Author Archives: Brooke Allen

What I want to say to the richest kids in the world

Right now some of the richest kids in the world are meeting at something called the Nexus Youth Summit. Their last powwow was at the White House and now through July 26, they are meeting at the United Nations. According to its own website: “Nexus is a global movement of 2000+ young people from overContinue reading “What I want to say to the richest kids in the world”

To save Wall Street, start with better parenting.

by Brooke Allen  This past February, I retired from finance. Although I intend to continue to study the markets and write about them, I have no intention of ever working in the securities industry again. This makes it easy for me to talk to you about what I think is going on and what needsContinue reading “To save Wall Street, start with better parenting.”

How to give me a negative reference on LinkedIn

By: Brooke Allen (you will find my LinkedIn profile here.) Be aware that on LinkedIn you cannot give me a negative reference unless I approve it. This is bad news because if it is impossible for you to say something negative, then the positive things I might allow you to say must be taken with aContinue reading “How to give me a negative reference on LinkedIn”

Give us your tired, your poor, your overly-automated.

Deborah Branscum just wrote an article in Medium Backchannel: Our Hiring Process is Broken. Can a Hackathon Fix It? It talks about her experience of a new approach to hiring that my partner, Noah Goldman, and I are pioneering that we’re calling Staffup Weekend. You can see a photo of the attendees, a report onContinue reading “Give us your tired, your poor, your overly-automated.”

Want passion? Look for something that makes you angry.

Whenever I speak at colleges I begin by asking, “Why are you here?” This catches the students off guard and after batting the question around for a bit someone says, “To find my passion.” The rest agree and they imagine they are done with the topic. But I am not done with them. I ask them toContinue reading “Want passion? Look for something that makes you angry.”

How to hire good people instead of nice people

Usually, employers rapidly scan the resume of each job applicant looking for relevant education, skills, and work experience. They select 10 candidates for telephone calls, invite three in for interviews, and hire the one they like the best. This is a bad way to hire because at best it gets you nice people. You don’t need nice people. YouContinue reading “How to hire good people instead of nice people”

You do not need permission to do the right thing. No one can give you permission to do the wrong thing.

I went to college in 1970. By 1974 I had a degree in mathematics and experience hitchhiking  to every state of the union except for Alaska and Hawaii; perhaps 30,000 miles in all. I learned more about how to live from those experiences than anything I learned in a school. Here is the story of whatContinue reading “You do not need permission to do the right thing. No one can give you permission to do the wrong thing.”

How to write if you cannot concentrate.

Jack Rieur was the most wonderful teacher I ever had and perhaps the best teacher anywhere on the planet and for all time. I first met him in 1963 when he was my 6th grade teacher and we have kept in touch ever since. Sure, he covered the state mandated syllabus, but what he reallyContinue reading “How to write if you cannot concentrate.”