My Journey and Why It Matters To You!

Marta J. Brooks, PharmD, MS
Denver, CO

My leadership approach was shaped primarily by two experiences. The first occurred less than six months into an executive role, when I had to lead significant layoffs among people I barely knew. The challenge reinforced a lesson I had learned during prior reductions in force: the human side of a reduction in force extends beyond those who leave to include those who remain. Leaders must support both. One employee later told me they had never seen a layoff handled so well, all things considered. That moment strengthened my relationships with key remaining team members I would rely on as I moved forward. The human element of leadership is critical, but so rarely taught to new managers and leaders.

The second influence came from my experiences with leadership training programs. While some were good, few felt truly practical—focused on how to lead day to day. Conversations with colleagues revealed a shared frustration: many of us were promoted for being strong individual contributors yet received little to no training in the behaviors required to lead people. Much of our learning happened the hard way.

AlchemyXpresso™ was born from this gap—a need for practical, hands-on ways to better understand ourselves and how we show up for others. These are the foundations of becoming a better leader. I use that term intentionally, because leadership is not a destination but a continuous journey of growth. With every experience, personal and professional, we refine who we are becoming.

Here's to distilling insight and forging your leadership journey.