Erica Brinker on Doing Well, While Doing Good.

10 years ago, Erica Brinker lost her son, Luca. It’s the first thing she wants people to know about her, before the titles, before the business. “That changed the way I saw the world forever,” she says. Today, as the founder of At the Brink Media, a growth and media company based in Phoenix, Arizona and serving global organizations, she works to grow sustainable companies and tell stories that create empathy at scale.

From Fortune 100 to Founder

Before At the Brink Media, Erica was a Fortune 100 executive and public company officer. Her path there wasn’t a straight line: the first-born of four and a first generation college graduate, she started her career in fashion with Ralph Lauren and Tiffany before pivoting into technology, aerospace, and renewable energy.

“While I enjoyed my work, nothing quite prepared me for the satisfaction and passion that comes with building your own vision,” she says.

That vision took on new weight after Luca’s death. “I felt a deeper purpose and a renewed sense of how I could make a greater impact as a founder,” she says. Part of what drove her forward was a conviction that there aren’t enough women in leadership carving their own path. “We want to create a business that not only thrives financially, but also contributes more to the world,” she says. “We believe that you can do well while also doing good.”

She doesn’t run that vision alone. Sara Glassman, her business president, handles the day to day alongside her. “We absolutely love the work we do and the community we are building,” Erica says.

She finds the most important part of building the company isn’t a product launch or  metrics. It comes down to one principle: 

Staying true always wins.

“Be steadfast in the value you bring and stay close to who you are,” she says. “Brand should always be a reflection, not a more perfect, polished or aspirational version of your company. Your actions as a company, and employer and a customer champion are far more important than a logo or a great message.”

It’s a philosophy that has already paid off in tangible ways. The At the Brink podcast became monetized in just two months and eight episodes, well ahead of the timeline Erica and her team had set. “It isn’t a windfall by any means,” she says, “but we hit that goal ahead of schedule.”

Still, she’s transparent that building a company is not for the faint of heart. “Founding a company is for the passionate ones and the people who have the vision,” she says. “It also means making tough decisions and being ruthless in prioritization.” And the industry doesn’t always talk honestly about the toll that takes. “It’s really hard and many times very lonely,” she says. “Creating the right supportive system and community around you is essential.”

Building Something Her Children Can See

Erica’s early career was marked by impatience, always reaching for the next role, the next opportunity. Looking back, she wishes she’d slowed down. “I needed to take more time to learn from the people around me and celebrate even the small wins,” she says.

What she has learned since is a different kind of belief, one that has to come before anyone else’s validation. “You have to deliriously believe in yourself,” she says. “Only you know what needs to be done in those early days. As you progress, building the right team is essential.”

Her advice to other women considering the same leap is simple and direct: “No one will ever know what you are really capable of more than you. Surround yourself with the people who believe what you already know.”

Beneath the business milestones sits something more personal. “I want my children to be proud of who I am,” Erica says. “I started down this path so my children can see what it’s like to have a mother who is fearless, pursues her dreams and wants to make the world a bit better for them.”

Her hope for the next generation of women extends beyond her own household. “I want to see more women grow and thrive in the work force, if that’s their chosen path,” she says. “I want more women-led and women-friendly companies examine their policies and build better infrastructure to ensure that work also works for women.”

Through it all, her husband and kids have remained her steadiest source of support. “All of whom have been incredibly supportive,” she says. It’s a foundation that keeps her returning to the belief driving everything she builds: it is possible to do well while doing good. A strong business can thrive while remaining human.

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