Brett Hellman

Brett Hellman

Brett Hellman is the CEO of Matter, dedicated to crafting a product that makes work more joyful and meaningful. He’s passionate about designing tools that help teams feel recognized, valued, and engaged.
Leadership
How to Be Cautiously Optimistic with Your Team
According to The Mind of the CEO, Yale professor Jeffrey Garten found that having an “optimistic spirit” was a commonality among the world’s top 40 business executives.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 12, 2026
2 Min Read
Productivity
How to Ask Clarifying Questions
Learn how to ask clarifying questions and achieve success in your career.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 13, 2026
2 Min Read
Leadership
Trial By Fire: Julie Zhuo Describes The Making Of A Manager
Julie would describe her role as a manager as “trial by fire.” She felt unprepared to lead. Things like learning how to hire, interviewing, setting up processes, or communicating with big and small groups were essentially by trial and error.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Mar 8, 2021
6 Min Read
Leadership
From Lagos to Wall Street, Thinknum CEO Shares His Self-Actualization Journey
From Nigeria to Princeton to Wall Street and now startup land, the Lagos native has found that focusing on himself and honing his craft has led to the most successful moments of his life.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Mar 1, 2021
4 Min Read
Leadership
CEO of GrowSF, Sachin Agarwal, Love-Loves SF
GrowSF encourages community members who work in tech ​to contribute to the needs of the city. To be specific, through local government, transportation, and SF education.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Feb 22, 2021
6 Min Read
Leadership
Toucan’s CEO Brings Her Competitive Side To Forming Habits
From the volleyball court to the startup land, co-founder and CEO Taylor Nieman flexed her competitive bones as she builds, what she calls her “fourth baby,” Toucan.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Feb 16, 2021
4 Min Read
Leadership
Meet Kara Goldin, the Founder of Hint
Now, it’s easy to say that nothing scares Kara. But 15 years ago, that wasn’t the case. We (virtually) sat down with the powerhouse behind the largest non-alcoholic beverage company in the U.S.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Feb 8, 2021
6 Min Read
Productivity
How to Build a Professional Relationship
Strong professional relationships are built through small, consistent acts of attention. Here's what they look like, why they matter, and the practical habits that build trust, reciprocity, and respect at work.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 28, 2026
3 Min Read
Matter Updates
Meet Brett Hellman, the Founder of Matter
If you’d asked Brett Hellman, CEO of Matter, what his weekend plans were years ago, his response would have been this: work, work, and work.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Feb 1, 2021
2 Min Read
Leadership
CEO of Canva Shares How You Can Do A Lot With Little
Imagine yourself adrift on a kiteboard with a deflated sail in the middle of the Caribbean, waiting to be rescued. CEO of Canva, Melanie Perkins, definitely can.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Jan 25, 2021
6 Min Read
Leadership
How to Recognize Team Effort
According to a 2010 Journal of Personality and Social Psychology study, when people are thanked for their efforts they feel encouraged to provide more help in the future. Leaders that show appreciation and recognition make their teams feel valued for their work contributions.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 12, 2026
2 Min Read
Leadership
How Kamala Harris’ Leadership Skills Propelled Her To VP
We’re one day away from the inauguration, and the Vogue debacle is still buzzing. Many people described the shot of Kamala Harris as “disrespectful.”
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Jan 11, 2021
4 Min Read
Leadership
A Story Of Resilience: Leah Culver Sells Her Third Startup To Twitter
"I was tired of being a founder and desperately needed a break," said Leah Culver in 2013. Fast forward today, Culver recently sold her third startup, a podcast app called Breaker, to Twitter. However, it wasn’t always a piece of cake.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Jan 6, 2021
5 Min Read
Leadership
Barack Obama’s Approach To Tough Decisions
Barack Obama has made some of the biggest decisions in our lifetime. Just like him, we’re consistently making tough decisions. Recently, Obama took the time to share how he made decisions during his presidency.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 1, 2026
4 Min Read
Productivity
How to Be Objective When Making a Decision
Having a sense of purpose that allows leaders to make conscious decisions that will help their team reach success. When you take the time to define the “why,” your team will feel valued because you’re bringing them along on the journey.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 28, 2026
3 Min Read
Productivity
How Active Listening Increases Retention
According to Forbes, most individuals spend about 45% of their day listening. Taking the time to actively listen and understand your team is linked to an increase in trusting relationships and collaboration.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Jun 6, 2026
2 Min Read
Leadership
Jewel Ham: The Intern Behind Spotify’s Wrapped Story
Is it really the end of the year if you don’t share your Spotify Wrapped? With the bursts of Instagram stories and tweets from Spotify users, many don’t know the idea of an interactive Spotify Wrapped Story was conceived by an intern: Jewel Ham.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Jun 12, 2026
4 Min Read
Leadership
Slack 🤝 Salesforce: Stewart Butterfield's Secret Sauce That Led To A $27.7B Acquisition
