Brené Brown
Born 1965 · Age 60
American research professor, author, speaker and podcaster known for research on shame, vulnerability, empathy and leadership; author of multiple #1 NYT bestsellers; host of popular podcasts; holder of the Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair at University of Houston.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in San Antonio, Texas
Casandra Brené Brown was born in San Antonio, Texas, eldest of four children.
Lived in New Orleans during childhood
Family moved to New Orleans; formative years included friendship with 'Eleanor' who she references as an early best friend.
Oldest of four children
By this time noted as the oldest sibling in her family (personal milestone shaping identity)
Graduated high school
Completed secondary education (exact high school not specified)
Met future husband Steve Alley; AT&T night job
Met Steve Alley; worked nights for AT&T taking customer service calls in Spanish — early adult work experience.
Married Steve Alley
After dating on and off for seven years, Brown and Steve Alley got married.
BSW from University of Texas at Austin
Completed Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) at UT Austin.
MSW from University of Houston; moved to Houston
Completed Master of Social Work at University of Houston; family moved from San Antonio to Houston; husband began pediatric residency.
Stopped drinking and smoking (sobriety)
Brown stopped drinking and smoking; she cites May 12, 1996 (one day after her master's graduation) as the date she quit.
Birth of daughter Ellen Alley
First child, Ellen, was born (personal milestone noted as growing her heart two sizes).
Ph.D. in Social Work from University of Houston
Completed Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in social work. Dissertation: 'Acompañar: A Grounded Theory of Developing, Maintaining and Assessing Relevance in Professional Helping'.
Became professor at University of Houston
Started as a research professor at the University of Houston's Graduate College of Social Work, beginning her long academic career there.
Self-published first book 'Women & Shame'
Completed first book on shame but could not secure an agent/publisher; borrowed money and self-published Women & Shame: Reaching Out, Speaking Truths and Building Connection.
Published 'I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn't)'
Penguin/Avery/Gotham edition of her shame-focused book released (republished from original self-published manuscript).
Penguin acquires self-published book; republished
Penguin (Avery/Gotham) bought Brown's self-published manuscript and republished it as I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn't) in 2007.
Named one of Houston's most influential women
Houston Woman Magazine voted Brown one of the city's most influential women.
Published 'Connections' shame-resilience curriculum
Published Connections: A 12-Session Psychoeducational Shame-Resilience Curriculum (2009).
Received University teaching recognitions
Received teaching awards including the Graduate College of Social Work's Outstanding Faculty Award (date unspecified around this period).
TED talk milestone: 'Power of Vulnerability' becomes one of TED's most-viewed talks
Her 2010 talk accumulated tens of millions of views and is frequently reported as one of the five most-viewed TED talks (view counts exceed 50M in various reports).
Published 'The Gifts of Imperfection'
Released The Gifts of Imperfection (2010), which contributed strongly to her rising public profile.
TEDxHouston talk 'The Power of Vulnerability'
Delivered the TEDxHouston talk summarizing a decade of research; the talk launched her into mainstream spotlight and later became one of TED's most-viewed talks.
TEDxKC 'The Price of Invulnerability' talk
Gave a TEDxKC talk discussing numbing vulnerable feelings and its costs.
TED listing for 'The Power of Vulnerability' (TED date)
TED records and lists Brown's 'The Power of Vulnerability' talk (October 6, 2010) which later accumulated tens of millions of views.
Launched The Daring Way (CEO)
Launched The Daring Way, a professional training and certification program for facilitators on vulnerability, shame, and courage; Brown serves as CEO.
Published 'Daring Greatly'
Released Daring Greatly (2012), a New York Times #1 bestseller transforming her into a mainstream author and speaker.
TED2012 talk 'Listening to Shame'
Delivered TED Talk 'Listening to Shame' (March 2012), building on earlier research and public profile.
Interviewed on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday
Discussed Daring Greatly with Oprah Winfrey on Super Soul Sunday (March 2013).
Launched COURAGEworks (leadership offering)
Launched COURAGEworks, a leadership development offering tied to her research and Rising Strong work.
Published 'Rising Strong' and launched COURAGEworks
Released Rising Strong (2015) and launched COURAGEworks, an online learning/leadership development platform.
Named Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair at University of Houston
Holds the Huffington Foundation's Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work, guiding training and research.
