourages. Start by taking action—maybe it’s joining a community, finding a mentor, or just investing some time in reflection.

Final Thought

Success isn’t a straight line. The most impactful careers are built by embracing change, knowing yourself, cultivating relationships, and taking action—one imperfect step at a time.