CEO and co-founder Stewart Butterfield sold Slack to Salesforce for a whopping $27.7 billion. That’s cool, but the events leading up to the acquisition, well, that’s where all the good stuff happened. And why does that matter? Because this is how you learn to be a versatile leader.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Jun 1, 2026
4 Min Read
Productivity
How to Use Positive Facial Expressions
People can pick up when your body language and words don’t align. Your negative or positive facial expressions say much more than your actual words.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 12, 2026
2 Min Read
Leadership
How to Get Your Team's Buy-In
In his book Buy-In, Harvard Business School professor John Kotter explains how “70% of all organizational change efforts” fail due to a lack of buy-in from peers. Getting buy-in isn’t a superficial tactic.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 12, 2026
2 Min Read
Leadership
How to Embrace Authentic Leadership
Authenticity inspires loyalty and engagement. And when start to being your true self, you’ll feel connected to your work, team, and organization.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 12, 2026
3 Min Read
Productivity
How to Support Mental Health at Work (Without Walking on Eggshells)
Supporting mental health at work isn't about having perfect answers - it's about empathy and openness. Three practical, judgment-free ways to make it easier for people to be human at work.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 12, 2026
3 Min Read
Productivity
How to Communicate and Act with Confidence
Confidence at work isn't about being the loudest voice in the room - it's clarity, composure, and owning your message. Here's how to communicate and act with genuine confidence, and build it over time.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Jun 12, 2026
4 Min Read
Productivity
Mentee: Who, What, When, and Why?
Are you about to embark on a mentor and mentee relationship? Before you get started, it's vital to have a clear understanding of the role of a mentee.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 13, 2026
3 Min Read
Leadership
Mentor and Mentee: Roles, Responsibilities, and Relationships
Are you about to embark on a mentor and mentee relationship? Before you get started, it's vital to have a clear understanding of the expectations, roles, and responsibilities that will help shape each person for success.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 12, 2026
3 Min Read
Leadership
How to Get Your Team on the Same Page
Getting your team on the same page means aligning on the goal, the purpose, and the path to get there. Here's what alignment really means, why it matters, and the practical habits that keep a team moving in the same direction.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 12, 2026
4 Min Read
Productivity
Mentee Definition: Workplace Synonyms and Antonyms
Based on Merriam-Webster, mentee definition is "one who is being mentored." Essentially, a mentee is an individual who is willing to learn and be coached from a senior person.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Jun 6, 2026
2 Min Read
Productivity
How to Find the Cause and Effect When Asking Questions
According to Harvard Business Review, asking probing questions should be met with the spirit of “accelerating progress, illuminating unconscious assumptions, and solving problems.” Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 28, 2026
3 Min Read
Productivity
How to Agree to Disagree While Being Open-Minded
While disagreeing with a peer seems scary and risky, it actually increases our understanding of one another because it requires us to hear the other point of view.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Jun 1, 2026
2 Min Read
Productivity
Which of the 5 Decision-Making Styles are You?
An in-depth look at the 5 types of decision-makers and the individuals that embody them. Learn how to use this to be a better, more thoughtful leader.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 12, 2026
6 Min Read
Employee Feedback
Positive Feedback Examples to Help You Improve Professionally
Feedback is not always a pleasant experience. But if you take the brave plunge, you can make a positive and meaningful change as soon as today.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Jun 12, 2026
4 Min Read
Productivity
What Is My Work Style
Your work style is how you do your best work in the most efficient way. Understand your preferred work style and how you can leverage it to do your best work yet.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 20, 2026
5 Min Read
Employee Feedback
How to Give and Get Constructive Criticism
Learn what constructive criticism is, and steps you can take to deliver and receive effective constructive criticism with examples.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Jun 12, 2026
2 Min Read
Performance Management
The Top 3 Ways to Improve on Performance at Work
Good news! You’re already well on your way to improvement if you’re looking at this blog. The first, and sometimes biggest, hurdle to improving performance at work is seeking it out.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 12, 2026
3 Min Read
Productivity
How to Be a People Person
When you hear “people person,” you think HR, right? While HR practitioners hold unique positions to speak on the topics of people and culture, they should not be the sole contributors to the topic of relating to others. Learn how you can be a people person too.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
May 13, 2026
4 Min Read
Productivity
How to Be a Better Multitasker
It takes practice and critical thought to be able to be a multitasker. Ironically, a good multitasker can figure out how to not actually do multiple tasks at the same exact time.
Brett Hellman
Brett Hellman
Jun 12, 2026
5 Min Read