Piloted Brave Leaders Inc.
Piloted Brave Leaders Inc., aimed at leadership development and culture change for organizations.
Huffington Foundation pledges $2M to endow research chair
Huffington Foundation pledged $2 million over four years to endow a research chair in her name at University of Houston's Graduate College of Social Work.
Became visiting professor at UT Austin McCombs School of Business (role)
Serves as visiting professor in management at the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin (date referenced in bios; role ongoing).
Grounded theory research and training expanded
With the endowed chair funding, expanded training of social work students in grounded theory methodology and research on vulnerability, shame, courage and empathy.
Contributed chapter to Tim Ferriss' 'Tools of Titans' (contribution)
Authored a chapter/advice entry included in Tim Ferriss' Tools of Titans (book compilation featuring many contributors).
Published 'Rising Strong as a Spiritual Practice' audio program
Released audio/spiritual adaptation Rising Strong as a Spiritual Practice (2017), expanding the Rising Strong material into spiritual practice.
Published 'Braving the Wilderness'; opened The Marble Jar
Released Braving the Wilderness (2017); family and personal shifts — Ellen left for college; Brown opened The Marble Jar (a personal/retail/hub project).
Published 'Dare to Lead' and ranked #1 NYT bestseller
Released Dare to Lead (2018), which debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list (also #1 Publishers Weekly and Wall Street Journal).
Netflix special 'Brené Brown: The Call to Courage'
Debuted filmed lecture on Netflix (2019), the first researcher to have a filmed lecture featured on Netflix.
Appeared as herself in the film 'Wine Country'
Made a cameo appearance in the comedy film Wine Country (2019).
Platform & organizational work intensifies (private events, corporate work)
By 2020 Brown reported spending most time on leadership development and culture change work with organizations worldwide (consulting, workshops).
Launched podcasts 'Unlocking Us' and 'Dare to Lead'
Began hosting two weekly podcasts (Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead), featuring interviews and solo episodes; Spotify later became distribution partner.
Signed exclusive podcast deal with Spotify
Reportedly signed an exclusive podcast deal with Spotify (reported Sept 23, 2020); deal terms not publicly disclosed.
Co-edited 'You Are Your Best Thing' with Tarana Burke
Co-edited and released an anthology featuring Black writers and cultural figures (You Are Your Best Thing, 2021).
Won iHeartRadio Podcast Award for 'Unlocking Us'
Unlocking Us won the iHeartRadio Podcast Award for Best Advice or Inspirational Podcast (2021).
Podcast guest highlights and notable interviews
Hosted high-profile guests on Unlocking Us (e.g., Alicia Keys, Tarana Burke) increasing reach and cultural influence.
Published 'Atlas of the Heart'
Released Atlas of the Heart (Nov 2021), a map of 87 emotions/experiences to help expand emotional vocabulary.
Continued media adaptations and mainstream reach
Atlas of the Heart adapted into an HBO Max docuseries; Brown remains a mainstream voice on leadership, vulnerability and culture.
Atlas of the Heart wins Goodreads Choice Award for Best Nonfiction
Atlas of the Heart was selected as Goodreads Choice Award winner for Best Nonfiction (2022).
Announced pause / end of podcasts
Announced decision to pause podcasts (Feb 1, 2022 update) and later ended Dare to Lead (Dec 26, 2022) and Unlocking Us (Jan 2023) episodes; indicated no immediate plan to relaunch.
HBO Max docuseries 'Atlas of the Heart' release
Five-part docuseries based on Atlas of the Heart released on HBO Max (2022).
Named Executive Director of the Center for Daring Leadership at BetterUp
Appointed executive director of the Center for Daring Leadership at BetterUp (announcement on personal site, 2024).
New book 'Strong Ground' announced (preorder 2025)
Site lists 'Strong Ground: The Lessons from Daring Leadership...' as new book with virtual event Oct 14, 2025 (preorder materials appearing on her website).
Estimated net worth (public estimate)
Public estimations vary; a consumer-facing profile lists a net worth around $3 million (National Today). Conservative professional estimate based on book sales, speaking, courses, and licensing is in low millions.
Public speaking at major conferences including SXSW
Listed as appearing at the 2025 South by Southwest festival (public speaker appearances continue globally).
Key Achievement Ages
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